Are you looking for quiet activities for your toddler or preschooler this summer? Our red, white, and blue busy box might be just the thing for your family!
If you’ve been around the Rolling Prairie Readers community for any length of time, you know I’m a big fan of learning through play. I also talk a lot about creating invitations to play for our little ones.
Open-ended play is important for children because it builds independence, creativity, executive function skills, and — most importantly — attention spans. It’s easy for kids to focus on the things they want to do, and putting together a busy box gives children a buffet of options to choose from.
How to make a red, white, and blue busy box:
- First, grab a shoe box or small container.
- Walk around the house and grab red and blue objects.
- Set the box in a place where your kiddo is likely to find it.
Everyone’s busy box will look different, based on what toys you have available at home. Personally, I like to choose objects that mix and match nicely and build fine motor skills.
See our must-have toys for learning at home!
For this red, white, and blue busy box, I grabbed:
- pom poms
- tweezers
- silicone cupcake liners
- Velcro craft sticks
- one-inch foam cubes
- straw pieces and a Parmesan cheese container
- dyed noodles and a shoelace
- red and blue UNO cards (0-9 only)
- Unifix cubes
- linking rings
My tactile learner has been very active with this busy box already. I’ve found her stringing noodles, putting the UNO cards in numerical order, and dropping straw pieces in the cheese container. She often plays with the items during read-aloud time because having something small in her hands helps her listen better.
The red, white, and blue busy box also came with us when we traveled to visit with family a few weeks ago. I don’t typically like to bring a lot of toys with us when we stay in a hotel, but this box fit easily in our trunk and kept her occupied when we needed it.
See 100 more tactile ideas for kids.
If you try a busy box for your kids, I would love to see it! Snap a picture and send it to me on Instagram. For more summer fun, be sure to check out our list of patriotic books and learning activities.
You can also grab our Summer Survival Kit, which features more than 200 hands-on learning activities and our sensational summer schedule template!
