Busy Box Ideas with Cute Printable Labels

Hi there! This is Julia from All Things with Purpose

You’ve probably heard of “busy boxes” on Pinterest or from a friend.

It’s been on my to-do list for a while, but first, I had to ask myself:

What’s the point of a busy box anyway?

I want them for two primary reasons:

1. When I am working with my other two,

I can pull out his Busy Box, and he has several

minutes (depending on the child) of educational play.

2. I designed mine to be educational.

It’s an exciting treat to see what’s in the box

and to play with these fresh “toys”.

Children really want to learn…

They are naturally curious.

Busy Boxes (aka Learning Bags) can have anything inside.

I highly recommend using things you already have, or print things off for free.

You can customize these to what your child needs to learn.

For more ideas of what your children should be learning at the Preschool Level check out our other website Hip HomeSchool Mom, and look over the section on Preschool. This site hasn’t officially launched yet, but has a growing resources of Preschool ideas!

This file of printable labels includes Monday through Friday as well as a 1 through 5 option. I prefer the numbers as labels because I do not always hit Monday through Friday. I may skip a day, teach on Saturday, or I may have a day that I need him to use it in the morning and the afternoon!! Use the larger label for the top of your shoe box size container and the smaller for an end.

Find the labels HERE!

Here are some category ideas:

1. Already Competent: Puzzles, Shapes, etc, things that are fun!!
2. Working to Learn: Picture books with small words. Things to count.
3. Introducing an Advanced Concept: For example, I want him to become familiar with coins. So, I throw in one coin in each busy box. Some days I pop by and tell him what it is. This is a quarter. Other days I may not, but he starts to gain familiarity.

Stay Away From:

Things that are messy!! Do not include paint or play dough. The whole idea of the box is providing something that they can do without you. I did include a notebook for him to write/draw, but I did not include crayons or markers in the bins because I have a central spot for markers and crayons. You need to decide if you trust your child with scissors or markers without you.
If in doubt, don’t include it.

Jude LOVES his busy box!

Have a great day and have fun! -Julia All Things with Purpose

Thanks for checking out this post from www.SugarBeeCrafts.com – – click on over to read it in its entirety – you’ll love it!

About the Author
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About Sarah Lemp

I am a "second generation" homeschooler. Full-time mom to 3, youth pastor's wife, musician, avid DIYer and artist. I love singing, creating, thrifting and eating. I hate doing laundry and am not a huge fan of cooking. I like fast and easy recipes, using healthy, inexpensive ingredients. I'll try to do anything myself if it will save money. When all else fails, spray paint it!