Parental supervision of young children is exhausting for both parties. The child is trying to explore the world, but he is protected, forbidden, or distracted from an interesting outlet and a medicine cabinet. For a mother, on the contrary, everything falls out of her hands as soon as she sees something related to the risk of injury or damage in the field of vision of her son or daughter. Every adult thinks about the age at which they should introduce their child to dangerous objects. On the one hand, you won’t be following your child around for the rest of your life, but on the other hand, the risk of ending up in a hospital bed with a young tomboy is too great.

Montessori method

Especially in order to solve such a dilemma, the Italian teacher and scientist Maria Montessori proposed, as part of her methodology, to teach children through knowledge of the essence of things. After all, it is not at all necessary to bring the baby to a real door for him to understand the principle of the latch. You can simply give this item to your child and he will figure out its functionality himself. The distinction between a child’s actions and the danger that threatens him has brought the theory of learning for preschoolers to a new level.

A well-known methodologist suggested transferring available household appliances to a stand for study. This way, children will be able to learn the functionality of every small detail, and parents will no longer fear for their lives. By moving door chains, cornice rings or a zipper, the child will develop fine motor skills of his fingers and explore things that interest him. Neural signals from little fingers will be transmitted to the brain and enrich the baby’s memory with impressions. Such stimulation has a beneficial effect on the intellectual and physical development of the baby.

Educational board with locks, fasteners, toggle switches and buttons

What is this stand with visual material?

You can make a development board yourself or buy a ready-made one. In fact, this is an ordinary board, with those very dangerous things recorded that made parents tremble. For example, it could be a non-working socket with a plug, a switch, handles from cabinet doors or a hook on the door, lacing, a bell button and even a circular dial from an old telephone, i.e. it can be anything that can be touched, moved, studied without any threat to life. In the meantime, the child is busy with such a serious matter, the mother can also give herself 10-15 minutes of free time :)

This development board also has its own name - busyboard. Literally it can be translated as “a board to keep a baby occupied.” Indeed, various small objects and bright designs can captivate a son or daughter for a long time.

The developmental board business board ensures the comprehensive development of the child and helps parents protect him from traumatic situations at the stage of mastering the world around him.

Every year new types of development boards are produced. Manufacturers are not limited to a standard set of small parts. Pursuing the goal of developing children's fine motor skills, materials of various textures are applied to the body of the board. Little fingers will feel rubber balls, plastic wheels, felt, a piece of wool knitting and stringed beads. Each of these items will give the baby new sensations and diversify his understanding of the world around him.

Creating a development board with your own hands

In stores you can find factory copies of development boards. Taking them as an example, it is quite possible to create a business board with your own hands. A child will appreciate a craft that comes out of the hands of parents more than a faceless stamp.

Note to moms!

Hello girls) I didn’t think that the problem of stretch marks would affect me too, and I’ll also write about it))) But there’s nowhere to go, so I’m writing here: How did I get rid of stretch marks after childbirth? I will be very glad if my method helps you too...

So, you decided to create a development board yourself and are now wondering how best to do it. First you need to choose a base. As a rule, for this they take a small piece of plywood, plastic or laminated chipboard. A regular board will be too heavy, and a non-laminated board may bring a bunch of splinters to your son or daughter instead of being useful. Small planks, the same plywood or pieces of laminate are used as additional inserts. Sometimes, for a busy board, thick corrugated cardboard is used as a basis. It will be convenient if you decide to introduce your child to the world of fabrics and sewing accessories.

The next step will be to sort out your mezzanines and old drawers for spare parts for furniture and other small things that you once felt a pity to throw away. If you are a stickler for cleanliness and you can’t find such parts in your home, you can always buy them at a hardware or hardware store. Moreover, you still have to go there to get screws for fastening.

After you have brought to light all the future fragments of the development board, try to arrange them and decorate the board. Often, to emulate entrance doors, small plates on small hinges are placed on the board, which the child can lock himself with various types of latches and locks. Behind such a unique door you can place a niche. Then the child will be able to arrange secret places there, hiding his favorite baby doll or donated candy. It doesn’t matter if something doesn’t fit on the first version of your business board - in the future you can always supplement the board with these copies if something goes wrong there.

And finally, the last stage is to securely fasten all the fragments with self-tapping screws or nails. Carefully inspect the opposite side of the board. The protruding sharp ends of the screws can injure the child, so they will need to be treated with sandpaper or a file.

Material to use

It is best if elements from various materials are attached to the board - fabric, metal, plastic, rubber. This will diversify the range of sensations and the baby will not have time to get bored. The most commonly used parts are:

• Door latches, locks, latches, latches, hinges, handles, borders and everything that is called door hardware. Something can simply serve as a frame for a busy board.
• Furniture wheels.
• Construction and massage rollers. Even a thick toilet paper roll will do.
• Lacing. An image of shoes is usually drawn on the base, rivets are attached to it and the laces are tucked in according to all the rules. It is better if you choose bright colors for this element.
• Fasteners, zippers, Velcro, buttons, hooks and loops. All this can be found in a sewing store and sewn onto durable scraps of fabric, which are then secured to the base.
• Bells or similar parts that produce sound. An old doorbell or parts from a xylophone will do.
• Abacus, large rings on a piece of old cornice, or just beads strung on a thread. By moving them in different directions, the baby will be able to learn counting.
• An old telephone dial or keypad from a mobile device.
• Lightning. For simplicity, they usually use “tractor” type zippers; they can be attached using good glue or a stapler, and decorated again using a design: for example, it could be a jacket or a crocodile that has a zipper instead of teeth!
• Toggle switches, switches, bell button or other similar elements.
• Mirrors with protective edge.
• Pieces of various fabrics.
• Flashlights and lighting. Naturally, the simplest and most understandable to a child.
• Postal locks with keys.
• Buttons, animal eyes and other sewing accessories.
• A panel with buttons for unnecessary electrical appliances and much more...

This list is just a rough guide of what you can use. If you find something else at home that will be useful for the development of your child, add this element to your development board. The main thing is that the new fragment is safe and cannot injure the child in your absence.

Photo gallery of busy boards

Parental supervision of young children is exhausting for both parties. The child is trying to explore the world, but he is protected, forbidden, or distracted from an interesting outlet and a medicine cabinet. For a mother, on the contrary, everything falls out of her hands as soon as she sees something related to the risk of injury or damage in the field of vision of her son or daughter. Every adult thinks about the age at which they should introduce their child to dangerous objects. On the one hand, you won’t be following your child around for the rest of your life, but on the other hand, the risk of ending up in a hospital bed with a young tomboy is too great.

Montessori method

Especially in order to solve such a dilemma, the Italian teacher and scientist Maria Montessori proposed, as part of her methodology, to teach children through knowledge of the essence of things. After all, it is not at all necessary to bring the baby to a real door for him to understand the principle of the latch. You can simply give this item to your child and he will figure out its functionality himself. The distinction between a child’s actions and the danger that threatens him has brought the theory of learning for preschoolers to a new level.

A well-known methodologist suggested transferring available household appliances to a stand for study. This way, children will be able to learn the functionality of every small detail, and parents will no longer fear for their lives. By moving door chains, cornice rings or a zipper, the child will develop fine motor skills of his fingers and explore things that interest him. Neural signals from little fingers will be transmitted to the brain and enrich the baby’s memory with impressions. Such stimulation has a beneficial effect on the intellectual and physical development of the baby.

READ IN DETAILS about the Montessori method:

Maria Montessori's method: basic principles, advantages and disadvantages

DIY Montessori Method: We organize a developmental environment at home

Book- 60 lessons with a child using the Montessori method

Educational board with locks, fasteners, toggle switches and buttons

What is this stand with visual material?

You can make a development board yourself or buy a ready-made one. In fact, this is an ordinary board, with those very dangerous things recorded that made parents tremble. For example, it could be a non-working socket with a plug, a switch, handles from cabinet doors or a hook on the door, lacing, a bell button and even a circular dial from an old telephone, i.e. it can be anything that can be touched, moved, studied without any threat to life. In the meantime, the child is busy with such a serious matter, the mother can also give herself 10-15 minutes of free time :)

This development board also has its own name – busyboard. Literally, “busy board” can be translated as “a board to keep a baby occupied.” Indeed, various small objects and bright designs can captivate a son or daughter for a long time.

The developmental board business board ensures the comprehensive development of the child and helps parents protect him from traumatic situations at the stage of mastering the world around him.

Every year new types of development boards are produced. Manufacturers are not limited to a standard set of small parts. Pursuing the goal of developing children's fine motor skills, materials of various textures are applied to the body of the board. Little fingers will feel rubber balls, plastic wheels, felt, a piece of wool knitting and stringed beads. Each of these items will give the baby new sensations and diversify his understanding of the world around him.

Creating a development board with your own hands

In stores you can find factory copies of development boards. Taking them as an example, it is quite possible to create a business board with your own hands. A child will appreciate a craft that comes out of the hands of parents more than a faceless stamp.

So, you decided to create a development board yourself and are now wondering how best to do it. First you need to choose a base. As a rule, for this they take a small piece of plywood, plastic or laminated chipboard. A regular board will be too heavy, and a non-laminated board may bring a bunch of splinters to your son or daughter instead of being useful. Small planks, the same plywood or pieces of laminate are used as additional inserts. Sometimes, for a busy board, thick corrugated cardboard is used as a basis. It will be convenient if you decide to introduce your child to the world of fabrics and sewing accessories.

The next step will be to sort out your mezzanines and old drawers for spare parts for furniture and other small things that you once felt a pity to throw away. If you are a stickler for cleanliness and you can’t find such parts in your home, you can always buy them at a hardware or hardware store. Moreover, you still have to go there to get screws for fastening.

After you have brought to light all the future fragments of the development board, try to arrange them and decorate the board. Often, to emulate entrance doors, small plates on small hinges are placed on the board, which the child can lock himself with various types of latches and locks. Behind such a unique door you can place a niche. Then the child will be able to arrange secret places there, hiding his favorite baby doll or donated candy. It doesn’t matter if something doesn’t fit on the first version of your business board - in the future you can always supplement the board with these copies if something goes wrong there.

And finally, the last stage is to securely fasten all the fragments with self-tapping screws or nails. Carefully inspect the opposite side of the board. The protruding sharp ends of the screws can injure the child, so they will need to be treated with sandpaper or a file.

Material to use

It is best if elements from various materials are attached to the board - fabric, metal, plastic, rubber. This will diversify the range of sensations and the baby will not have time to get bored. The most commonly used parts are:

• Door latches, locks, latches, latches, hinges, handles, borders and everything that is called door hardware. Something can simply serve as a frame for a busy board.
• Furniture wheels.
• Construction and massage rollers. Even a thick toilet paper roll will do.
• Lacing. An image of shoes is usually drawn on the base, rivets are attached to it and the laces are tucked in according to all the rules. It is better if you choose bright colors for this element.
• Fasteners, zippers, Velcro, buttons, hooks and loops. All this can be found in a sewing store and sewn onto durable scraps of fabric, which are then secured to the base.
• Bells or similar parts that produce sound. An old doorbell or parts from a xylophone will do.
• Abacus, large rings on a piece of old cornice, or just beads strung on a thread. By moving them in different directions, the baby will be able to learn counting.
• An old telephone dial or keypad from a mobile device.
• Lightning. For simplicity, they usually use “tractor” type zippers; they can be attached using good glue or a stapler, and decorated again using a design: for example, it could be a jacket or a crocodile that has a zipper instead of teeth!
• Toggle switches, switches, bell button or other similar elements.
• Mirrors with protective edge.
• Pieces of various fabrics.
• Flashlights and lighting. Naturally, the simplest and most understandable to a child.
• Postal locks with keys.
• Buttons, animal eyes and other sewing accessories.
• A panel with buttons for unnecessary electrical appliances and much more...

This list is just a rough guide of what you can use. If you find something else at home that will be useful for the development of your child, add this element to your development board. The main thing is that the new fragment is safe and cannot injure the child in your absence.

Photo gallery of busy boards

Video instructions: how to make a board with your own hands

Every parent has noticed that a recently purchased toy no longer arouses any interest in the baby. The child plays equally with a switch and standard pots, locks and keys. It’s no surprise that kids aged nine and over are so curious that they always reach out to electrical sockets and dangerous devices in their everyday life. There is a need to simply come to an agreement with the violator, but it doesn’t always work out. Children constantly become mischievous. Children allowed do it yourself very exciting and development board with locks.

The child plays equally with the switch, and standard pots, locks and keys

Main characteristics of development boards

Typically, such boards are used to calm the child and keep him safe. Developmental boards help develop the baby's fingers, fine motor skills, and logical thinking. First, it will allow you to awaken, develop sensations, and the process of consistent thought.

Fact. An educational board with locks was invented by Maria Montessori - “this is not only an option to distract a child, but also the development of important skills in everyday life. Intelligence and imagination develop.” Maria Montessori was convinced that a child's development is better during games, which is still in demand today.

Educational boards are also sold, there is a plus that it is possible to additionally add some of your own details, color them with drawings and photographs. There are functions to replace the factory model with another part so that the playful child does not get bored.

They say that such an educational toy is suitable for playing with a child from 9, 10 months and up to two years, and not intricate devices are suitable for use up to five years, in relation to the parts on the board.

Educational boards are also sold, there is a plus that it is possible to additionally add some of your own details, color them with drawings and photographs

What does a board with locks mean?

This educational toy is called differently, the principle remains the same, on a board or plywood, many locks, switches, beautiful buttons, an old telephone on a wire are attached. It’s also incredibly practical that you can color it however you want with anything, lots of pictures, numbers, fruits, just cutouts from a magazine. Children like this type of board so much that they forget about sockets. Moreover, if you make such a board yourself, it will not hit your wallet.

A variety of development boards

Not a hard development board. If you really like this idea, but you are afraid for the child, no matter what he gets scratched or gets his finger pinched. It is advisable to build a board from fabric; it looks more like a rug than a board. If your child likes to grab and pull everything, all sorts of interesting and colorful objects. Then a board made of fabric will allow the baby to play with no one, without disturbing him, and to master fine motor skills. To make such a soft board, you will need a large fabric, very dense, similar to drape and felt, and use old things. Whatever the fabric rolls, we will need to use a sofa or large pillow.

Prepare a thick thread and a large needle, also prepare various parts that will be on the board, this can:

• Different sizes and colors of buttons, and different shapes;
• all sorts of emblems, patterns, flowers can be cut out from old things;
• different Velcro, it is also possible to cut out felt and sew on the sticky part;
• loops, knots, hooks;
• various figures, from old things, wood, sun;
• small soft toys, animals and vegetables, and you get a whole fairy tale:
• lacing, ribbons, ropes;
• You can use various sewing sets.

It is advisable to build a board from fabric; it looks more like a rug than a board

Now we put together all the elements of the soft board, sew and attach. In order to create a fairy tale on fabric, it is good to sew on different houses, cars, trees, flowers, clouds. And soft toys of animals, fruits and vegetables, if possible, can be made with Velcro so that the child can play. There are also various pockets in which all sorts of items will be stored; children like to take things out and put them in. Attach various beads, from different rings and thick thread, and any other toy parts you want.

Regular hard board. In this case, a board or piece of plywood is used. It is possible to use other hard surfaces; cardboard will also work. You decide on the size, it depends on what will be on this canvas, but at the same time think about where this installation will be located and folded.

How to build such a creative board

Advice. Before making a board for a child, you can use whatever you want and think is necessary that rotates, moves and shines. Absolutely everything that interests the child can be placed on the top of the work surface, thus you will protect the child from his own adventures.

The process of preparing this board itself is a very interesting and exciting activity for all family members. Mom will take on the design and decoration of the development board. Dad will take on the job of screwing the parts, it is necessary to process the board so that the child does not get splinters. For this fun activity, you can invite relatives and friends with children, everyone will have fun.

It is possible to use other hard surfaces; cardboard will also work.

What can be used on a creative board:

You can hide behind windows or doors beautiful drawings with a different set of animals, a rainbow of colors, and numbers, and the child will look for where he is hiding and hiding. If the child loses interest in the structure, you can add something or design a new board.

If you don't have unnecessary items or old parts that you threw away a long time ago, perhaps ask grandparents and friends for parts.

In what order do you decide how you or your child like it best and to what extent your imagination will play out. Decorate with colored cardboard, paint with felt-tip pens, paints, make various applications. Make windows from plywood boards or cardboard that open and close with locks and latches. In this window there can be a photograph, a picture, something that your child likes. With the help of such a board, the child will learn colors and their combinations, learn the names of animals, what sounds they make, and count numbers, animals, flowers, clouds, trees.

With the help of the board, you will interest and distract your child for a long time; he will happily play every new day with new adventures and development of hand motor skills, and recognition of the detailed world.

At the same time, you can join the game with your child, or leave him alone with the board so that he can study it on his own.

We create a board with our own hands

Before you begin, you may need to go to a hardware store to pick up any missing parts. For the base, it is better to choose a board that does not require additional processing, such as furniture veneer. As an option, make a three-dimensional stand for various shelves, locks, and so on. You can use old laminate or thick cardboard as doors.

Advice. If you still decide to make doors, then attach them to two hinges, otherwise it will dangle. And it is advisable to choose door handles with an iron base; simple plastic ones can break off or be torn out of the panel.

Shield Tools

• jigsaw, or Electra file;
• drill;
• battery-powered or mains-powered screwdriver;
• pliers, for cutting nails, if the nails are large.

When using a bell, so that it does not disturb or irritate you, you can wrap foam rubber around the speaker.

Creation steps

Forging such a fluttering shield may not take much time, about two days after work.

In a short amount of time, you will create with your own hands a toy for a child that is not just colorful, but fashionable. But also teaching numbers, coloring, and other educational games. At the same time, the child develops his physical abilities, motor skills, and working with small objects with which the child learns patience. And with the help of a shield, the child will always be at work, and will not go into dangerous places that could harm the little traveler.

DIY educational board for a child

Board for children with DIY locks 38 photo ideas:

Once children become more active and begin to explore the world around them, their curiosity knows no bounds. Often, such a desire to explore space gives parents gray hair when the child reaches for sockets in the apartment, switches, scissors, knives and other dangerous objects. To satisfy children's curiosity and keep your child busy with something useful, you can make a busy board with your own hands, also known as a development board. Such a bright and interesting toy will captivate the baby for a long time, it is completely safe and allows you to develop hand motor skills.

Children's educational board with a clock - owl

What is a busy board

This is an educational toy, which is a small wooden, plywood or cardboard base with many small objects. For the game, locks, doors, latches, lacing, various buttons, sockets, small puzzles, abacus, switches, buttons with fabric loops, etc. are used. The more objects that are varied in color and purpose, the more fun it is for the child to study them. Fiddling with small parts is not only a fascinating process for children, active work with fingers develops fine motor skills of the hands, in addition, such entertainment is useful for general development.

Children's educational board with various objects

A development board, purchased in a store or made independently, may differ in material, size, number of parts and color design. To make this educational item, it is recommended to use materials of different textures. Each of the elements presented on the board will give the child new ideas about the world around him.

Children's educational board with drawing board

At what age can you play with a touch board?

The developmental board begins to interest the baby from about 8 months. By this time, the child already knows how to sit and focus on the process. However, until the age of one, it is not recommended to use hard boards; at first it is worth playing with soft parts made of fabric and thick felt (when buying felt sheets, you should pay attention to their thickness, it is better to take at least 1.5 or 2 mm). All items are attached to the base using a system of Velcro and buttons.

Children's educational board with switches and light bulbs

The types of parts differ depending on the age of the child. So, a one-year-old baby is more interested in pulling handles, opening windows and doors with locks with pictures of animals behind them, pressing buttons, etc. But older children (3-4 years old) will be more interested in looking for numbers and letters, opening locks and solving simple puzzles .

Children's educational board with phones

What subjects to choose

A number of companies involved in the production of educational boards accept orders for the production of such toys according to individual standards. However, the development board is simple enough that you can make it yourself.

and a drawing board
Children's educational board with houses

The main thing is to decide in advance what needs to be placed on it:

• buttons with loops;
• hooks for clothes;
• doors with locks;
• small light bulbs;
• switches;
• sockets;
• abacus;
• toggle switches;
• buttons or telephone dial;
• remote controller;
• eyelets with laces to help you learn to tie shoes;
• coils, etc.

The choice and quantity depends on the age of the child. The older it is, the more complex in design the parts may be present on the gaming panel.

Children's educational board with telephone
Children's educational board with various interesting objects

How to make a busy board safe

Even if you keep an eye on your child during games, the development board itself (its elements and materials) must be safe.

1. The finished board must be well secured so that it does not accidentally fall on the baby’s head during particularly intense play.
2. When choosing a base for the game panel, make sure that it is smooth and free of nicks. Corners and sharp protrusions must be rounded yourself or covered with special plugs or soft material.
3. Each removable part must be tied to the panel with a strong cord so that the baby does not accidentally drag it into his mouth and swallow it.
4. Once you attach all the components to the board, be sure to check that they are securely fixed. A small child should not tear them off, even if he makes every effort.
5. If the toy has luminous parts, they must be powered only by batteries.
6. A development board, purchased or home-made, can be safe. But the number of elements depends only on the age of the children playing and their personal inclinations.

Children's educational board with compass

What is needed for a bodyboard

To make a simple model you will need:

• small door hinges (4 pcs.);
• compact size door handles (4 pcs.);
• latches (2 pcs.);
• lock with hook;
• constipation with chain;
• small colored lock with eyes (4 pcs.) and keys;
• chain (1 m);
• rotating door handle;
• magnets for doors and windows;
• switches;
• socket;
• small lamp powered by batteries;
• bell with batteries;
• telephone circle;
• self-tapping screws;
• metal corners for the frame;
• sheet of plywood of the required size;
• laminate remains;
• wooden boards.

Children's educational board with numbers

To make the development board last longer, choose metal door handles instead of wooden ones, and to ensure that doors with locks are even, each door needs to be secured with two hinges. To prevent the ringtone from being too loud, you can additionally wrap it in soft material - felt or foam rubber. For the safety of the child, the socket must be attached to the base without a plug, otherwise the baby will consider real sockets connected to the power supply as a toy.

Children's educational board with numbers and light bulbs

What tools will you need?

To make a children's business board, in addition to the base and many educational elements, you will need:

• jigsaw;
• drill;
• wire cutters;
• screwdriver

For the base, it is better to take durable plywood or wooden boards, from which you can construct a shallow box.

Children's educational board with numbers

Step by step instructions

Making a busy board can take from one to two days, depending on the complexity of the work. We suggest using the instructions for assembling a relatively simple model in the form of a box with doors.

1. Cut boards for side parts and shelves that will be attached to the inside of the product. Sand all parts, including a sheet of plywood of the required size.
2. Use a pencil to make marks on a sheet of plywood and indicate the location of the parts. Carefully draw the places where the largest ones will be located - doors, telephone dial, switches.
3. Drill holes for the hinges.
4. Using a jigsaw, cut holes for opening elements (doors and windows), a telephone circle, a socket and a bell. The edges should be carefully processed so that they become perfectly smooth.
5. Attach the boards to the plywood sheet using screws and metal angles.
6. To ensure that the hinges are flush with the doors, small laminate strips can be placed under them.
7. Attach magnets to one side of the door openings. The doors should have metal plates in the same place to keep them closed.
8. Attach the remaining fittings (latches, latches, etc.) using self-tapping screws. If they are too long, shorten them with wire cutters.
9. Hide all electrical elements of the door lock inside a wooden box; there should only be a button on the game panel.
10. Glue the lamp onto the base.
11. The back side of the box needs to be closed; to do this, attach the laminate panels to it with self-tapping screws.
12. You can make a handle at the top of the box for easy carrying of the toy. If the development board is to hang on the wall, you should take care of fastening elements, for example, eyes.

Children's educational board with sockets
Children's educational board with the child's name

Features of a busy board for boys

Of course, the list of parts may be exactly the same and not depend on the gender of the baby. However, most often boys and girls have different interests, so the development board should correspond to them. Boys will be more interested in various technical details - buttons, locks, various mechanisms, etc. The shape of the board can be made in the form of a pirate ship, a space station or a car. A boy's bodyboard is often finished in more saturated colors; you can use shades of blue and cyan, red, white, gray, green tones, etc.

Children's educational board with latches
Children's educational board with clock and calculator

Educational board for girls

The set of elements on a busy board is almost indistinguishable from a “boy’s” one, however, you can pay more attention to various dials, telephone buttons, details with lacing, soft elements, pieces of fabric with buttons, etc. Images of castles, unicorns, fairies, flowers can be used as decor , princesses, etc. The main palette is most often “soft” - pink, lilac, turquoise, light green. However, if a girl is more interested in superheroes and loves other colors, you should not force princess games on her; take into account the child’s wishes.

Children's educational board with big car

Toy for little ones

A learning panel for babies under 1 year of age should be made of soft elements. In fact, it is somewhat reminiscent of a developmental mat, but more voluminous. You can use a soft pillow as a basis or simply cover a wooden frame with soft fabric. For greater softness, you can additionally use padding polyester or foam rubber.

Children's educational board with a bell

All elements are sewn from fabric or cut out from felt. These can be images of animals, leaves of different tree species, fruits, vegetables, geometric shapes, lace rings, ribbons, buttons with loops, etc. Doors and windows with locks are also made of natural fabric or hard felt. The most interesting things can be hidden behind doors that must first be opened.

Children's educational board with switches
Children's educational board with clock and latches

The educational board is a useful toy for children of both sexes aged 8 months and older. up to 3-4 years. It allows you to develop attention, hand motor skills and promotes the harmonious development of the child. Regardless of whether you purchased it in a store or made it yourself, the toy must meet quality and safety standards.

Video: Interesting educational children's board with your own hands (busy board)

50 photo ideas for creating a developmental board for a child (busy board):

When a baby grows up, he becomes increasingly interested in the adult world - he is interested in switches and sockets, all kinds of buttons and telephones, latches and locks. However, within the confines of an apartment, all these things often pose a danger - it turns out that over and over again we will prohibit the baby from learning about the world, limiting his space to the territory of the playpen.

But the child’s thirst for knowledge is so great that he will try again and again to violate your prohibitions. And it is useless to fight this - it is better to legalize what cannot be prohibited.

What are the features of development boards

It is precisely in order to “legitimize” that development boards, busy boards, are created. They help develop fine motor skills, logic, and will stimulate the development of new tactile sensations and the thought process.

Interesting. A development board with locks was first proposed Maria Montessori- not only as a way to keep your baby occupied, but also as a tool for developing important everyday skills, imagination and intelligence. The Montessori method, which states that a child develops best during play, is still popular today.

Store-bought educational board for children.
At the end of the article, see where you can order similar toys

You can add latches and keys, locks and latches, pictures and fabric to the board, decorate it with photographs and inscriptions, create “replacement sets” on one base so that your baby doesn’t get tired of the toy for a long time.

It is believed that a development board is optimal for activities with a child aged 10 months to two years, and the most complex designs can be used up to 5 years - it all depends on what will be on them.

The base is ordinary plywood

By the way, exercises with a development board are both finger exercises and the mental development of the baby. It usually includes:

• switches;
• locks with keys;
• latches and bolts;
• flashlights and handsets, disks;
• hooks;
• abacus;
• door chains;
• beads;
• fabric scraps;
• pictures with numbers or animals.

Advice. To create a development board, you can use anything - something that will rotate, click, move and glow. You will bring everything that is of interest in the apartment onto one compact surface, and this will both interest you and protect your baby from the unpleasant consequences of “free exploration.”

How to make a traditional rigid structure

For a development board you will need a piece of plywood or wood, but plastic, hardboard, or cardboard will also work. As for the dimensions, they are chosen depending on the availability of free space.

You can make a busy board yourself

Information. The most compact development boards are small modules of 50x50 cm format, and for grandiose plans you can use a base up to 1.7 meters wide.

You can involve the whole family in creating a development board for your baby - dad will think of safe and practical fastenings, mom will do the design, older children can offer “filling”. By the way, to create a development board you don’t even have to go to the store - you’ll probably find all the necessary elements in closets and mezzanines.

If you don’t have suitable “treasures” at home, then you can turn to your grandparents, because they usually save old things that can be put to good use.

Attached to a homemade development board:

• bolts, latches, latches, latches, hooks and padlocks (by the way, mailbox locks are the easiest to open with children's fingers);
• switches and buttons - they can just click, or they can turn on something - for example, small light bulbs from an old flashlight;
• door chains, loops, hooks;
• all kinds of toggle switches;
• socket and plug (not connected to electricity, of course);
• a battery-powered doorbell (choose a signal that suits you, because you will have to listen to it very often);
• panels with buttons - for example, from an old remote control;
• reels and laces - with their help you can create interesting lacing;
• zippers and buttons;
• watch dials;
• rotary toggle switches.

Before you make a development board, you need to find a suitable base - the more different elements there are on the board, the more interesting the toy will be for the baby.

However, do not forget to take into account the availability of free space, because the toy will need to be attached somewhere, and doing this with a bulky structure may be inconvenient.

Think about the arrangement of the elements, make pockets and doors, and then move on to the design stage. To decorate the development board, multi-colored fabrics that feel different to the touch, as well as colored cardboard, are suitable. You can use pictures with animals, numbers and letters.

You can hide cute pictures with cute animals, flowers, numbers behind the Velcro windows - and not only open/close, search and twist, but also learn the counting, names of animals, their habitats, primary colors and so on along the way.

It is important that the child will not lose interest in a well-thought-out development board for a very long time, and even if this happens, you can always come up with a different design.

Using a development board will help you keep your baby occupied for a long time - he will play with pleasure, each time doing the necessary exercises for his fingers, and explore the objective world.

And parents will be able to take part in the game or leave the baby alone with their new “field of activity.”

Making a development board yourself

I will describe my experience of creating a development board. After looking at photos of board layout options on the Internet, I went to a construction hypermarket to select and purchase elements. I didn’t have a plan - which elements I would attach.

As a base, I chose a wooden furniture panel measuring 80 by 60 cm. It is easier to process than plywood. And a small board 6.5 cm wide. Because I wanted to make not just a “flat board”, but a three-dimensional one, so that something could be folded inside the opening niches. Remains of laminate worked perfectly as doors and back panels.

I bought the following at the store:

• Small loops (4 cm) - 4 pcs.
• Different handles for doors - 4 pcs.
• Standard and small latches - only 2 pcs.
• Hook shaped lock.
• Constipation in the form of a chain.
• A small bright lock with keys.
• Corner eyes for a lock and for attaching the entire structure to something - 4 pcs.
• Chain for attaching keys to the board - 1 m.
• Overlay for the keyhole (I had the key from the old door).
• Locking pin for interior doors.
• Small magnets for fixing doors - 4 pcs.
• Switch block with socket.
• A small lamp with a diameter of about 6 cm. Powered by batteries (price 100 rubles).
• Doorbell with battery-powered button (price 100 rub.)
• Steel corners for attaching the frame
• Self-tapping screws.

I asked my friends for an old phone number. I decided not to use the handset, just the dial for dialing.

From the tools:

• electric jigsaw;
• drill;
• cordless screwdriver;
• wire cutters to shorten screws.

Stages of work:

1. I cut the board for the sides and for the “shelves” inside. I also treated them with sandpaper on the furniture board.
2. I outlined the placement of the elements. I drew where the doors and openings for the telephone dial, switches, and key would be.
3. Drilled holes with a drill. For doors, two diagonally are enough.
4. Using a jigsaw, I cut out “windows for the doors” and holes for inserting a telephone dial and switches. Sanded the edges
5. I attached the boards to the shield with self-tapping screws at the corners.
6. The hinges had to be attached to laminate strips so that they were in the same plane as the doors.
7. I screwed magnets to the sides of the “windows”, and metal plates to the doors to fix them in the closed state.
8. We fasten the latches and latches with self-tapping screws.
9. The bell elements can be hidden inside the box, and only the button can be displayed on the front panel.
10. I glued the lamp.
11. The back side was covered with laminate panels and secured with self-tapping screws.
12. I made a carrying handle on top and corners with eyelets on the sides for attaching the entire structure to the handles of the chest of drawers.

It took 2 days to create such a toy (Saturday and Sunday). The baby is 1.5 years old - he is very happy. He likes to put different things in there and then take them out 😉

I also want to paste various bright pictures with cars, animals, etc.

Soft fabric options

If you are creating a gaming panel for a very small child, then it is better to make it soft. It will be similar to a developmental mat, only in a slightly different format.

Use an old pillow or thick fabric stretched over a frame as a base.

In this case, the game elements include: ribbons, buttons - a variety of shapes, colors and methods of fixation, loops and hooks, Velcro, pockets, appliqués and patterns, curtain rings and laces, small toys, rattles.

Everything you consider necessary should be securely sewn to the base. The brightest elements can be hidden behind fabric doors, and toys tied with braid can be placed in pockets. You can make lacing, abacus from rings - everything is limited solely by your imagination.

Safety rules when using the toy

Even if the baby always plays under supervision, the toy must be completely safe. To do this you need to follow the following rules:

1. The board must be firmly fixed - to the wall, to the floor, to furniture, to something that the child cannot move or drop. Follow this rule - and you will have a little time for yourself while your baby plays enthusiastically.
2. You can use any material as a base - from plywood to an old cabinet door, but do not forget to check that there are no splinters around the perimeter and on the front.
3. If there are sharp corners or “problem” or traumatic areas on the surface, it is better to cover them with something soft to prevent impacts.
4. Don't forget that small fingers are very tenacious, and they can easily unscrew some small part and put it in your mouth. Check the reliability of the fastenings carefully and several times.
5. It is better to secure all removable elements - keys, locks - with laces or chains.
6. If your development board will include luminous or other electrical elements, then power them from batteries, not from the mains.

Where to buy a development board

• Online studio of unique things “Brendaria” - prices from 1000 rubles. for a mini business board up to 10,000 for huge boards with many elements.
• Online store "Razvivayka" - prices from 1000 rubles. for a rag game with “Dress Up” fasteners up to 3,000 rubles. for a dollhouse for children over 2 years old.
• “We make to order” boards according to Maria Montessori’s method - prices from 2900 for a board measuring 50x60 cm and a developmental board “Dress Up” for 3500 rubles.
• “Tales of the Forest” - price for the game-tablet LOCKS 42x30 cm. 2000 rub. Watch a video review of this board below.

According to the famous Italian teacher Maria Montessori, children should learn through the essence of things. To do this, it is not necessary to expose your child to danger; you can transfer familiar household appliances to a special stand, where the child can study their functionality. Moreover, a busy board development board can easily be made with your own hands.

What is a busy board

Business boards are a stand on which various buttons, latches, zippers, laces, various things, abacus, switches and other items are placed. The educational board is complemented by toys and parts that differ in shape, color and texture. All elements are securely fastened so that the baby is safe while playing.

Busy boards are also called Montessori boards, because its method of developing children is aimed at the fact that the best teacher for a child is himself. The best objects for understanding the world around us are household and everyday items.

Busy boards can be purchased in a store, ordered from those who make them, or made with your own hands. This type of stand is very popular, and there are many reasons for this.

What are the benefits of a development board for children?

The business board allows you to implement several functions at once:

1. develops;
2. teaches;
3. educates.

A homemade board helps develop children's intelligence, imagination and fine motor skills.

For preschool children, activities related to the development of fine motor skills play an important role. Nerve endings located on the fingertips transmit the sensations received to the baby’s brain. A child with developed fine motor skills is ahead of his peers in speech and intelligence.

Correctly made educational boards for children with your own hands, which are thought out to the smallest detail even during their creation, are equipped with many small elements that you can not only touch, but also do certain manipulations with:

• press the switch button;
• insert the plug into the socket;
• press buttons;
• open and close the latch;
• tie shoelaces;
• fasten zippers and much more.

Such actions not only train fine motor skills, but also teach the child how to properly handle analog things in everyday life.

At what age can a child start playing with a busy board?

The educational board is suitable for use by children from up to . You can make a busy board with your own hands for an older child, but its design and the set of elements on the stand should be more complicated.

For a child under one year old, it is best to use non-traumatic elements when making a development board: lacing, Velcro, fabric windows and tapes.

The younger the child, the more beneficial it is for him to start playing with something that parents do not even allow him to touch in everyday life. The child will quickly understand the principle of operation of such objects with minimal risk than when playing with real things. In addition to safety for the baby, a busy board helps protect parental nerves from constant prohibitions.

How to make a busy board for a child with your own hands

A DIY business board will help you not only save money on buying a stand, but also remove many unnecessary things from storage areas. Making a toy will take very little time, but will bring great joy to the child.

When making a business board with your own hands, first of all, its size is calculated. It depends on the amount of free space in the room where the development board will be located. The size of the toy is also affected by the age of the child. So, for a baby who can only crawl, a small board with several elements attached to it will be enough. For an older child, a larger stand is needed, which can not only be secured, but also made so that the child can move it.

For a child from 6 to 12 months, the optimal size of a development board is from 30x30 to 50x70 cm. For a baby over a year old, a larger size board is made, but it is taken into account that he will be able to reach the necessary thing while being in one place. The optimal size of the stand for this age is up to 1 m2.

Busy boards are best made from boards or thick plywood. The thickness of the board should be at least 1 cm. The blank for the future toy does not need to be painted; just go over it with sandpaper so that the baby cannot get a splinter into himself. Self-tapping screws and glue are suitable as fastening elements.

You can choose the following items to attach to the bodyboard:

1. switch;
2. abacus;
3. small keyboard for computer;
4. calculator;
5. watch;
6. small castle;
7. small doors on awnings, made by yourself;
8. door chain;
9. rotary toggle switch;
10. mirror made of plastic;
11. compass;
12. latch;
13. battery operated doorbell;
14. bell;
15. pieces of fabric, foil or oilcloth;
16. old children's shoes with laces;
17. socket with plug;
18. furniture wheel;
19. numbers for the door;
20. large suckers;
21. lightning;
22. Velcro;
23. circle from a rotary telephone;
24. door handles;
25. faucet equipped with a valve.

The busy board, a photo of which will also help you choose a suitable idea, should interest the child as much as possible. To do this, there should be as many items on the stand as possible, with each of them performing some function. Details cut from felt will help complete the composition: numbers, figures of cartoon characters, letters. When choosing what to attach to the development board, it is worth considering whether it is made for a boy or a girl.

It is important to exclude items that could injure the baby, those made from toxic materials, too small and not securely fastened as filling for the bodyboard.

After preparing the board for the future stand, you need to lay out all the selected elements on it. Lighter things are fixed to the board with glue, the rest are screwed with self-tapping screws.

What is better to choose when making a bodyboard for a boy?

If you are making a busy board for a boy with your own hands, then you should take into account that there should be as many elements as possible that can be screwed, unscrewed, assembled or disassembled. Large bolts with nuts, latches, sockets, chains, and springs are suitable for this.

Boys' educational boards will be more original with a fixed children's steering wheel, a watch dial, a water tap, a compass, and a telephone dial. If possible, you can add working light bulbs, the operation of which depends on batteries.

If doors are made on sheds, then each of them should be equipped with a small padlock with a key that will lock it. You can also choose a single boyish theme for the bodyboard, for example, automobile or marine.

Busy board ideas for boys

What is better to choose when making a bodyboard for a girl?

First of all, a do-it-yourself busy board for a girl will differ in the chosen shades. Pink, light green, light purple or gold are suitable as primary colors. The base of the stand or most of the elements are painted in the chosen color. Stickers or drawings with princesses, fairies and dolls are also suitable for decoration.

A small mirror, a calculator, an abacus, various buttons, buttons, a watch dial, and lacing would ideally fit as a filler for a girl's development board. At the same time, you can add details that are interesting to all children without exception: socket, switch, latch, bell. An unusual idea is a clothesline on which clothespins will hang.

Busy board ideas for girls

Decorating a busy board

To make your toy unique and as entertaining as possible, use a few ideas:

1. Make a business board with your own hands in an unusual shape, for example, round, in the shape of a house, car or tree. More interesting are those stands that have a lot of different doors and windows.
2. If you have the ability to draw, you can easily turn a blank for a stand into a real masterpiece, for example, a forest or a pond filled with inhabitants.
3. The uniform theme of the development board will make it special, for example, in a retro style.

Each parent can add whatever they want to their business board.

Safety rules

In order for a homemade board to bring only joy to your child, you need to consider the following points:

1. The board must be secured in such a way that the child cannot drop it on himself.
2. When using any base for a stand, it must first be treated well.
3. The corners of the development board and those places where the baby can get hurt should be covered with any soft material.
4. Before each game, the reliability of fastening of all elements of the bodyboard is checked.
5. Removable parts are secured to the board with laces or chains.
6. If there are luminous elements, then they should only be powered by batteries, and not by electric current. The batteries must be well hidden so that the baby cannot get them.

A busy board is a toy that a child really needs, since with its help the baby will not only occupy himself for a while, but will also increase the level of his knowledge, and also develop logic and motor skills.

Do-it-yourself educational board - Video:

Part 1

part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Educational board Busyboard

Exercise machine for developing hand motor skills

Work by Elena Churkina

As kids grow up, their curiosity extends to absolutely everything. They are interested in video equipment buttons, door handles, hooks, drawers, cabinet doors, locks, switches… sockets…. Everything would be fine if it really weren’t so dangerous. But we need to acquire skills, and the sooner a child learns to navigate the house correctly and safely, the calmer our souls will be. A kind of exercise machine with all sorts of household items will help you acquire such skills and relieve the “itch in your hands.” The idea of ​​Elena Churkina’s remote control, found on the Internet, is not new, but it is very useful in early childhood, and will be especially useful for children with poor health.

The plate is three-layer, very light (plastic + foam material inside), size 80x80 cm. It is attached with three fasteners to a sideboard with glass doors (at the same time protecting it).

Well, now in detail how I did it...

As I already said, the size was dictated by the sideboard, so the board was made to size and the edges on it were made right away. Then there was a month of selecting various components:

It took the longest to figure out how to attach the many toggle switches. As a result, I secured them all with liquid nails on one strip:

I printed all the necessary plot pictures on a color printer.

Then I marked with a pencil all the necessary holes, drilled them and began to slowly attach the elements to the remote control:

Knowing the remarkable strength of children's hands, I fastened everything tightly: through and through, with screws and nuts. The back side of the shield looks like this:

On the back of the remote control I glued 6 rubber bands made of natural rubber so as not to damage the sideboard with protruding screws:

The result was a remote control, but without pictures yet:

Well, now let’s take a closer look at what’s here...

Doors. All doors are on hinges and with different latches, latches, and hooks:

In addition to the locks, there are also children-animals on the doors. Moreover, we have collected those whose names usually cause difficulty for children (chicken, foal, calf, lamb, piglet). When you open the doors, you see the parents of these children (and my grandson will also see his parents behind the very first and simple door!)

Numbers. The numbers from 1 to 10 are attached below (apartment numbers from the hardware store). The corresponding number of berries and fruits is glued above the numbers. This will help the child match the icon and the quantity:

Locks. There are 4 padlocks and a door chain. The keys to all the locks are collected on multi-colored nipple chains on figured rings. For now, all the keys along with the chains are hidden in a box. Then the child can put surprises or hide secrets in the same box.

Toggle switches. 6 toggle switches are mounted on a single bar, with a button at the bottom

Turn signals. Rotating buttons with a direction indicator. I made four of them. The first one - a screw from office furniture - allows you to choose emotions (so what, let him get used to emoticons!) And we can turn the arrow to anger, for example, or tears if we are offended. Or the child himself can show us his mood.

The third is the colors of the rainbow and, most importantly, they flow into each other in a circle:

Video. board for children with DIY locks

Probably all parents have noticed that ordinary household objects captivate the baby much more than the most beautiful and expensive purchased toys. This is especially true for the smallest toddlers from 9-10 months to about one and a half years - understanding is still not enough, but tiny fingers are still reaching for switches, buttons, sockets. What should adults do? Not every child’s wish should be satisfied, but parents can compromise with their beloved baby and make a wonderful educational toy for him with their own hands - the so-called “control panel”.

What is an educational board with locks or a “control panel” for children?

This toy is called differently: a board with locks (Montessori style), an educational panel, and a game “control panel”. The essence is the same - various locks, latches, switches, buttons and light bulbs are attached to a solid base. If desired, this board can be decorated to your liking using colored paper, stickers and even photographs. The main thing is that the child likes it. And children are usually completely delighted with such homemade “remotes”! Boards with locks are also sold in stores, but still, nothing can replace a toy made with love by the parents themselves.

Types of developmental “control panels”

1. Soft “control panel” . For the youngest children you can make a soft play panel. This is not exactly a “control panel”, but rather something between a developmental mat and a large toy. Kids really like to grab different objects, twirl buttons in their hands, and pull colorful ribbons. A soft “remote control” will allow the baby to combine pleasant things (play) with useful things (development of fine motor skills).

To create such a toy, you will need a base - an old sofa cushion or a large piece of dense fabric such as drape or felt. The advantage of the pillow is that it is wrinkle-resistant, and the fabric will have to be secured to something.

Prepare a thick needle, strong threads and game elements:

• multi-colored buttons - large and small, flat and stemmed, of various shapes;
• appliques for clothes or cut out pictures from unnecessary things;
• Velcro;
• hooks and eyes;
• fabric pockets (cut from old clothes along with the base fabric or sew them yourself;
• small toys;
• ribbons, ropes, ribbons, laces;
• curtain rings and everything else you think is necessary.

Now all this needs to be securely sewn to the base. To make it interesting for the child, for example, make fabric doors behind which bright pictures, buttons or small toys will be hidden. Doors can be closed with hooks or Velcro. Place toys on ribbons or strings in the sewn pockets - the baby will love to take them out from there. Make “scores” from curtain rings and lace and any other game elements that your own imagination tells you.

2. Traditional hard board with locks . Usually the “control panel” is just a board or a piece of plywood. But the base can be hardboard, a plastic board, or even thick cardboard. The size is at your discretion: if there is not enough space in the apartment, the “remote control” can be made quite compact, 50x50 cm. If you want to give your child a grandiose toy - please, some make a board with locks up to 1.5-1.7 m wide. What can be attached to the “control panel” and how to decorate it will be discussed below.

How to make your own educational board with locks for a child?

Creating such a “control panel” is an exciting activity for the whole family! Mom will be able to show creativity and design skills (besides, she is more knowledgeable about the baby’s preferences); Dad will take on the purchase of the necessary parts and “carpentry” work. It is quite possible that grandparents, uncles or aunts will get involved in creating the “remote control”. After all, some parts for the “remote” cannot be found in a regular store - for example, a rotating telephone dial or a panel from an old radio. But representatives of the older generation could easily have kept the rotary telephone.

So, what else can you attach to a homemade “control panel”:

• various latches, latches, bolts, latches;
• switches, buttons (it is better if they turn on something, for example, small light bulbs);
• hook and eye;
• door chain;
• toggle switches;
• battery-powered doorbell;
• postal locks with keys;
• plug with socket;
• panel with buttons for unnecessary electrical appliances and much more.

How to place all this on the “remote control”? Depends on your imagination. Some people simply screw the locks to the board and leave it that way. Others design a “control panel” using colored paper or film, stickers and pictures from magazines. You can make doors from cardboard or plywood that will be closed with latches, locks and latches. Behind the baby's doors, their own photographs and bright pictures can be waiting. With the help of an educational board with locks, you can teach your child colors, animal names, and basic counting.