Baby Wipe Top Letter Find and Drop: A Fun Alphabet Activity for Toddlers

How To Turn Baby Wipe Tops into an Alphabet Adventure

If you have a toddler, you know they love to put things into other things. So, why not turn that obsession into a learning opportunity? Today, we’re making a fun, interactive alphabet game using—you guessed it—baby wipe tops.

Welcome to Baby Wipe Top Letter Find and Drop, Activity #3 in my Activities with Random Household Objects series. This is the perfect way to sneak in some early literacy without turning it into “sit down and learn” time. Because we all know how that goes with toddlers.

Why This Activity is a Win

This simple game combines letter recognition, sorting activities, and fine motor practice into one easy setup. Here’s what your toddler will gain from this activity:

• Letter Recognition – Matching letter flashcards to bottle caps reinforces letter identification in a hands-on way.
• Alphabet Activities – Playing with letters in a fun, low-pressure environment makes learning more engaging.
• Sorting Activities – Finding and selecting the right letter strengthens early categorization skills.
• Letter Practice – Repetition helps solidify letter sounds and names.
• Fine Motor Activity – Picking up bottle caps and dropping them through a slot builds hand-eye coordination.

Setting up the activity

What You Need

• 26 bottle caps (or another small round object like wooden disks)
• A sturdy cardboard box
• 1 baby wipe top
• A marker
• Letter flashcards (store-bought or DIY)
• Glue (hot glue or strong craft glue)
• Xacto Knife

How to Make Your Baby Wipe Top Letter Find and Drop Activity

1. Prepare the Box – Choose a sturdy cardboard box. A medium shipping box or diaper box works well.
2. Attach the Wipe Top – Glue a baby wipe top onto the box. This will be the “drop zone” for the letters.
3. Cut the Letter Slot – Using scissors or a craft knife, cut a slit underneath the wipe top that’s big enough for a bottle cap to fit through but small enough to make it a bit of a challenge.
4. Label the Bottle Caps – Write each letter of the alphabet on the top of a bottle cap. If you want to add an extra learning element, write uppercase letters on one side and lowercase on the other.
5. Make Flashcards – If you don’t have letter flashcards, make your own by writing letters on small pieces of paper or index cards.
6. Set Up the Activity – Place the letter bottle caps in a small bin and have the flashcards in a separate stack.

How to Play

1. Pick a letter flashcard and say the letter’s name and sound.
2. Have your child find the matching letter bottle cap.
3. Once they find the correct letter, they can push it through the wipe top slot.
4. Repeat until all the letters have been found and dropped into the box.

Ways to Switch It Up

• Letter Sounds – Instead of just naming the letter, say a word that starts with that letter sound and have your child find the match.
• Uppercase vs. Lowercase – Use one side of the bottle caps for uppercase letters and the other for lowercase, challenging your toddler to match correctly.
• Race Against the Clock – Set a timer and see how many letters they can find and drop in a minute.
• Sensory Surprise – Fill the inside of the box with rice or dry beans so they hear a fun sound when the letters drop in.
• Word Building – Once they’re comfortable with letter recognition, start forming simple words with the bottle caps.

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 Count & Drop: Glue 9 baby wipe tops to the bottom of a cardboard box, label them 1 through 9, and create matching holes in the lid. Push cotton swabs into the holes to represent each number, helping your child practice counting and fine motor skills.
2. 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.
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!

Why Parents Love This Activity & More Baby Wipe Top Fun

This activity is loved by parents because it’s simple to set up, keeps kids engaged, and sneaks in early literacy without the need for a formal lesson. Plus, it’s a great way to reuse baby wipe tops and bottle caps before tossing them in the recycling bin—win-win! This is just the third activity in my series, so stay tuned for more fun, low-prep ways to turn everyday household objects into engaging learning activities for kids. After all, the best activities are the ones you actually have time to do!

Black Permanent Markers

Xacto Knife