Learning & Fun in the Tub

Neither particularly educational nor fun, the “learning” portion of Learning & Fun in the Tub--aimed at 1-18 month olds--consists of identifying unevenly cut construction paper shapes on a terry towel, watching a baby in a wading pool throw ten blocks, and counting five toy boats, while the “fun” part features our host and his daughters singing songs that are supposed to be cute (“Don't stand, don't drink, be careful that you don't stink…”). Despite the title, only 18 minutes of content are related to tub time; after advising that parents should teach their babies to swim, the program segues into a 12-minute promo for the Teach Your Child to Swim tape (incidentally, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children be at least four years of age before beginning swimming instruction). Especially considering the wealth of excellent similarly-themed and more reasonably priced programs for babies on the market (such as Baby Newton: All About Shapes [VL-7/02]), this is not recommended. Other titles in the series include: Learning & Fun by the Sea and Learning & Fun at the Campsite. Aud: P. (R. Reagan)