Goula Wooden Activity Table for Toddlers – Donkey Busy Board

This wooden activity table is built around a friendly donkey and gives toddlers nine separate things to do with their hands. Every task on it — laces to thread, a buckle to fasten, gears to turn — is a fine motor skill in disguise. A moulded handle on top means the whole thing travels to the kitchen table, the car, or a grandparent's house.

Nine activities on one board

• Shoelace to thread and tie
• Belt with a working buckle
• Velcro fastener button to press and pull apart
• Two spinning gears that turn together
• Blinking eye that rotates open and shut
• Labyrinth maze to trace with a fingertip
• Flap that opens to reveal a hidden picture
• Soft fabric ears with a different texture to the wood
• Carry handle sized for a toddler's grip

Why cause and effect matters at this age

Between two and three, children are working out that their own actions produce reliable results. Turning one gear and watching the second turn with it is a small, repeatable experiment. That is the point of the spinning and rotating parts here — they respond the same way every time, which is exactly what builds a child's confidence to try again.

Getting dressed, practised in advance

The buckle, the laces and the fastener are the same three closures children meet on shoes, coats and bags. Practising them on a flat board at eye level is far easier than practising them on a moving foot. Most children need a great many repetitions before these become automatic, and a toy is a more patient teacher than a school-run morning.

Product details

• Brand: Goula
• Recommended age: 2 years and over
• Materials: 97% wood, with nylon, polypropylene and polyethylene fittings
• Format: Portable activity table with carry handle
• Number of activities: 9
• SKU: GO0489

Safety

• Not suitable for children under 18 months.
• Contains a long cord. Strangulation hazard — use under adult supervision.
• Check the laces and fittings for wear before each play session.