Toddler Busy Bag Swap

I belong to Facebook community called Reno Babies & Toddlers Marketplace. It's a super awesome place where you can buy, sell, trade or give away your gently used or new baby/kids items. You can also promote your business or use it as a platform to get advice or recommendations. Needless to say it's a great community to belong to and if you'd like to join, just shoot me an email.

A Mom in the group, Olivia, who runs a bunco group, runs a shop, Crafty Girl Handmade Crafts full of adorable crocheted things AND cute, quality toddler picnic tables AND runs a Spanish Springs/Sparks playgroup took the reigns and planned a busy bag swap.

Have you heard of busy bags before? I really hadn't until a Mom  who also runs a shop making badass tutus, Rosie's Tutus, in the MOMS Club I belong to began doing them as an event each month.

In general, they are:

• Self-contained.  This way, you can just grab a bag and GO! (without having to add a number of supplies to the bag in order to make it useful.)

• Transportable.  Yes, they will definitely be used at home, but I want to be able to grab a few bags to take to a restaurant, a waiting room, plane trips, car rides, etc.

• Convenient.  None of the bags will have supplies that require major set-up or clean-up: (no paint, watercolors, liquids, sand, dirt, etc.)

• Inexpensive. I didn’t want anyone spending too much money on this project!

• Easy to Make: I didn’t want anyone spending hours and hours and hours making their activity.

• Re-usable. I want these activities to last a while so that our other children can use them in the future.  Therefore, I avoided activities where you would have to buy new supplies to re-stock the bag.  This is why lamination is important for some of the activities.

*****Above list was used with permission from Jen over at therigneys.wordpress.com*****

We each got to pick an activity we'd like to make and then needed to make 12 of them (one for each mom that signed up). We all met up in the afternoon and swapped our bags, meaning each Mom came with 12 of the same activities and left with 12 different activities.

Below each picture is a link to a blog that has detailed instructions on creating each kit.

Pony Beads and Pipe Cleaners



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matching Color Shades - I did this one mainly because it was the cheapest.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Button Snake



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matching Memory Game



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lacing Cards



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Popsicle Stick Puzzles



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Measure It



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clothesline 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tanagrams



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A monster creation, which I can't find a link to anywhere.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also there was an I-Spy bag, which I don't have pictured.

It was planned at our local Olive Garden which turned out to not be the best idea, but it was a first for everyone and you've gotta start somewhere, right? Making one of the same bag was super easy and I did mine the night before in true procrastination style. If you'd like to throw one of your own busy bag swaps here is a great website with a ton of great ideas and more details on how to host your own swap.

Toddler Busy Bag Swap, The Rigneys

Also, just search busy bag on Pinterest and you won't be short of any ideas.

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