5 kids’ TV show episodes about potty training

Potty training can be one of the most difficult and frustrating tasks for parents of toddlers and preschoolers. But it can also be one of the most rewarding.

After you’ve read a few books about potty training, consider also watching a video or TV show about it. Kids, after all, tend to relate to their favourite characters on TV. And catchy, upbeat tunes can help get kids excited about potty time.

Ready to get on the potty train? Here are some TV show episodes to get you started.

1. Dinosaur Train – Laura the Gigantosaurus/Dinosaur Poop Tiny the dinosaur tries to hold it because she’s embarrassed. After encouragement from mom, and seeing how often the brachiosaurus poops due to the large amounts they eat, Tiny overcomes her fears, and embraces the normality of going potty. The episode, and entire series, is available on Netflix Canada.

2. Peg + Cat – The Potty Problem/The Butler Problem Peg, Cat and neighbour Viv are “totally freaking out” when Big Mouth visits from another planet and doesn’t use the potty. If he keeps going on the carpet, he won’t be allowed to stay over! Peg and Cat teach Big Mouth six key steps: Listen to your body, head to the potty, wait, wipe, flush and wash your hands. Once he gets the pattern, Viv welcomes her newly potty-trained guest to stay. Watch this episode and series on Netflix Canada.

3. Sesame Street – Elmo’s Potty Time This super-cute 2.5-minute video features a catchy, blues-style song that likens “potty time” to “party time.” Dad helps baby Elmo get on the potty, singing lyrics like “Get down, get low, let it go and go with the flow.” Accessible on Sesame Street’s YouTube channel, the segment already has almost 10 million views.

4. Daniel Tiger – Prince Wednesday Goes to the Potty/Daniel Goes to the Potty Prince Wednesday is reluctant to stop building his blocks at preschool to go to the loo. Daniel visits a music store with his dad and gleefully discovers they have a bathroom when he needs to go. From CBC Kids (watch it on their YouTube channel), this episode teaches kids the importance of stopping what they’re doing and going right away, trying to go before you leave the house, and learning that—guess what—there are bathrooms everywhere! Along with a catchy tune that’s repeated throughout the episode, the animated segment is combined with real kids demonstrating how to stop and go in a variety of places.

5. Special Agent OSO – The Sitter Who Watched Me/Potty Royale Tackling potty time as if it were a critical mission, Special Agent OSO visits a boy named Aiden who’s anxious to go to preschool. But he needs to learn how to go to the potty first. Special Agent OSO guides him through the steps, and voila! Mission accomplished! Special Agent OSO earns his badge, and Aiden’s mom happily signs him up for preschool. Disney Junior hasn’t put this episode on its official YouTube channel, but many others have uploaded it to the video-sharing site—just do a search for “The sitter who watched me.” (Note: Consider pre-watching any kids’ shows uploaded to an unofficial YouTube channel, since you cannot be 100 percent sure of the content. Some people upload kids' shows to YouTube, then provide their own voice-overs, which can be inappropriate.)

Read more: How to potty train—four methods to try 5 potty training problems (and how to solve them!) How potty training a boy is different from potty training a girl