Learning Wet from Dry during Toilet Training

Wet or dry learning activities

If your child learns best by SEEING the difference between wet or dry:

Cut out colour paper shapes for your child. Then dip them into a glass of water to show what wet looks like.
See who can find wet and dry things using everyday activities. For example washing hands, bath time, helping in the kitchen or art activities.
Make a collage using cut-out magazine pictures, colouring book art or found artful objects with wet or dry subject matter. Get out the glue stick and have fun with wet- and dry-themed creations. One page displaying all wet subjects, the other all dry. Proudly display your child’s masterpieces on the fridge.
Consider using a pair of PULL-UPS® training pants with Learning Designs® to show that the pictures on the pants will fade when wet.
Start with the Fun-With-Fading demo to help your child get familiar with how PULL-UPS® training pants with Learning Designs® work:
“Are they still all there?” Start out by showing your child how the special designs will fade when wet. A dunk in a bowl of water will do the trick.
They’re Still There! Once your child is in the swing of things, use the fading graphics as an incentive to stay dry. Count up the number of magic pictures on the pants. Then keep checking in on how many are left. Remember to load on the praise and high-fives when they’re still “all there!”

If your child learns best by FEELING the difference between wet or dry:

Have your child get a dry sponge or a dry cloth. Let them soak it in a bowl of water and then look at it again. Give them several different cloth items to explore.
Have a little scavenger hunt to find objects for your very own wet-dry demonstration. Gather up items such as a sprinkling can or salt shaker filled with water. Start by touching the dry object, then sprinkle and feel how the same object feels when wet. Talk about how wet and dry feel.
Let your child feel wet and dry first-hand with a pair of mittens (or socks). Keep one mitten dry, then dunk, squirt or sprinkle the other mitten. Let your child try both of them on and see what each one feels like. Talk about the difference. Which feels better?
Take note of wet or dry things throughout your day and let your child feel each one with your guidance. Some examples: water from a fountain, sand on a beach.

For more information see Toddler or How To Toilet Training.