Don’t buy this for your toddler
I keep seeing ads on Instagram for “busy books” or scribble books for kids. You know the ones, with captions like, “My favorite homeschool morning routine for my 3-year-old.” And it’s just a book filled with worksheets.
And all I can think is, noooooo. Just no.
Why? Why is it a hard no from me?
Well, teachers have known for a long time that worksheets aren’t the most productive use of time. Sure, we use them in the classroom sometimes, and some teachers rely too heavily on them, making kids do worksheets all day long.
In my mathematics unit at university, my tutor was clear: “Don’t use worksheets; they aren’t good.”
So here are some reasons why worksheets are terrible. (I’ve used AI to generate these - sue me.)
Developmentally Inappropriate: Toddlers need hands-on, sensory play.
Boring and Repetitive: They fail to capture attention and curiosity.
Creativity Limiting: One correct answer stifles creativity.
Solitary: They miss out on social interaction.
Physically Restrictive: Toddlers need to move, not sit still.
Stressful: Premature academics can create unnecessary stress.
Not only are worksheets ineffective at the primary school level, they’re an absolute no-go for preschoolers, especially at home.
I guess there’s no harm in having your kids do them for 15 minutes a day if you choose that route. But I really don’t think they’re going to help educate your child. They’re not going to accelerate literacy skills or get them reading early. These worksheet activities won’t create little geniuses.
What they might do is keep kids distracted for 15 minutes and give you some peace. That’s a win and definitely better than screens, so if that’s your goal, go ahead.
But there are countless better ways to accelerate your child’s learning:
15 minutes in the backyard with mud and water: Better.
15 minutes at the park: Way better.
15 minutes reading a book together: WAY better.
15 minutes building with Lego: Excellent.
Time together in the kitchen making a simple dish: Indescribably better.
Singing and dancing together: Amazing.
15 minutes of free drawing or coloring in: Awesome for developing pencil skills and strengthening their little hands.
A pouring station: One of my favorite sensory activities with minimal mess and cleanup (extra points if it’s outside).
And lastly, if you want your child to learn about the weather, then don’t get them to just circle “sunny” in a silly book. TAKE THEM OUT IN THE SUN, let them feel the warmth, see the flowers open to suck in the rays and let them experience the sunny day. TALK ABOUT IT! How does the sunshine make you feel my love? This is a million times better than getting them to circle a smiling sun animation at the breakfast table.
Basically, buy the worksheet books if you want a distraction that isn’t a screen. But if you want to genuinely improve their learning and teach them something, these books aren’t it. You’re wasting your money, their time, and limiting their potential.
Getting them to circle the right answer on a worksheet isn’t going to boost their genius. Creativity, problem-solving, and interacting with their environment will work wonders.
Honestly, the only thing worse than these types of activity books is YouTube.
So yeah, that’s my rundown on these ads. And now that I’ve interacted with them, I keep getting more. Thanks, algorithm.
