Meet the Potty
Meet the Potty is a calm life skills activity for toddlers aged 15–36 months (corrected age). Your child gets to know a new potty on their own terms: hearing its name, touching it, sitting a toy on it and sitting on it dressed if they want. It takes 2–5 minutes, needs 2 minutes of prep and works indoors.
Updated
Meet the Potty
Your child gets to know a new potty on their own terms: hearing its name, touching it, sitting a toy on it and sitting on it dressed if they want.
- Ages (corrected)
- 15–36 months
- Time
- 2–5 min
- Prep
- 2 min prep
- Where
- Indoors · Calm
You need
- a child-size potty chair, set down in the bathroom
- a favorite soft toy (optional)
Steps
- Put the potty in the bathroom near the toilet, and keep it in that same spot from now on.
- Show it to your child in a light, everyday voice: "This is your potty. One day pee and poop can go in here."
- Let them touch it, lift the bowl out and back, or sit a toy on it, while you simply name what they do.
- If they climb on, let them sit fully dressed for as long as they like and get up whenever they choose.
- Walk out together when they lose interest; there is nothing to finish or get right.
Safety first
- Stay in the bathroom with your child the whole time and keep the toilet lid down; a toddler can drown in very little water.
- Lock away cleaning products, razors and medicines, or keep them high out of reach, before your child explores the bathroom.
No level picked yet. The 0–4 scale is a learning log, not a test.
Not yet: show it once, then let them explore
Watch for the first sign: looks at or points to the potty when you say "potty"
Not yet is information, not a verdict. Do it once yourself while they watch, pause, and offer it again in a few days.
Simplify one step
Next time: just point to the potty and name it each time you pass the bathroom together, without asking your child to touch it.
Give the least help that works: wait first, then point or show, and guide hands only briefly.
Repeat the same version and fade your help
As you step back, watch for: touches or explores the potty without being asked.
Pause a few seconds longer before you model, and swap showing it for a point or a gesture.
Offer it once more, then add one change
When it is easy again: ask "Where is your potty?" and wait for your child to point or walk to it.
Change only that one thing and keep everything else the same.
Ready for one step up
Ask "Where is your potty?" and wait for your child to point or walk to it. Or carry it somewhere new: point out the toilet at a relative's home or a restroom and say "That is a potty too."
Starting it on their own or using it in a new place is the strongest sign. Still change one thing at a time.
Stop and rest this one
In 2-3 days, come back with the simpler version: just point to the potty and name it each time you pass the bathroom together, without asking your child to touch it.
End with something calming together. One hard moment never means a delay.
Stop on a good note
Keep this version and keep it short next time: 2 minutes is plenty.
They can do it, but it was not fun today. Add difficulty only once it feels easy and enjoyable again.
How to play Meet the Potty
5 steps, about 2–5 minutes of focus time, 2 minutes of prep.
-
Put the potty in the bathroom near the toilet, and keep it in that same spot from now on.
-
Show it to your child in a light, everyday voice: "This is your potty. One day pee and poop can go in here."
-
Let them touch it, lift the bowl out and back, or sit a toy on it, while you simply name what they do.
-
If they climb on, let them sit fully dressed for as long as they like and get up whenever they choose.
-
Walk out together when they lose interest; there is nothing to finish or get right.
What you need for Meet the Potty
| What you need | A child-size potty chair, set down in the bathroom and a favorite soft toy (optional) |
|---|---|
| Prep | 2 minutes of prep |
| Focus time | 2–5 minutes |
| Where | Indoors |
| Energy | Calm: good after active play or before a nap |
| Ages (corrected) | 15–36 months |
| Domains | Practical life, Language |
Easier and harder versions
Change one thing at a time. Drop to the easier version when Meet the Potty stalls; move one rung up only once it looks easy on a few different days.
-
Easier
Just point to the potty and name it each time you pass the bathroom together, without asking your child to touch it.
-
As written
The 5 steps above, for 2–5 minutes.
-
Harder 1
Ask "Where is your potty?" and wait for your child to point or walk to it.
-
Harder 2
Let your child choose a toy to keep the potty company and carry it there themselves.
-
Hardest
Sit on the closed toilet lid beside the potty and see whether your child sits down on theirs, dressed, next to you.
What to watch for
The signs of progress in Meet the Potty, mapped to the 0–4 learning scale the family plan uses (a tracking aid, not an assessment).
| Level | What it looks like here |
|---|---|
| 2 · After a model | Does it right after you show it or point. Watch for: looks at or points to the potty when you say "potty". |
| 3 · Independent | Does it when offered, with no demonstration. Watch for: touches or explores the potty without being asked and sits on it dressed on their own. |
| 4 · Spontaneous | Starts it unprompted or in a new place. Watch for: says "potty" or their own word for it. |
Try it somewhere new
Level 4 means the skill travels. Once Meet the Potty is easy, change the place, the person or the material:
- Point out the toilet at a relative's home or a restroom and say "That is a potty too."
Words to model
During Meet the Potty, say “potty”, “pee”, “poop” and “sit” at the moment they happen, one at a time, then pause so your child can answer with a look, a gesture, a sign or a word.
Safety for Meet the Potty
- Stay in the bathroom with your child the whole time and keep the toilet lid down; a toddler can drown in very little water.
- Lock away cleaning products, razors and medicines, or keep them high out of reach, before your child explores the bathroom.
Why it works
AAP potty-training guidance says a child first needs to sense the urge to go and understand what that feeling means; meeting the potty with no expectations lets that understanding start at the child's own pace.
Evidence rating: Consensus: sensible practice in line with pediatric guidance. Cited: AAP HealthyChildren.org: Potty Training.
Skills and ages
Meet the Potty practises potty awareness and naming things and fits ages 15 to 36 months. Each month below opens more activities for that age.
Skills practised
Activities by month (15–36 months)
Milestone checklists nearby
Activities like Meet the Potty
Potty Picture Book Talk is the closest match: it also practises potty awareness and naming things. It suits 15–36 months, takes 3–8 minutes (a little longer than Meet the Potty) and needs 2 minutes of prep.
Ranked by shared skills, materials and ages
Frequently asked questions
What age is Meet the Potty for?
Meet the Potty suits 15–36 months, using corrected age for a child born early. For a younger or hesitant child, start with the easier version: just point to the potty and name it each time you pass the bathroom together, without asking your child to touch it.
How long does Meet the Potty take?
About 2–5 minutes of focused play over 5 steps, with 2 minutes of prep. Stop while it is still fun and repeat it on another day.
How do I make Meet the Potty harder?
Change one thing at a time. First: ask "Where is your potty?" and wait for your child to point or walk to it. Then: let your child choose a toy to keep the potty company and carry it there themselves. Hardest: sit on the closed toilet lid beside the potty and see whether your child sits down on theirs, dressed, next to you.
How do I keep Meet the Potty safe?
Play it only with an adult within arm’s reach. Stay in the bathroom with your child the whole time and keep the toilet lid down; a toddler can drown in very little water. Lock away cleaning products, razors and medicines, or keep them high out of reach, before your child explores the bathroom.
Related
More with the same materials
Cited guidance
Monitoring, not medical advice. Talk to your pediatrician about any concern. Our sources and method.