On Busy Bags

Busy bags are a fairly new concept to me. If you don't know what they are, I'll explain. Busy bags are bags (like a quart sized plastic storage bag or similar) that contain materials for a small activity that can keep children occupied. The activity is ideally geared toward the child's developmental age. Busy bag activities can be fun, educational, stimulating, or all of the above. Many people make activity bags for their children, but there are groups that get together to trade these bags as well. Groups can be any number of sizes and the idea is that each individual puts together a single bag for every person in the group including themselves. (spending a modest previously agreed upon amount per bag). After a trade meet-up, you leave with one of each activity for your child. Busy bags can be pulled out in any situation where you need to calm your child and focus their attention be it when you are bored with nothing else to do at home or if you are out and about and you children may be stuck waiting and potentially getting bored and acting out.

When I was first approached about joining a busy bag group from a mom I know, I was a little bit hesitant. I was concerned for several reasons. The main one was that I felt I didn't need any cheap little toys to add to the clutter in my house. I figured they could be good at occupying a child, but when they get bored, you just have more to add to the mess. Also, I was worried about small pieces. Small pieces mean choking hazards (what can I say, I still have never given my two year old popcorn) and things that get lost easily. I also didn't know if my wild and crazy toddler would sit still to even do any of the activities. I really should have given him more credit.

I decided to go ahead and participate and just see how things turned out. I am so glad I did. These things are amazing and despite my lack of creativity, I'm excited about doing another trade.

Our busy bag trade included the following activities for 2-3 year olds:
Fishing pole toy/game
Memory game (or shape matching)
Color wheel and number wheel match-up
Threading "snake"
Egg Carton color match with tongs
Popsicle color match
Play-doh and cookie cutters activity

Felt Fish Activity
My son's favorite by far (at least for now) is the fishing game. This is a great motor skills activity and you can incorporate color identification into the game as well. It is comprised of a dowel with a string attached to the end. On the end of the string is a magnet. Felt fish are included with the set, each having a paperclip attached that the magnet can grab. This set has two different sized fish which help focus the child's attention as the larger fish can only be attracted toward the mouth while the smaller fish are not much longer than the paperclip and can be captured at almost any point on the body.

Memory Game

This game is comprised of six pairs of matched felt "playing cards." The fronts of the cards have basic shapes. For younger children, the "cards" can be used for shape and color matching. As they get older, their memory can be tested through this classic game.

Color and Number Wheel

This activity is another one that works for several skill levels. The circle/wheel has two sides. One side has the six basic colors. Six clothespins are colored and labeled to match. While honing fine motor skills, the child attaches the coordinating color as they are on the wheel. The other side of the circle is divided into nine pieces. Each piece has a quantity of shapes to equal the numbers 0-9. Clothespins are labeled with number symbols and words on one side and with the appropriate number of dots on the other. This is a great game as toddlers get older and begin learning their numbers and counting.

Threading Ribbon Snake

This activity is a great one for fine motor skills, but can also help a child learn and recognize shapes and colors if coached while doing this activity. A button is sewn on the end of a piece of ribbon and the other end is sewn down. Felt shapes are then threaded onto the ribbon through a button hole on each shape.

Egg Carton Color Match

This is the Busy Bag I made for the exchange. Half of an egg carton is used for the activity. The bottom of each well is colored with one of the six basic colors. Pom poms are included to match the colors in the wells. The child does the activity by matching/identifying the pom pom colors and placing them in the appropriate wells. For fine motor skills, a pair of small plastic tongs is included to be used for placing the pom poms in the wells. My kiddo likes to collect all three pom poms of each color together before placing them in the well.

Popsicle Color Match

This activity is beyond cute. Popsicles are formed with felt for the edible part and popsicle sticks. The popsicle sticks are each marked with the appropriate color, both labeled with the color name and with a coordinating colored end. Again, honing those fine motor skills, the child places each colored felt piece on the coordinating popsicle stick to create the treats.

Play-doh and Shape Cutters

What kid doesn't like play-doh? This is a wonderful fine motor skill activity and just plain fun. Kids obviously have a lot of freedom to express their creativity with this activity, though it does require an appropriate setting. The cutters can also be used as a teaching tool for identifying shapes.

These are just the activities chosen by the moms in our busy bag group. There are tons of ideas out there and while some take a bit of craft skill to put together, others are super simple. These make great fun and learning activities for kiddos that can fill in a bit of down time on a rainy day or focus your child when out of the house (just stash one or two in your purse). Certainly, you can approach the use of these activities as you see fit. I personally keep them stashed away most of the time (especially since I have a baby crawling around that would love to get into the small pieces) and bring them out when the baby is napping or to calm and focus my toddler. By keeping them put up, there is added value and they become a special treat when my toddler can play with them. I am really excited to do another trade which we may do in another month or so. Our group has seven moms, but I've heard of groups being up to 30 moms. There are groups online that you can join as well. I highly recommend doing it. Though I was a skeptic at first, I see the wonderful value in it now and I look forward to exploring and learning with my kiddo more!