Toddler Busy Boards are one of my all-time favorite projects! Having twin toddlers at home means double the pressure to keep them entertained. We are at the stage where all the baby toys are boring but all the grown up items are fun and enticing (hello remote controllers that have gone missing and countless other items I’ve had to pry from little fingers). For some reason, the more off limits an item becomes, the more they want it.
Every. Single. Time.
A busy board is a great way to introduce new and non-traditional items to your little ones while providing them the opportunity to learn new skills in a safe way. These are great because it is really up to you what you choose to put on there. Does your child like spinning things? Find those. Does your child like lights? Those are available too. Does your child like things that make noise? Bless your heart…but I’m confident you can find something to do just that on here, too.
Finding Items For Your Board
First, you’ll want to find a sturdy backboard to attach your items to. I chose this one. This prefinished panel was the perfect size for me to attach plenty of items to. There are several colors and the price point is great too. I’m all about DIY and reusing scrap wood – but when I saw these I just knew it was perfect. No sanding to make the edges safe, no staining, no nothing.. it’s ready to go.
Next, I went on any DIY’ers favorite mission in a hardware store: finding knickknacks. I am 100% certain I had plenty of things to use up in the garage storage cabinets. However, knowing my kids they would want to test everything out by licking it or something equally as odd. Ultimately I went with brand new items so I could sleep at night and not have to wonder how long that toilet paper holder was in my garage and where it came from in the first place.
One of the twins loves to spin, all day and all night. I found fidget spinners in the hardware store’s “fun/gift” aisle and grabbed a few. I also got some wheels, locks, button lights and anything I thought they might enjoy (see below for the full list of ideas).
When you get home, lay down your panel and start arranging the items how you like. I did a combination of permanent attachment using ¼ inch screws (any longer and they will poke out the back of your panel) and temporary attachment using Velcro. I wanted the babies to be able to practice sticking the safe items back on the board (like the fidget spinners) and not be able to remove the items that I didn’t want used as a weapon on each other.
Once you have everything attached how you like, it’s time to attach the panel to the wall. Even though the panel itself is fairly light, depending on the items you choose, the finished product could be heavy. Not to mention the added weight of your child pulling up on it (you know they will). Because of this, I chose to screw it directly into the wall.
For the finished look? Now this looks like a good time…
The best part is that once the kids get tired of this stuff, I can easily take it off and add new things. I see a lot of use out of this DIY project in the future. And when they outgrow this stage (hopefully never!) I will surely find a use for all of the leftover gadgets I bought.
Toddler Busy Board Ideas:
2 x 4 finished panel to use as backboard
Cookie sheet and magnetic letters
Door locks
Sample peg board (perfect size for learning to tie shoestrings)
Wheels
Hinges
Fidget spinners
Toilet paper holder
Button lights (I found a 2 pack with remote controls and multicolor lights)
Calculator
I hope you and your little ones enjoy this simple project!