Sorting Drop Box Fine Motor Activity

Table of Contents:

1. Anyone else have an Amazon addiction? Make a sorting drop box after your next delivery.
2. Have you ever made a drop box?
3. But I needed a little more for my 3.5-year-old.
4. Here’s how I made a sorting drop box
5. And away she went!
6. Grab a box and get to making!
7. When will you build a Sorting Drop Box?

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Anyone else have an Amazon addiction? Make a sorting drop box after your next delivery.

Ah, the simple drop box. You’ve been a good activity to me, old friend, but you needed an update for a now 3.5-year-old who was ready a little more from you. So I made you into a sorting drop box and poof…. You have life again.

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Have you ever made a drop box?

Get on it immediately. There are lots of variations but the idea is simple: take an object, cut a hole in it, and let your toddler shove items through the hole.

We’ve done it with playing cards.

We’ve done it with crayons.

We’ve done it with pom pom balls.

It’s always a hit. My friend even made one with poker chips! The drop box is universally loved.

But I needed a little more for my 3.5-year-old.

I made a “card slot drop” for my daughter when she was 19 months old and it was the love of her life. When she was two, I switched it to crayons.

Now that she’s 3.5, we needed a little sorting challenge to add to the mix so welcome to the activity family our “Sorting Drop Box”.

The Materials List

(this list contains affiliate links. Read more about these links in my disclosure policy.)

• Cardboard box
• Markers
• Index cards or other color cards
• Razor blade (for adult use ONLY)

I started by taping up my box to make sure everything was strong and connected together. I did make sure that the bottom piece of tape was easy to remove so that I could get my index cards at the end of this…but that’s coming.

Here’s how I made a sorting drop box:

I took a stack of brightly colored index cards and used them as my inspiration. This is what Kate would be sorting.

In my box, I cut 4 questionably made slots for her to drop the cards. I did make these only big enough for the cards to go in vertically as an extra spatial awareness challenge.

Around each slit, I colored with marker a border to match one color of index cards.

Then I handed her the box and said, “This is a sorting drop box. I need you to sort the cards into the box.”

And away she went!

She hammered down for 20 or so minutes sorting these cards then had me restart the project for her to play again. I simply undid the loose tape, grabbed out the cards, and had her begin again.

That’s the thing about simple activities – they don’t need to be fancy to be the bestest (real word, promise).

Grab a box and get to making!

We all know you have an Amazon box lying in your garage just waiting to use for this activity (or maybe your latest order doesn’t come until tomorrow, but still…). Grab a box out and get this activity made!

It’s one fantastic way to make it to nap time.

When will you build a Sorting Drop Box?