Busy Bags

[Daycare123]

Hey All!

I want to make some busy bags for my daycare kids ages 1-4. Anyone have suggestions for great busy bags?

thanks!

[fruitloop]

Um, what's a busy bag?

[Inspired by Reggio]

They have so many definitions these days.

Are you meaning the sewn bags with the clear side and things hidden inside that you play I spy and other games or do you mean 'quiet time bags / bins' where you have a bin of activities for one child to do to entertain themselves?

[Momof4]

I don't know what a 'busy bag' is either, but my Mom sewed some awesome drawstring bags for me to keep the children's hats, sunglasses and winter spare things in year round because I don't have room for cubbies. So would drawstring bags work for your idea?

[Daycare123]

Bags with different activities focused on different developmental domains. For example, on bag might have soft pom-pom balls and small plastic tongs for fine motor. These can be guided activities.

[Daycare123]

momof4- that;s great! I have cubbies though..thanks for the suggestion though!

[Inspired by Reggio]

Bags with different activities focused on different developmental domains. For example, on bag might have soft pom-pom balls and small plastic tongs for fine motor. These can be guided activities.

Ah ... I have these but in small clear boxes stacked for 'quiet time' upon wake up and bring out sometimes for rain days and so forth at the 'dining room table' for the older kids....these are a few of our favorite ones

• Pom poms and for older kids buttons/treasures with tongs and ice cube trays or a dozen silicone muffin cups
  
• I have a 'paper doll' one with laminated paper dolls and clothes
  
• Pencil Crayon and 'mandala' pictures
  
• Gemstone collection with a lazy Susan full of gems and white place-mat 'workstation' to make mosaics
  
• Pipe cleaner bin with large spools for infants for 'lacing and beading' and than a gimp and bead bin for the older ones to lace and make patterns
  
• Variety of File folder games for matching or story telling
  
• The Dark box - a box full of $ store things that glow and light up and a dark blanket for hiding under to explore with it
  
• Coloring mixing - eye droppers and ice cube trays and food coloring and mix with water
  
• Wipe off board and dry erase markers
  
• Elastics and a pegboard for making 'designs' with the elastics by wrapping around the peg board

[skippy]

you could have one with a gingerbread man type shape and googly eyes, different coloured yarn for hair and glue you can tint for each child to choose their own skin colouring to pain on the body.

a bag of lacing cards

(I'm new to this and gathering ideas myself). I asked if other mothers/childcare providers wanted to have a busy bag exchange and we all make 5 for each other and get 5 back from each mom....nobody wanted to participate I thought it was a great idea

[Inspired by Reggio]

.... I asked if other mothers/childcare providers wanted to have a busy bag exchange and we all make 5 for each other and get 5 back from each mom....nobody wanted to participate I thought it was a great idea

Oh bummer ~ we did this with our local childcare network group a few years back and it was awesome cause like 13 people participated and we got 12 new ideas for our quiet time bins! We did it again 2 years ago and had about 6 people out.

• Another thing we made was 'eye spy bottles' with colored rice and little bitty things hid in the bottle around the rice and you shake it to find them things.
  
• Coloring mixing bottles (water bottles with colored oil and colored water so when you shake them together they mix to make a 3rd color and then separate back)
  
• Paper clip bin with gimp for lacing and creating paper clip chains.

[playfelt]

Some groups refer to these a "tray jobs" or "table top toys" with the idea most often they are done at the table due to the small pieces and a tray keeps everything contained.

The dollar store is great for getting the clear containers with lids that food storage can go in and those work good for putting activities in.

Any kind of matching and sorting game and then switch out the elements seasonally. A lot of montessori lessons are done this way and if you look online for lesson ideas it will give you what is needed. Forget the link but it something like montesorriforeveryon e. You can print some of the cards too.