15 Ways Daycare Providers Use Bin Busy in Their Classrooms
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If you've ever run a daycare or preschool classroom, you know there are certain parts of the day that can quickly become chaotic.
Children arrive at different times. Some finish activities early. Rainy days keep everyone indoors. And transitioning from one activity to another can sometimes feel harder than the activity itself.
As a daycare provider for over 10 years, I designed Bin Busy to solve those exact challenges.
Instead of creating more work, Bin Busy offers children engaging, hands-on activities that encourage independent play while giving providers a chance to help other children, prepare for the next activity, or simply bring a little calm back into the classroom.
Here are 15 of my favorite ways to use Bin Busy throughout the daycare day.
1. Morning Arrival Time
Children rarely arrive all at once.
Instead of having early arrivals wander around the classroom wondering what to do, place a Bin Busy activity on a table as an invitation to play.
It creates a calm start to the morning while everyone settles in.
2. Learning Centers
Bin Busy fits perfectly into center rotations.
Simply place one activity bin at a center and allow small groups to rotate through.
Children practice:
- Fine motor skills
- Creativity
- Cooperative play
- Problem-solving
- Imaginative thinking
without needing constant teacher direction.
3. Early Finishers
Some children always seem to finish crafts or worksheets before everyone else.
Instead of asking them to wait, hand them a Bin Busy activity.
They're engaged, learning continues, and other children can finish without distractions.
4. Quiet Time (For Non-Sleepers)
Not every child naps.
Bin Busy gives older preschoolers a calm, quiet activity they can enjoy independently while younger children rest. And because there are no noisy electronics or flashy lights, the room stays peaceful.
5. Rainy Day Energy Burners
Every daycare provider knows the feeling...
"It's raining."
Suddenly twenty children have extra energy and nowhere to run.
While nothing replaces outdoor play, rotating several Bin Busy themes throughout the day helps keep children engaged until they can head back outside.
6. Transition Time
Transitions often lead to wandering, arguing, or confusion.
Instead have everyone sit down and hand out the bins. Then set a timer and rotate evvery 20-30 minutes for an hours worth of entertainment!
Children stay busy instead of becoming restless.
7. Before Pickup
The last thirty minutes of the day can sometimes feel like the longest.
Parents arrive at different times, which means children are constantly entering and leaving activities.
Bin Busy works perfectly because children can jump in and out without disrupting everyone else.
8. Independent Play Practice
Independent play isn't something children automatically know how to do.
Like any skill, it takes practice.
Bin Busy encourages children to explore, imagine, and solve problems on their own while building confidence.
9. Small Group Learning
Choose one bin and sit with three or four children.
You can naturally practice:
- Colors
- Counting
- Sorting
- Patterns
- Vocabulary
- Turn taking
without making it feel like a lesson.
10. Sibling Groups
Mixed-age classrooms can be challenging. Older children naturally become helpers while younger children participate at their own developmental level.
With Bin Busy busy bins, everyone stays engaged.
11. Indoor Gross Motor Breaks
After completing a Bin Busy activity, let children act out what they created.
Pretend to deliver them.
March around the classroom delivering supplies.
It extends the play while getting kids moving again.
12. Choice Time
Many providers include free-choice play each day.
Adding Bin Busy as one of the available choices gives children another meaningful option besides blocks or dramatic play.
You'll often find children returning to the same bin again and again, but playing differently each time.
13. Parent Conferences
Need to meet with a parent during pickup?
Give children a Bin Busy activity nearby so they're happily occupied while you talk.
It's a simple way to make those conversations less stressful for everyone.
14. Waiting for Lunch or Snack
Children aren't always ready to eat at the exact same time.
Instead of hearing "Is lunch ready yet?" every two minutes, let small groups enjoy a Bin Busy activity while food is being prepared.
15. Just Because They Love It
Sometimes you don't need a special reason.
Children naturally love imaginative play.
Whether they're creating pizzas, sorting colorful objects, or hauling blocks across the room, Bin Busy encourages open-ended play that grows with their imagination.
That's one of my favorite things about these activity bins—there isn't just one "right" way to play.
Every child brings their own creativity to the experience.