Busy Bag Swap

We had our first busy bag swap on Saturday, thanks to some amazing friends who wanted to help out. I came across this amazing idea from Second Story Window. They had all these great activities to keep little ones busy. These activities are small and easy to carry with you. You can keep them in a diaper bag and pull them out at a resturant or church or wherever your little one is bored. They are small and different to keep their attention and their little hands busy :).

When I came across this blog I was so excited. I wanted to make them all that day for Jman. Well as I continued to read it I realized its much more cost efficient to get a lot of people to help contribute. So I send out an email and had 13 awesome friends jump right on the idea. So we planned it out and chose what you want to make and then we got together and swapped our activities. The idea is you have several people choose one activity and make multiple of it, so that is easier and cheaper than making one of each of the activities. There's several activities Jman can do now, and there are a few older ones that he will be able to use soon! (Theres also a link on the blog to do a preschool swap, for those that want older activities, maybe there will be another swap soon)

Jman has already played with a couple and so far loves them all! We have only used them at home, like when i'm getting his breakfast ready. I have not tried them out in public yet. Although I am tempted to take him to service and let him use him during church.

The swap was great and everyone made such great things. I am so thankful for my awesome friends who went along with me on my crazy idea, and for your time and hard work on these awesome activities.

Swap Ideas:

1. Rainbow Rice - colored rice to be used in many way. We of course love it for our sensory bin! Already a favorite

 2. Discovery  Bottles - Water bottles filled with various items  for them to turn, shake and look at.

3. Pom Pom Stuff It In- Another favorite. A small tub with a hole in top. Where child stuffs pom poms in it. And they do not fall back out. Keeps Jman occupied for quite a while.

 

4. Magnetic Pom Poms - Pom poms to make pictures on a cookie sheet.

5. Lacing Cards - Use string or shoe lace to lace through the holes. Great for fine motor skills.



6. Reversible Felt Mat - Double sided felt sewn together and several felt pieces to make various pictures.

7. Color Match Wheel - Child matches colored clothes pin to the color on the wheel. I may try matching pom poms until he's ready to pinch clothes pins.

8. Popsicle Stick Puzzles - A picture was modge podges onto popsicle sticks, creating an easy to work puzzle for those little hands.

9. Number Match Wheel - Match the number with clothes pins.

10. Pool Noodle Stringing - or I call it Poodle stringing :) - string the noodle rings onto the string. They also make great stacking towers.

11. Pasta Sorting - Child sorts pasta by color, also could be sorted by shape, or count into the cups, and she also made it so you can string it as a necklace.

12. Color Shades Sorting - Child sorts the various shades of color together. Love how this helps them see blue can be many ways :)

13. Race Tracks - Jman will love this. Trace the race track with cars. There are 4 different tracks to practice. And you can learn your shapes!

Thanks again for all your hard work for the swap. Hope all your little ones love the activities as much as Jman.