In preparation for this school year I knew I needed a constructive plan to keep Ava, my toddler, creatively engaged. Since we homeschool, it would be important to the flow of our learning that she have her own “work” of play to do. But whether you homeschool or not, keeping a toddler busy can be a challenge while to try to accomplish other tasks.
In anticipation for the fall I created four “activity boxes” just for Ava. Call them what you want: sensory boxes, busy bins, they all are meant to engage her imagination and give her something tactile to do. I created one for each morning we are home.
And look at that goofy face! She loves her boxes!
If you are interested in creating your own boxes, I will link to what resources I can here to help you get started. I created loose “themes” to get me organized.
Animal Box 1 (top left photo)
Felt map with animals from Target’s Dollar Bin
Melissa and Doug Habitats Reusable Sticker Pad
Melissa and Doug Water Wow
Number cards with sticky foam to form the letters from Target’s Dollar Bin
Craft Box 2 (top right photo)
Dot Markers (not shown–but Ava LOVES them)
Mr. Potato Head (similar)
Construction paper and scissors from the Dollar Store
Wikki Stix Adventures Across America book and Alphabet Cards
Sand Box 3 (Bottom left photo)
Sensory Sand with real shells from the beach and sand toys I dug out of the shed and washed up and added to the box.
Play-Doh Box 4 (Bottom right photo)
We’ve had this box for years, but I recently freshened it up by buying a bag of Mad Matter. All the kids love this and want me to buy their own bag in the color of their choice. It is very cool stuff! Similar to sensory sand–but less sandy and just more fun, in my opinion! So obviously Mad Matter is a great choice for older kids too. My older kids like to steal it out of her bin to play with it when I read to them.
You could also use these bins for “quiet play” when naptimes cease or only pull them down on rainy days. Check out my Sensory Play Pinterest boards for more inspiration. If you end up making your own boxes, or already have, I’d love to know what you filled them with!
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