The Bath Tub Potion Hack That Lets Me Drink My Coffee While It’s Hot
Listen, I’m not saying I’ve figured out parenting.
I’m saying I’ve figured out how to drink my coffee while it’s still hot.
And honestly, sometimes that feels like the same thing. 😂☕
One of my favorite little life hacks is keeping a few very simple things in the bathroom so my kid can entertain herself in the bathtub.
Food coloring. Dollar Tree squeeze bottles. Measuring cups.
That’s it.
Put them in a little basket or container somewhere in the bathroom, and suddenly bath time becomes a full-blown science experiment.
Welcome to the Potion Lab
Give your kid a few squeeze bottles filled with water, some measuring cups, and a couple of colors of food coloring.
Now let them go to town.
They can mix colors.
Pour things back and forth.
Make “potions.”
Fill cups.
Dump cups.
Make new potions.
Decide that one potion is for dragons and another one is apparently going to cure the entire kingdom.
You know… important work.
And because it’s happening in the bathtub, the mess is already contained.
This is the part I love.
I don’t have to set up some elaborate sensory activity at the kitchen table, cover everything in towels, find seventeen different supplies, and then spend 30 minutes cleaning it up.
I put a few things in the bathtub and let her imagination do the rest.
The Dollar Tree Supplies Are the Best Part
You absolutely do not need fancy bath toys for this.
Grab a few cheap squeeze bottles from Dollar Tree, some inexpensive measuring cups, and food coloring.
You could even add things like:
- Small plastic cups
- Funnels
- Plastic spoons
- Empty shampoo or body wash bottles that have been thoroughly cleaned
- A small bowl or two
Basically, anything that lets them pour, squeeze, measure, mix, and dump.
That’s really all they need.
Kids can turn the most random collection of household junk into an entire imaginary world.
And Then… I Drink My Coffee.
This is the real reason we’re here.
Because while she is busy making a suspicious-looking purple potion that apparently has magical powers…
I get to sit there and drink my coffee.
While it’s hot.
Not lukewarm.
Not reheated three times.
Not forgotten on the counter until it becomes basically iced coffee.
HOT. COFFEE.
And listen, that’s a win.
Sometimes I think we make motherhood harder than it has to be because we feel like every activity has to be Pinterest-worthy.
It doesn’t.
Sometimes the best activity is five dollars worth of random plastic containers and some food coloring.
It keeps them busy.
It lets them use their imagination.
It gives them something to do independently.
And it buys you a few minutes to breathe.
That’s a pretty good trade.
A Few Things I Do
I keep the supplies in the bathroom so I don’t have to remember to get them every time.
I also keep the food coloring somewhere my kid can’t get into it independently because, while we’re making bath potions, I’m not interested in accidentally turning the entire bathroom blue.
And obviously, I stay close enough to supervise bath time.
But otherwise?
Have fun, little scientist.
You have potions to make.
I have coffee to drink.
Everybody wins.
The Best Mom Hacks Aren’t Always Complicated
I’ve learned that some of the things that make our days easier aren’t complicated routines or expensive toys.
Sometimes it’s just putting the right stuff in the right place.
Food coloring + squeeze bottles + measuring cups + bathtub = Potion Lab.
And Mom gets five minutes with a hot cup of coffee.
I’ll take it.
Follow me for more real-life mom hacks, simple ideas, and ways I’m trying to make everyday life just a little easier. ☕️
— Katie
Word & Weekdays
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