DIY Toddler Busy Board
How do you keep a 14 month toddler entertained?
The last little while I’ve been looking up new activities to keep my 14 month toddler entertained and I was definitely starting to run out of them. 😭
I needed something to keep him busy during the times I couldn’t spend with him. The usual toys just weren’t doing it for him anymore. Talk about timing, Emma from @shoemakesnew happened to post about a DIY busy board she made for her daughter just a few days ago. I had seen them online for $$$$ but I hadn’t thought to make my own, and as soon as I saw hers, I just KNEW I had to do the same. (And if you see her post – we literally had the same problem, that if we look away for a second, there’s definitely a high chance our kid could be reaching for the cat food for the 2638th time 😳.)
As soon as he fell asleep that night, (can you sense the urgency lol) I grabbed whatever scrap wood piece I had and shopped my home for random items that he seems to really like (ie. door stops 🤪) and quickly ordered a zipper and door chain online from Amazon and put this together during his nap times (Shout out to Amazon prime for being the real MVP here).
So here we are, a low cost Montessori inspired busy board for my toddler. He’s only had it for a few hours but he’s loving it so far. 💯 One of the best DIYs I’ve done to date 😂 if you’re somebody who has a young one in your life (niece, nephew, etc) definitely consider making one for them! Trust me on this, kiddos and parents alike will love you for it 😂
Items used:
- plywood (mine was a 15″ x 34″ leftover scrap wood I used, which I didn’t bother to rip down since the size was perfect to house all the items I wanted, but you can do any size serves your purpose)
- circular mirror
- spinning disk (this was a random unused leftover piece from some random unknown previous project)
- pill box (for treats)
- part of an unused cat collar that had a bell
- empty Earth Mama twistable container
- mini Etch-a-Sketch
- binder clip
- large fabric pouf that used to be attached to a baby throw blanket
- calculator
- old electrical outlet faceplate where I glued some fabric for texture
- electrical on/off switch
- combination lock
- digital watch (he loves seeing the red lights appear and disappear)
- retractable badge holder
- door chain lock
- zipper
- door stop
- and my favourite, an old FridaBaby comb container that opens and closes, where I glued a family photo, so when he opens it, he sees us – he seemed to really enjoy this too!
Steps
- Gather items you wish to place onto the board
- Once you’ve assessed the items you wish, determine how large of a board you need, and cut accordingly.
- Sand board to remove rough areas as your child will be playing with this.
- Optional step: Stain. I skipped this because personally I like the look of the natural wood look.
- Determine the placement and arrangement of the items.
- Glue and/or drill items on the board!
- Present to kid and be amazed at how entertained they can be with this!
