Parenting Made Easy: Potty Training Rewards Work

Congratulations! You and your baby are one step closer to being diaper-free with the help of mommy’s new secret weapon – REWARDS.

This list drills in everything you have to know about my top picks for The Best Potty Training Rewards.

For starters, we’ll be discussing:

  • How effective Potty Training Reward system is
  • Potty training tips to consider with the rewards
  • Top 5 Potty Training Rewards for your toddler
  • ..and a lot More!

This might be the answer you’re looking for to get your child up to speed with the basics and get him fully potty trained.

Ready? Let’s begin with some potty rewards ideas… 

Related: How To Potty Train Your Child- A Guide That Works Wonders!

Potty training adventure can be an arduous process that requires the utmost patience.

Your little ones may test your sanity during this time!

While they might be having fun going wherever they feel like it, it is not fun at all for you. Given this challenge, it does not hurt to explore different ways to make it easier. 

By using the tactics that come with these rewards, toilet training success will be almost guaranteed!

Pretty cool, right?

I struggled when I started potty training my first baby and knew just how difficult it could be! 

Based on that experience, though, I surveyed which potty reward ideas are worth dabbling in. 

I also observed the pitfalls that can come with this strategy.

Now, I am ready to pass these secrets on to you…

The key to remember: Your mindset has to stray from a “bribe” and go towards positive encouragement. 

If your little one does not learn the correct way the first time around, it will make it that much more difficult for you and their teachers down the line. 

Let’s face it…

There will be different and nuanced situations that are out of our control.

However, I found that potty training rewards can be, well, rewarding with enough tact and love! 

Are Potty Training Rewards Effective?

Using rewards in your Potty training journey can have a fantastic payoff!

Consistency is key here, and it is essential to be advantageous at moments. 

Positive reinforcement is enormous for little ones!

Instilling self-pride within them will help bolster their confidence. It is crucial to prepare yourself for challenging and frustrating scenarios. 

Your patience will be absolutely required and a reward within itself.

Let’s put it this way…

Potty training rewards can take many forms.

From stickers to treats and fun small toys, there are different ways you can reward your little one during this process.

Little baby boy sitting down

Down below, I explore the different things you can acquire to encourage your toddler. It is a big step as they transition from diapers to using the toilet, like the parents! 

Of course, it is also vital to survey any setbacks that may occur. Looking at something from all sides is the only way to be sure it is right for you.

The Drawbacks With Potty Training Rewards:

While many attest to the effects of turning positive words into something tangible, some caution away from using the reward system for potty training.

Their concerns and claims are still valid, so I want to address these points first quickly. 

Some have worried about the effects once the rewards cease or lose their likeability. 

A parent can NOT rely on potty training rewards solely…

They will not get through the potty training process, and it will not be the child’s fault that they expect a reward each time they go to the bathroom. 

Don’t you agree?

Relying on the same rewards may instill a regression or resentment from the child as well.

It is all about making potty training rewards part of the process…

… and not the entire process. 

Other cautionary claims fall along the lines of your child holding their pee and poop intentionally

Toddler girl playing with wooden toys

They may do this to get a treat and try to trick the system. Yep! 

Children can be very clever…

Depending on how you present potty training to them, there is no need to worry about this aspect. Do not forget to incorporate as much love and hugs as you can muster. 

Oh, and most of all, make sure to focus on building their confidence.

When you bring in rewards, it will be a plus rather than the whole shebang! 

It is always good to take cautionary measures, but there is no harm in bringing in potty training rewards for your toddler. 

Now, the truth is: kids love to try new things, get new toys, or even create one!

Many parents, therefore, use some of the “at home” things to make potty training fun for their youngest child. For example, moms use food coloring and let their children add some drops to the toilet water after a successful toilet trip.

Let us look at some simple yet fun rewards you can use during this tedious affair.     

Related: Do Potty Training Books Really Work? Here Are The 5 Best Potty Training Books

Prefilled Easter Eggs

1 – Blue Ribbon Store Toys Filled Easter Eggs

48 Pieces – Filled Surprise Eggs

Value for money

Easy to use

For potty training

Durability

Overall Score
8.75

Manufacturer: Blue Ribbon Store

Theme: Multi-Colored Easter Eggs

Unit Count: 48 Pieces

Age Appropriate: 0 – 3 years

Item Weight: 1.21 pounds

Package Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.8 x 5.8 inches

Bottom Line: You can keep using these prefilled Easter eggs, as long as you can by filling them with your own rewards (once they get empty).

Pros

  • You can add your toys later on
  • Good quality plastic that lasts for good period
  • A surprise with every egg will give your little one something to look forward to

Cons

  • The toy’s size is tiny
  •  Cars and trucks are packaged at random

For kids, nothing is more exciting for you than a fun surprise inside filled Easter eggs.

Toy filled Easter eggs could be a creative and fun way to incentivize your child. Also, if your child is a vehicle fanatic, toy cars and trucks will always go over well. 

Bear in mind, though, these particular Easter eggs are randomly stuffed. This means there is a chance of getting multiples of the same toy.

Here is the best part: The surprise factor is enough to make it universal, and the idea alone can inspire parents to fill their own DIY easter-filled eggs. 

This allows for customization with either candy or a variety of fun little toys. The concerns remain akin to what we previously discussed. 

You will want to ensure that any surprise toys do not pose a choking hazard for your young child. 

We found that a great way to make these rewards last a bit longer is to add your own. This way, we can add other little treats to the mix. (the dollar store is the best place to find valuable things to add inside)

This is a fantastic and exciting way to incentivize your little one.


Potty Training Stickers

2 – BEESTECH 450+ Dinosaur Stickers for Kids Boys Girls Toddlers

Dinosaurs Potty Training Stickers

Value for money

Easy to use

For potty training

Durability

Overall Score
8.5

Manufacturer: Beestech

Theme: Cartoon, Dinosaurs

Unit Count: 24 Sheets

Age Appropriate: 3 years and up

Item Weight: 2.88 ounces

PackageDimensions: 8.66 x 6.1 x 0.55 inches

Bottom Line: These self-Adhesive stickers are the best rewards for kids around three years of age.

Pros

  • More than 500 variety of dinosaur stickers to get kids interested in nature 
  •  Eight sheets of cartoon dinosaurs and 16 sheets of real ones
  •  Perfect for little dinosaur fans

Cons

  • Only for dinosaur fans, considering it is the only subject for these stickers
  •  Requires a sticker only approach

If you have a cute, little dinosaur fanatic, then these stickers would be a perfect bet!

There is enough dinosaur variety to appease the most aspiring paleontologists. The only drawback, of course, is that these potty training prizes are very specialized.

If your child is not crazed about the dinos, it would be best to keep scrolling. If they do, this is a great all-in-one set. 

Best Thing?

There are cartoon dinosaurs and realistic-looking dinosaurs. They are great to put onto a chart that you make. 

This can be a great way to reward and keep track of their potty!

One disadvantage to this prize is the need to make your own chart; If you want to help your kiddo keep track of their potty, you can DIY a potty training chart. 

Stickers are also great for tangible reinforcement. We suggest using a point system to work towards earning the stickers.

These stickers are an excellent value for the price.


Potty Training Reward Box (For Girls)

3 – Princess Potty Training Set

Potty Training Reward For Girls

Value for money

Easy to use

For potty training

Durability

Overall Score
8.25

Manufacturer: Tickle & Main

Theme: Princess

Unit Count: 3 pieces set Pack

Age Appropriate: 12 months and up

Item Weight: 1.45 lbs

PackageDimensions: 7.7 x 10 x 1 inches

Bottom Line: This is an excellent potty training rewards kit if your child loves princesses.

Pros

  • The illustrated rhyming storybook about a princess potty training makes things relatable for your kid
  • Progress chart with gold magnet stars
  • Felt potty princess crown as an additional bonus

Cons

  • Storybook only includes a mother and daughter relationship
  • No stickers or other rewards are included, so you need to buy your own 

Everyone loves Disney, of course, and this princess Potty training set definitely fits the bill.

It is less of a reward and more of a cute way to track potty training progress and make the overall process a lot more fun. 

Even though it comes with a progress chart and a crafty felt crown, there is no tangible reward to give after a successful trip to the bathroom.

Nonetheless…

This is a great tool to help your child keep track of their progress. (My little one loved putting the star on the chart every day).

The best part?

A great feature of this training set is that the chart and stars are magnets, which are gold stars. This is great to use throughout their potty training. You will not need to get an extra one if the process took too long! 

keep in mind, though, this product is marketed to little girls and their mothers, which seems a bit one-dimensional. 

But it fits dads or little boys who love the realm of princesses as well. 

It’s a fits-all kind of thing!

Educational Rewards For Potty Training

4 – Runcorn Mini Car and Truck Toys

20 pcs – Mini Car and Truck Toys

Value for money

Easy to use

For potty training

Durability

Overall Score
7.5

Manufacturer: Funcorn Toys

Theme: Trucks and Cars

Unit Count: 1 Count – 20 Pieces

Age Appropriate: 3 years and up

Item Weight: 11.3 ounces

PackageDimensions: 8.43 x 6.18 x 2.72 inches

Bottom Line: These are a great option if your little ones love cars.

Pros

  •  Features pull-back cars and trucks for extra fun
  •  Realistic construction vehicles
  •  Sturdily built to handle a toddlers play style

Cons

  •  Smaller than they appear
  •  Better for ages four and up

Interactive vehicle toys are some of the best toys around for toddlers! 

These mini toys are an excellent idea to reward your kid after the desired behavior – if your child loves to play with toys. 

Keep in mind, though,

With this product, it might not have enough toys to reward until the end of the process.

Respectfully…

I have to caution against buying these toys for little children. Especially ones who still enjoy putting things in their mouth because these toys are tiny

Given the sizing issues here, I recommend them for ages three and up. By then, this can mean they will be out of the potty training stage and be a full-fledged regular toilet user.

In other words: These toys may be great goodie bag stuffers but not as great for potty training rewards!

You will be better off looking for something bigger and safer. We found that if you like to use toys as a reward, make it into playtime. 

So, instead of giving them a car each time, let them play with the toy for a set amount of time. 

Overall, they are great educational toys for toddlers!

 Potty Training Sticker Chart Set

5 – Sesame Street”Potty Time” Potty Training Coloring and Activity Set

Sesame Street “Potty Time” Set

Value for money

Easy to use

For potty training

Durability

Overall Score
7

Manufacturer: Sesame Street

Theme: Learning and development toys

Unit Count: 1 Count

Age Appropriate: 24 months and up

Item Weight: 3.52 ounces

PackageDimensions: 8.5 x 0.5 x 11 inches

Bottom Line: These sticker and coloring book are helpful to occupy the kid for a designated amount while sitting on the potty.

Pros

  • Includes a cute progress sticker chart to make things more fun for your little one
  • Perfect for fans of Sesame Street characters 

Cons

  •  Not enough stickers to last the 2-week process.
  • Not that durable

This training set is cute, fun, and perfect for little fans of Sesame Street. 

There is a two-week sticker chart for potty training and poster that comes with stickers and cool things to color.

Remember: this is a Potty training reward, not a guide for your little one.

This chart gives a visual representation of the progress they have made. We found that this is much more helpful than just providing a young child treats. 

Indeed, they do make potty training fun!

Keep in mind, though, the biggest downside is that the stickers will not last two weeks, meaning you will have to order extra stickers to last the entire process. 

Besides, these books are a little bit on the thin side, making them less durable – especially if your kid turned them into toys! 

If your child likes Sesame Street, this may be an excellent prize for him…


What To Consider When Giving Potty Training Rewards

A toddler boy playing with his toy trucks

In case your are new to the potty training reward system, you must know that not all types of incentives are right for kids.

You are the boss..

BUT, here is what you need to know:

What Are The Best Types of Incentives?

First of all, when you start to potty train your kid, it is vital to understand the difference between reward and bribery. 

There might be a little confusion here.. 

But the key difference is: reward follows the behavior you’re trying to reinforce, and bribe precedes it. 

Also, we recommend you reward your kid as soon as possible. 

The best time to do so is right after each potty success, which helps to establish a strong association between the behavior and positive reinforcement.

Stickers, small prizes, a trip to the library or park, or a favorite game might work well together if your child is ready for potty training anyway.

Then again, the reward motivates the child to keep practicing skills that may be less interesting to him.

Now, the choice is yours..

Some parents start by offering a reward for sitting on the potty and later provide only if the child pees or defecates. 

Otherwise, kids will pretend that they need to go to the bathroom and sit just for a couple of minutes to get a new incentive!

Yes! Kids are smart!

The bottom line is finding a potty training method that works best for you and your child!

What Bonuses To Avoid Through Potty Training?

Don’t use food to reward your preschooler when you are working on his potty training success story!

Here is why:

Rewarding kids with sweets, or any other kind of food, reinforces them to eat regardless if they are hungry or not!

Giving your child a cake or other dessert may also teach him that sweet food is better than healthy food.

Another thing to consider: Avoid using rewards to snatch a promise from your child that he should stay away in the future!

In conclusion, there is no point to let your child stick to a promise of the future in exchange for something they want in the present. 

A two-year-old kid can only understand the feelings and desires that he is experiencing now. 

Kids this age can promise anything to their parents, but they should not be expected to keep the promise, no matter what they say!

Always remember, don’t punish your little one for saying to do something later and then not follow through. 

He means well, but the promise is not yet a binding contract!

Frequently Asked Questions

Mini gift with a mini teddy in pink

Q1: Should you use rewards for potty training?

Many parents wonder about offering rewards for potty use every time their child hits the toilet. These rewards may encourage short-term progress, but for some kids, the stress of “Success” in the form of reward creates anxiety or a feeling of failure when they have a potty accident. Besides, using rewards after a successful toilet trip might lead children to expect rewards for doing just about anything – finishing a meal, brushing teeth, etc.

Q2: How do you reward a child for potty training?

Emphasize successes and play down failures. Let the kid believe in his abilities. Generally, material rewards help in making things easy and fun for the kid. Explain to the child the advantages of being potty trained, and take every opportunity to send your congratulations or a gesture of encouragement. If you choose to use tangible rewards, start by giving him after each toilet visit, then after each successful trip. After getting used to the process, gradually change it into different term goals!

Q3: How long should I reward my kid while potty training?

We recommend you keep rewarding your kid during the first two week, and then you gradually set goals for longer terms. For example, stop giving your kid a reward for each toilet trip, instead reward him at the end of the day. Then you can reward him every few days, then every week and so, until he is fully potty trained! 

Frequently Asked Questions

Our Verdict:
Best Potty Training Rewards For Toddlers

There are different kinds of incentives and rewards out there for you to explore as you start this journey with your kid.

You can try out different prizes, from progress charts to stickers to even surprise toys, and see which one suits your kid the most…

As we all know, the potty training process might take from a week to several months – it all depends on the kid’s progress during the learning journey. 

That’s why you must consider a reward that works for a relatively long period (be durable), fits your kid’s age, and most importantly, encourages him to use the potty!

Below, we have the comparison results lined up based on the overall performance for each reviewed Potty Training Reward. 

Let’s check them out…

Blue Ribbon Store Toys Filled Easter Eggs

BEESTECH 450+ Dinosaur Stickers for Kids Boys Girls Toddlers

Princess Potty Training Set

Runcorn Mini Car and Truck Toys

Sesame Street”Potty Time” Potty Training Coloring and Activity Set

Conclusion:
Best Potty Training Incentives

Getting creative on your teaching strategy will be a must to accomplish the big milestone and help you out in the long run. 

Potty training rewards are what you make them. Whether it is a fun, new sticker, or just a big hug…

Finally,

It is the time to present our Top Pick, Best Value, and Editor’s Choice Rewards:

Positive reinforcement is genuinely the only way both of you are going to get through this!

Related: Here Are The Best Potty Training Seats For Your Toddlers