Potty training your child at home is a big enough challenge. But how can you make getting to the potty on time less stressful for your toddler when you visit friends or family, go out to eat at a restaurant or run errands? The Find the Potty game is a great way to introduce your child to the potty at home and keep them interested when out and about.
Play our potty training screen time game with your child below, and then check out other helpful tips for effective and fun potty training.
Introducing the potty
If your child has a cautious personality, they’ll definitely want to learn all the potty training rules up front — so thoughtful explanation will be really important. Having your toddler teach a favorite stuffed animal or doll how to use the potty can bring comfort to a child with this personality as well.
If your child is high-energy, they won’t have the patience for a long explanation. You’ll have to follow their lead a little bit more so they feel in control. With a toddler who moves quickly — and has the attention span to match — making a game out of potty training can be really helpful. Keep the energy up by timing them on their way to the potty, singing while they sit or making flushing into the toilet’s fun “superpower.”
Prepare your on-the-go potty training kit
- Choose the right potty seat. If you’re going to Grandma and Grandpa’s overnight or taking a little vacation, bringing along your child’s portable potty chair might be helpful. Of course, you can’t exactly carry that thing into a restaurant or lug it through the mall. So having a comfortable way for your child to use a regular toilet is important too.
- Check out the portable child-size potty seats that are easily available at many stores. Some even fold up, making them easy to fit into your purse or bag. Remember that you won’t have a sturdy stool when you’re at a public restaurant, so you’ll probably need to give your toddler a boost to get up on the big toilet.
- Grab some Pull-Ups® training pants. Even if your child has already started wearing underwear, accidents can happen when you’re away from home and the potty isn’t just a room away at all times. To make cleaning up any messes easier, you might want to try putting your child back in Pulls-Ups® training pants when you’re on the go. Explain to your little one that it’s a temporary move to help you both feel more secure when you’re out and about.
- Get the other essentials. When you’re shopping for potty training supplies with your son or daughter, grab some disinfectant wipes so you can clean up any accidents easily. Just be sure to keep them separate from your potty wipes. While the potty wipes are great for wiping up your little one, the disinfectant wipes can have harsh chemicals.
Play some potty training games
- Potty Seek & Find. Similar to this Find the Potty game, the Potty Seek & Find game can help your child feel less anxious about locating a potty when they’re away from home. You can even build up excitement before you arrive at a new spot by asking, “I wonder how long it will take us to play the Potty Game at [Grandma’s, the restaurant, the shopping mall, etc.]?”
- ”Do you think it will take more time or less? Why?” “What do you think we could do when we get there to beat our time here?”
- Potty Training Race. Practice getting to the potty quickly with the Potty Training Race game. While you might do it at home by moving around the potty chair, when you’re out and about you can race to find the potty in a different house or even a public restroom.
- Pull-Ups® Scavenger Hunt. Create a fun seek-and-find game with all your child’s potty training essentials using the Pull-Ups® Scavenger Hunt. It’s a great way to introduce potty training tools when your child is first learning, or to refamiliarize them with the process when they’re away from home.
- Build-a-Bathroom Puzzle. When your child first starts potty training, the bathroom might seem like a strange place. Unless they’ve watched you or a big sibling use the bathroom, they probably haven’t spent much time in that room (other than baths!) until it’s time for the big transition to using the toilet.
The Build-a-Bathroom Puzzle can help them explore everything from the flush handle to the sink. Even if they’re well on their way to potty training completion, repeating the game can help them get familiar with new places when you’re away from home too.
At home or away, thoughtful planning and some fun games can make potty training more successful for your child — and less stressful for you too. With the Find the Potty game download and these other fun potty training games, you can get your child’s attention and making learning fun!
