Busy bags are very simple activities that can be stored in a bag and ready to go whenever needed. Infants can play independently with these busy bags and will remain occupied for a longer duration.
What are Busy bags for infants? Busy bags are an excellent quiet time activity for kids. If you want to have some ‘me’ .time and just a few minutes to relax, then a busy bag is the best option you can have.
I picked out some really neat and easy ways to make busy bags at home. There are subscription services available for busy bags but making them at home, is so much cheaper.
How do You make a Busy Toddler Bag?
Pick out some favorite toys and activities and add them to bags that can be sealed. You can have a theme going on such as Christmas or Halloween. You can add toys and activities by a project you want to get done ( crafting, coloring). You can create busy bags that are educational such as counting ( magnetic boards and numbers), matching letters and shapes.
What’s in the bag ideas?
I had been introduced to a game idea which was pretty new to me. This was placing things in a bag and kids have to guess what the object is. This is another variation of a busy bag.
This can be very very helpful when toddlers are not keeping quiet at all.. or you just need to do something with them at an appointment ( doctors, vets, dentist) and not having them running around.
You basically can have some items in a non-transparent bag and kids have to guess what it is. This works on their touch, feel and creativity.
Some ideas are small ropes, blocks, pompoms, crayons, a pencil.
I like the next idea which is based on a theme such as Christmas.
Whats in the Bag Christmas Game?
Have items and objects related to Christmas in a bag? Now, this is a guessing game so we need a bag that we cannot peek into.
The idea of the game is kid touches the object in the bag. Kid has to guess what the object is. Then we pull the object out and check if we got it right.
Here are some ideas for your Christmas Bag Game
- A santa hat
- A pine cone
- A bow
- A mini Christmas tree
- An ornament
- A bell
- Christmas candy
You can get creative, place those objects which your child can associate with Christmas. The most important thing is to keep things simple and pick those items which your child is familiar with.
We want this to be a fun activity.
Some other Theme Based Busy Bag Ideas…
Diwali Busy Bags
Diwali is the festival of lights and a story of triumph of Good over evil.
Include the stories, ideas, and activities in a bag based on Diwali and you have a Diwali themed busy bag.
- Colour in a story of Diwali ( Ram and Sita)
- Colour sketching sheets of rangoli
- Create lanterns or some simple origami crafts
- Match cards with a Diwali theme ( lanterns, diyas, pictures of Ram, Sita, Lakshman)
- Decorate with stickers
Here is something I found on Amazon… Click the image to check it out. Its already pre-made, if you are in a hurry … I checked it out for new ideas.
What do you put in a Busy Bag?
Let us have a look at some interesting busy bag ideas for infants.
Crinkle Paper Ball game
This is quite a simple busy bag idea for infants. You can carry paper in your busy bag and hand over those to your little one at places like restaurants, hospitals, etc. Your baby can crunch it, crinkle it or even make paper balls out of it and toss them.
Mystery bag
You can put as many items you want into a bag such as a spoon, a cup, a soft toy, soft fabric, teethers, some colored balls, etc. Let your baby put his hands into the bag and find out what he got on his own. This will be an innovative idea to keep infants engaged.
Save this in your Babies Pinterest Board for later
Building and Crashes
You can put numerous items into your baby’s busy bag such as tissue paper boxes, paper, spoons, diapers, some toys, a small book, etc. Your baby can use them to build a building by balancing and then suddenly the objects crash and fall down.
Animal Texture Board
You can get a board that consists of the skin texture of various animals. Your baby can touch the animal texture board and can play with it. Moreover, you can also tell the names of the animals to your kids according to the texture board. This will be fun as well as an educative activity for your kid.
Pretend Playing Zoo
You can put some small-sized stuffed toys in a bag and carry it with yourself while going out. At places like the airport or at a doctor’s place, you can give your baby those small-sized toys and make him sit for playing. You can pretend as you and your baby are at a zoo surrounded by lots of animals.
Teething Necklaces
This is one of the easiest and convenient methods of keeping your baby when outside. You can put some teethers or teething necklaces into a bag. Your baby will enjoy chewing those while waiting patiently for the flight or the doctor.
Matching Colors
You can put some small sized balls of different colors and some blocks of different colors as well in a bag. Your baby can find out the balls and blocks together and playfully match the colors of balls with that of the blocks.
Bowl and a Ball Game
You can put a small-sized metal bowl and a small ball in a bag. Your baby can roll the ball in the metal bowl and play with it on his own. This will be fun and would keep your baby engaged as well.
Stacking Blocks
This is a very popular and easy busy bag idea for infants. You can carry blocks of different colors in a bag. Your baby can pull out the blocks from the bag and stack them together.
So, keeping your infant busy and engaged can be a difficult task. Your baby would also seek your help and your presence for most of the activities as he is too small. However, with these simple busy bag ideas for infants, you can think about having some ‘me’ time while your baby remains engaged.
Some more posts for you mamma 🙂