If you are employed in a state that uses a registry to track professional development hours, you will be able to provide your registry ID (Stars, MOPID, Registry or other ECE ID#) after you have completed the quiz for the course. If you pass the quiz we will report your course completion to the state registry using the registry ID that you provide.

Create and use busy boxes to provide children with engaging, independent activities during transitions and other short periods throughout the day. Designed for early childhood professionals working with infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children, this self-paced course explores the purpose, preparation, storage, and use of busy boxes. Participants will discover low-cost ideas and practical strategies for making transitions easier, keeping children engaged, and providing appropriate activities when time, space, or staffing is limited.  Course length  – 1.5 hours.

The course answers the following questions:

• What is a busy box?

• Why would I want to make busy boxes?

• How do you make busy boxes?

• I have a very low budget. Can I afford to make busy boxes?

• How can busy boxes be used for children of all ages?

• How do I package them?

• I don’t have a lot of storage space. Where will I put them?

• When will I use them?

• How can I use busy boxes to make transitions easier?

• How can I use busy boxes to keep those last few children happy and engaged at the end of the day?

• How can I use busy boxes to keep my children that don’t nap happy and engaged while the others are sleeping?

Participants who successfully complete this course will be able to:

• Identify the purpose, benefits, and appropriate uses of busy boxes and match activities to children’s age groups with 80% accuracy on the course assessment.

• Develop at least three age-appropriate busy-box activities using inexpensive materials that support children’s learning and development.

• Create a plan for organizing, storing, rotating, and using busy boxes during transitions and other classroom routines.