Potty Training Tip: Low Tech Entertainment

Baby T will be two years old next month, it's hard to believe! Lately I've been coming up with ways to keep him entertained long enough for him to go on the potty - which is easy in theory, but tough with a very active toddler who is always on-the-go. 

I kind of wish I tried the '3 day naked potty training' method over the summer when it was warm. Now I feel it's too chilly to do that, but I still recall the few times he asked to go potty himself or sat on the potty to pee just because he wasn't wearing anything and he totally understood that he can't pee on the floor. In the country I come from (Russia), most toddlers are potty trained by 18 months, it's just the norm. Disposable diapers are expensive there and cloth diapers aren't 'modern' or convenient, most just use prefolds. I so want to be done with diaper laundry, it's not hard, but I still want a break if we ever have another baby (yes, there is talk about that around here).

My tip today is pretty simple as you can see in the photos. No fancy iPad or tablet, no smart phone. Just good old-fashioned motor skills development with an empty quart yogurt container with clear lid (we love Stonyfield), a slot that I cut out, and a handful of change. It kept him happy and busy long enough to go on the potty and then some, he didn't want to leave. Of course you know your toddler best, if he or she is the type that would put the change in the mouth, you might want to skip this and instead take a big cardboard box, cut a slot, and save up a bunch of junk mail letters for the child to throw in the slot and play 'mailman'. Or 'postal carrier' if you want to be politically correct. 

He can wink! Want to play?

Oh, and guess what? After he was done, Baby E and him played with this for another hour! Yes, there were stray pennies here and there which I had to fish out from under the couch, but they had fun and I had time to wash dishes and prep lunch. 

What's your low tech potty entertainment tip?