15 Potty Training Games That Actually Work (And Don’t Feel Like “Training”)
1. Teddy goes first (role play repeat)
Turn bathroom time into a game where your favorite toy leads the way. Teddy sits first, is praised, blushes and washes his hands. Then your child copies the exact sequence.
Becca, my friend from OG nursery and mother of two, said: “One thing that really helped us was making it a game with their toys. We would pretend that our favorite stuffed animal or doll had to use the potty first and then they wanted to copy it. It took the pressure off and made it fun rather than something they had to do!”
2. Something with glitter (magic motivational game)
Most kids love glitter, so turn success into sparkle. Add glitter stickers to a board, shake glitter into a “hit jar,” or use a glitter stamp after washing your hands. The goal is to make the moment magical and slightly ceremonial.
If you can stand it, try shaking a trail of glitter onto the floor leading to the toilet from their bed or another hot spot, like the play mat. Your child just needs to follow the glitter trail, and it’s easy to vacuum afterwards – I love having a bit of glitter around the house – or try this one in the garden!
3. Mission Marble (visible progression game)
Charlotte, my best friend and mother of two, sent me a passionate WhatsApp about this one. “OMG, here we are still – every time he poops in the toilet and not his pants, he gets a marble in a potty, 10 marbles = a Hot Wheels car.”
Good. And I can imagine doing the same thing with Yoto cards, or similar, if cars aren’t your thing. The key is visibility. Toddlers don’t understand abstract progress, but they understand filling a jar.
4. Pot Treasure Chest (Surprise Reward Game)
A mystery box of little treats unlocked only after success. Unpredictability maintains motivation over time.
5. Breathing pauses with bubbles (calm concentration game)
Blowing bubbles while sitting helps relax the body and distracts attention from pressure. This is particularly useful for children who struggle to sit still and/or families who use SEND.
6. Dinosaur Rescue Mission (Imagination Game)
This was a really good thing for my dinosaur crazy son. Dinosaur footprints lead to the bathroom. Each visit to the toilet constitutes a kind of “rescue”. The bathroom becomes a mission site rather than a chore, and he would bring a few Cretaceous friends along for role play each time (his favorite, to date).
7. Potty for story time (seated expansion game)
Special toilet books encourage children to sit longer without noticing the passage of time.
8. Potty disco (musical cue game)
A special song signals potty time. Dance before, sit during, party after. Over time, the song becomes a behavioral trigger. My daughter loved this one – she’s really into dancing and music in general – and the little disco light I bought to set the mood was a treat too.
9. Rainbow Paper Chain (Progression Chain Game)
Each success adds a paper link. The channel visibly grows, reinforcing success without verbal pressure. Plus, you get a really pretty decoration at the end of the process, which they will love looking at.
Again, positive reinforcement here: my kids love seeing their artwork, paintings, and certificates hanging on the wall, it inspires lots of talk about their victories and triumphs while we eat, play, and hang out!
10. Aiming games (especially for boys)
Floating cereal hoops or toilet targets turn aiming into a game. Keep it light to prevent pressure from creeping in. I’ve also seen jars with bullseye targets in the base – anything to satisfy my son’s need to “throw”!
11. Pot Passports (travel game)
I would have loved to put this one into play, but I only heard about it from a friend once mine were out of diapers.
It’s so simple: every successful visit earns a stamp on a homemade passport, turning potty training into an adventure. You can even add a fun outing at the end of each successful week – from a trip to the high street for ice cream to something more spectacular right at the end of the process.
12. Cheering Squad (energy reward game)
It’s really simple, but kids remember the ambiance much more than the individual treats and trinkets. The applause, cheers and silly dancing reinforce the success every time.
13. Treasure hunt (transition game)
Before you go to the bathroom, turn it into a quick mini-mission: “Can you find me something red?” or “Choose a dinosaur to bring with you – a plant eater!” »
Once they collect the treasures, you go straight to the pot.
This works because it smoothes the transition: your child isn’t taken away from the game, they’re finishing a quick game first, making the trip to the bathroom much easier and more “on their terms.”
14. Ring the moment of victory bell (announcement game)
Place a bell or sound generator near the toilet so that each success becomes a loud celebration that the whole house hears. We loved this one and copied it from a nurseryman friend – our neighbors even joined in to shout over the fence (lockdown garden fun at its finest!)
Sound is part of the reward loop: instant recognition, pride and shared enthusiasm.
15. The BIG decision (control and autonomy game)
After sitting on the potty, your child must make an important decision for the house:
- which card Yoto will play next
- what snack comes next
- what movie for a movie night
- who goes first in a game
- what bedtime story is read
- who is sitting where on the sofa
It reframes potty time as a time of status and control rather than instruction.
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