Toddler busy activity bags and trays
I have seven children and i homeschool.I have to juggle high school, middle school, elementary school and preschool all at the same time.How is a mom to keep her little ones occupied during homeschool?Busy bags!Also known as activity bags, these are special activities perfect for toddlers and preschoolers to do during teaching time in our homeschool.They are simple to make and simple to use. I keep theBusy bags in a special place and only bring them out during homeschool hours.I have also learned that i must rotate the activity bags often to keep them fresh. Here are 12 of myBusy bags and how to make them.I am thinking of planning a busy bag swap with some of the other mothers in my homeschool group.For a swap, each person makes multiples of the same activity or busy bag, then each mom swaps the ones she made with ones that others have made.That way you get a variety of bags! I will be adding activities andBusy bags as I build more, so stop back again. You can see my 2 year old having a great time occupying himself with a simple activity that is from one of ourBusy bags.He could do this all by himself and he did it over and over!
A busy bag or activity bag is a ziplock bag(Or other type of bag)That contains a simple activity that your toddler or preschooler can do by himself or with you to learn new skills.They are simply little activities in a ziplock bag.It is important to use the ziplock bags that have the self zipper seal at the top so the little ones can open and close them by themselves.These are great to occupy your littles during homeschool times, while you are waiting for the food to be served at a restaurant or during a church service or event such as a wedding.They are simple and portable.Throw some in your diaper bag or your child's backpack.You can adapt any of these ideas to your own child.Many of my bags are simply enough for my 2 year old to do all by himself.The pom pom stuff it kept him occupied for a good 30 minutes!
This is so easy to make.Simply get a plastic container with a lid and cut a small hole in the top of the lid.Then gather pom poms.Your toddler can dump the pom poms out and stuff them back in through the hole.My little guy is just barely two and he loved this activity!He did it over and over again!My 3 year old also loved it.Even my big guy at eight wanted to try it.This activity builds fine motor skills and you can teach colors and sorting and counting as you drop the pom poms into the container.
This activity can be done several different ways.It grows with your child.The simplest way to play is to put one pom pom in each slot of an old ice cube tray.Two year olds can pick up pom poms and put them into the holes.You can teach one to one correspondence as you play this game.Older toddlers and preschoolers can match the colors of the pom poms to colors on the bottom of the slots.As your child builds fine motor skills, he or she can use a large tweezer or pincher to grasp the pom poms and put them into the slots.To make this game, i picked 2 of each color of pom pom.Then i got an old ice cube tray and colored the bottom of the slot with corresponding colors.This one didn't fit into a gallon zip lock bag, so i store it in a 2.5 gallon zip lock bag.I have a smaller plastic container to store the pom poms in also.
Simply hot glue mini magnets to the bottom of some more pom poms.Use a metal cookie sheet as your board.This busy bag activity can be used in so many different ways.Have your child copy or make patterns with the colored pom poms, move them around to free"Draw,"Or create shapes with the magnetic pom poms.This would be a great homemade gift too!You could also use a magnetic white board as your board.You can add a magnetic letter or number and have them copy the letter or number using the pom poms.Older kids can spell out words using the pom poms.
This is a color sorting busy bag.I found these little dinosaurs that i think originally came from a math game.Somewhere over the years we lost the math game, but we still had the dinos.Since there were six different colors of dinos, i used a 6 cup muffin tin for the base of this activity.I cut out circles of construction paper to match the colors of the dinosaurs and taped the circles into the bottom of each cup.The kids
Ralph Lauren Outlet take the dinosaurs out and put them back in by color.My 2 year old just likes taking them in and out, but my 3 year old can sort them by color.Of course they all like to simply play with the dinosaurs.As long as they occupy themselves, i am happy.I don't need them to do the activity a certain way.You could also use assorted objects in various colors for each cupthey don't have to be matching items.
This is another color matching game.I cut rectangles of card stock and used colored paper clips.I picked the largest paper clips i could find to make it easier.This one was too hard for my 2 year old to manipulate, but my 3 year old could put the clips on by herself.Start with all the clips off of the rectangles, then put them back on according to color.Eventually i will probably print the color words on the rectangles with a marker, so the kids can begin to recognize their color words.Now i have to hunt for paperclips in more colors!I'd recommend having extras of each color so that if the clips get bent, you can replace them easily.Start off with just a few clips and as your child develops fine motor skills, add more clips or smaller clips.
Use clothespins and card stock to make this activity.Trace and cut a large circle from card stock(The stiffer the better).Then divide the circle into pie pieces color each pie piece a different color.Color the tips of the clothespins with matching colors.You can also write the color word on the clothespin.The kids clip the clothespin onto the circle to match the colors.You could also extend this activity bag by putting shapes or numbers or letters on the circle and the clothespins.This one would be great for preschool up through early elementary school age.
This one was a big hit with all of my kids!It is so simple to make this magnetic fishing activity.I cut very simple fish shapes from fun foam and attached a paper clip to the nose of each.ForThe fishing pole i used a chopstick and some heavy string.I hot glued a little magnet onto the end ofThe fishing line.I also hot glued the string to the stick.I'd recommend a shorter string for younger fishermen to keep them from getting frustrated.My 2 year old simply put the magnet onThe fish with his hands and then picked upThe fish.My three year old could fish but it took her a long time to"Hook"The fish.My 6 year old and 8 year old were fishing pros!Store all the pieces in a zippered ziplock bag.I ended up making 4 fishing poles since many of my children wanted to play at the same time, but i found if you store all the poles in the same bag, they tend to tangle.So if you need to make extra fishing poles, simply store them in another bag until you need them.My kids played this for a long time!This one would make a neat, frugal homemade gift for christmas or a birthday too.
The girls loved this busy bag!I simply put a few different color bingo markers and some paper into the bag.They did"Dot art"With the bingo markers.This allowed them to"Paint"Without all the mess.My 6 year old made scenes using the dot markers and my 3 year old just made more abstract art.I don't let them use these all the time, so it is a special treat when they can get these out to play.You could have them do letters, shapes or numbers with dots.You could even give them a simple outline of a letter to fill in using the dot markers.Extend this idea to teach colors, letters, numbers, how to spell their name, the possibilities are endless.
It is so simple to make magnetic matching games.I used the metal cookie sheets(In the above amazon module)And magnetic letters.Then i printed the alphabet in capitol letters using a very large font onto sticker paper.You could also just use labels and neatly write the alphabet with a black marker.The goal is to have the child recognize and match the letters.I made a similar tray with lower case letters, numbers and assorted shapes in different colors.These trays will fit into a 2.5 gallon size zippered bag.
Missoni to launch handbag line
Margherita missoni has created a handbag collection that"Stands on its own".
The pregnant designer will launch the first collection of missoni handbags designed completely inhouse in may this year.
The prefall collection will feature practical leather and suede totes, satchels, and slouchy square handbags in black, tan, and the house's signature rust shade. "But those are not elements that could make a consistent handbag collection and
Louis Vuitton Bags uk we wanted to create bags that would be able to stand on their own. "
The 30yearold hopes these less punchy and easier to wear designs will become"Classics"That appeal to different women in different ways.
She says some of the more traditional patterns associated with missoni will feature in more subtle references such as sketches by her grandfather of a special zigzag pattern that's found on each handbag's jacquard lining.
"For the summer, we'll bring back some more missoni colours, and we'll start to introduce more fabric where it makes sense,"She explained.
Other new accessories lines launching for this summer include famous milliner stephen jones's high street range.
The affordable collection launches today and is made up of 21 hats and six occasion bags.
Stephen says top hat for british chain store debenhams has been in discussion for five or six years.
"Debenhams always had really strong occasion clothing, but now younger people want to dress up for a special occasion.
"It was kickstarted by the royal wedding;People around the world saw the british get dressed up and younger people saw the guests and thought, 'wait, they look as though they're having a good time.' I don't think there's been any sort of impetus or kick like that since Charles and Diana got married. "
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