Drop Tubes: An Exciting Toddler-Approved Activity Using Household Items

The Toddler-Approved Way to Turn Trash into Fun

When you have little kids, you learn quickly that the best activities aren’t always the ones that come in a fancy box. Sometimes, it’s the simplest things—like empty paper towel rolls taped to a wall—that create the biggest excitement. That’s why today’s activity, Drop Tubes, is one of my favorites from the Random Household Objects series.

This easy setup takes those leftover toilet paper and paper towel rolls and turns them into a hands-on fine motor activity that encourages problem-solving, creativity, and endless giggles.

What You’ll Need

• Empty toilet paper rolls and paper towel rolls
• Painter’s tape (to protect your walls)
• A plastic bin or small container
• Pom-poms, small balls, or even dry pasta for dropping

That’s it! No expensive supplies, no complicated instructions—just a few things you already have lying around the house.

Setting Up Your Drop Tubes Activity

1. Tape the Tubes to the Wall – Using painter’s tape, attach the empty rolls to a wall, window, or even a large cardboard box. Place them at different heights and angles for extra fun.
2. Position the Bin – Put a bin or bowl under the tubes to catch the pom-poms or small objects as they fall through.
3. Start Dropping! – Hand your toddler a handful of pom-poms and let them experiment with dropping them through the tubes, watching where they land.

Why Drop Tubes Are a Must-Try Activity

1. Fine Motor Skill Development

Gripping, releasing, and aiming objects into the tubes strengthens those little hand muscles—essential for writing, buttoning coats, and other everyday skills.

2. Encourages Cause-and-Effect Learning

Toddlers love watching things move, and this activity helps them see how positioning the tubes affects where the objects land. Move the rolls around and watch their little minds problem-solve in real time.

3. Easy Independent Play

This is one of those activities where you can step back with a cup of coffee and let your child take the lead. They’ll be entertained while experimenting with different ways to drop and sort objects.

Fun Variations to Keep It Interesting

Once they’ve mastered the basic drop, try these easy twists:

• Create a Maze – Arrange the tubes so objects must travel through multiple tubes before reaching the bottom.
• Color Matching – Tape colored paper inside the tubes and have your toddler match pom-poms to the right color.
• Use Different Materials – Try marbles, dry beans, or crumpled tissue paper to see how each item moves differently.
• Race to the Bottom – Set up two side-by-side drop tubes and see which pom-pom reaches the bin first!

More Activities Using a Paper Towel Roll 

If you’re on a roll (see what I did there?), don’t stop now. There are plenty of activities using a paper towel roll and activities using a toilet paper roll that turn recycling into fun. Here are a few more ideas:

1. Paper Towel Roll Name Sort: Write your child’s name on a cardboard box and attach wooden skewers above each letter. Write the letters of their name on pieces of cut paper towel rolls and match them to the correct skewer.
2. Toilet Paper Roll Color Sort: Cover six toilet paper rolls with different colored construction paper and provide craft sticks to sort into the matching colored rolls, helping your child practice color recognition.
3. Tube Ball Balance: Stand various paper towel and toilet paper rolls upright and challenge your child to balance ball pit balls on top, enhancing their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
4. Toilet Paper Roll Straw Threading: Punch holes along a toilet paper roll and let your child thread cut straws through, a fun way to improve their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.
5. Paper Towel Roll Letter Matching: Write letters on a paper towel roll and create matching letter stickers for your child to pair with the roll, reinforcing letter recognition and matching skills.

Each of these activities will turn a simple paper towel roll or toilet paper roll into a fun and educational tool, using materials you likely already have at home!

The Magic of Using Everyday Items for Play

At the end of the day, you don’t need an elaborate setup to make learning fun. Drop tubes take an item you’d normally toss and transform it into an activity that sparks creativity and curiosity.

So before you recycle those toilet paper rolls, hand them to your toddler instead. You might be surprised at how much fun they’ll have—no batteries, screens, or fancy toys required.

And if they love this? Stay tuned—there are more Random Household Objects activities coming your way!

Painter’s Tape

Pom-poms