A few weeks ago, I signed up to be apart of a Busy Bag swap with some local Mama's. It ended up being a big group -- 14 women! If you're unfamiliar with what this is, it's basically a "bag" full of activities for your kids to play with or work with quietly. No batteries needed, just activities to keep their fingers busy and minds working.
The swap itself is a genius idea.... you make "x" amount of the same activity, then go to this get-together and come home with that same amount of new busy bags for your kids. I think the key to all of the activities is using them "sparingly" so they don't get tired of them. Ours are kept in a closet unknown to the boys, and I pull them out when we're bored of regular toys.
Lucky for me, 14 women participated in this particular swap, so I have a good amount of things for the boys to work on and play with!
Here's what we came home with...
A lot of fun! We sort by color, count them, build towers, and of course... knock it all over.
Felt board with shapes
Cohen really likes this one. His houses are always very... ahem, creative. :)
Jar lids to push through the hole in the container
One of the boys' favorites... the girl who made these saw the original idea in Parents magazine.
Cohen can't quite do this one yet, but that makes it extra fun for Jaxon :)
Challenging for both boys, in a good way!
This is the bag I brought. Not to toot my own horn, but so far, this has been the most played with. The boys love to pretend to make a pizza for "Grandma" or "Papa" and follow the instructions on each card.
Busy Bag Roadways... designed by Life Well Lived
This was clearly the boys' first pick, straight out of the bag. They love anything cars and roads!
Letter tracing
Love the cards, they are printed on 3x5 picture paper! Such a good idea.
Another fun one - it keeps both boys occupied for a long time!
I was amazed that Cohen could do this one by himself... Mom fail, I didn't even realize he knew his colors!
This one is over Cohen's head but is challenging for Jaxon. Great activity!
Another favorite for both boys! Sort by color and dump it all out... fun for all!
We haven't done this one yet, but the boys love playdough so I know they'll enjoy it!
Oh man, I love this one! So cute, and I can't imagine how long it took this Mama to make 14 sets! Both of the boys really enjoy this one too. It's lots of fun!
We also really like this one! Jaxon prefers the string, and Cohen likes to do it with the straws.
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I am also in the process of organizing a swap for some blogging friends... I can't wait to start getting them in the mail, and of course I'll be back to show you more once that swap is over.
If you're looking for something to do with friends, this is a great idea and fairly easy to organize. You get to spend time with Mom's, PLUS come home with activities for your kids! Have fun :)
How cool. I saw another one of these on IG. I would love to be a part of it!
ReplyDeleteOk, maybe I'm just a kid at heart, but your pizza game looks super fun!! :) what a neat idea!
ReplyDeleteoooh, I almost did a couple of these for our blogger swap---love the reviews on them, very helpful!
ReplyDeleteHOLY COW! You know some pretty creative people!
ReplyDeleteI tried once to do a pinterest swap party..... epic fail.
All the Mom's were so tired. They just wanted to show up & eat something:) hahahahaha
I still love this idea!!