Kids have a lot of energy and curiosity they need to burn through during the day. As a parent, it's your job to come up with fun activities to keep them busy. But it's not enough for a game to entertain your children. Kids need activities that help them learn more about the world and sate their curiosity.
Creative do-it-yourself pastimes you can do with your children include making colorful bubble snakes in the backyard and whipping up salt dough ornaments in the kitchen. But these activities are better suited for children aged 4 years old and above who can follow instructions with only a little guidance from you.
What about toddlers?
Benefits of Busy Boards
Toddlers are very curious, but they also tend to be very messy. Thankfully, there's an activity you can give them that won't require professional carpet cleaners afterward. You can build them a busy board. This toy allows toddlers to practice their motor skills and expand their sensory experiences with various sounds and textures.
A busy board is a large board with multiple attachments and trinkets that toddlers can play with. The fun thing about these boards is that you can make one out of the contents of your toolbox and garage. No need to go online or a pricey toy store. And they're so easy to make, you could finish making one in an afternoon. They're also easy to put away after your toddler is done with it for the day. You won't have to wipe or mop up anything; simply put it safely aside in a closet or cabinet.
Building a Busy Board
Although you can go to a hardware store for some of these materials, you can easily scrounge for some of the parts in your garage or attic. You can even repurpose parts of furniture and appliances to add to your busy board. Here are the essential materials to build a busy board:
- A 2-foot square of fiberboard to serve as the board. You can use a cabinet door or similar instead.
- Drill to bore holes for screws
- Various screws to attach bits and pieces to the board
- Screwdriver to secure the screws
- Child-proof corner and edge guards to dull the board's edges
As for the attachments, you can use virtually anything that you think a toddler might like to fiddle with. Remember to go for an assortment of textures, shapes, and colors to make your busy board eye-popping to toddlers.
- Combine the sleek plastic beads with rough swatches of quilts.
- Attach small bells, rubber squeakers, and crinkly foil so they also have different sounds.
- Complex additions, such as door bolts, doorknobs, and hinged flaps can help them manipulate these objects with ease later on
- Finally, don't forget to make it very colorful. Pick items with vibrant hues and patterns or paint the board itself with colorful images.
Before you attach anything, make sure to take out items that may hurt your toddler, wash everything with mild soap, and screw on heavy additions securely to the board. Voila, you now have the perfect toy for your toddler to spend the afternoon!
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