The problem is that most activities in bags that you will find via the internet contain small parts and are geared towards preschool aged children. Therefore, I have made it my new quest and my new found hobby to create educational toddler activities to fit inside a "busy bag" for my son. I intend on changing them out every month and sharing our newest creations with you.
Here is what our busy bag holds this month:
1. Roll-up felt board and felt faces activity
2. Lacing beads:
Can also be used to sort shapes and colours
3. Quiet Book
4. Container and Pegs:
Practice putting the pegs onto the container, practice emptying and filling it or use it as a shaker to make music.
5. A shaker and pipe cleaners:
Practice putting the pipe cleaners into the shaker, use the pipe cleaners to bend into shapes or sort by colour.
6. Craft Bag:
Crayons, stickers and a notebook
7. Wooden Texture Matching Game
8. Mini Lift The Flap Board Books
9. Wooden animal magnets and a cookie sheet
10. Punch balloons and face stickers:
Practice making faces or have punching practice with the balloons
11. Plastic bottle and pom poms of different colours and sizes:
Empty and fill the bottle or sort poms poms by size and colour
Do you have any other ideas that are great for a toddler busy bag? I'd love to hear about them! Stop by on Saturday to add any of your own creations or other resources/ websites that you have stumbled upon that are helpful in creating toddler busy bags. The linky party will remain open for the few months so you can stop by anytime.
Please join me tomorrow to see the bag I created to keep all of these activities in.
These are such great ideas. I think I need to get some lacing beads.
ReplyDeleteBOOKMARKED!
ReplyDeleteI'll need this soon. Great ideas.
I have a couple of posts devoted to our travel activity bags for ages 2-3. I'll be back Saturday to link up. :) Thanks!!
ReplyDeletethis is a VERY fun blog! I need all the help I can get w/toddler time ideas. Love it! -diane
ReplyDeleteThose are very creative ideas. I love having a bag to grab and go to keep my 4 year old occupied in waiting rooms, etc. I always include those special Crayola markers/coloring book sets that only draw on the special paper so she can color and I don't have to worry about market getting on anything..including her. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat bag ideas!! As a former pre-school teacher and mom to 4(!) busy little men, I find that kids really enjoy discovery bottles. They are super easy to make. Use an empty water (or other plastic bottle) and partially fill with water and oil with a few drops of food coloring. Or, water, a few drops of glycerine, glitter, and sea creatures, or rice and magnetic objects...or whatever suits you at the time. Finish with a touch of super adhesive or marine glue (found at Home Depot) and you can be done...or you can decorate the lid. ALL my kids love these bottles.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea! We have something similar for church, but I need to copy some of these great ideas! My son would love them!
ReplyDeleteThese are great for travel too especially since you can do most in the car. My kids love Play Dough, Coloring and Painting. I also have ton of ideas so will be back on Saturday to link
ReplyDeleteGreat ideas! I like the texture blocks- did you make that yourself? So cool!
ReplyDelete-Kara
http://littlelearnerslounge.blogspot.com/
I love these ideas! Great for traveling and restaurants, too!
ReplyDeleteNew follower. I love your ideas! This would be perfect to keep my 2 year old entertained. You can follow back at
ReplyDeletehttp://www.pbandjoy.com/
EnJOY your day!
Stacey
I love all this ideas. My son has been eyeing the pom poms in the dollar section at Target. Now I have a reason to buy them.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your positive feedback!
ReplyDelete@ Kara: I bought the texture matching game from a dollar shop. Here is a link to an online shop that sells them if you are interested: http://www.entropy.com.au/manufacturers/Fun-Factory/fun-factory-touch-and-match-1545.php
@ Anonymous: My son loves discovery bottles. I recently made some for him. You can find the link to the ones we made here:
http://www.mydeliciousambiguity.com/2010/04/sensory-bottles.html
great ideas some of them are things i do with the kids when im babysitting, always looking for new things to do. especially for the younger ones xxx
ReplyDeletei love the pipe cleaners and shaker idea!!
ReplyDeleteLove the idea of a busy bag... kind of do this in our own way but now I will have to dedicate a bag that is quick to grab. I love the ideas for the activities too! Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteI love love love busy bags, I have been making my own versions since ER was two. I ran into the same problem you did, not only were they too hard but often the books with ideas were expensive considering you couldn't browse them and see what types of activities were inside. I like to make sure everything fits inside of a pencil case, and I'll be stocking up on some new ones at the end of back to school season when they go on clearence. They are so handy for throwing into my bag and keeping her busy!
ReplyDeletewhat a creative idea ! come on over and link up to MMM :)
ReplyDeleteThis is just what I needed to help a group of 12-13 year old girls I work with to put together a babysitting bag. These are fun and simple things they can take with them. Thanks so much.
ReplyDeleteLove allyour ideas!! I'll be checking out your other ideas for sure. I need new ideas to keep my little ones entertained while I teach the oldest -- we just started homeschooling. Thanks again!!
ReplyDeleteHi there--for the #2 idea, where did you find beads that big? I looked at my local craft store and didn't find anything half that big! Thanks!
ReplyDelete