Potty Training Toy Receives High, Positive Ratings from Developmental Toy Experts at National Lekotek Center

June 26, 2017 - Potty Duck received a string of positive, four-star ratings from the developmental toy experts at AblePlay.org, a program of the National Lekotek Center.

"The Potty Duck is a creative and fun way to help children learn and build confidence while potty training through pretend play, modeling, and imagination," wrote the evaluators.

See entire review below or at www.ableplay.org/product/potty-duck.

Promoted Skills

Product Description

The Potty Duck is a creative and fun way to help children learn and build confidence while potty training through pretend play, modeling, and imagination. When children squeeze the soft rubber duck to make it pee and flush the toy toilet, children are learning and practicing sequence of potty training. Potty Duck consists of one rubber duck with water-squirting capabilities and a plastic flushing toy toilet equipped with two strong suction cups that make it easy to attach to a variety of surfaces.

Cognitive 4

Skills

Potty Duck encourages open-ended and imaginative play as the child creates his or her creative play scenarios during and after bath time.
Potty Duck promotes the development of sequential learning that comes with potty training, as children squeeze the soft rubber duck to make it pee and flush the toy toilet.

Play Ideas

To practice time management of toileting routine, the child can create a visual schedule of the times their Potty Duck must use the toilet (e.g. morning, lunchtime, before leaving the house, before bed, etc.) and check to see if it’s, “time to squeeze the duck” every couple of hours.
To promote sequential learning, have the child create a visual schedule of the steps needed to be taken. For example, fill the duck with water, place the duck on toilet, aim/squeeze into toilet, flush, and wash the duck’s “hands.”
To develop emerging math skills, instruct the child to track how many squirts it will take to fill the play toilet, then have child use a measuring cup to measure the total amount of water.
To promote imaginative play, encourage the child to play with duck outside of the bathroom, by incorporating into playhouse and dollhouse playtime.

Adaptation Ideas

When working with a child with limited hand movement, low muscle tone, or weaker grasp, have him/her use a sponge to squeeze and fill the toy toilet.
To access flusher button with palm of hand, secure bottom suction cup to a flat vertical surface, leaving top suction cup exposed.
To provide a larger toilet seat diameter, place a funnel into the opening of the toy toilet, this will provide for an easier target in which to aim.

Communicative 4

Skills

Potty Duck develops and expands vocabulary, associated with potty training, like toilet, potty, bathroom, underwear, pee, flush, etc.
Potty Duck provides the opportunity for open-ended play and expressive language, with no right or wrong way to play.
Potty Duck promotes the development of receptive language as child listens to caregiver about potty training steps that need to be taken and in turn implement the instructions.

Play Ideas

To encourage receptive language development, read a book about going potty (Everyone Poops, Once Upon a Potty, Want My Potty, A Potty for Me!) and have child reenact parts in the story using the Potty Duck.
To foster expressive language development, instruct child to pair with some of his/her favorite bath time toys and have child share feelings each one may have about potty time.
To promote receptive language, blindfold the child in front of the toy toilet with the Potty Duck filled and in hand. Using verbal directions only, instruct child which direction the stream needs to be moved to fill the toilet; the player will attempt to fill within the allotted time given by the caregiver.

Social/Emotional 4

Skills

Potty Duck can be used to teach children other life skills, such as how to independently wash and bathe themselves.
Potty Duck aids child in boosting confidence through repetition and familiarity while potty training.
Potty Duck encourages the development of social interaction between child and caretaker.
Potty Duck provides an engaging way for children to learn toilet training skills, which can provide an effective method for improving toddler’s view of potty time, turning a sometimes stressful task into something more light hearted.

Play Ideas

Create a social story about the importance of independently washing and bathing, use Potty Duck during bathtime to reinforce the key points discussed in the story. This will help to alleviate stress and anticipation of the unknown.
To develop self-awareness, the caretaker can ask probing questions, (“Why doesn't Potty Duck like using the toilet?" "Is the sound of the flushing toilet too loud for Potty Duck?”) which in turn will provide an opportunity to process through some of those concerns demonstrated by the child.
To develop self-confidence, have the Potty Duck graduate from the toy toilet, to the bathroom the child uses. Anytime the child needs to go, encourage them to have the Potty Duck go first in the same toilet, modeling to them that they can do it too!