Busy Toddler and Playing Preschool Review: Curriculum, Cost and an Alternative
Busy Toddler is a free activity blog with a paid home preschool curriculum, Playing Preschool, for ages 2.5 to 5. If you want planned lessons, it is a lovely choice. If you want play picked for you right now, to fit the time you have, read on.
- Free to download
- No account needed
- No screen time for your child
On a laptop?Scan to get Mooshie on your iPhone.
The quick answer
- Is Busy Toddler an app? No. It is a free blog at busytoddler.com plus Playing Preschool, a curriculum sold as a downloadable PDF.
- What does Playing Preschool cost? At the time of writing (November 2026), Year 1 and Year 2 are $39.90 each, or $69.80 for both. The shop shows US dollars only.
- Best for: parents of 2.5 to 5 year olds who want a structured year of lessons and are happy to print and prepare.
- The alternative: Mooshie Moments is an iPhone app for 6 months to 4 years that picks one activity for the time you have. 3 coached activities a week are free.
Busy Toddler vs Mooshie at a glance
| Busy Toddler | Mooshie Moments | |
|---|---|---|
| Who uses the screen | The parent reads the PDF or a printed copy; your child plays off-screen | The parent only. Your child never uses the screen |
| Ages | Playing Preschool: 2.5 to 5 years. The blog also has baby and toddler ideas | 6 months to 4 years |
| Free version | Free blog posts and a free newsletter guide of 35 toddler activities | 3 coached activities a week, no account needed |
| Price (UK) | $39.90 per year of curriculum, or $69.80 for both. No GBP price shown | £9.99 a month or £29.99 a year |
| How you pay | One-off purchase, lifetime access to the PDF. Non-refundable | Subscription, with a 7-day free trial on Premium |
| Platforms | Website and downloadable PDF | iPhone only for now (Android and iPad later) |
| Session length | About 45 to 60 minutes per lesson | Picked to fit the time you have today |
| What you need at home | Mostly household and craft supplies, plus a few unit extras. Printing recommended | Nothing, or everyday household items. No toys to buy |
| Best for | A planned, preschool-style year at home | Picking up a short burst of play in the moment |
Prices and features checked November 2026 from each app’s own website and the UK App Store. They can change, so check before you subscribe.
What is Busy Toddler?
Busy Toddler is the work of Susie Allison, a former teacher with an M.Ed. Her blog at busytoddler.com is free and full of activity ideas, sorted by age (Baby, Toddlers, Pre-K and Big Kids) and by type, such as indoor, outdoor, sensory, art, science, maths, fine motor and bath time. Sign up to the newsletter and you get a free guide called 35 Easy Toddler Activities.
The paid part is Playing Preschool, a home preschool curriculum. It comes as two digital PDFs, Year 1 and Year 2, each running to over 300 pages. A year holds 38 weeks of planned daily lessons across 19 themed units, with more than 350 hands-on activities. Each unit has a book list, poems and songs, and a two-week supply list, covering early literacy, maths, science, sensory play, art and movement.
How much is Playing Preschool in the UK?
The shop lists prices in US dollars only, with no currency selector. Year 1 is $39.90, Year 2 is $39.90, and the Years 1 and 2 bundle is $69.80. Your bank will convert the price, so the amount in pounds depends on the exchange rate on the day.
It is a one-off purchase with lifetime access to the PDF, and you may print one copy for your own family. There is no free trial and the PDF is non-refundable, so it is worth reading the official FAQ before you buy. The blog itself costs nothing.
What Busy Toddler does well
- Completely screen-free for your child. Everything is parent-led and hands-on.
- Pay once. No subscription, and you keep the PDF for good.
- Real structure. If you like a plan, a whole year of lessons is mapped out for you.
- Teacher-made. The lessons come from a former teacher, and the free blog alone is a huge library.
- Cheap supplies. Sticky notes, playing cards, washable paint and construction paper do a lot of the work.
Try Mooshie free this week.
3 coached activities every week, free. No account, no toys to buy, and your child never touches the screen.
When a curriculum may not suit you
Playing Preschool starts at 2.5, and the author recommends not starting any earlier. If your little one is 9 months or 18 months, the curriculum is not built for them yet, although the free blog does have younger ideas.
Each lesson takes around 45 to 60 minutes, and the best results come from reading ahead, printing and gathering supplies. That suits some families beautifully. It may not suit you if your days are unpredictable, you are juggling a baby and a toddler, or you simply want something to do in the next ten minutes. It is also written as US-style homeschool preschool and priced in dollars, which some UK parents may find less of a fit.
Busy Toddler vs Mooshie on a real afternoon
Picture it: it is half past four, the rain is coming down and your two year old is climbing the curtains. You have about 15 minutes before tea. Mooshie asks how long you have and how today is going, such as high energy, a hard moment or winding down, then picks one activity for your child’s age and stage from 5,918. Most need nothing at all, or a few everyday things from around the house.
You get How to play steps, the words to say and a Brain Bit explaining why it helps. Afterwards, What that built shows the skills your child practised, the Growth tab shows development over time, and the journal keeps a note and photo of the moment. Lifesavers help with tantrums, potty training, picky eating, sleep regression, bedtime and separation anxiety.
In fairness to Busy Toddler: Mooshie has no video demos, it is iPhone only for now, it stops at age 4, and it is a newer app with fewer reviews. Plenty of families will happily use both: a planned lesson on a calm morning, Mooshie for the gaps in between.
Parents and experts on Mooshie
“I used to spend 30 minutes looking for an activity on Pinterest, get overwhelmed, and just turn on the TV. Mooshie takes 5 seconds.”
“Finally, an app that tells me to put my phone away. The activities are actually doable with stuff I have in my junk drawer.”
“As a pediatric OT, I love that these activities build core developmental skills without feeling like ‘homework’ for parents.”
Why parents choose Mooshie over Busy Toddler
Starts from 6 months
Playing Preschool begins at 2.5. Mooshie has activities for babies from 6 months and toddlers up to 4, so you can start now rather than wait.
No planning or printing
There is no PDF to read ahead or supply list to shop for. Open the app, tell it how much time you have, and play with what is already at home.
Fits a short, messy day
Not every day has room for an hour-long lesson. Mooshie picks something for the minutes you have and for your child’s mood today.
Other Busy Toddler alternatives
- Inspired Minds: An activity-idea app with a searchable bank of activities using everyday materials, plus two 36-week preschool curricula for ages 3 and 4 on Premium.
- CBeebies Parenting (Tiny Happy People): Free BBC activity ideas from pregnancy to age 5, with a strong focus on talking and language.
- Tovi: A Montessori-inspired web app that suggests two household-item activities each morning for ages 0 to 5.
- Lovevery app: Week-by-week play guidance built around Lovevery Play Kit toys, with full access after the trial for kit subscribers.
Questions parents ask
Is Busy Toddler free?
The Busy Toddler blog is free, and so is the newsletter guide of 35 easy toddler activities. Playing Preschool, the curriculum, is a paid PDF. Each year costs $39.90 at the time of writing.
What age is Playing Preschool for?
Playing Preschool is designed for children aged 2.5 to 5, and the author recommends starting no earlier than 2.5. For younger babies and toddlers, Mooshie covers 6 months to 4 years, and you can browse our toddler activities too.
Is Playing Preschool worth it?
If you want a calm, structured year of preschool at home and enjoy preparing lessons, it can be good value as a one-off purchase. If your days rarely have an hour free, a shorter in-the-moment option may suit you better.
Is there a Busy Toddler app?
No app is listed on the official Busy Toddler site. The curriculum is a downloadable PDF and the activities live on the blog. If you would like ideas in an app, Mooshie is on iPhone and picks one activity at a time for you.
Can I use Playing Preschool in the UK?
Yes, it is a digital download, so you can buy it from the UK. Prices are shown in US dollars only, and it is framed as US-style homeschool preschool, so some themes may need a little adapting. For UK early years ideas, see our EYFS activities.
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