Toddler Busy Bag - The Exchange

I organized a Toddler Busy Bag Exchange for some moms with busy little ones in my community.  Click the words "Toddler Busy Bag" in the first sentence to take you to the link with the rules and guidelines.

We had 14 people originally sign up.  One was unable to turn in her bags right now - the other is completing her's ASAP due to a family trauma and birth of her newborn.  Participants:  I will get you the last sets when Erin gets her complete and if Katie is able to finish her's.  For now...I need these awesome and large sets out of my dining room. {grin - small home, humble spaces}

So...right now we have 12 activities in the line-up:

COLOR SORTING:

This is a set of brown paper sacks to fill with household objects with each color.  Perfect for sorting or working on one color at a time!

FINE MOTOR DROP:

 A parmesan cheese container with pipe cleaners for the small holes...

 and poms for the large hole.

 I also included tongs for extra fine motor growth - to pinch those poms with!

FELT CHAIN:

Fifteen felt links to make a chain.

FELT ICE CREAM:

 

Very cute and self explanatory. :)

FOAM BEADS WITH LACES:

Perfect for some of our older toddlers!

GEL SQUISHY BAG:

A reinforced baggy full of hair gel and "sea" objects.  This bag became a pricier project than originally anticipated - thank you to Janel for following through!  Note:  If your bag gets a small hole wipe clean and seal it with clear packaging tape.  

HEADS AND TAILS:

Laminated "heads" and "tails" cards to match.

SHAPE SORTING:

Laminated shape sorting with velcro.

FILE FOLDER GAME:

Love the laminated reinforcement put into this one.  The inside of the folder holds the cards - the front and back have 2 different sorting games!

Jenny even hand colored all the cards!

SPONGE BLOCKS + BALL THREADING

Foam sponges cut into building blocks - for quiet building at church, etc!  Also Shonya included a ball and pipe cleaners for threading.
Note - I noticed the sponges in the bag I opened were a little moist...likely just pre-moistened.  I cracked each bag's zipper a bit to prevent mildew/mold.  

2 LITER DROP IN:

A 2 liter bottle with sticks to drop in the top.  The large reinforced window cut out is so the littles can stick their hands in and retrieve their sticks.  Mia tried this out when they were all sitting here and she loves this one!  I also have some of those old fashioned clothespins here at the house for her to drop in.

VELCRO POPSICLE STICKS:

We took this to church last week and Mia enjoyed pulling the sticks apart after we stuck them together for her.

Many of us actually completed 15 activities and the extras in the last set will be gifted to a family that I find that might be able to use them.  Or - as I've done in the past - sometimes I take one activity at a time in the extra set and give it away to a fidgety little person at a restaurant or in church, etc.  That's fun to do!!

Thanks to our participants!  Hope you enjoy your sets!!