Busy Boxes (On the cheap!)

Over the last month, I have been working on compiling activities for our 
VERY busy 2.5 year old.

Because we also have a 5 month old, there are a lot of times where she needs my attention and the toddler needs to entertain herself. Problem is, I have one of those kids that gets bored with their toys quickly and needs a little more stimulation.

Thus, busy boxes became my mission! I wanted something with a good variety of activities already in one place so it seems less overwhelming. I've put together one for each day of the week, using a lot of things from around the house. You don't need bins as big as I used, they were on sale at Wal-Mart so I figured why not. I couldn't bring myself to pay more for a smaller box, and luckily we have a basement for storage space.

My husband laughs at me because I have turned into a bit of a hoarder. Whenever I empty a container of something, or finish a roll of paper towels, chances are I will save it. I've started to keep a box down in the basement of things like that, 
and then I mull over what I might use them for. 

Here are some of the things I came up with on my own...

Color Sorting Buttons

I created this using lunchable containers, with construction paper taped to the inside. These buttons came in a bag with shapes, and a bag with letters from Wal-Mart in the sewing section. They were a little pricey in my opinion ($4.50 a bag) but they will be so useful, 
I talked myself into it.

Popsicle Stick Color Sort

This was made from yogurt containers, with construction paper and packing tape. (Packing tape acts as a great barrier for those little fingers that will most likely try and tear the paper off) The colored sticks were in the craft aisle at Wal-Mart, and can also be used in 
a bunch of different ways!

Cookie Cutter Color Sort

Costco formula tins are something we will not be short of for awhile! That's what I used for this activity, along with cookie cutters from one of those 101 piece sets (purchased from Wal-Mart about 5 years ago). I don't have enough tins for all the colors yet, because I only recently started saving them. To switch things up, you could also use those rainbow Popsicle sticks for this too. Cut some holes in the lids for another option to keep them busy. 

Straw or Pipe cleaner Activity

I used an old Parmesan cheese container, and cut up some straws. You could also use pipe cleaners. I always save those containers because they're also great for holding cereal or goldfish in the diaper bag.

Cardboard Bead Threading 

Start saving those paper towel and TP rolls! I saw something similar to this on pinterest, but changed things a bit. The original post used pipe cleaners to make the string, with a loop at the end. I felt like my toddler would break that to pieces in less than 10 seconds, so I decided to use ribbon tied to some of those lovely rainbow popsicle sticks.   

Cookie sheet Magnet Activities

You can get this cookie sheet from Wal-Mart for .88 cents, and the magnets for about $1! There are TONS of possibilities for your little one, depending on their age. You could start by just getting some animals or letters, and then move up to matching games. There are cute little wood animals that come already painted (from Michaels), and just smack a magnet on the back. The activities pictured above came from the Pinterest world.  

 Not everything in our busy boxes is made from stuff around the house. I also found a LOT of activities from Pinterest, that were more geared towards my child's interests.
Those activities require a little more work, mostly LOTS of cutting. I recommend investing in cardstock and a laminator so that your work doesn't get crumpled to pieces. 

I worked on those during naptime or after the kids went to bed, while camped out on the couch watching some Netflix! 

The great thing about these boxes is, that everything becomes new and exciting because it gets brought out once a week.  Go through your toy bins and pull things out that might be getting lost or forgotten and you'll be shocked how interesting they will become. 

Here's what else is in our boxes:

Puzzles
(Melissa & Doug ones are my fave!)
Books
(TJ Maxx is the BEST place I've found for cheap board books.)
Spiral Notebook for drawing
(Right now with back to school, stock up! Its fun to see their imaginations 
at work with blank paper)
Laminated tracing pages
(To be done with dry erase markers and LOTS of supervision!)
Lowercase and Uppercase matching
(We have one where the matches make a butterfly)
Shape sorting pages
(Use those lovely buttons, or cut out your own shapes using 
paint samples from Wal-Mart...they're free!)
Shoelace threading
(Melissa & Doug)
Coloring books Or Printable Coloring Pages
(Dollar tree has a great selection! Switch between crayons and colored pencils each day, 
or even Markers if you're brave!)
   Velcro popsicle sticks
(In the sewing section at Wal-Mart they sell little adhesive circles, 
you can work on learning shapes this these.)
Washable Paint
(For days when you're feeling adventurous!) 
Beanie Babies or Stuffed Animals
(This way your living room doesn't become overtaken by plush. 1-2 in each box will reduce the clutter.) 
Laminated Playdough Mats
(You can find letters, numbers, or shapes on Pinterest.)
Colander Threading with Pipecleaners
(Dollar store!)

 What I have found works best for us is that I give her a couple of activities to play with in the afternoon before nap time, and then the whole bin in the evenings. Since we started using these activities, tantrums and grumpiness have decreased a TON and I don't feel overwhelmed. 

There you have it! I hope these ideas help you get started on your own stash of activities to have on hand. Winter is just around the corner, so these will be so helpful and keep everyone from going crazy!