16 | APRIL 15 • 2021 

W

hile so many pan-
demic educators 
turned to computer 
platforms, one early childhood 
specialist began thinking out-
side the digital box and devel-
oped learning experiences that 
fit inside a plastic box.
Jamie Gans, who grew up 
in Michigan and taught pre-
school classes in New York for 
11 years, returned home to 
Franklin for isolation and came 
up with activities she packaged 
together according to different 
themes.
Marketing each container 
as a Busy Box 4 Kids, Gans 
planned experiences so young-
sters could have fun with arts 
and crafts while enhancing 
their motor skills and hand-eye 
coordination to prepare for kin-
dergarten. 

Gans has used social media 
and direct contacts to sell some 
200 boxes that span the themes 
of rainbows, winter and spring. 
Each box is personalized with 
the child’s name prominent on 
the outside.
“Every box has 10-15 skill-
based activities,
” said Gans, who 
has worked closely with young-
sters ages 2-5. “They’re learning 
while doing but not necessarily 
knowing what they’re learning. 
I know what they’ve learned 
because I planned it all that 
way.
”
Each activity comes in its 
own plastic bag with adult 
directions on what is to be done 
and an explanation of what is 
to be accomplished. Glue, twee-
zers and other necessities also 
are included, and some activi-
ties can be enjoyed repeatedly.

One activity, for example, has 
youngsters adhering colored 
stickers to the appropriate col-
ors on a rainbow.
“I love all the different proj-
ects,
” said Karen Kelman of 
West Bloomfield, who looks 
after a 3-year-old grandson and 
heard about the boxes from 
a friend. “Everything is super 
colorful and purposeful. I have 
seen the progression as he 
repeats the activities.
”
Kelman is also impressed 
with the way her grandson is 
learning to be neat by putting 
the activities back into the right 
plastic bags.
Lacey Foon of Bloomfield 
Hills, the mom of 2-year-old 
twins Phoebe and Eloise, was 
researching activities when she 
came upon the boxes.
“The girls love the arts 
and crafts,
” said Foon, who 
realized that what was being 
learned through the boxed 
activities was being applied to 
other developmental growth. 
“They liked doing the activities 
together, and they learned off of 
each other.
”
Morgan Kaufman of 
Birmingham has bought all of 
the boxes for 2-year-old Sophie. 
Mom and daughter became 
acquainted with Gans through 
a home-based preschool group 
of four that Gans was teaching 
during the pandemic.
“These boxes have been fun 
ways for me to interact and 
engage with my daughter,
” 
Kaufman said. “I enjoy watch-
ing her accomplishments and 
the way she is learning to orga-
nize.
”
Gans, 33, who graduated 
from Andover High School and 
attended services at Temple 
Beth El, spent summers at 
Camp Walden, first as a camper 
and later as a counselor, extend-
ing her interest in youngsters.
At the University of 
Wisconsin in Madison, Gans 
majored in child development 
and had field experiences in 

schools and day care centers. 
After graduation, she moved to 
New York, where she could be 
with college friends.
While maintaining work as a 
synagogue teacher, she earned 
a master’s degree that spanned 
early childhood learning, both 
for general studies and special 
education, from Bank Street 
College of Education.

HELPING CHILDREN
“In early childhood, you 
find out if a child is strug-
gling or has a developmental 
need,” said Gans, who will be 
remaining in Michigan as edu-
cational director at the new 
Lamplighters Preschool, open-
ing this fall in Royal Oak with 
Chabad sponsorship.
“In early childhood, brains 
have the most plasticity, and 
that’s when you can see the 
most change. I’m a huge advo-
cate for students with special 
needs, and I have worked with 
therapists in order to best sup-
port special needs students in 
my classrooms.”
Gans, whose resume 
includes positions at many 
New York preschools, includ-
ing Shaaray Tefila Nursery 
School and the Acorn School, 
counts some of her most 
impressive experiences at the 
My Little School (Chabad 
of Tribeca) located in lower 
Manhattan. 
“Most of the families 
were actually Reform or 
Conservative, and it was a 
warm and accepting commu-
nity dedicated to families and 
children,” Gans said. “That is 
the community we are looking 
for in the Royal Oak pre-
school.” 
More information on con-
tinuing and upcoming boxes 
are available on the Gans web-
site, busybox4kids.com. The 
next box will have the theme 
of animals, and she intends 
to design boxes for specific 
Jewish holidays. 

OUR COMMUNITY

Preschool educator creates 
craft boxes to build skills for kids.

SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Art in a Box

Jamie Gans

