What is a busy book? A guide for parents

A busy book is an activity book made for little hands. Instead of just turning pages, kids do something on each one: match a picture to its shadow, stick a piece in the right spot, trace a letter, or count a group of animals. Some people call them quiet books, because the idea is a few minutes of calm, focused play without a screen.

What's inside a busy book?

Most busy books mix a few kinds of activity:

• Matching: pieces that go on their shadow or their pair.
• Sorting: putting shapes, colours or animals into the right group.
• Counting: groups of things to count and numbers to match.
• Tracing: dotted letters, numbers and lines to follow.
• Puzzles and mazes: simple paths from one picture to another.

The pieces usually attach with hook-and-loop dots (the same idea as Velcro), so they come off and go back on many times.

Felt or laminated card?

You'll see two main types. Felt busy books are soft and quiet, and they're often handmade. Laminated card books, like ours, are wipe-clean, so tracing pages can be used with markers and wiped for another go. Neither is better for every family. If you want tracing and drawing, a laminated book handles markers well. If you mainly want something soft for a younger toddler, felt can suit.

What age is a busy book for?

It depends on the book. Some are made for babies and young toddlers, with big pieces and very simple pages. Others, like the Tiny Walkers' Busy Book, are made for kids aged 3 and up, with tracing, counting and small pieces. Always check the age on the product. Books with small pieces need supervision for younger children.

How to get the most out of one

• Start with one or two pages. A whole book at once can be a lot.
• Sit with them the first few times, then let them try on their own.
• Put pieces back after each go, so the book is ready next time.
• Keep it for times you need calm: a café, a flight, a car trip, or a quiet afternoon at home.

About the Tiny Walkers' Busy Book

Our Busy Book has 30 laminated pages with 28 activities, 95+ hook-and-loop pieces, 8 wipe-clean markers and a zippered case. It's made for kids aged 3 and up, and we post it from Western Australia. See the busy book.