AHEAD: The coolest bath toys for one-year-olds that won’t get moldy and gross.
Are you looking for safe tub toys for a 1-year-old that won’t accumulate mold inside?
If your goal is to to make bath time more fun, you’re in the right place!
The “perfect” bath toy for a one-year-old is one that:
- Doesn’t collect water
- Dries quickly and thoroughly
- Holds their attention throughout bath time
- Isn’t outgrown in just a couple of months
Bonus points if it:
- Gives your 1-year-old a chance to practice new skills
- Can go in the dishwasher
- Is also fun outside the bath
- Still looks new after years of use
- Is aesthetically pleasing
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Whether you want a tub toy that’s educational, challenging, or just plain fun, you’ll find the best options below.
We’ll start with an overview of my nine picks for the best mold-free bath toys for 1-year-olds.
Use the blue links to skip ahead… or keep scrolling for all the details!
Overview: Best mold-free bath toys for 1-year-olds
- Best multi-purpose bath toy: Boon stacking boats
- Best bath toy for imagination: Suction animals
- Most ingenious bath toy: Rain cloud
- Best educational bath toy: Nuby alphabet & numbers set
- Best developmental bath toy: Boon water bugs & net
- Best challenging bath toy: Inspiration Play fill ‘n splash submarine
- Best motorized bath toy: TOHIBEE swimming turtles
- Best rubber ducky alternative: Natural rubber whale
- Most aesthetically pleasing bath toy: BOBXIN stacking cups
Best multi-purpose mold-free bath toy
Why they’re great:
- They float and strain water for endless fun.
- They dry quickly and fully.
- They can be used to rinse your toddler’s hair.
This set of 5 stacking boats is a favorite amongst parents and 1-year-olds alike! The boats are approximately 4 inches long, with a slight variation in size that makes them stackable.
They drain water slowly, making them super fun for creating a “shower” effect during water play.
They also float, are easy to hold, and are great for scooping and pouring water.
Parents love that they dry easily and continue to look brand new for years to come.
Best mold-free bath toy for imagination
Why they’re great:
- The silly animal-like shapes encourage imagination.
- They’re made of high-quality silicone.
- They can be used outside the bath.
I bought these as a stocking stuffer for Aden last Christmas. I’m stunned that they still haven’t lost their entertainment value at age 3!
He’s given each one a [gibberish] name and loves to line them up, stack them, and put them on other bath toys.
I love that there are no sneaky places for water to hide. Super easy to clean!
Most ingenious bath toy
Why it’s great:
- It’s enchanting – feels like pure magic!
- It splits in half for easy cleaning.
- It teaches simple physics in a really fun way.
This bath toy is magical!
It’s won all sorts of awards, and I can see why!
You submerge the cloud to fill it with water. Then, when you pull it out, it rains!
If you put your finger over the hole on the top, the rain magically stops.
So simple but so cool.
Best educational bath toy for 1-year-olds
Why it’s great:
- The foam pieces stick to wet surfaces like the side of the tub or the wall.
- The letters and numbers are more legible than similar foam sets made for kids.
- This is a fun way to introduce letters and numbers to a 1-year-old.
Aden learned all of the letters of the alphabet before he turned 2… all thanks to watching Sesame Street and playing with foam letters in the tub!
This set comes with the 26 letters of the alphabet and numbers 0 through 9.
(You can always put the numbers aside for the future if you want your 1-year-old to focus on learning the letters first. Or vise versa, of course.)
These foam letters are fun because they stick to the tub and the wall.
Your little one will enjoy arranging and rearranging them over and over.
Keep in mind: these WILL mold eventually if you don’t make sure they dry completely in between uses. All you have to do is lay them out on a towel, so it’s easy enough to keep them mold-free!
Best mold-free developmental bath toy
Why it’s great:
- This set promotes fine motor control and encourages hand-eye coordination.
- The “bugs” and the net float.
- The bugs have no holes. The net handle has a drainage hole to prevent mold.
Have you noticed that your 1-year-old sometimes prefers the simplest of toys (and non-toys)? This mold-free bath toy is a perfect choice for its simplicity.
This set, which makes an amazing stocking stuffer, comes with a net and 3 “bugs” for your young toddler to practice scooping.
They can also scoop all of their other bath toys!
It’s the perfect way to work on their fine motor skills while getting clean in the tub.
Parents love the quality and durability of this set—and that it doesn’t collect mold.
Best challenging bath toy for 1-year-olds
Inspiration Play fill ‘n splash submarine
Why it’s great:
- It teaches cause and effect in a super fun way!
- It’s really different from other bath toys on the market.
- Your toddler won’t outgrow it quickly.
Fair warning: your 1-year-old is going to need a little help to play with this one the way it’s intended.
That said, it’s EXTREMELY fun, and they can play with it in ‘their own way’ too.
Here’s how it works:
You suction the submarine onto the wall. You put the 3 balls (which are nice and solid) into the submarine. You fill the submarine with water using the yellow cup….
…then you press the orange button and it all shoots out the bottom!
A 1 year old will have trouble with doing all of those steps in a row—BUT—they can do parts of the operation and will still love it.
It’s a super high-quality toy that’s very much worth the money.
Best motorized bath toy for 1-year-olds
Why they’re great:
- They swim really fast after you wind them up!
- They’re easy to clean and don’t collect water.
- No batteries required.
The set consists of 3 little turtles that you manually wind to make swim! They’re a lot of fun to race and good for endless entertainment during bath time.
They’re also a nice addition to your collection of typical stationary bath toys.
Importantly, these are mold-free bath toys that dry really fast when play time is over.
Best mold-free rubber ducky alternative
Why it’s great:
- It doesn’t have a hole so it can’t collect water inside.
- It’s environmentally friendly and made of 100% natural rubber.
- It’s soft and durable.
Whether you already own a traditional rubber ducky, or you just want to switch it up and get something unique, this adorable whale is a great option.
Unlike most rubber ducky-type toys, this whale is completely sealed, so you don’t have to worry about it collecting water and molding inside.
The natural rubber is soft and perfect for teething 1-year-olds.
If whales aren’t your thing, they also have a sea turtle, a fish, and a seahorse.
Pro tip: Make sure to let it air dry after bath time so the natural rubber doesn’t mold!
Most aesthetically pleasing mold-free bath toy
Why they’re great:
- There are endless ways to play with these!
- They help develop hand-eye coordination and pattern recognition.
- The boho colors are trendy and modern.
This set of 8 stacking cups is as aesthetically pleasing as bath toys can be!
If you’re a fan of the Mushie products, you’ll find this to be a close match to their colors and texture.
The cups are especially fun in the bath for straining water since there are different types and shapes of holes.
They also have numbers—and they stack—so plenty of learning opportunities.
They’re also great outside of the bath! Try them at the beach or bring them to a sand box!
The star projection idea is super cool too, so be sure to try that out. (If you don’t have a flashlight you can always use your cell phone).
Final thoughts on tub toys that don’t get moldy
The perfect tub toys for a one-year-old are not easy to find—particularly since most toys on the market tend to collect water inside, which as you know, is a breeding ground for mold.
Thankfully, there are seven great options for bath toys for 1-year-olds, as you’ve seen on this list. Whether you’re looking to keep your young toddler entertained while you wash them, or encourage their development, give one of these mold-free tub toys a try.
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