Toddler Busy Board {Mom Gets Her DIY On}

toddler busy board, dovetail blog, simple on purpose
I am constantly looking for ways to keep my toddler busy indoors. So after much pinning and pining I finally made the big trip to the hardware store and made this toddler busy board for my son.
It is located at the top of the stairs right beside our kitchen so I can see him.
If you are gonna make one, here are some tips that I hope you might find useful:
1. Try different layouts (this process took me the longest and I didn’t end up using everything I had bought)
2. Watch out that screws are sunk all the way so they don’t catch little hands. We had to add some drywall putty to a couple places to soften the edges.
3. Anticipate optimal noise making and use furniture pad for those extra loud items
4. Affix it for easy and mess free removal. We opted to use zap straps on the stair railings rather than screwing it into them

5. Raid your house. You may not need to pay for hardware if you get creative at home or you have a spouse who collects spare parts. Think old drawer knobs, old light switches, etc.  You can also use extra wall paint for the base colour

6. Get creative. You don’t have to use hardware, you could also make use out of craft supplies, kitchen gadgets, different fabrics and textures, etc. You can also use the same thing in a set of different sizes.

7. If you a little compulsive, like me, stick with using a same colour for everything. I tried to stick with using silver and white items (aside from the bronze tap).

UPDATE: Three years later this busy board is still up and being used by all three kids. The cans and pipes both didn’t last. The glue wasn’t strong enough and Lenayah was trying to scale the board by launching off the pipes. Also, long strings for toddlers and babies is a bad idea. Those are gone too. I would recommend adding a few more gadgets that require fine motor skills. All three kids most loved the nuts and bolts, slider lock and alphabet stickers.

You might also like to read…

Don’t Hate on the Pinterest Mom and Intentional Parenting for Rookies

 

12 thoughts on “Toddler Busy Board {Mom Gets Her DIY On}”

  7. Cute! I love this idea! My youngest is getting ready to start getting into everything. I’m in need of something like this. Thanks for sharing a great idea.

    Reply

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