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Busy Toddler

Susie Allison

Busy Toddler

Play-based activity ideas backed by a real child development degree

Busy Toddler is the rare parenting blog where the expertise is real and the content is actually useful. Susie Allison's child development background shows in every post — activities are chosen for developmental purpose, not just aesthetic appeal, and the instructions are clear enough to pull off during a Tuesday morning with no prep. With over 2.8 million Instagram followers and a blog archive that keeps growing, it's become the default first stop for parents of toddlers.

✓ Pros

  • Founder Susie Allison has a real child development background — the activities are grounded in developmental science, not just what looks good on Instagram
  • Every activity uses materials already in your home — no special trips to the craft store
  • Massive searchable archive organized by age and skill level makes it genuinely useful at 7am when you need ideas fast

✕ Cons

  • Heavy Instagram presence means some content is formatted for quick consumption rather than deep reading
  • Activity archives can feel overwhelming without a clear starting point for new visitors

Scores

Overall
9.5
ContentQuality
9.6
Consistency
9.4
Depth
9.3
Trustworthiness
9.5
Readability
9.7

Specifications

focusPlay-based activities
founderSusie Allison
founded2016
platformBlog + Instagram
content TypeActivity guides + developmental tips