Donna Bozzo - Fidget Busters: 50 Ways to Keep Kids Busy While You Get Things Done

Sure, youre a hands-on parent. But lets face it: Even the most hands-on parents among us still have times when they need to get things done.

I say thats when strategic play comes inplay youve anticipated and appropriately planned to help you create a quiet zone and carve out time to take that conference call, get the house ready for company, or give yourself a much-needed timeout. Imagine that! Or perhaps its a welcome bag of tricks to store in your parenting arsenal to help you avoid those dreaded, cant-rewind-time moments when your child loses control. Think self-engaging games, fascinating activities, and hard-to-put-down toys you brilliantly have at the ready for those breaking moments when the kids just cant sit still one more minute, whether its in the supermarket, the long car ride to Grannys, or a not-so-kid-friendly dinner. Or maybe its not just reserved for 911 situations but a simple, everyday way to introduce mesmerizing play to fluff up the boring parts of your kids routine.

I call all these wondrous secret weapons Fidget Busters. They are not only designed to keep kids attention, but they also absorb the fidgety energy all kids inevitably have right at that moment you need them to please sit still. Nervous energy can run high when kids go somewhere unfamiliar, meet new people, or have to sit longer than their attention spans can handle. These Fidget Busters are designed to absorb all that squirming, grabbing, spilling, screaming energyand head off meltdowns before they happen. I hope they will soon become your favorite tricks of the trade.

So what makes a good Fidget Buster? Well, for one, it has to grab your kids attention while keeping them entranced and happily busy. I say your best go-to for that is sensory play, or what I call fun that rocks the senses. Sticky. Slippery. Gooey. Stretchy. Bumpy. Soft. Prickly. Spiny. Eye-popping. Simply-cant-put-down fun. Fidget-busting sensory toys feel so crazy good in little hands that kids cant stop touching, squishing, and spinning them. They can be squeezed super hard. They can be so soft or so scratchy you cant stop touching them. They can be turned over and around and upside down or cranked again and again to form a shape. They can be a puzzle that so tangles the mind, kids cant stop wanting to solve it. They can be newfangled or old-fashioned. Most importantly, unlike screens and electronic devices, you can hand these Fidget Busters over to your kids guilt-free.

And heres a bonusmany of these Fidget Busters help little ones develop fine motor skills and teach them about their surroundings. Fidget Busters give kids a chance to examine, discover, categorize, and make sense of the world around them. They provide all sorts of experiences that create a crucial foundation for more complex learning and behavior. Kids are really scientists discovering the world, and you create the lab with activities and toys that are so much fun you just might find yourself unable to put that new Fidget Buster down.

This is a playbook of sortsrecommendations and recipes for tried and true Fidget Busters. Some you can buy. Some you and the kids can make at home. Some are both, meaning you can buy them, or make them depending on your schedule. I have to say, making them is my favorite way for sure because the fun isnt just in playing with the things you make. The planning and the making creates anticipation, learning, and warm memories. Plus, when kids create a Fidget Buster on their own, they become more invested in playing with it. Its mine, theyll say with pride.

This book is divided into chapters based on the best times for each activity. The Fidget Busters in the On the Road & Running Errands chapter are on the small and simple side. They can be easily toted, dont have a lot of parts, and promise to keep little hands and brains busy. Dining Distractions are more involved and meant to keep kids hands and eyes engaged, so little ones stay sitting still longer. Gimme a Minute Fidget Busters make noise, bounce around, have parts, and are meant for play at home when youre trying to get stuff doneor just take a break. Finally, Engrossingly Gross & Mesmerizingly Messy Fidget Busters might be a little bit messy, but boy do they keep kids busy! Slimy, squishy, squeezy, gritty, your kids will LOVE these Fidget Busters. Just make sure theyre in a mess-approved area before you let kids loose with this stuff. There is, of course, some crossover, and some Fidget Busters listed in On the Road & Running Errands are just as good for dinner parties or doing chores, so dont feel constrained by the chapters; theyre just recommendations. Mix and match to your hearts content.

Tip! You can bag or box up the materials needed for DIY Fidget Busters so they are ready for kids to make at a moments notice, like when the phone rings or someone is at the door.

Stock up your kids play area, your car, your baganywhere you can think ofwith a variety of Fidget Busters so youll always have something great on hand any time you need to keep kids busy. When one Fidget Buster gets boring, its out with the old and in with the newa more exciting toy for a busier quiet time. Fidget Busters create that guilt-free space in your day that allows you to tick a couple tasks off your list while the kids have some good clean fun.

A Commonsense Caution

The DIY projects in this book call for scissors, glue, tiny beadscraft supplies you probably already own. Only YOU can make the best call on whether or not your child can play with or make a Fidget Buster without supervision. I say children five and older can make most of the Fidget Busters in this book, and three is a good age to play with them. But you always know best. Also think safety when gathering supplies, and reach for tools like safety scissors and nontoxic glueit can mean the difference between trying an activity and not. Small parts can be dangerous whether you are making or just playing with a Fidget Buster. This is especially true for magnets and magnetic toys, which can cause some very serious health issues. So use caution, and dont let kids under three play with them unsupervised. And, of course, always check age recommendations and warnings on store packaging.

Whether youre driving around, pushing a shopping cart, or waiting in line, all chores are easier when the kids in tow are quiet and happily absorbed. To pull off good behavior on the go, how about a bag of fidget-busting tricks to keep kids busy with something they can touch instead of knocking boxes off shelves, pulling clothes off racks, and getting into other mischief? The Fidget Busters in this chapter are all small, quiet, and self-contained, so you can take them just about anywhere to keep kids entertained while you get things done.

Who knew ball bearingsthe key ingredient in the ultimate fidget-busting toycould be so magical and create such a mania in the marketplace? That mystical, impossible-to-put-down motion somehow sucks us in, pulling out excess energy, unwanted nervousness, and boredoma definite cure for the fidgets. In fact, you might want to pick one of these up for yourself and try it out the next time youre feeling a little anxious, because people claim that the soothing, engaging effects are just as good for adults as they are for children.