Ice Cream Sundaes

[ under $5 | 30 minutes or less | easy clean-up ]

When my son is reluctant to take a bath, all it takes to get him to comply are those three sweet little words: “Cookie Monster Foam.”  This wonderfully rich and creamy soap comes in a “no-tears” formula that doesn’t stain tubs, tile, or kids.  (You might not want to have your best towels out, however, as the blue in particular tends to linger on fabric.)  It has a texture similar to whipped cream or shaving foam, and the Cherry and Berry scents are light and fruity.  I found the Grape fragrance to be a bit heavy, and it lingered in the bathroom for an unpleasant amount of time, but that’s my opinion, and your mileage may vary.

You can do a lot with a simple can of foam.  Give your child a toy razor and let him pretend to shave his face.  Put it in her hair and give her a faux mohawk.  The foam is quite versatile and you can use it in conjunction with whatever your child’s favorite bath toys might be — get some plastic trucks and pretend you’re plowing snow, or give your child’s favorite rubber duck a beehive or pompadour.  In the photos above, you can see that  we took some toy ice cream cones and pretended to make soft-serve sundaes.  For a real indulgence, empty the entire can into a dry bathtub and let your child cover himself with “monster fur.”

We pretended the foam was fur, and sang a song called "We Are the Monsters in your Neighborhood."

The main problem I have with this product is keeping my closet stocked with it.  I initially found it at Toys R Us, but I can seldom find more than a few cans at a time, and more often they are out of stock completely.  So I placed a sizeable order with Amazon.com seller Cosmetic Solutions.  The product doesn’t qualify for free shipping, but Cosmetic Solutions charges a flat fee of $5.39 per shipment to U.S. addresses.

Verdict: A fun way to bring some sensory play into the bath, with lots of potential for an imaginative child.

Score: 8/10