Busythings
Busythings is a UK-based EdTech company offering 1,600+ curriculum-linked online educational activities and games for children aged 3 to 11, delivered via subscription to schools, families, and nurseries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersDerby, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Busythings does
Busythings Limited is a UK-based EdTech company headquartered in Derby, England, operating a web-based educational platform with 1,600+ curriculum-linked activities and games aimed at children aged 3-11. Founded in 2000 as a private limited company and operating at 1-10 employees, the platform covers the UK EYFS framework, Key Stage 1, and Key Stage 2 subjects including literacy, phonics, mathematics, science, coding, geography, history, music, art, and modern languages (French and Spanish). The product is browser-based and accessible via desktop, laptop, tablet and a mobile app, with notable functional modules such as the Phonics Resource Maker, Activity Maker, Busy Publisher, Busy Paint, Busy Oven, Pretty Things: Busy Blocks, and a curriculum browser that links activities to National Curriculum objectives. Single Sign-On is supported via Google, Microsoft, Wonde, and the London Grid for Learning (LGfL), and payment processing runs on Stripe with PayPal as an alternative.
The company operates a subscription revenue model across three tiers: School subscriptions with unlimited pupil access and teacher management tools, Family subscriptions for up to five simultaneous child users, and Nursery subscriptions aligned to the EYFS framework. A 28-day free trial with no payment details required supports a product-led acquisition motion, complemented by a sales-led motion involving demo bookings and quote-based school pricing. Distribution runs primarily through the direct website and the core LGfL channel partnership in place since 2010, with secondary reach via Digitales Australia, the Jordan Education Initiative, DB Primary, RM Unify, and Scotland's Glow platform.
Busythings has established a long track record of industry recognition, winning six BETT Awards and multiple ERA, Practical Preschool, and Primary Teacher Awards between 2006 and 2026. Marketing infrastructure includes a 400+ post blog, a newsletter with over 4,000 teacher subscribers, active social channels (Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn), regular BETT exhibition presence, and a teacher influencer program. The firm is GDPR compliant (ICO registration ZA033853) with data stored on UK servers, and has no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, or M&A activity in the input data.
Busythings firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Busythings
- Legal name
- Busythings Limited
- Website
- https://busythings.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Busythings is a UK-based EdTech company offering 1,600+ curriculum-linked online educational activities and games for children aged 3 to 11, delivered via subscription to schools, families, and nurseries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Busythings industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Educational Software
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital/Interactive Curriculum Content (Apps, Games, Multimedia Lessons) (EDACAJAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Literacy & Reading Intervention Technology (EDAJAMAF), Digital Reading Content & eBooks (Leveled Readers, Libraries) (EDAFACAH), Literacy Foundations (Phonics, Reading Fluency, Comprehension) Platforms (EDAFAOAD)
Keywords
Where Busythings is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Derby
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Busythings business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- School Subscriptions: Annual or monthly subscriptions for schools providing unlimited pupil access with teacher management features, activity tracking, and curriculum-linked resources
- Family Subscriptions: Subscriptions for families allowing up to 5 children to play simultaneously, with access to educational games and activities for home use
- Nursery Subscriptions: Dedicated subscription tier for nursery settings with age-appropriate early years activities
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | School subscription with unlimited pupil access |
| Subscription | Annual | Family subscription for up to 5 children |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Busythings product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Busythings operates an online educational platform providing 1,600+ interactive curriculum-linked activities and games for children aged 3 to 11, sold via three subscription tiers: Schools (unlimited pupil access with teacher management), Families (up to 5 children, home learning), and Nurseries (EYFS-focused). Content covers literacy, phonics, mathematics, science, coding, geography, history, music, art, French, and Spanish, with teacher and parent tracking tools and Single Sign-On integration into UK school IT systems.
Product overview
Busythings is an online educational platform offering 1600+ curriculum-linked activities and games for children aged 3-11 (EYFS through Key Stage 2). The core product consists of three subscription versions: Schools (unlimited pupil access with teacher management tools), Families (up to 5 children with parent tracking), and Nurseries (EYFS-focused). The platform is organized around subject areas including Literacy, Phonics, Mathematics, Science, Coding (Busy Code), Geography, History, Music and Art, and French and Spanish. Key tools include Phonics Resource Maker for creating custom phonics materials, Activity Maker for teacher-created quizzes and writing projects, Busy Publisher and Busy Paint for creative projects, Busy Projects for curriculum-themed templates, and various widgets like Busy Oven and Pretty Things: Busy Blocks. Teacher Features provide pupil timelines, assignments, and curriculum search. The platform integrates with Google, Microsoft, Wonde, Stripe, and PayPal, and can be accessed through London Grid for Learning (LGfL). The platform has won multiple BETT Awards (six times) and ERA awards, and is GDPR compliant.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Busy Things for Schools Annual or monthly school subscription providing unlimited pupil access to 1,600+ EYFS/KS1/KS2 curriculum-linked activities, with teacher management features including pupil timelines, activity tracking, assignments, results collation, and a curriculum browser linking activities to National Curriculum objectives. Sold via request-a-quote to schools in the UK and internationally.
- Busy Things for Families Home learning subscription for parents and carers, allowing up to 5 children to play simultaneously across core curriculum subjects (English, phonics, maths, coding, science, geography, history, music and art, French and Spanish), with parent tracking tools and gift subscription option.
- Busy Things for Nurseries Dedicated nursery-focused subscription providing age-appropriate Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum activities for preschool children in nursery settings, supporting child-initiated play and early years development frameworks.
- Crunch Time (time-telling game) Interactive time-telling activity for primary school children, aligned to UK National Curriculum mathematics objectives for Years 1-4.
Quantifiable outcome
- 4,000+ schools subscribe to the platform
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Busythings
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Busythings technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature5 records
Busythings partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- London Grid for Learning (LGfL)coreBusy Things has been part of the core LGfL service offer since 2010. LGfL provides curriculum consultants who help teachers across London make the most of Busy Things. LGfL schools access Busy Things through the LGfL platform.
- Digitales AustraliaminorInternational partnership distributing Busy Things content in Australia through Digitales education platform.
- Jordan Education Initiative (JEI)minorPartnership with JEI to make Busy Things available in Jordan schools and educational settings.
- GooglecoreGoogle login integration allowing schools and users to sign in with Google accounts. Enables Single Sign-On and integration with Google Classroom for school authentication.
- MicrosoftcoreMicrosoft login integration allowing schools and users to sign in with Microsoft accounts. Provides Single Sign-On capability for schools using Microsoft ecosystem.
- Animate 2 EducateminorEducational partner collaboration for animation and educational content development.
- DB PrimaryminorIntegration with DB Primary learning platform for distribution of Busy Things content.
- GlowminorGlow (Scotland's national digital learning platform) integration for Scottish schools.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Busythings competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Teach Your Monster: Teach Your Monster is a UK-based educational games studio producing reading, number, and phonics games for primary-aged children. It targets the same UK primary teacher and family audience as Busythings with curriculum-aligned game-based learning.
- EducationCity: EducationCity provides curriculum-mapped interactive learning activities for primary schools, with school subscription tiers and teacher tools. It overlaps closely with Busythings' Schools product on curriculum-linked activities and teacher management features.
- Topmarks: Topmarks is a UK educational resource site providing free and subscription-based interactive activities and games curated for primary school teachers and pupils. It is a direct competitor in the online educational games space for UK primary classrooms.
- Twinkl: Twinkl is a UK-headquartered digital educational resources publisher offering curriculum-linked teaching materials, activities, and games for EYFS through primary. It directly competes with Busythings for teacher and family subscriptions in the UK primary market.
Regional players
- Reading Eggs: Reading Eggs is a subscription-based early literacy and phonics program from Blake eLearning, primarily marketed to schools and families in English-speaking markets like Australia, the UK and the US. It competes with Busythings' phonics and literacy offering in overlapping but non-identical geographies.
Emerging players
- Khan Academy Kids: Khan Academy Kids is a free, app-based early learning program covering literacy, numeracy, and SEL for ages 3-7, supported by philanthropy rather than subscriptions. It is an emerging player in the early-childhood digital learning category where Busythings' Family and Nursery tiers compete.
- Phonics Hero: Phonics Hero is a subscription-based online phonics teaching and games platform for EYFS and KS1 teachers and pupils. It overlaps with Busythings' phonics offering and Phonics Resource Maker as a more focused early-literacy competitor.
Broad incumbents
- Oxford Owl: Oxford Owl is a free primary educational platform operated by Oxford University Press offering reading, maths and phonics resources aligned to the UK National Curriculum. It competes with Busythings in the same UK primary teachers' planning and family home-learning workflows.
- BBC Bitesize: BBC Bitesize is the BBC's free, publicly funded educational learning platform covering primary and secondary curricula. As a free publicly trusted resource, it competes broadly with Busythings for teacher lesson-planning time and family home learning engagement.
Others
- RM Unify: RM Unify is a UK education technology platform that aggregates and rosters access to educational apps and resources, including Busythings. As an ecosystem distributor rather than a competing content product, it is an adjacent infrastructure provider that influences Busythings' distribution.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Busythings social profiles
Digital presenceBusythings compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Busythings financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Busythings leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Busythings funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Busythings M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Busythings
What does Busythings do?
Busythings operates an online educational platform providing 1,600+ interactive curriculum-linked activities and games for children aged 3 to 11, sold via three subscription tiers: Schools (unlimited pupil access with teacher management), Families (up to 5 children, home learning), and Nurseries (EYFS-focused). Content covers literacy, phonics, mathematics, science, coding, geography, history, music, art, French, and Spanish, with teacher and parent tracking tools and Single Sign-On integration into UK school IT systems.
Is Busythings a public or private company?
Busythings is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Busythings founded?
Busythings was founded in 2000. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Busythings based?
Busythings is headquartered in Derby, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Busythings make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. School Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are family Subscriptions and nursery Subscriptions.
Who are Busythings's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Teach Your Monster, EducationCity, Topmarks and Twinkl. Reading Eggs is listed as a regional player. Emerging players are Khan Academy Kids and Phonics Hero. Broad incumbents are Oxford Owl and BBC Bitesize. RM Unify is listed as an others.
Does Busythings have an API?
No public API is recorded for Busythings.
What industry is Busythings in?
Busythings's product category is Educational Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDACAJAK, Digital/Interactive Curriculum Content (Apps, Games, Multimedia Lessons), with a secondary code of EDAJAMAF, Literacy & Reading Intervention Technology. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 7372.