1) Color/Shape Matching Cards 2) Oversized Dominos 3) Button Snake
4) Lacing Cards 5) Color Sorting 6) Dough Fun
7) Shape Stencils 8) Popsicle Puzzle 9) Rigatoni Stringing
10) Coloring/Stamping 11) Counting and Sorting 12) Scavenger Hunt
I’ve got to admit…this whole toddler thing is uncharted territory for me! Just when I thought I was getting the hang of caring for a baby, Jackson went and changed into a toddler. His amazing little mind needs me to be so much more engaged and I find myself trying to play “catch up.”
So how do I research activities to stimulate a growing mind? The internet, of course. I first came upon the idea of toddler activity bags through Chasing Cheerios. What a great way to keep a kid busy for just a few minutes while you change out of your pajamas or finish your burger and fries at a restaurant! Here are a few more links for toddler bags: Muses of Megret, Intrepid Murmurings, and the motherload of activity ideas, My Delicious Ambiguity.
Yesterday a few local moms and I got together to swap our activity bags. The concept was easy: we each made 12 identical gallon-sized freezer bags filled with a toddler friendly activity and swapped for 12 other different bags. We all ended up with about a dozen activities that can be pulled out when needed.
Can’t wait to put these to good use!
triedandtrueblog
We used ours today (the button/unbutton activity bag) and it kept Sammy busy while our food was being prepared! Thanks for organizing the whole thing, we’re so lucky to have you in our lives :)
So glad it worked!
Hey, thanks for linking to me! I just realized the pictures on my activity bag post are down, I’ll try to get them fixed ASAP. Love your post and the pictures of your activities — they look great and I definitely want to try several of them! I hadn’t been to that last link you mentioned with the motherload of activity bag ideas — wow, there’s a TON! I think I am going to be inspired to make a bunch of these for holiday gifts for my girls this year!
It definitely is addictive! After swapping, we all left the get-together inspired to make more!
Very cute! I would LOVE for you to share this idea on “Or so she says…”! Email me if you’re interested.
Mariel
http://www.oneshetwoshe.com
Do you have instructions for these? The button snake looks really cool… but I’d like more info.
Thanks!
oops, a bit new to blogging other people’s pictures and I just popped yours on my blog (with a link). Hope this is ok, please let me know if not and I will take them down (and ensure I ask before next time).
I LOVE your busy bags!!! Do you have your originals and directions for the bags that you made?
Hello! We are currently holding a preschool busy bag swap via US mail! Not sure if you are interested in preschool activities! If you can’t join us this time we will be holding more in the future including Toddler Themed ones! Thanks for this post! Found you from pintrest!
http://vegetarianmamma.blogspot.com/2012/02/preschool-busy-bag-swapsign-up-is-open.html
Hi! I was wondering if you had instructions and/or a printable version for the dominoes activity listed in this swap.
Hi Elaine, the dominoes were made out of craft foam. I think she used a hole punch to make the dots. Hope that helps!
Such creative ideas – I will be trying some of these for my 21 month old. I chose this post as one pf My Friday Favorites. Have a great weekend! http://wp.me/p2hp9V-KH
Thank you so much, Maureen! Hope your toddler enjoys them!