***Make sure you read the entire post! There’s a $1,000 giveaway at the bottom!***
I love posts like this!! My friend Haley told me recently that she has “busy boxes” for her four year old son Case to do while her younger daughter is napping each day. She asked me if I wanted pictures and I was like heck yeah!
Look at this awesomeness…
A box labeled for each day of the week filled with goodies for Case to do while his sister naps and Haley does a few things around the house. Love this! This is perfect for summer afternoon activities too if you no longer have nappers in your home but still need a little downtime.
Haley says each box has 2 books on CD inside (he has a little CD player in his room) plus they also have things like this too: puzzles, magnetic activities, Leap Frog workbooks, matching games, dominoes, coloring books with coloring pencils, and so on (many things she says she buys at the Dollar Store).
During their quiet rest time, little sister Kylynn goes down for a nap and Case is entertained with the contents of his busy box.
Such a great idea!!
This summer, I’m going to create these for my kids. We always need some quiet downtime but coming up with the ideas is the hardest part. Haley has made that simple!
Thank you Haley!
I just love this stuff! Let me know if you do something similar with your kiddos! Also let me know what you would put inside a busy box in your house. I need as many ideas as I can get!
Thanks Haley!!
On the foodie blog today…
…my Strawberry Lemon Bread. You should make this while your kids are being busy :).
And…in honor of Mother’s Day, I’m participating in this…
So fun, right?!?! All you need to do is enter the Rafflecopter below! Good luck!!
And here are the happy ladies hosting this giveaway…
@ShopKikiLaRue Kiki La’ Rue
@HouseofRose House Of Rose
@TheBusyBudgetingMama The Busy Budgeting Mama
@HappyMommyBox Happy Mommy Box
@TheShineProject The Shine Project
@MixandMatchMama Shull Family Blog
@InThisWonderfulLife In This Wonderful Life
@ValerieMcKeehan Lily and Val
@crystalfaye_ Shop Crystal Faye
@ChelseaOliviaXO Olive and Ivy
@HouseofRose House Of Rose
@TheBusyBudgetingMama The Busy Budgeting Mama
@HappyMommyBox Happy Mommy Box
@TheShineProject The Shine Project
@MixandMatchMama Shull Family Blog
@InThisWonderfulLife In This Wonderful Life
@ValerieMcKeehan Lily and Val
@crystalfaye_ Shop Crystal Faye
@ChelseaOliviaXO Olive and Ivy
Sheaffer {Pinterest Told Me To} says
Well, Haley is a flipping genius. GENIUS!
Blue-Eyed Bride says
This is fantastic! Fantastic!!! I am so making some of these for summer afternoons. even though Hayes is 3 and still naps I think I'll make some for him, too, because I know I need to be super intentional with him now. Fantastic idea!!!
Tara G. says
I used to do something similar during the time I homeschooled one and another needed to be occupied. I'd be happy to share some of the resources…they are in my school closet now and can't think of them off the top of my head, but could certainly email you links. mrsyellowhat@yahoo.com
Anonymous says
There are some GREAT ideas on this blog, The Intelligent Nest. Here is an article called Chaos Cupboards: A Parent's Secret to 5 minutes of Peace:
http://intelligentnest.com/2013/10/04/chaos-cupboards-a-parents-secret-to-5-minutes-of-peace/
Haley @ Cupcakes and Sunshine says
these are such a great idea!!
Rebecca@littledevilswithwings says
I would make these for the summer, only I would make them into "homework" boxes. I'd put in fun learning activities for them to do during the day. Wouldn't want them to forget everything they learned over summer break. 😛
Natalie says
My playgroup had a moms night in where we all made busy bags. Now I have 10 bags to use on days where my toddler refuses to nap, love it!
Anonymous says
Can you ask your friend Haley where she got that magnetic board with the fish on it?? Thanks!!
Janine
Anonymous says
Can you ask your friend Haley where she got that magnetic board with the fish on it?? Thanks!!
Janine
Christy says
I LOVE this idea! I am making some for sure. I have an idea for a blog post. 😀 Ideas of what to put in my 2 and 3 year old's lunch for mother's day out program. I always run out of ideas or find myself packing the same thing twice a week.
Anonymous says
My kids are in grade school and over the summer they each have one of those cute hanging boxes. I have a hanging folder for each day. On Sunday I set up the box for the week. Each day has a folder and I have timed math and other worksheets or writing ideas for them. And our school does a summer reading and math program so all their materials are in there. It works so well since they can have ownership a a grab the daily folder when they are ready. I also keep the library and b&n summer reading club forms in there too. It works so well!
Mandi Moore says
Wow, what an awesome giveaway AND post! I love the "busy box"idea. My son gets bored with his toys so I'm thinking I should just box them up and let him play with one "box" a day. So many ideas!!!! Thanks again for the idea!
Mandi
Best Little Moore House in Texas
Vicki Sisson says
Busy boxes is such a great idea, I am going to do that for the weekends, thank you for sharing this.
Sarah E @ theteacherswife.com says
I've heard about these and think they are a great idea. So far, my oldest still "rests" in her room (some days she sleeps and others she just reads books and plays with her stuffed animals in her bed) while Brady naps so I haven't resorted to them, but I may at some point!
Polka Dot Blossom says
I had an idea for this summer that seems so simple, I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner! I thought I would share it for some of the moms of older kiddos.
You know how you want to keep your kids reading all summer and often they act like it's some kind of P.O.W. torture?? (I have 2 boys) Well, since it stays so light here in Montana in the summer, (like 11:00 pm) we decided to let them "stay up late" and read. They totally think they're getting to stay up late AND they're reading! They do not complain. They love it and they devour their books. Seriously, this was Divine inspiration! This is my plan to keep them reading all summer, and maybe start a lifelong habit! Sometimes it's just a matter of outsmarting our little darlings. <3
Shannon
XOXO
Angela says
Hi Shay! We do quiet time boxes with my oldest (4.5 years old). He loves it! I still make him rest in his bed for an hour, then he can get up and do his box for another hour or so. It is so nice to have quiet time to work in the afternoons! I thought I would share my blog post with you for more ideas:
http://teachingmama.org/quiet-time-boxes/
I also wrote a post on 75 more quiet box ideas here: http://teachingmama.org/quiet-time-box-ideas/ Hope that helps!
Hayley Chandler says
This is the best idea I have heard in a long time!!! I also like the idea from another commenter about having a group of Mommy friends come together and make them all at once.
Fancy Ashley says
I am SOOOOOOOOO doing this!!!! What an awesome idea! I can see an hour or two of quiet time a day with something like this!!!! AHHHHHmazing!!!! Thanks to Haley for this idea!
Jenny @ jennycollier.com says
Love this idea. Definitely incorporating into our summer routine now that both kids no longer nap.
Anonymous says
this is the best blog ever for busy boxes/bags with free printables http://planetoftheapels.blogspot.com/p/our-busy-bag-swap.html
Esther Claassen says
I started doing "rest time boxes" after getting Pinspired last year. I also play a book on CD or recently I discovered http://www.booksshouldbefree.com and dock an old Iphone on their CD player so they can listen to a book from that website. Once they learn to read, rest time will turn into reading time!
Jamie says
Oh my word.. I LOVE THIS!! My son Jack will be 3 in July but this would be great to keep him busy while I need to get some extra things done. I cant wait to get some of these made up for him.
Janet Teeter says
I'm excited to make these boxes for my kiddos.
Jaren says
I totally LOVE this idea! There's just something about discovering something that they haven't seen in a little while. You can also mix them up every now and then. One summer I did little centers similar to what they do in school. I had a coloring center, picture puzzle center, math or letter puzzle center, etc. I'd just let them switch after 20 minutes or so.