Toddler activities with a potty chair
5 activities in the library use a potty chair, for toddlers aged 15 to 36 months: 1 starting 12–17 months and 4 starting 18–23 months. A small floor-level potty a toddler can sit on with both feet flat, so they can get to know it, sit dressed and climb off on their own. It turns the bathroom routine into something child-sized.
Updated
Potty chair: 5 activities to try
Safety: Never leave a child alone in the bathroom; keep the toilet lid down and the door closed when no one is using it, because a toddler can drown in very little water.
5 activities
- Meet the Potty 15–36 months · 2–5 min · Indoors · Calm 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.
- Name the Body Signal 18–36 months · 2–4 min · Indoors · Calm When you notice your child pause, squat, go quiet or grunt while peeing or pooping, you name it calmly and offer the potty once, linking the feeling to words.
- One-Song Potty Sit 18–36 months · 2–4 min · Indoors · Calm At a natural moment, such as just after a nap, your child may sit on the potty for one short song, dressed at first, and gets up whenever they like.
- Teddy Tries the Potty 18–36 months · 3–8 min · Indoors · Calm A teddy or doll acts out the potty routine while your child helps: sitting down, a pretend pee, wiping, flushing and washing paws, so the steps start to feel familiar.
- Flush, Wash, Pants Up 20–36 months · 3–6 min · Indoors · Calm After a potty sit or diaper change, your child does the last steps with you: pulling pants up, flushing with your help and washing hands, until it feels familiar.
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Potty Chair at a glance
| Activities | 5, 4 on the low-prep menu |
|---|---|
| Ages covered (corrected) | 15–36 months |
| Focus time | 2–8 minutes |
| Main domains | 5 practical life |
| Where they happen | 5 indoors |
| Quickest start | Name the Body Signal, 2–4 minutes |
Every activity with a potty chair
Sorted by the first month each one fits (corrected age for children born early). Quick picks: for a calm moment, Meet the Potty; with no prep at all, Name the Body Signal.
| Activity | Ages | Minutes | Domain | Prep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meet the Potty | 15–36 months | 2–5 | Practical life | 2 min |
| Name the Body Signal | 18–36 months | 2–4 | Practical life | None |
| One-Song Potty Sit | 18–36 months | 2–4 | Practical life | None |
| Teddy Tries the Potty | 18–36 months | 3–8 | Practical life | None |
| Flush, Wash, Pants Up | 20–36 months | 3–6 | Practical life | None |
How each activity uses a potty chair
- Meet the Potty (potty awareness, 2–5 minutes): Put the potty in the bathroom near the toilet, and keep it in that same spot from now on.
- Name the Body Signal (potty awareness, 2–4 minutes): Offer once: "Poop can go in the potty. Want to try?" and accept any answer.
- One-Song Potty Sit (potty awareness, 2–4 minutes): Ask once, lightly: "Do you want to sit on your potty?" A no is a fine answer; say "Okay, maybe later" and move on.
- Teddy Tries the Potty (potty awareness, 3–8 minutes): Say "Teddy needs a pee!" and walk teddy to the potty with your child.
- Flush, Wash, Pants Up (potty awareness, 3–6 minutes): If anything is in the potty, carry the bowl to the toilet yourself while your child watches you tip it in.
By age
12–17 months: 1 activity, 2–5 minutes. 18–23 months: 4 activities, 2–8 minutes.
Starting 12–17 months
Starting 18–23 months
Words that come up
Across these activities you will model “potty”, “pee”, “poop”, “sit”, “tummy”, “all done”, “maybe later”, “wipe”, “flush”, “pants up” and “wash hands”. Say one at the moment it happens, then pause for your child's turn.
Safety with a potty chair
- Never leave a child alone in the bathroom; keep the toilet lid down and the door closed when no one is using it, because a toddler can drown in very little water.
- Empty and clean the bowl yourself after each use, keep cleaning products locked away, and wash your hands and your child's.
- Check that it sits flat and does not tip, on a non-slip floor away from the bath.
Prep tips
- Put it in the bathroom, where the family uses the toilet, and keep it in the same spot every day.
- Let your child explore it, carry a toy to it and sit on it dressed long before it is ever used.
- Choose one low enough for your child's feet to rest on the floor, so they can sit steadily and stand up alone.
No potty chair? Use instead
- A child seat that fits on the regular toilet, with an adult right beside your child and a sturdy step used only while you are there.
- For pretend play only: a small upturned box as teddy's potty.
Combine it with
A potty chair is most often paired with stuffed animal (2 activities) and towel (1 activity). The skills practised most: potty awareness (5), first words (1) and hand washing (1).
Often combined with
Skills practised
Frequently asked questions
What can a toddler do with a potty chair?
5 activities here use it, for example Meet the Potty (15–36 months), Name the Body Signal (18–36 months) and One-Song Potty Sit (18–36 months). 4 are on the low-prep menu: no prep and 10 minutes or less.
Is a potty chair safe for toddlers?
Use it only with an adult close by. Never leave a child alone in the bathroom; keep the toilet lid down and the door closed when no one is using it, because a toddler can drown in very little water. Empty and clean the bowl yourself after each use, keep cleaning products locked away, and wash your hands and your child's. Check that it sits flat and does not tip, on a non-slip floor away from the bath.
What can I use instead of a potty chair?
A child seat that fits on the regular toilet, with an adult right beside your child and a sturdy step used only while you are there or for pretend play only: a small upturned box as teddy's potty can stand in for most of these activities.
What ages are activities with a potty chair for?
They cover 15–36 months of corrected age: 1 starting 12–17 months and 4 starting 18–23 months.
Related
Monitoring, not medical advice. Talk to your pediatrician about any concern. Our sources and method.