TinyStepper
Toddler sitting inside a cardboard box car with stuffed animal passengers

Teddy's Potty Practice

Help teddy learn to use the potty through pretend play, building your toddler's confidence and familiarity.

Activity details

19m–3y10 minslowindoorPlastic CupsStuffed Animals

Instructions

Get ready
  • Gather a favourite stuffed animal and a small container to act as teddy's potty
  • Explain the game: 'Teddy wants to learn to use the potty — can you teach him?'
  1. Gather a favourite stuffed animal and a small container to act as teddy's potty
  2. Explain the game: 'Teddy wants to learn to use the potty — can you teach him?'
  3. Walk teddy through each step: 'First, teddy sits down on the potty'
  4. Wait together: 'Let's count to ten while teddy tries'
  5. Celebrate teddy's attempt: 'Well done, teddy! You tried so hard!'
  6. Let your toddler wipe teddy and pull up pretend trousers
  7. Wash teddy's hands together at the sink
  8. Repeat with different stuffed animals if your toddler is engaged

Parent tip

Set out plastic cups and stuffed animals before inviting your toddler in so the first minute feels smooth.

Parent and child sitting face-to-face laughing together in a warm shared moment

What success looks like

Back-and-forth between you — words, gestures, shared pretend. Connection is the real outcome here.

Set up a pretend potty scene where your toddler becomes the teacher, guiding their stuffed animal through each step — sitting down, waiting, celebrating. Role-playing the process removes performance pressure and lets toddlers rehearse the sequence without anxiety. When they're the expert helping teddy, they internalise the routine before applying it to themselves.

Why it helps

The EYFS framework identifies growing independence and decision-making as key milestones in personal, social and emotional development. Pretend play activates the prefrontal cortex and builds cognitive flexibility — the ability to rehearse a scenario mentally before doing it physically. By positioning the toddler as the competent teacher rather than the anxious learner, you leverage their natural desire for mastery and autonomy. Observational learning through role play is one of the most effective ways to reduce performance anxiety around new skills.

Variations

  • Let your toddler use a real potty seat for teddy instead of a container — it makes the pretend play feel more authentic.
  • Add a reward element: your toddler gives teddy a sticker after each attempt.
  • Extend the play by having teddy have an accident — 'Oh no! That's OK, teddy. Let's try again.' This normalises setbacks.

Safety tips

  • Ensure the container used as teddy's potty has no sharp edges.
  • Never pressure your toddler to try the real potty during or after this game — let the connection happen naturally.
  • If your toddler becomes upset or resistant, stop the game cheerfully and try again another day.

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