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Like any other toy your baby comes into contact with, it’s important to make sure their bath toys are free of harmful chemicals. In the bath especially, in which their toys come into contact with warm water that may over time cause leaching of certain ingredients, you want to be extra certain that your little one’s bath toys are safe for them to handle. The best non-toxic bath toys are made with child-safe dyes, natural materials such as wood, and are free of BPA, phthalates, and PVC.
Luckily, there are many eco-friendly and non-toxic bath toys available, if you know where to look.
Why Not Plastic Bath Toys?
In general (except for Green Toys, which make phthalate-free toys out of recycled plastic), you won’t find plastic bath toys on our non-toxic bath toy list. That’s because plastic toys tend to contain at least some level of phthalates.
In case you haven’t heard much about them before, phthalates are chemicals used to make plastics pliable. However, they can pose a serious risk to babies and young children. They can be absorbed through the skin, inhaled, or ingested- like when a baby puts a toy in their mouth or drinks contaminated bathwater.
Once inside the body, phthalates can be active for a long time and are harder for babies to eliminate than adults. Exposure to phthalates has been linked to a range of health problems, including motor reflex issues, cognitive development, hormonal imbalances, and even reproductive system abnormalities. In short, it’s pretty scary stuff.
That’s why it’s important to choose bath toys that are free from phthalates and other potentially harmful chemicals, to ensure your baby stays safe and healthy during bath time.
If you find a plastic bath toy that you really want, we recommend making sure it is “phthalate free” before buying.
11 Best Non-Toxic Bath Toys, 2023
Here are some of my favorite non-toxic bath toys that will make bath-time fun and keep your little one safe at the same time.
1. Green Toys Tide Pool Bath Set ($7)
I love so many of Green Toys’ creations, and that’s why you’ll see a few on this list. This one is adorable for kids who want to pretend they’re at the beach! This eco-friendly set is made of recycled plastic and is free of harmful chemicals like BPA, phthalates, and PVC.
It has a starfish, scallop, abalone, and snail for your little one to play with in the tub. These double as awesome beach and pool toys.
2. Green Toys Tugboat ($7)
I told you there would be more from Green Toys on our list! My kids were both obsessed with this tug boat as toddlers! They loved making it float and dive into the “ocean.” We love this little tug!
Green Toys also makes a fun ferry boat which we feature in our Ultimate Guide to Eco-Friendly Toys.
3. CaaOcho’s Kala the Whale ($15)
Kala the Whale is made of 100% natural rubber, so you know it won’t be leaching anything nasty into your baby’s bath-water. It also has no holes (not even a blow-hole!), which helps keep mold from growing inside a wet bath toy. Kala is adorable, non-toxic, and should make your baby’s tubby a whale of a good time! (ha-ha)
This company also makes a cute little sea-horse named Nalu ($15).
4. PlanToys Speed Boat($15)
Your toddler can race this PlanToys’ adorable speedboat around the tub without any concern, since it’s made of all natural rubberwood and non-toxic water-based dyes.
5. Tikiri Toys Turtle ($18)
Tikiri makes some of the best non-toxic bath toys out there. Their adorable, 100% natural rubber bath toys come in turtle, crocodile, dolphin, and octopus shapes. Another of our bath-time favorites is the adorable sea horse!
This turtle features an enclosed rattle, which is sure to be entertaining, and is non-toxic, BPA free, phthalate free and PVC free.
6. Oli & Carol Origami Boat ($18)
We love these cute little origami boats from Oli & Carol! These are made of 100% natural rubber from Malaysian Hevea trees and hand painted with natural plant pigments. They have no holes in them, so you know mold isn’t secretly growing inside the toy.
They’re super cute and come in four different colors. Oli & Carol also makes a cute rubber duck ($15) that looks pretty close to the original plastic one we all know and love- but this one’s made out of natural rubber.
7. PlanToys Sea Life Bath Set ($23)
This cute high quality bath set includes a dolphin, turtle, starfish and clam that are made from natural rubberwood and colored with organic pigments.
The toys are also designed to float in water and to squirt (watch out, Mom and Dad!), making bath time really fun – and maybe a little bit messy, so keep a towel handy! Make sure to empty these after each use so the insides don’t get moldy.
For another great bath toy option made out of rubberwood, check out PlanToy’s engaging Fountain Bowl Set ($20).
8. HoneyStix Beeswax Bath Crayons ($23)
Some of the best non-toxic bath toys are actually bath art supplies! I mentioned that I love HoneyStix’s beeswax crayons in my Guide to Eco-Friendly Toys, and I’m so glad they also make bath crayons! Who doesn’t like to draw while in the bath?
These bath crayons are made entirely of beeswax, and their wrappers are biodegradable. They’re easy to wipe off after your toddler draws all over the tub with them.
Honeystix also makes a larger set if you need more crayons that also comes with bath drops (our kids went wild over being able to color their bath-water!). Bath time can do double duty as art time with these nifty eco-friendly crayons.
9. Hevea Squeeze ‘n Splash Rubber Duck and Frog ($26)
Hevea is known for making some of the best non-toxic toys, such as teethers, and they also make really cute bath toys. We were so happy to find that Hevea makes a rubber duck- it just didn’t feel like bath time without a rubber ducky, but the original plastic ones are full of nasty chemicals we didn’t want our toddlers playing with.
Hevea makes this duck and frog duo out of natural up-cycled rubber, which makes this toy both eco-friendly and safe for use in the bathtub. Being made of natural rubber means the toy has no plastic that could leach into the bath water- this little duck and frog are totally non-toxic bath toys, and they’re very cute to boot!
Hevea also makes a natural rubber bath mat if you’re in need of a non-slip surface for your tub.
10. Squigz ($29)
Squigz are a really fun toy made out of 100% silicone for both in the bath and out. They have suction cups for sticking to surfaces (like your tub) and to one another. Best of all, they’re dishwasher safe! So if they get a little gross from the tub, it’s super easy to clean them. My son played with his Squigz set for years!
11. Wooden Sailboat ($30)
Wood is a fantastic material for non-toxic bath toys. This ten inch sailboat is a great hand-crafted option for a fun wooden bath toy. It’s made with water-based, non-toxic paints and finishes. *It does have small parts, so make sure your kiddo is three or older before handing them one of these at tubby time.
Keep Bath Time Clean with Non-Toxic Bath Toys
Choosing the safest =bath toys you can find can help ensure a clean and fun bath time for your little ones. These toys are made from safe materials like wood, natural rubber, and silicone that won’t leach toxins into your baby’s bathwater (or to play with during your own bath time, no judgment here!).
If you’re looking for sustainable toys to use outside the tub, check out our picks for the best organic stuffed animals and non-toxic toys for kids.
