Toddler Busy Bag Swap, Part Two

Last week, I started telling you about the busy bag swap I recently participated in. I couldn’t include all the projects in one post. There was just too much awesomeness! As promised, here are the rest of our project ideas for your busy bag swap! (Can I join it? This was fun!)

Emily is another one of our mommy teachers. She joined us for the swap and had another baby just days after mailing her project! The idea is simple, the level of busy for a toddler is nearly endless. A bag or container of assorted dried beans and pasta and an ice cube tray. Great for hand eye coordination and sorting skills.

Our organizer M. Kelly also made us all Button Snakes. I would take credit for helping by stitching all of 4 buttons on with my machine…. but she hand stitched the rest and cut a bajillion squares of felt. With pinking shears. If you aren’t familiar with such a task, let’s just say I’m amazed she still has hands.

Depending on your child, the button snakes are another one of those amazingly simple projects that could provide a good amount of concentrated quiet fun. (My particular child is not there yet, but her little man P was.) A cut of ribbon, a colorful button sewn on each end, and a stack of felt squares with button holes cut. Proceed to have fun!

Rebecca is a SAHM to two adorable kids. Check out her blog. She is sort of one of those moms that puts other moms to shame 😉 All full of crafty projects and  beautiful photos of her children constantly learning and having fun. She picked one of the projects that I was super excited about. A play clothesline. Bean is constantly trying to help me hang clothes, almost to a fault. I’m excited for this to help us with the coordination it takes to pinch the clothespin, and seriously, so cute. This one seems perfect for a rainy day.

Noreen is another teacher turned SAHM in our group. She’s amazing. Let’s just leave it at that. Go read her blog. Bean has been obsessed with her project since the day we opened the box. He’s constantly asking for “bubbuns”. He doesn’t quite have the color sorting part down on his own, but we’re getting there. I especially love that she included buttons of all different shapes and sizes so that we can talk about all the differences while we play.

I claimed my project off the list before we even revealed the list to the group to pick. Selfish, I know. I already had most of the supplies though!! I made iSpy bags. First it was just going to be fish…but you know how that goes. Each shape has a vinyl window and is filled with rice and various small toys, beads, coins, etc. Bean has mostly been using it to identify what’s inside so far and occasionally talk about colors. Eventually, he can use the card on the back to search out the goodies inside. I’m hoping once he can use the card for matching, this is a good car toy.

Carrie is joined the SAHM team with me this past fall right before our new December babies joined the crew. Armed with wooden blocks, fun fabric, and mod podge, Carrie provided each busy kid with 6 puzzles in one! These are a ton of fun, and as silly as it is, I sort of want to make more of these! (It isn’t like I would need to buy fabric…)

Amanda is one of my sewing buddies in the group. She has an Etsy shop and I adore her wipes and blankets. We’re huge fans of her hemp products in this house. The washcloths are perfect for wiping faces after messy meals, and for in the tub, and as wipes on the changing table.. hmmm I think I need to order more. Anyway… I sort of want to post a dozen pictures of Amanda’s projects because they were so cute. But I won’t, I’ll give you two and leave you wanting more. The popsicle stick puzzles are great starter puzzles since it is just matching the picture, not the shape. I’ve seen these with numbers on the sticks too to help the child out a little bit. I might number one side and leave the other side (She put a picture on both sides! Two in one!!)

Monica enlisted the help of her husband’s laser cutter to make her project super awesome. And rather than a ziploc, she made a small fabric bag for each one. I’m not sure what Bean likes more, matching the chips, or filling and emptying the bag. On one side of the chip is an etched(?) shape, on the other side a colorful matching shape. My favorite thing about this one? Probably that it is so small and so entertaining 🙂

Last, but certainly not least, is Kelly’s project. Kelly is also an Etsy shop owner and has made our family some amazing things. Her husband also joined in the busy bag fun and helper her create the spinny speller! At just over 2, not all of our kids are ready for this on their own, but it is still a ton of fun, and so cool! And my guess is there will be years of use. Whether it is creating a real or nonsense word, it is great for learning how sounds work together to make words.

That’s it! For now!! I definitely hope we do this again! Make sure you pin whatever projects you want to make and share these posts with all your friends…maybe they’ll decide you need to do a swap too!