This $10 whale-shaped faucet cover protects my daughter's head during bath time, but she thinks it's a fun toy

• Toddlers and young kids don't really look where they're going, and during bath time, it's especially easy for them to hit their heads on the hard faucet.
• The Infantino Cap the Tap Bath Spout Cover ($9.90) keeps my daughter from hitting her head on the bath spout, and it's also a fun toy for her to play with.
• It's made of soft neoprene and has an adjustable strap to fit any spout.

I never knew there were so many ways to take a bath until my daughter Ellie was born. From sponge baths to sink baths to full-blown tub baths, we've gone through a lot of variations in her 14 months of life.

But once we reached the actual tub stage, I quickly realized that our regular ol' tub was going to need some kid-friendly accessories. My husband and I bought the standard bath books, foam letters, and non-slip mats. We also picked up what would become one of Ellie's favorite parts of the tub - the Infantino Cap the Tap Bath Spout Cover ($9.90).

The cover has two inches of neoprene to protect against bumps and it secures to the bath spout with Velcro fastening

I have vivid memories of banging my head onto the bath spout as a kid, and I never want that to happen to my daughter. This spout cover protects Ellie's head, but to her, it's just another fun bath toy.

The Cap the Tap cover is designed to look like a cute little whale that Ellie loves to "talk" to while she gets a bath. It easily slides over the bath spout via a Velcro strap around the back for security. There's a mesh hole underneath the whale's head where the water comes out, and even though the hole is circular, it hasn't caused any issues with our square bath spout. In fact, one of Ellie's favorite things to do in the tub is stand in front of the spout and catch the water as it comes out of the whale's mouth.

There are about two inches of neoprene cushioning in the whale's head that extends beyond the faucet, so when Ellie inevitably does bump her head, it doesn't hurt at all.

Our bath spout has a knob on top to switch between the tub and shower, so I needed to find a cover that would let us make the switch without taking the cover off. Cap the Tap has a little slit at the top of the whale's head that provides the perfect opening for the knob while still keeping it covered. Somehow, kids manage to hurt themselves on the smallest, most unexpected places.

I also love that this bath spout cover is machine washable so we can just throw it in the wash if it starts to get grimy, which it hasn't after more than six months of daily use.

It might be better for some faucet shapes, but I didn't have any issues

I have no complaints about this bath spout cover, but some reviewers say they had trouble getting it to stay on their bath spout, so it might work better for some faucet shapes than others.

A bath spout cover is an essential once your baby becomes mobile, and the Infantino Cap the Tap cover is a simple, cute, and effective choice.

If you'd prefer a silicone option to protect your kids, you can try this cute elephant cover from B.N.D Top ($9.97). Shoppers say this cover fit larger bath spouts better than some other options. A cheaper alternative that's also great for travel is the inflatable Dreambaby Bath Tub Spout Cover ($3).

Babies grow so quickly in their first year. It seemed like one day I was giving my newborn a sponge bath and the next she was crawling around the tub. I recommend getting the Cap the Tap bath spout cover now so you can pop it on as soon as you need it - which will be sooner than you'd expect.

Pros: Keeps babies and toddlers from hitting their heads on the bath spout, made of soft neoprene, has a hole on top for a shower knob, machine washable, fun design, inexpensive

Cons: Might not fit all bath spouts

Buy the Infantino Cap the Tap bath spout cover on Amazon, $9.90