A speech-language pathologist has turned empty baby-wipe lids into a viral learning toy that teaches toddlers family names while sharpening fine-motor skills.
At a Glance
- Brittany Musholt recycled wipe lids and cardboard to build a photo-name puzzle for her one-year-old
- The DIY gift cost nothing and is still played with a year later
- Both of her kids learned family names and strengthened early-reading skills
- Why it matters: Parents can skip pricey toys and still boost language development at home
Brittany Musholt, mom of two and Instagram creator @brittmooseslp, posted a clip last year showing the homemade present she gave her then-one-year-old son. The short video revealed a small cardboard panel dotted with plastic lids that flip open like tiny lockets. Each lid carries a handwritten name-Mama, Daddy, Papa, big brother-while inside waits a matching photo.
“PSA your baby doesn’t care if their gift is $1 or $100 this year,” Musholt wrote across the footage. “But if you make them this puzzle from old wipe lids, they’ll learn the whole family’s names by New Years.”
How the Zero-Cost Idea Took Shape
Musholt tells News Of Losangeles she merged two concepts she had spotted online: a family-photo puzzle and a fine-motor activity that uses the hinged tops from diaper-wipe containers. “I thought it would be really fun and a language opportunity to combine those ideas into one activity using recycled materials like cardboard and diaper wipe lids,” she says.
Collecting the lids took a few weeks. She sliced off the plastic hinges, printed wallet-size photos, and glued everything to a scrap of cardboard. Hand-written labels finished the piece.
Why Names Matter for First Words
As a speech therapist, Musholt targets family names because toddlers hear them constantly.
“Family names are incredibly functional first words because they’re used all day, every day (mama, dada, papa, siblings’ names, etc),” she explains. “Kids hear them constantly and have so many natural opportunities to practice saying them.”
She notes the game also supports:
- Joint attention
- Early social skills
- Memory retrieval
- Word-finding practice
Big Brother Benefits Too
Commenters asked why she added written names when a baby can’t read. Musholt had two reasons:
- Her preschool-age son is starting to read, so name recognition turns the toy into an early-literacy tool
- Adults can locate the right photo faster when the child asks, “Where’s Papa?”
“It ended up being helpful for everyone!” she says.
Still Playing 12 Months Later
Made around Earth Day last year, the puzzle remains in daily rotation. Musholt watched her youngest move from pointing at photos to opening lids and naming each relative.
“Seeing that progression in his language development (especially as a speech therapist!) has been really cool and rewarding,” she says.
Takeaway for Parents
Musholt stresses that flashy toys aren’t required for learning.
“This game started as something simple and homemade, but it turned into a meaningful way for my kids to play, learn and connect with the people they love!” she says. “I’m really happy it resonated with so many people and am excited that it can help other families build language and create memories in a creative way.”
