Baby Wipe Top Count and Drop: A Fine Motor Counting Activity for Toddlers

Baby Wipe Top Count and Drop: A Toddler Math Activity

If you’ve got a toddler and a stash of empty baby wipe tops, you’re in luck. Today, we’re putting those plastic lids to good use with an activity that combines number recognition, fine motor skills, and simple counting activities all in one. Meet Baby Wipe Top Count and Drop—an easy, engaging, and totally free toddler math activity that turns everyday trash into treasure.

This activity is part of my Activities with Random Household Objects series, where we turn the most unexpected items into fun learning experiences. Because sometimes the best kids activities don’t come from the store—they come from the junk drawer.

Why Baby Wipe Tops?

Parents, I know you’re always looking for easy, low-mess learning activities that don’t require a last-minute Target run. That’s why baby wipe tops are the hero of today’s activity. They pop open with a satisfying click, they’re sturdy enough to survive toddler enthusiasm, and best of all, they’re already in your house.

What Your Toddler Will Learn

• Number Recognition – Matching the number of holes to the number on the lid helps reinforce number sense.
• Fine Motor Skills – Inserting cotton swabs into small holes takes concentration and precision.
• Simple Counting Activities – This hands-on experience makes learning numbers feel more like play.
• Problem-Solving – Figuring out where to put the swabs requires a little trial and error, keeping those little minds busy.

Setting up the activity

What You Need

• 9 baby wipe tops (or however many you can collect)
• A sturdy cardboard box (diaper boxes work great)
• Glue (hot glue or strong craft glue)
• A marker or number stickers
• A sharp tool (like a screwdriver or scissors) to poke holes
• Cotton swabs

How to Make Your Baby Wipe Top Count and Drop Activity

1. Prepare Your Box – Find a cardboard box that’s big enough to hold all your baby wipe tops. A diaper box or shipping box works well.
2. Attach the Lids – Glue each baby wipe top to the box in a grid pattern. Space them out enough so tiny hands can easily open and close them.
3. Label the Lids – Write numbers 1 through 9 on top of each lid (or use number stickers if you want to make it extra fancy).
4. Poke the Holes – Underneath each lid, poke the corresponding number of holes. If the lid says 5, poke 5 holes beneath it.
5. Gather the Cotton Swabs – Cut them in half if needed to make them easier to handle, or leave them full-length for a bit more of a challenge.

How to Play

• Invite your toddler to lift a lid, read the number, and count out the same number of cotton swabs.
• Encourage them to insert each swab into a hole, counting as they go.
• Once they’ve finished one lid, move to the next.
• For extra fun, let them “check” their work by opening the lid again and counting the swabs.

Ways to Switch It Up

• Color Match – Use colored cotton swabs and have kids match them to colored number stickers on the lids.
• Reverse the Challenge – Insert the cotton swabs first and let your child lift the lid and count them to figure out the number.
• Speed Round – Set a timer and see how quickly they can complete all the numbers.
• Sensory Add-On – Fill the inside of the box with pom-poms or dry beans so the swabs make a fun sound when they drop through.

Why This Activity Works for Parents

This isn’t just a great kids learning activity—it’s also a great parent sanity saver. It’s quiet. It’s mess-free. It keeps little hands busy long enough for you to enjoy your coffee while it’s still warm. Plus, it gives those baby wipe lids a second life before they head to the recycling bin.

MORE ACTIVITIES USING BABY WIPE TOPS

If you enjoyed this activity using baby wipe tops, be sure to check out these other fun and engaging ideas!

1. Baby Wipe Top Color Sort: Glue 8 baby wipe tops onto the bottom of a cardboard box, and tape colorful construction paper on top. Provide a bin of pom-poms and let your child sort them by color by pushing them through the corresponding holes.
2. Baby Wipe Top Letter Find & Drop: Write letters of the alphabet on bottle caps, glue a baby wipe top to the bottom of a cardboard box, and cut a slit for the bottle caps to fit. Using letter flashcards, your child can match and drop the correct letter bottle cap into the box.
3. Baby Wipe Top Rice Bin Scoop & Dump: Glue a baby wipe top to a cardboard box, add a rice bin, and provide scoops and cups. Let your child explore the textures of rice and practice their scooping and dumping skills by pushing rice through the baby wipe top.
4. Baby Wipe Top Scarf Pull: Glue a baby wipe top to the bottom of a cardboard box and cut an opening underneath. Fill the box with colorful scarves and let your child pull them through the top, enhancing their hand-eye coordination and sensory exploration.

Each of these activities will turn simple baby wipe tops box into a fun and educational tool using materials you likely already have at home!

More Activities Using Baby Wipe Tops

This is just Activity #1 in the series! Stay tuned for more creative ways to turn baby wipe tops into engaging kids activities that make learning feel like play. Because when it comes to activities at home, simple wins every time.

Cotton Swabs

Black Permanent Markers

Xacto Knife