Busy Bag: A Cheap and Easy Way to Entertain the Kids!

A couple of months ago, I was introduced to the idea of "Busy Bags."  Immediately I had one of those "why didn't I think of that?!" moments.  (That happens to me a lot, actually!)  :)

Have you ever been cooking dinner...at the last minute....when you're supposed to be somewhere in an hour....when all of a sudden your kids melt down?  In my house, the kids usually play together BEAUTIFULLY until the very minute the pasta boils over or something HAS to come out of the oven before it burns.  You've been there....It's like the minute you step into the kitchen, a fight breaks out, a boo-boo needs attention, or a drink is spilled, etc. 

This is EXACTLY when a Busy Bag can save the day!  They are, in a nut shell, zip-top bags filled with simple, inexpensive, and age-appropriate activities that will keep your child busy for a short period of time!  Since I learned about them, I have been creating Busy Bags and placing them in a plastic tub in the floor of the kitchen.  Then, if I'm in the kitchen and the kids start to get rowdy or bored, I tell them to choose a Busy Bag to play with.  They go to the box, pick out a bag, and sit at the table and play with it while I finish cooking dinner.  I mean, just the sound of the bags being pulled open is like hearing a giant "SIGH" in my home!

Can you hear it?!  :)


Even if you think you're not a crafty or creative person, you CAN make your own Busy Bags!  Most of the ones I have made include materials I either already had in the house or that came from the Dollar Store.

Let me give you an example...

The newest Busy Bag I made was for "Lacing Shapes."  All of the materials I used for this Busy Bag came from the Dollar Store. 

Here's what you need:

-foam shapes (I found rectangle and flower shapes at my store.  If you can't find the foam shapes, you can buy a piece of posterboard and cut it into shapes yourself.)
-shoelaces (I found a package of 8 sets of shoelaces in the "beauty" aisle at my Dollar Store)
-a hole punch

Here's what you do:

-Use the hole punch to punch holes all around the edges of your shapes.
-Take the shoelaces and tie a knot in one end of each one that is big enough so the laces can't be pulled through the holes.
-Place the hole-punched shapes and the knoted shoelaces into a zip-top bag. 
-When your child is ready to play, show them how they can pull the laces through the holes.

INSTANT FUN!

Here's how mine turned out...

I'll be bringing you some more busy bag ideas in the future.  In the meantime, if you have any ideas for fun, kid-friendly activities, I'd love to hear them!