Montessori Busy Boards
If you are a parent of an overly active toddler you know how difficult it is to keep them engaged in meaningful activities.
What if there was a way to enhance your child’s educational experience by incorporating toys? As unconventional as it may seem, Montessori Toys are a unique aspect of the Montessori Philosophy that facilitates holistic development.
Toddlers are active, energetic, and always in search of new or exciting experiences. According to Dr. Maria Montessori, the child has an Absorbent Mind and passes through phases of development called the Sensitive Periods.
Children are able to comprehend information much faster when provided with the opportunity to sense or feel appropriate stimuli.
The Montessori Method of education is a pedagogical tool that provides children with specifically designed Montessori Materials and Montessori Toys to facilitate holistic education.
Montessori Toys are a unique aspect of Montessori Education, that encourages children to indulge independent play by experimentation.
One such exciting, as well as engaging Montessori toy, is the Montessori Busy Board. Montessori Busy Boards help children indulge in auto-didactic education by stimulating their senses and proving new sensorial experiences.
If you are a parent who was to incorporate Montessori Busy Board into your child’s curriculum, it is a requisite to equip yourself with appropriate information.
Here is everything you should know about Montessori Busy Boards to effectively provide your child with a unique sensorial experience!
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What is Montessori Busy Boards Exactly?
Montessori Busy Boards are wooden boards that can be mounted on a wall to help stimulate all 5 senses of the child!
Synonymously known as Sensory Boards or Activity Boards, Busy Boards are interactive boards that fashion several moving or stationary components that excite the child’s senses.
Montessori Busy Boards can be associated with Montessori Toys that incorporate manipulatives that children are encouraged to explore, hold, touch, sense, as well as maneuver.
These Boards are a great opportunity for children to safely interact with daily objects that are mostly deemed forbidden.
What is the Purpose of Montessori Busy Boards?
Sensorial Training and Sensorial Curriculum are among the cornerstones of Montessori Philosophy.
With the help of Montessori Sensorial Materials, Montessori Sensorial Activities, and Montessori Toys sensorial development is facilitated in developing children.
One such Montessori Toy is the Montessori Busy Board or Montessori Sensory Board which caters to the child’s sensorial requirements.
The chief purpose of the Montessori Busy Board is to develop their fine motor abilities, enhance their imagination and creativity, and promote sensory development.
What are the Benefits of Montessori Busy Boards?
Montessori Busy Boards are a fun and exciting Montessori Toy that enhances the child’s imaginative play experiences.
This innovative and engaging Montessori Toy efficiently allows your child to enhance their cognitive, interictal, physical, motor, and sensorial abilities.
Here is a list of benefits your child will enjoy upon incorporating the Montessori Busy Board in your child’s playroom:
1. Development of Fine Motor skills:
Fine Motor skills are the ability to perform movements that utilize the smaller muscles.
These skills are integral for tasks like writing, grasping, gripping, or holding a pencil.
Montessori Busy Boards incorporate several manipulative components that the child is encouraged to interact with as well as maneuver.
Montessori busy Boards promote children to grapes, grip, hold, or manipulate the compartments, which in turn enhances their fine motor abilities.
2. Enhances Memory:
Montessori Busy Boards are a great way of enhancing your child’s muscle memory and developing problem-solving skills.
By performing fine motor activities and maneuvering moving components, children are able to develop simplified pathways that contribute to their learning abilities as well as memory.
3. Sensorial Explosion:
Montessori Busy Boards incorporate components that have different textures, and varied dimensions, as well as produce different sounds to help stimulate the child’s senses.
Every time your child interacts with the Montessori Busy Board they are able to develop an understanding of various senses and build a vocabulary of different sensations they may be experiencing.
This also helps the child efficiently categorize and distinguish between different sensorial stimuli.
4. Helps Calm your child:
Montessori Busy Boards are innovative toys that encourage children to perform activities with prolonged concentration and focus.
If you have a tiny toddler who is always anxious or frustrated, this fun Montessori Toy can be a solution to all your problems.
Montessori Busy Boards keep your child engaged as well as entertained for hours on end by providing the appropriate amount of sensorial stimuli.
Types of Montessori Busy Boards
There are different types of Montessori Busy Boards that facilitate the stimulation of various senses and education of different aspects.
Different varieties of Montessori Busy Boards cater to the individual requirements of different planes of development.
Here is a list of Different types of Montessori Busy Boards you should know about:
1) Sensory Busy Boards: (1 to 3 years)
Sensory Busy Boards are activities that provide children with sensorial stimulation. This Busy Board is introduced to children when they are about 1 to 3 years of age.
The sensory Busy Board has several components that enhance the visual, tactile, and auditory senses in children.
Montessori Sensory Busy Boards often integrate components such as zippers, buttons, latches, knots, turning knobs, pulling knobs, or locks that enhance the child’s fine motor abilities.
2) Busy Cube Boards: (1 to 3 years)
Montessori Busy Cubes may be just what your active toddler needs! These Montessori Toys are wooden cubes that have several moving components for sensorial training.
This engaging toy allows children to interact with a three-dimensional surface and explore all four sides of the cube in deep focus.
Several Montessori Busy Cubes incorporate functioning doors that open and shut to enhance the child’s play experience.
3) Activity Boards: (6 months)
These activity boards can be either mounted on the wall or stood in front of the wall with the help of a base of legs.
Often manufactured from wood these are a portable, accessible, and child-friendly Montessori Busy Board variant for your infant.
These Montessori Activity Boards allow children to develop their fine motor skills as well as allow them to indulge in imaginative play.
4) Peg Boards: (18 months)
Montessori Peg Boards unlike common Montessori Busy Boards incorporate just a wooden board with pegs. These boards are available in various shapes ranging from square, and rectangle to oval and circular.
Children are encouraged to place different colored rubber based in order to create new and exciting geometric shapes.
What is the ideal age for Montessori Busy Boards?
Montessori Busy Boards are fun and interactive Montessori Toys that help children explore new possibilities through imaginative play.
While Montessori Busy Boards can be used by toddlers, these boards can be a great toy for children after the age of 6 months to help enhance their fine motor skills.
How to create your own Montessori Busy Board?
Montessori Busy Boards are a great way to introduce your child to the world of sensorial experiences and hands-on learning.
While there are a diverse variety of Montessori Busy Boards available in the market, it is always best to add a touch of personalization.
If you are a parent who doesn’t scare away from DIY projects, then this simple DIY Busy Board is meant for you!
While most Busy Boards are manufactured from wood, it is best to use Plywood due to its longevity, sustainability, as well as durability.
What can be attached to the Busy Board?
When it comes to the components of a DIY Busy Board the possibilities are endless! It is best to incorporate compliments of varied sizes, shapes, textures, and functions to enhance the child’s sensorial experience.
- Door Latches
- Zippers
- Shoelaces
- Bells
- Door Knobs
- Door Handles
- Wheels from chairs
- Simulating switches
- Bubble Wrap
- Feathers
- Textured fabrics
- Tissue paper
- Keys
- Locks
- Reflective Plastic to simulate Mirrors
- Chains
- Foam
- Carpet or Rugs
- Gears
Busy Boards can be created by using a plywood board and the household items mentioned above.
To add a personalized touch to your Montessori Busy Board you can add name tags, colored tape, colored paper, and other decorative materials.
You can arrange the decorative items in an organized color scheme to achieve an aesthetically appealing Montessori Busy Board.
Are Montessori Busy Boards worth it?
Montessori Busy Boards are wooden boards that can be mounted on a wall to help engage all the senses of the child and promote sensory development.
When provided with the right busy board, this versatile material can keep your child engaged and entertained for years.
For parents who are always on the move, there is a wide range of portable Montessori Busy Boards available in the market that will keep your child busy even when you are traveling.
Not only do these amazing Montessori Toys keep your children entertained and promote sensory development, but they also facilitate the development of fine motor skills as well as gross motor skills.
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