🐻 Busy Bear Book – Play Guide

The Busy Bear Book is designed to support learning through play, using everyday themes children recognise and love. Each page encourages hands-on exploration, helping little hands build fine motor skills, early literacy and numeracy, problem-solving and emotional awareness — all through joyful, screen-free play.

🐌 Page 1: Snail Threading

Core Play: Thread the lace through the snail.

More Ways to Play:

• Thread slowly to practise hand–eye coordination

• Talk about the snail’s path and direction

• Count each hole as the lace passes through

• Remove the lace and re-thread independently

• Make up a story about where the snail is going

Skills Developed: Fine motor strength, coordination, focus, early sequencing

🧺 Page 2: Washing Machine

Core Play: Open the washing machine and press the buttons.

More Ways to Play:

• Open and close the washing machine door

• Press green for go and red for stop, introducing cause and effect

• Talk about washing routines and daily life skills

• Pretend to wash clothes or toys

• Practise turn-taking and following simple instructions

Skills Developed: Fine motor control, cause and effect, everyday life skills, language

🧦 Page 3: Sock Colour Matching

Core Play: Match socks by colour using pegs.

More Ways to Play:

• Match socks that are the same colour

• Name colours aloud

• Use pegs to strengthen finger muscles

• Sort socks by colour groups

• Practise peg placement and removal independently

Skills Developed: Colour recognition, fine motor strength, hand control, sorting

🍕 Page 4: Pizza Counting & Numbers

Core Play: Build the pizza using numbered pieces.

More Ways to Play:

• Count toppings as you add them

• Match numbers to quantities

• Talk about favourite pizza toppings

• Remove toppings and rebuild the pizza

• Use pretend play to “serve” pizza to family or toys

Skills Developed: Counting, number recognition, early maths, imaginative play

🐦 Page 5: Bird Matching

Core Play: Match birds to their correct place.

More Ways to Play:

• Talk about colours and patterns on each bird

• Count how many birds there are

• Match birds by colour or shape

• Create simple stories about where the birds live

• Encourage independent matching and problem-solving

Skills Developed: Visual discrimination, matching, focus, language

🚌 Page 6: Bus Threading & Imaginative Play

Core Play: Thread the lace through the bus.

More Ways to Play:

• Thread the bus to strengthen fine motor skills

• Pretend the bus is going on a trip

• Talk about where the bus is heading

• Count passengers getting on and off

• Practise independent threading at your child’s pace

Skills Developed: Fine motor coordination, imagination, storytelling, focus

🐊 Page 7: Crocodile Feeding (Zipper & Buttons)

Core Play: Unbutton the fish and feed the crocodile.

More Ways to Play:

• Practise buttoning and unbuttoning

• Zip and unzip the crocodile’s mouth

• Count how many fish the crocodile eats

• Talk about feelings (hungry, full)

• Encourage independence with self-help skills

Skills Developed: Fine motor strength, self-care skills, coordination, confidence

🌈 Page 8: Rainbow Colour & Shape Matching

Core Play: Match shapes and colours to the rainbow.

More Ways to Play:

• Name colours and shapes

• Sort shapes by colour

• Count how many shapes are on the page

• Mix pieces up and re-match them

• Talk about rainbows and weather

Skills Developed: Colour recognition, shape matching, early maths, problem-solving

🍎 Page 9: Feed the Animal

Core Play: Feed the animal using removable food pieces.

More Ways to Play:

• Count food pieces as they’re fed

• Name foods and talk about healthy eating

• Pretend the animal is hungry or full

• Practise removing and reattaching pieces

• Encourage imaginative storytelling

Skills Developed: Fine motor skills, counting, language, imaginative play

👨👩👧👦 Page 10: Finger Family (Finger Puppets)

Core Play: Sing the “Finger Family” nursery rhyme.

More Ways to Play:

• Use each finger puppet to represent a family member

• Practise finger isolation and control

• Make up new songs or family stories

• Talk about family roles and relationships

• Encourage expressive language through play

Skills Developed: Language, finger strength, social awareness, confidence

🔤 Page 11: Letter Matching (Vowels)

Core Play: Match vowel letters to their correct place.

More Ways to Play:

• Name each vowel aloud

• Say simple vowel sounds

• Find vowels in your child’s name

• Mix letters up and re-match them

• Practise independent letter recognition

Skills Developed: Early literacy, letter recognition, phonics foundations, focus

😊😢 Page 12: Emotions (Girl & Boy)

Core Play: Match emotions to facial expressions.

More Ways to Play:

• Name each emotion together

• Talk about times your child feels happy, sad or upset

• Act out different emotions

• Encourage empathy and emotional understanding

• Create simple emotion-based stories

Skills Developed: Emotional awareness, language, social development, confidence

✨ Why Parents Love the Busy Bear Book

• Encourages screen-free, independent play

• Builds fine motor and self-help skills

• Supports early literacy and numeracy

• Grows with your child through multiple stages

• Designed for calm, purposeful learning through play