August 12, 2009

Build Your Own Busy Kit (Part 3: Create)


This is the third post for Build Your Own Busy Kit, a series of tips for assembling kids travel activities. Whether you are headed out on vacation, or just seeking things to do for quiet time, My Busy Kit provides activities to encourage independent and creative play. We always include something for coloring, playing, creating & discovering. This post will elaborate on the third category, Create (i.e., construction toys and manipulatives).

What I love about this category is how wonderful it is to see kids keeping their hands busy and their mouths in check. That's probably awful to admit, but when you are on an airplane, that last thing you need are seatmates giving you the evil eye because your kids are louder than the engines. Rather, I like my children ENGAGED. So, we build.

One of our My Busy Kit favorites are linking toys called Acrobats. But most homes have plenty of options like Legos, Tinkertoys, and Bristle Blocks. Anything open-ended that children can put together and take apart, lots of times, is GOOD. Children use their construction toys in combination with their pretend toys, making stables for ponies, or garages for cars.

So what are you going to bring next time you head out? So far, we've got something to write with, something to pretend with, and something to build with. Next time, we get to take all of these things out in the world to go exploring - and that is where discovery comes in! Thanks for reading!

Lorraine Akemann / Co-founder / My Busy Kit
support@mybusykit.com

4 comments:

My Blogger... said...

good for keep smilling for anybody

Anonymous said...

Nice Blog.

Bridget Smith said...

Those acrobats came in handy when entertaining three young children (not all my own) at when we were visiting a Grandma's apartment that was not very kid friendly. I just pulled some out of my purse and the kids were fascinated.

Peter West Carey said...

I really like the 'Busy Kit" idea and will use it the next time we travel! So simple and for a kid's imagination, so endless!