So, in my new Pinterest fascination, I came across this Toddler "Busy Bag" swap. Ten or 20 (or however many people are interested) come up with a "busy bag" idea (my favorites are highlighted below) and make 10-20 (or however many) of them up in a giant ziploc bag. Then all the women get together one day and swap them. So you immediately get a bunch of fun bags of things to keep your toddler busy for awhile. How awesome is that? I know there aren't enough people in Knoxville who have toddlers, so if anyone else out there is interested, let me know. Perhaps we could do some kind of mailing swap? Or maybe it's just a good Enrichment activity idea. If enough people are interested, I can try and get something going.

Any takers?

Here's the website and more/re-posted info that explains it better than I just did:

http://therigneys.wordpress.com/2011/08/26/toddler-busy-bag-swap/

Toddler “busy bag” swap!

By the Rigneys

This post could also be properly entitled: My Winter Survival Kit!

This past week, I hosted a Toddler “Busy Bag” Swap in my home for a group of my friends after deciding that I needed a little help keeping my toddler busy when we are snowed-in this winter (not to mention for the times when I will be busy caring for his new little brother!).

I assigned each woman a different toddler activity (or they could come up with their own idea) to replicate 20 times (storing each activity in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag).  We all met over dessert and then swapped our activities with one another.  I thoroughly enjoyed watching each mom carry a huge bag filled with 20 different activities to their car!  I plan to keep Sam’s “Busy Bag” stashed away until the wintertime and then slowly introduce one activity at a time.

Each activity needed to meet the following criteria:

• Self-contained.  This way, you can just grab a bag and GO! (without having to add a number of supplies to the bag in order to make it useful.)

• Transportable.  Yes, they will definitely be used at home, but I want to be able to grab a few bags to take to a restaurant, a waiting room, plane trips, car rides, etc.

• Convenient.  None of the bags will have supplies that require major set-up or clean-up: (no paint, watercolors, liquids, sand, dirt, etc.)

• Inexpensive. I didn’t want anyone spending too much money on this project!

• Easy to Make: I didn’t want anyone spending hours and hours and hours making their activity.

• Re-usable. I want these activities to last a while so that our other children can use them in the future.  Therefore, I avoided activities where you would have to buy new supplies to re-stock the bag.  This is why lamination is important for some of the activities.

I’ve posted pictures of the activities we swapped along with the corresponding links to give you a more detailed explanation of each activity.  I am sharing this here in case you are interested in coordinating a swap for you and your friends.  I already know of another group at our church planning a swap very soon, so hopefully these links could be of some help!

Mini Reversible Felt Board

“I Spy” Fish

Pasta Sorting and Stringing

Pony Beads and Pipe Cleaners

Matching Color Shades

Foam Shape Puzzles

Build-Your-Own Felt Pizza

Button Snake

Matching/Memory Game

Homemade Organic Playdough

Button Matching Game

Color Matching Wheel

Lacing Cards

Popsicle Stick Puzzles

Homemade Number Boards

Animal Counting Cards

Number Wheel

Pushing Puff Balls