Busy boards, also known as activity boards, are a sensory, safe board filled with everyday items. This provides babies and toddlers with a safe space to play with normally “forbidden” items. Playing with the board develops motor and sensory skills, interacting with everyday household objects such as doorknobs and zippers.
No two busy boards are the same – you can make your own at home and personalize this for your child, adding items you deem safe and are comfortable with them playing with.
What age are busy boards for?
Busy boards are for babies aged six months and up. Some and toddlers up to aged three might enjoy them as well. The earlier you start using the busy board, the better. This provides your child with a safe place to experiment with the same things they were once told off for touching.
Not only does this develop motor skills, but it may encourage them to stop touching real “forbidden” household objects and instead focus on their own.
Benefits of a well-equipped busy board for babies
Toddler busy boards are motor skill activity centers which encourage babies and young toddlers to learn through play with items like zips, handles, wheels, string, latches and much more.
Developing your baby’s gross motor skills is really important and from the moment they hit 6/7 months old you may be starting to think about how you can help encourage your child to sit up, crawl and even walk. Some examples includes:
- Promotes fine motor skills and builds up the fingers’ strength.
- Provides a sensory experience with pleasant textures and noises.
- Introduces problem-solving, cause and effect exploration.
- A booster for the imaginative and open-ended play.
- Storage-free, mess-free, complementing all interiors.
- The best present for baby who loves bright and bold activity toys.
Busy boards are fun, interactive, and a Montessori way of learning for babies aged six months to toddlers aged three. These boards can either be purchased or made at home, adding custom details such as your child’s name.
In general, boards should only include household objects, not children’s toys. This is to encourage motor and sensory development, playing and experimenting with objects that may once have been “forbidden.”
