Busy Bag #5: Family Photo Magnets

When I saw this idea over at Engaging Toddler Activities, this was top on my list to make for my son. Both my husband's family and my family live long distance, so learning names & faces of relatives inbetween visits is important to us. Family Photo Magnets are a great way for Levi to play and learn family faces at the same time! Find the complete directions here.

Supplies I Used:
- Photos of family members 
- Magnetic tape
- Clear contact paper or a laminator (since I don't have a laminator, I substituted clear contact paper that I already had on hand)
- Thin cardboard to make the photos more durable
Total Cost: Depends on what you already own
Time: 15 minutes or more, depending on how many relatives you're doing, and if your toddler is around to try and "help"

Thanks, Engaging Toddler Activities for this great idea!

Other Busy Bag Ideas:
#1: Chalkboard & Chalk
#2: Pipe Cleaners in a Bottle
#3: Colors & Shapes Magnets
#4: Counting & Colors with Pom-Poms

Busy Bag #4: Counting & Colors with Pom-Poms

Here is another easy, cheap, & fun busy bag:

Supplies:
- Various colored "pom-poms" (you can buy large ones so there is less choking hazard)
- a small container w/ lid (I used an extra snack container)
Total Cost: $1-$3 depending on what you already have!
Time: 2 minutes or less

Put 10 or so "pom-poms" in the container, then put the whole container in a quart-size plastic bag until ready to be taken out to play with.

The child can count the pom-poms as he/she puts them back in the container. Go over colors, counting, and even how to open/close a container with lid! Again, very simple. But fun! I got the idea of using pom-poms from "My Delicious Ambiguity", as website with lots of Busy Bag ideas, but changed it to a container instead of a bottle to adjust to my 18m old's abilities (it doesn't help mommy out very much if I have to be the one pulling the pop-poms back out for him to play with!)

Other Busy Bag Ideas:
#1: Chalkboard & Chalk
#2: Pipe Cleaners in a Bottle
#3: Colors & Shapes Magnets

Busy Bag #3: Colors & Shapes Magnets

Here is another simple Busy Bag you can put together to have on hand for busy little fingers and eyes. I just called it "Colors & Shapes Magnets". This is a spin-off of the family photo magnets I found here (and I plan on making next time I get around to having pictures developed, because both my family and my husband's live long distance).

Supplies:

- Several colors of Crafting Foam Paper (Around $2 for 15 sheets or so I think? I also recently saw foam shapes/colors in the Target $1 that look like they would work great!)

- One-sided magnet tape* ($2.50 or so at Hobby Lobby. Remember Hobby Lobby has weekly printable coupons, often 40% off one item)

- Scissors 

- Permanent Marker

Total Cost: Minimal, considering how many you can make from just $5 in supplies!

Directions:

- Using scissors, cut out various shapes (I cut out two of every shape/color so we could possibly play matching down the road)

- Cut 1 inch pieces of magnet tape and stick to the back of the shape*

- Write "(Color)" or "(Shape)" on the front (or both)

- Put all the pieces in a quart size ziplock bag!

Have fun! This can be a travel activity if you bring a small metal cookie sheet to use as the board. Fridges & dishwashers work great in the house!

Other Busy Bag Ideas:

#1: Chalkboard & Chalk

#2: Pipe Cleaners in a Bottle

*My 18m son already figured out how to pull the magnets off and tried eating them... so keep an eye on your child when playing with these (as with anything else). I'm going to try hot glue or super glue to see if either of those work better than just the standard adhesive on the back of the magnet. As a child gets older, this shouldn't be as much of an issue.

Busy Bag #2: Pipe Cleaners in a Bottle

Here is Busy Bag #2: Pipe Cleaners in a Bottle. This idea I got from the blogger at "Engaging Toddler Activities". To see the complete tutorial, head over here. 

Supplies:

- Pipe Cleaners

- Plastic container with lid

Total Cost: Depends on what supplies you already have* (Mid-range pipe cleaners were $.79 a pack at Hobby Lobby, but were 50% off, so only $.40. I used a food storage container I already had)

Modifications I made for my son...

- Used a shorter container. I originally made it with a "Puffs" snack container (like the one in the tutorial). Levi wasn't getting the hang of stuffing the pipe cleaners all the way down, so they were bending and he was getting frustrated... definitely not my intention! The shorter container also doesn't flip over as much.

- Bent & twisted pipe cleaners to make them thicker. To help with not bending as easily, I folded the pipe cleaners in half and twisted them. You could do this for the tall container by twisting two pipe cleaners together. Whichever you choose, don't forget to bend the little ends up to help with not having sharp tips.

Levi loves playing with this. He loves sticking straws in and out of cups, and this is the same concept. Very easy to keep in a bag, and you can store the pipe cleaners in the tub when not being used!

Other Busy Bags:

#1: Chalkboard & Chalk

* When making any of these busy bags, look around your house, kitchen, and craft room to see what you can re-use or re-purpose! Saves a ton of money and helps move things on to a new home! Your activity might look a little different than the original, but your 18m toddler won't know the difference, right? As always, feel free to share ideas in the comments below!