Toddler activities with an empty tissue box
6 activities in the library use an empty tissue box, for toddlers aged 12 to 36 months: 2 starting 12–17 months, 1 starting 18–23 months and 3 starting from 24 months. An empty tissue box with its slot is a ready-made pull-out and posting box. Stuffed with scarves or socks, it gives a child endless pulling practice.
Updated
Empty tissue box: 6 activities to try
Safety: Remove the plastic film from the opening before play.
6 activities
- Big Box Tower Topple 12–18 months · 3–8 min · Indoors · Active Your child stacks two or three light empty boxes into a tower and pushes it over, early building that practices placing, balancing and starting again.
- Tissue Box Scarf Pull and Stuff 12–18 months · 3–8 min · Indoors · Calm Your child pulls light fabric squares out of an empty tissue box and pushes them back in, practising a pinch grip, pulling and posting through a slot.
- Which Hole Fits? 18–28 months · 5–10 min · Indoors · Calm Your child posts socks through a tissue-box slot, finds that a big ball will not fit, then works out where the ball can go instead.
- Junk Mail Tear-and-Stuff 24–34 months · 5–10 min · Indoors · Calm Your child tears strips of scrap paper and stuffs the pieces into an empty tissue box, practising two hands pulling in opposite directions.
- When a Friend Cries: Helper Steps 27–36 months · 2–5 min · Indoors or out · Calm When another child cries nearby, you pause together, name the feeling and offer your child one small way to help, such as bringing a toy or tissue.
- Tissue Box Mystery Feel 30–36 months · 5–10 min · Indoors · Calm Your child reaches into a tissue box without looking and finds the object you name by touch alone, then checks it against a matching twin.
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Empty Tissue Box at a glance
| Activities | 6 |
|---|---|
| Ages covered (corrected) | 12–36 months |
| Focus time | 2–10 minutes |
| Main domains | 2 cognitive, 2 fine motor, 1 creativity & pretend and 1 social-emotional |
| Where they happen | 5 indoors and 1 indoors or outdoors |
| Quickest start | When a Friend Cries: Helper Steps, 2–5 minutes |
Every activity with an empty tissue box
Sorted by the first month each one fits (corrected age for children born early). Quick picks: for a calm moment, Tissue Box Scarf Pull and Stuff; to burn energy, Big Box Tower Topple; with no prep at all, When a Friend Cries: Helper Steps.
| Activity | Ages | Minutes | Domain | Prep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Box Tower Topple | 12–18 months | 3–8 | Creativity & pretend | 2 min |
| Tissue Box Scarf Pull and Stuff | 12–18 months | 3–8 | Fine motor | 2 min |
| Which Hole Fits? | 18–28 months | 5–10 | Cognitive | 2 min |
| Junk Mail Tear-and-Stuff | 24–34 months | 5–10 | Fine motor | 2 min |
| When a Friend Cries: Helper Steps | 27–36 months | 2–5 | Social-emotional | None |
| Tissue Box Mystery Feel | 30–36 months | 5–10 | Cognitive | 2 min |
How each activity uses an empty tissue box
- Big Box Tower Topple (building and constructing, 3–8 minutes): Tape the boxes shut and set them on a clear floor.
- Tissue Box Scarf Pull and Stuff (posting objects, 3–8 minutes): Tuck 3-5 fabric squares into the box with one corner of each poking out.
- Which Hole Fits? (problem solving, 5–10 minutes): Set an empty tissue box and an open cardboard box side by side.
- Junk Mail Tear-and-Stuff (tearing and peeling, 5–10 minutes): Stuff the strips into the tissue box together, then shake it: "Full!"
- When a Friend Cries: Helper Steps (noticing others' feelings, 2–5 minutes): Offer one concrete way to help: "Can you bring him his teddy?" or a tissue.
- Tissue Box Mystery Feel (finding hidden objects, 5–10 minutes): Put one sock, one plastic lid and one teaspoon into an empty tissue box while your child watches.
By age
12–17 months: 2 activities, 3–8 minutes. 18–23 months: 1 activity, 5–10 minutes. From 24 months: 3 activities, 2–10 minutes.
Starting 12–17 months
Starting 18–23 months
Starting from 24 months
Words that come up
Across these activities you will model “up”, “tower”, “boom”, “again”, “out”, “in”, “more”, “all gone”, “fits”, “too big”, “try another way” and “rip”. Say one at the moment it happens, then pause for your child's turn.
Safety with an empty tissue box
- Remove the plastic film from the opening before play.
- Only stuff it with objects too big to swallow, like scarves or socks.
Prep tips
- Stuff it with scarves knotted end to end for a long pull.
- Cut the opening bigger for easier posting.
No empty tissue box? Use instead
- A shoebox with a hole in the lid.
- A clean wipes container.
- A paper bag.
Combine it with
An empty tissue box is most often paired with cardboard box (2 activities), socks (2 activities) and plastic food containers (1 activity). The skills practised most: finding hidden objects (2), posting objects (2) and building and constructing (1).
Often combined with
Skills practised
Frequently asked questions
What can a toddler do with an empty tissue box?
6 activities here use it, for example Big Box Tower Topple (12–18 months), Tissue Box Scarf Pull and Stuff (12–18 months) and Which Hole Fits? (18–28 months).
Is an empty tissue box safe for toddlers?
Use it only with an adult close by. Remove the plastic film from the opening before play. Only stuff it with objects too big to swallow, like scarves or socks.
What can I use instead of an empty tissue box?
A shoebox with a hole in the lid, a clean wipes container or a paper bag can stand in for most of these activities.
What ages are activities with an empty tissue box for?
They cover 12–36 months of corrected age: 2 starting 12–17 months, 1 starting 18–23 months and 3 starting from 24 months.
Related
Monitoring, not medical advice. Talk to your pediatrician about any concern. Our sources and method.