Make a Busy Board for Your Child
Babies and young children, as you know, are quite difficult to keep busy. In the beginning, they are mostly just lying around. But as soon as they can sit, crawl, and then walk unstably, their task is to do something and touch everything .
No matter how many toys you have, this is not enough. A dog’s water bowl, dirt in a pot, and burnt wood in the fireplace are what they want. They crave the sensation of not only plush toys, but everything. And they should; they learn so much about the world around them through touch. Thus, the more textures we can (safely) offer them, the less they might be tempted to hit the glass cabinet door with their hand.
This is why you should make your child a business board.
Busy boards are like sensory trash cans for toddlers and preschoolers, except that everything is glued or screwed into place so they don’t willy-nilly swallow things in handfuls. You can make it pretty simple with items you already have at home. Or, you can do your best by purchasing supplies from your local hardware store . You’re only limited by your own imagination (or your ability to search Pinterest ).
You can use a piece of smooth wood like the one in the photo above. Even a thick piece of cardboard will do. You can mount whatever you want on this board (make sure it is not too sharp or pointed and cannot be removed and swallowed). Here are some ideas:
- Lightning
- Ribbons
- Buckles
- Anything with buttons
- Fabrics with different textures
- Squeaky toys
- Door knockers
- Chain locks
- Small carpet squares
- Fidget spinners
- Small rudders
Hands On As We Grow has a great tutorial if you need more inspiration. Of course, if you like the idea but don’t want to make your own, you can buy them as well; they range from fairly affordable to quite expensive. This one in particular looks quite compact and lightweight, making it a good option when you are traveling and a child wants to explore every inch of an infected plane or hotel room.