18 Best Montessori Busy Boards 2023
As a parent, I can tell you that you need to get your children a Montessori busy board. Not only are they great for development, but they are also one of the best types of toys for kids. In addition, there are blue busy boards, pink busy boards, wood busy boards, and more. You can also find more advanced options as your child grows. We listed 18 of the top-rated Montessori busy boards. We have bought several of these for our kids and we curated other high-quality products with great customer reviews.
How My Wife and I Use Montessori Busy Boards For Our Kids
First and foremost, busy boards are great toys for the car. Even if we were only taking a 10-minute drive, our kids still played with them as we drove. For long road trips, they were useful when our kids were looking for something to play with. Also, they are great toys inside our home. We put a few on their play tables and our kids love playing with the zippers, clips, locks, spinners, and buttons.
Why We Got Our Kids Montessori Busy Boards and Why We Recommend Them
Montessori busy boards embody the Montessori philosophy. They provide young children with engaging sensory experiences that promote cognitive growth, fine motor skills, and concentration. If you’re considering introducing busy boards into your child’s routine, read on to learn all about these wonderful educational tools.
What Are Montessori Busy Boards?
Also known as Montessori sensory boards or activity boards, busy boards are multi-functional boards covered with various locks, latches, knobs, and interactive elements. They are designed to enhance children’s natural curiosity and inspire them to independently explore and problem-solve. As children play with the components on a busy board, they improve fine motor control and cognitive development. In simpler terms, children will be able to play with the small aspects of the busy board and learn cause and effect.
18 Montessori Busy Boards
This list was curated by picking out busy boards that my kids loved. I also worked with them while they played with their boards, and these are all high-quality and fun options for kids. I don’t just give them the boards and leave them alone. My wife and I play with them too! It’s a great way for us to have fun together. I watch my kids explore and learn while they play. These boards are not just toys they help us learn and spend quality time as a family. I can tell you for sure that these busy boards are well-made. They can handle lots of playtime without breaking.
1. Learn To Dress Montessori Busy Board
2. Wooden Sensory Montessori Wooden Busy Board
3. 8 Page Busy Board Book For Girls
4. 8 Page Busy Board Book For Boys
5. Light Switch Sensory Montessori Toy
6. Car Steering Wheel Busy Board
7. Montessori Personalized Sensory Toys
8. Joyreal 11 Activities Wooden Montessori Busy Board
9. BeGenius Montessori Wooden Busy Board For Kids
10. Wooden Bear Busy Board
11. Wooden Montessori Busy Board for Toddlers
12. Wooden Controller Montessori Busy Board
13. Monläurd® Hippo Montessori Busy Board
14. Monläurd® Shark Montessori Busy Board
15. Dani Handmade Wooden Busy Board
16. Girls Montessori Sensory Busy Board
17. Boys Montessori Sensory Busy Board
18. Dinosaur Wooden Busy Board
5 Benefits of Montessori Busy Boards For Kids
There are many reasons why busy boards make exceptional educational toys for young children between the ages of 2 and 5. Here are some of the key benefits they provide:
1. Develop Fine Motor Skills
As children twist, flip, button, and manipulate the various components on a busy board, they improve dexterity, strengthen finger muscles, and refine hand-eye coordination. Mastering these fine motor skills lays the groundwork for future tasks like writing, drawing, and self-care.
2. Encourage Independence
Montessori busy boards are designed for solo play, allowing children to choose activities that interest them and solve problems independently. This fosters their innate drive towards autonomy and self-direction.
3. Improve Concentration
The tactile, hands-on nature of busy boards captures a child’s focus for extended periods of time. This teaches concentration, an ability that aids in learning and development.
4. Stimulate Cognitive Growth
Busy boards engage a child’s mind through cause-and-effect activities that require logic, sequencing, and spatial awareness. The boards provide just the right level of challenge to take young minds to the next developmental stage.
5. Enrich Sensory Processing
The various textures, sounds, motions, and visuals on busy boards target kids’ senses of touch, sight, sound, and vestibular input. This sensory stimulation helps children understand and integrate information about the environment.
Choosing the Right Busy Board
If you want to introduce a Montessori-style busy board into your child’s routine, keep the following tips in mind:
- Safety first – Ensure all elements are safely secured and sturdy enough to withstand curious hands. Avoid small, detachable pieces that pose a choking hazard.
- Age-appropriate – The activities should match the overall abilities of the child you are buying it for. Look for busy boards that are meant for specific ages.
- Durable materials – Look for busy boards made from high-quality wood. Stay away from plastics, which can break.
- Eco-friendly – Seek out boards crafted from sustainable, non-toxic materials to reduce environmental impact.
- Engaging themes – Choose themes that align with your child’s interests, like dinosaurs, steering wheels, farms, transportation, or animals.
DIY Busy Board Ideas
Don’t want to buy a pre-made busy board? With a little bit of planning, you can create a customized busy board at home using basic craft supplies. Here are some simple DIY ideas to try:
- Glue cut lengths of sandpaper, ribbon, or fabric to form tactile texture squares.
- Attach rows of colorful pompoms, beads, or large sequins that can be laced with shoelace.
- Affix various latches, locks, door hinges, and knobs for hands-on problem solving.
- Incorporate moveable gears, sliding beads, and spinning components to allow for sequencing play.
- Use stick-on Velcro to attach pictures, shapes, words, or numbers for matching activities.
- Add clear plastic pockets to hold photo cards, colored transparencies, or other themed visuals.
The options for DIY busy boards are endless! Use Pinterest or other online sources to find step-by-step tutorials for creating your own. Montessori DIY toys can be great options for kids as well.
Conclusion
Play is super important for little kids. Montessori busy boards are cool toys that help kids learn and do things on their own. You can buy one or make it yourself. It’s a fun way for your toddler or preschooler to learn and get better at thinking, moving, and feeling things. Give them a busy board and watch them have a blast while learning. My twin boys love them and my baby daughter has started playing with them as well. Not only are they great for development, they are one of the best options for independent play.
