The moment I was glad to have this busy board with me
Sometimes it isn’t the big toys that make family life easier—but the little things that happen to be in the backpack at exactly the right moment.
My name is Anna. I live near Cologne with my husband, Lukas, and our son, Emil. Emil is three and a half years old, curious, energetic—and not particularly patient when he has to wait.
I never would have thought that a small wooden board with switches would end up in our backpack so often. But that’s exactly what happened.
The Restaurant Visit I Won’t Forget Anytime Soon
It was a Saturday lunchtime. We just wanted to enjoy a relaxed meal: pasta for Emil, coffee for me, and a little family time.
At first, everything went well. Emil colored for a little while, looked around, and took a sip of water. Then the food took longer than expected.
He shifted back and forth in his chair, wanted to get up, grew louder, and eventually kept calling out: “I don’t want to wait!”
I tried snacks, explanations, and distractions. But at some point, I had that feeling many parents know: You notice that the people at the neighboring tables are looking over.
I was tense and uncomfortable, and in the end I gave him my phone. Not because I wanted to, but because at that moment I simply didn’t know what else to do.
He calmed down immediately. But afterward, I didn’t really feel good about it.
Why I Looked for Another Solution
I’m not fundamentally against screen time. But I didn’t want my phone to automatically become the first solution whenever Emil got impatient.
When we were out and about, we were missing something small, quiet, and easy to carry—something that would fit in a backpack and keep Emil occupied on his own.
That’s how I came across this little busy board.
It looked appealing: wood, switches, small LED lights, and letters and numbers on the back. I thought: Maybe it will keep him busy for a few minutes.
Montessori Wooden Busy Board – LED Lights & Switches
For calm playtime at home, on the go, or during short waits.
View the productThe second restaurant visit went differently
A few weeks later, we went out to eat again. This time, the Busy Board was in the backpack.
After about ten minutes, Emil became restless again. He asked when the food would arrive and started playing with the cutlery.
In the past, I would already have been reaching for my phone mentally. This time, I took out the Busy Board and placed it on the table in front of him.
He pressed one switch, and a small light came on. Then he pressed the next one, turned the dial, and said, “Mom, look!”
Of course, it wasn’t a perfect picture-book moment. I still had to talk to him. But the atmosphere stayed calm.
He was occupied. He had something of his own to do. And I could sit in the restaurant without constantly tensing up and waiting for things to get difficult again.
What Emil finds so fascinating about it
Children love real switches: light switches, remote controls, buttons on devices. Everything adults use suddenly becomes interesting.
The Busy Board gives Emil exactly that feeling: He can press, turn, and try things out—and immediately see what happens.
When a light comes on, he looks at it briefly, sometimes laughs, and immediately tries the next switch. For him, it’s a little world full of cause and effect.
Not just on the go, but at home too
What surprised me was how often we now use the Busy Board at home, too.
When I’m cooking, unloading the dishwasher, quickly replying to an email, or folding laundry, I sometimes sit Emil at the little table and give him the board.
It doesn’t work the same way every day. That would be unrealistic. But often, it creates a calm moment for a few minutes.
He presses, turns, looks, sometimes counts the lights, or flips the board over and discovers the letters and numbers.
The back is our little “together game.”
Emil usually uses the front on his own. He understands the switches and lights right away.
The back is more of something we use together. It features letters, numbers, and colors.
Sometimes I ask, “Where is the A?” or “Which number can you find?” It does not feel like learning, more like a little game. That is exactly what I like about it.
Our Little Helper for Waiting Times
These days, I often take the Busy Board with me when I know we will have to wait somewhere: at the pediatrician’s office, in a restaurant, on longer car journeys, or when visiting friends.
It weighs very little and takes up hardly any space. I simply put it in the backpack—along with wet wipes, snacks, and all the things you always carry with you as a mother.
To me, it is not a toy that loudly demands attention. It is more like a quiet little helper.
You only realize how practical it is when your child becomes restless, you start feeling nervous yourself—and then you have something with you that is not a screen, not loud, and not complicated.
My Honest Conclusion
This Busy Board has not completely changed our daily lives. That would be an exaggeration.
Emil is still a normal three-year-old. He has good days and difficult days. But this little board has helped us through many moments that would otherwise quickly become stressful.
It gives him something to explore. It gives me a few quieter minutes. And it means that some waiting situations no longer automatically turn into a little battle.
For me, that is exactly where its value lies: It is not perfect and does not solve every problem. But in real family life, it helps again and again whenever you need something small, quiet, and meaningful.
And since then, it has mostly stayed out of the nursery.
Instead, it goes in the backpack.
A Small Board for Big Waiting Moments
Compact, lightweight, and usable on both sides: the front features LED lights and switches, while the back has letters and numbers for discovering together.
Discover the Busy BoardAt Montessori Lernwelt, we regularly invite parents to share their genuine experiences with our toys. As a thank-you, we provide selected families with a toy free of charge. If you would also like to share your family’s story with us, feel free to email us at: support@montessorilernwelv.com