The summer before we left San Jose I had the pleasure of participating in a Busy Bag Exchange with my Las Madres group. It was such a fun experience and it yielded (and continues to yield) HOURS of entertainment for my girls.
Below you’ll find tips on how to host your own exchange and links to over 50 busy bag ideas!
First, a few definitions
WHAT IS A BUSY BAG?
A busy bag is a self-contained activity that a child can play or complete all by him or herself. All of the necessary supplies are placed into some kind of container (often a bag) that the child can take out and play with. They can be fine motor activities, math practice, reading activities, file folder games, any game or activity that can be done independently.
Busy bags are great at home, but they really excel when you take them out-and-about. Since they’re self contained activities, it’s easy to throw a bag or two into your purse or diaper bag to keep the kiddos entertained while you’re at a restaurant, doctor’s office, on an airplane, a road trip, at the DMV, you name it!
WHAT IS A BUSY BAG EXCHANGE?
A busy bag exchange is when a group of people each agree to make multiple copies of one busy bag activity, to swap with everyone in the group. You arrive at the exchange with multiple copes of one activity, and go home with multiple, unique activities!
Tips for the exchange
1. Technology is your friend! Our exchange had a Google Document set up with a list of activities and links (see below) and each participant was invited to the Google Document (via email) and could then place their name next to the activity of their choice. That way we could insure no duplicates!
2. Our exchange had 20 participants. I would recommend no more than 20 because making 20 copies of one busy bag can be VERY TEDIOUS. I barely made it through my popsicles with my sanity intact and I know several other mamas had similar experiences. On the opposite end of the spectrum, a group of 5 participants seems like it wouldn’t benefit from the group dynamic (for example, buying materials in bulk). Somewhere between 10 and 20 seems like the perfect number to me 🙂
3. Pro Tip: Wait until all participants have committed to the exchange before you begin making bags, so you know how many to make!
4. When shopping for supplies, keep in mind that each bag should only cost around $1 to make. There are quite a few bags ideas on the list below that will cost more than that. These are simply ideas and can be adapted to meet the price range.
5. Make sure to include a card or piece of paper with instructions for how to use the bag!
Busy Bag Ideas
Toddler Busy Bags
(under 3 years)
No Sew Fishing Game
Pom Pom Stuff It In
Button Snake
Spooning Beads
Wacky Sacks
Pasta Sort
Color Matching Wheel
Chalk Blocks
Pipe Cleaner Toy Color match
Beads into a Water Bottle
Velcro Shape Sticks
Magnetic Pom Poms
Lacing Cards
Sensory Steps
Race Car Shapes
Playdough Mats
Tearing Paper (#12 on her list, scroll down a little)
Color Button Sorting
Texture Sequencing Sticks
Pipe cleaner and magnet discovery bottle
Foam Shape Patterns
Medicine Container Color Matching
Sticker Memory Match
Button Board
Yarn and Sandpaper
Texture Cards
Preschool Busy Bags
(3 years and up)
Popsicle Color Match (use felt rather than paper)
Clothes Line
Color Junk Sort
Spin & Spell
Colored Pasta Beads + Stringing
Moveable Alphabet
Egg Counting
Number Wheel
Popsicle Stick Puzzles
Q Tip Counting Trays
Animal Counting Cards
Shape and Color Memory Match
Build a Cupcake (this alternate link has “recipes”)
Homemade Stickers
5 Fabulous Frogs
Double Trouble Shapes
Hot Glue Rubbing Plates
Scratch Art Paper
Beanbag Games
Bottletop Barnyard
Pool Noodle Lacing
Shades of Color
Clothespin Matching
I Spy Bottles
ABC Fishing
Geoboards
Silly Faces
Velcro Matching Rods
Letter Building
Flip Matching Book
Object Matching Game
Other posts you might like
Easy, fast & fun
What a great idea. I know I’ll be using this later on down the road for my son!
Thank you so much Katie! Busy bags are so useful! Just last night I took the button snake to my 4-year-old’s Spring Performance to occupy my two-year-old. Worked like a charm! I hope you and your son find some you love 🙂
What a fun busy bag activity you made! I haven’t looked at all the ideas you shared yet, but they all seem pretty great. Thanks for sharing.
I have two little girls: 1.5 and basically 3. My MOPS group made busy bags last year. Out of everything in it, “the bottle” is their favorite. All it is is an empty plastic water bottle that is then filled 1/5 of the way with random objects like a couple pony beads, clippings of pipe cleaner, pom poms, etc. There is a ribbon attached to the top of the bottle that is securely attached to a popsicle stick that has a magnet at the end. The girls use the magnet-stick to see what items they can move around the bottle. They’re always so happy when it works and confused when it doesn’t work (like on pony beads), yet giddy every time they play with it. It’s also an amazing shaker for music.
Love the list of ideas! I will definitely be making some of these.