As a DIY enthusiast living in Austin, I’ve crafted countless activities to keep little hands busy and creative minds engaged. Let me share my favorite busy bag ideas that are not only fun but also sneak in a bit of learning while you’re on the go.
Sensory Squishy Bags
Fill a sturdy ziplock bag with gel and small toys for a squishy sensory experience. It’s a delightful tactile activity that always brings smiles.
Maybe worth checking out:
- Reusable Ziplock Bags: Embrace durability and protect contents with these reusable ziplock bags for endless sensory fun.
- Non-Toxic Gel Filling: Ensure safe play with non-toxic gel filling designed for squishy sensory bag activities.
- Mini Animal Toys: Enhance tactile exploration with colorful mini animal toys, ideal for sensory squishy bags.
Play Dough Creations
Pack a small container of play dough with some cookie cutters for a portable crafting session. I’ve found that even a simple set of tools can keep kids entertained for ages, especially during long waits.
You might give these a try:
- Colorful Play Dough Set: Spark creativity with a colorful play dough set, perfect for endless imaginative play sessions.
- Assorted Shape Cookie Cutters: Enhance playtime with assorted shape cookie cutters for fun, creative dough shaping experiences.
- Portable Dough Container: Keep play dough fresh and organized on-the-go with a handy, portable storage container.
DIY Button Snake
Thread buttons onto a ribbon for a fine motor skills challenge. It’s a simple activity that encourages dexterity and is surprisingly fun for little ones.
Items that may come in handy:
- Colorful Buttons Assortment: Encourage creativity with vibrant buttons that enhance your toddler’s fine motor skills.
- Grosgrain Ribbon Collection: Choose durable ribbons ideal for threading exercises to boost your toddler’s dexterity.
- Sewing Kit for Beginners: Get started easily with a beginner sewing kit perfect for creating button snakes.
DIY Shape Sorter
Create a simple shape sorter using a small box and foam shapes. It’s a quick and easy way to teach shape recognition while keeping busy hands engaged.
Check these products out:
- Foam Shape Blocks: Engage your toddler with colorful foam blocks, perfect for teaching shape recognition and hand-eye coordination.
- Small Wooden Box: Craft a custom shape sorter using a sturdy wooden box, ideal for creative DIY projects.
- Non-toxic Craft Glue: Ensure safety with non-toxic craft glue, perfect for building and decorating your toddler’s shape sorter.
Portable Felt Board
Craft a small felt board and cut out shapes for imaginative play. It’s like a mini-theater on the go, and my kids adore making up stories with the felt pieces.
You might like:
- Felt Board Kit with Shapes: Encourage creativity with a variety of felt shapes for endless story-making fun on the go.
- Portable Travel Felt Board: Take imaginative play anywhere with this compact felt board, perfect for travel and quick setup.
- Felt Storyboard Set: Engage your toddler with a felt storyboard set for interactive and educational play experiences.
DIY Lacing Cards
Create lacing cards using sturdy cardstock and a hole punch for a fine motor skills activity. I often use leftover cardboard to make lacing shapes – it’s an eco-friendly way to keep those little fingers busy.
These products might help:
- Cardstock Sheets: Get sturdy and durable cardstock sheets to create your own custom lacing cards for toddlers.
- Hole Punch Tool: Use a reliable hole punch tool to create perfect holes for easy lacing activities.
- Colored Craft String Set: Enhance creativity with a variety of colorful strings for engaging toddler lacing projects.
Travel Size Chalkboard
Pack a small chalkboard and chalk for a reusable drawing surface. My toddlers love drawing and erasing, and it keeps them entertained for hours.
A few things you might like:
- Portable Chalkboard Set: Engage your toddler with this compact chalkboard set, perfect for creative play on the go.
- Dustless Chalk for Kids: Choose dustless chalk for a mess-free drawing experience, ideal for keeping hands and surfaces clean.
- Chalkboard Cleaning Cloth: Add a reusable cleaning cloth for quick and easy erasing, ensuring endless artistic fun anywhere.
Color Matching Pom Poms
Grab some colorful pom poms and a few small containers to create a simple color matching game. My toddler loves sorting them by color, and it’s a fantastic way to sneak in some learning while on a road trip.
Useful items to consider:
- Set of Colorful Pom Poms: Engage your toddler with a vibrant pom pom set for fun and educational color matching.
- Small Sorter Bowls: Enhance sorting skills with small bowls perfect for organizing and matching colorful pom poms.
- Toddler Activity Tray: Keep activities organized during playtime with a durable and spacious activity tray.
Sticker Mania
Include a variety of stickers and a small notebook for endless creative possibilities. My kids love creating sticker stories, and it’s the perfect mess-free activity.
Possibly helpful picks:
- Variety Pack of Colorful Stickers: Spark creativity with vibrant stickers perfect for creating fun stories and scenes anytime, anywhere.
- Small Blank Notebook for Kids: Provide a creative outlet with a handy blank notebook for endless sticker story adventures.
- Reusable Sticker Pad: Enhance creativity with a reusable sticker pad, offering countless storytelling possibilities without the mess.
Puzzle Piece Match-Up
Include a small, simple puzzle in the bag for a quick brain teaser. I love using puzzles to enhance problem-solving skills in a fun, engaging way.
Some handy options:
- Simple Wooden Puzzle for Toddlers: Engage your toddler with this simple wooden puzzle, perfect for developing fine motor skills.
- Beginner Shape Matching Puzzle: Introduce your child to problem-solving with these easy-to-match shape puzzles made for little hands.
- Animal-Themed Wooden Puzzle: Spark curiosity and joy with a fun animal-themed puzzle that encourages early learning through play.
Nature Scavenger Hunt
Create a mini scavenger hunt list for nature outings. My kids love ticking off items they find, and it turns every walk into an adventure.
Try these:
- Children’s Binoculars: Encourage exploration and observation with these kid-friendly binoculars during your scavenger hunt.
- Nature Identification Cards: Help kids identify leaves and plants with these easy-to-carry nature ID cards.
- Canvas Tote Bag: Carry found treasures and adventure essentials in this versatile and sturdy canvas tote bag.
Pipe Cleaner Sculptures
Throw in some pipe cleaners for an easy and mess-free crafting session. My little ones love twisting them into shapes, and it’s a great way to encourage creativity on the go.
Some ideas to consider:
- Colorful Pipe Cleaner Set: Spark creativity with this vibrant set of pipe cleaners, perfect for crafting wherever you go.
- Toddler-Friendly Craft Kit: Engage your little ones with an easy-to-use craft kit, ideal for mess-free creativity.
- Jumbo Chenille Stems: Encourage imagination with these large chenille stems, great for making sturdy, twisty shapes.
DIY Musical Shakers
Fill small containers with rice or beans to create musical shakers. It’s a fun auditory activity, and my kids love shaking them along to their favorite tunes.
A few helpful options:
- Disposable Spice Containers: Use disposable spice containers for easy and secure musical shakers your kids will adore.
- Colored Beans for Crafts: Choose colored beans for vibrant and engaging musical shakers that bring joy to every tune.
- Wooden Craft Embellishments: Decorate your shakers with wooden craft embellishments to add a personal and artistic touch.
Counting Clip Cards
Include some homemade clip cards for a fun math activity. My toddlers love counting and clipping the right number of clothespins onto each card.
Explore these options:
- Wooden Clothespins: Enhance math skills by letting toddlers clip these sturdy clothespins onto counting cards.
- Printable Counting Cards: Promote number recognition with these colorful printable counting cards for hands-on learning fun.
- Kids Craft Twine: Secure your clip cards with this durable twine, perfect for easy hanging and organizing.
Mini Sensory Bottles
Create small sensory bottles with glitter, water, and beads for visual stimulation. It’s a calming activity that works wonders during car rides.
Consider these options:
- Clear Plastic Bottles with Cork Stoppers: Craft unique sensory experiences for toddlers with these durable, stylish clear bottles today.
- Assorted Colorful Beads: Enhance visual stimulation by adding vibrant beads to your sensory bottles for endless fun!
- Fine Glitter for Crafts: Create dazzling effects in sensory bottles with this fine glitter, perfect for engaging activities.
Mini Magnetic Puzzles
Use small magnetic puzzles for a compact and engaging activity. I love creating little puzzle pieces from old magnets, making clean-up a breeze.
Check if these fit your needs:
- Compact Magnetic Puzzle Set: Engage toddlers with portable magnetic puzzles for fun on the go. Perfect for easy travel.
- Travel-Sized Magnetic Puzzle Pieces: Keep little hands busy with travel-sized magnetic puzzle pieces. Ideal for quick, mess-free play.
- Colorful Mini Magnetic Jigsaw: Brighten up playtime with colorful mini magnetic jigsaw puzzles. Easy to store and transport.
Alphabet Bottle Hunt
Fill a clear bottle with alphabet beads and challenge your toddler to find each letter. It’s a fun letter recognition game that never fails to keep my kids occupied.
Give these a look:
- Transparent Sensory Bottles: Keep your toddler engaged with vibrant sensory bottles perfect for letter hunting adventures.
- Colorful Alphabet Beads: Enhance learning with bright alphabet beads that make letter recognition fun and engaging.
- Toddler-Safe Bottle Corks: Securely seal your sensory bottles with reliable corks, keeping contents safely contained.
Animal Figurine Safari
Pack a few animal figurines for imaginative play. It’s amazing to watch how a simple giraffe or elephant can spark a whole safari of creativity.
A few suggestions:
- Wooden Safari Animal Figurines: Boost creativity with these charming wooden safari animals, perfect for imaginative play anywhere.
- Handcrafted Wooden Animal Figures: Encourage endless storytelling with durable, handcrafted animal figures for curious little minds.
- Natural Wood Animal Toys: Delight toddlers with these natural wood animals, ideal for sparking creative adventures.
DIY Story Cubes
Craft story cubes with images or words to inspire creative storytelling. It’s a fun way to foster imagination, and my little ones love rolling the dice to see where their story leads.
A few choices to try:
- Blank Wooden Cubes: Design your own story cubes with these blank wooden cubes and spark endless storytelling adventures.
- Acrylic Paint Markers: Use acrylic paint markers to add vibrant designs to your story cubes and boost creativity.
- Storytelling Prompt Cards: Enhance your storytelling sessions with prompt cards, offering fresh ideas for creative stories.
Popsicle Stick Puzzles
Craft puzzles from popsicle sticks with drawn or glued images. It’s a fun way to challenge little minds, and my toddlers love arranging the sticks to reveal the picture.
Products that could assist:
- Colorful Craft Popsicle Sticks: Engage your toddler with colorful sticks, perfect for creating vibrant, DIY puzzles at home.
- Child-Safe Non-Toxic Glue: Use non-toxic glue to safely secure images onto popsicle sticks for creative puzzle-making fun.
- Kid-Friendly Puzzle Image Stickers: Add vibrant stickers to popsicle sticks to make engaging puzzles toddlers will love to solve.
Counting Bead Strings
Threading colorful beads onto string is not only fun but also a clever way to teach counting and patterns. It’s a favorite in our household for quiet time.
May just do the trick:
- Colorful Wooden Bead Set: Encourage your toddler’s creativity and counting skills with vibrant, easy-to-thread wooden beads.
- Toddler Bead Stringing Kit: Introduce fun pattern-making with a complete bead stringing kit designed for little hands.
- Cotton Thread for Beading: Choose soft, durable cotton thread perfect for creating educational bead strings with young kids.
