All Our Days

Intentional Family Life

RSS
Subscribe
Etsy
Amazon
Facebook
Pinterest
Instagram
  • Home
  • This Is Us
  • Faith & Family
  • Homeschool
  • Arts & Crafts
  • Books & Games
  • RV Life
  • Contact

Busy Bag Guest Post from Something 2 Offer

10/29/2012

Sorry this post is a day late. Our family been busy preparing for Hurricane Sandy.

7+ Easy Busy Bags for On-the-Go with Free Printable (Day 28) 31 Days of Busy Bags & Quiet Time Activities @ AllOurDays.com

Today’s guest post is from Thaleia at Something 2 Offer.

Easy Busy Bags & How to Make them Portable

We use busy bags for on-the-go as well as quiet times like during the instruction time on homeschool group field trips. Our bags are 3-ring binder pencil pouches found at Walmart for .97 or most dollar stores for $1. (I waited and waited for them to get clearanced last year and they didn’t. They were just shipped into storage in the BIG BACK ROOM at Walmart.)

Why Fabric Pencil Pouches you ask? Simple. They are much more durable than plastic and have the holes needed to attach them with a 3″ loose-leaf ring. This helps keep them together and easy to grab. They are also easy to attach to Mom’s To-Go-Back or a stroller when on a field trip. I had a set of 3 in hubbies car and a set of 5 in my van. We use the van MUCH MORE then the car so I grabbed those bags to re-do and get ready for this busy Fall and Holiday season.

Our Current Busy Bags:

These bags have become total duds for Lil’ Red. He is 30 mths. old and has outgrown them.

These bags are still very much used especially the lacing frogs. The finger puppets we found at Jo-Ann’s or Walmart. The big kids sometimes use them to put on a show.

The felt fishing game is newly made a couple of weeks ago and a BIG HIT! The puzzles and lids not so much. I will use those for tot trays in the near future.

Our Busy Bag RE-DO:

Little Scientist Busy Bag

We love nature around here so this was a no-brainer bag to create. Plus we own everything and did not have to buy anything. Just a quick trip around the house to gather a few supplies.

The kaleidoscope and the flashlight shown here are rather fat to stick in a pencil pouch. So I swapped them out for these:

The compass came from a Subway kids meal and the flashlight was from 3 yrs. ago at Halloween clearance price .50! It has a fat pumpkin head but that has been thrown away a long time ago.

Mini-Office Busy Bag

What kid big or small doesn’t like buttons and gadgets! These were items we had around the house as well.

Glow-in-the-Dark Busy Bag

We went to an evening nature program that started at 7pm. We were already half way there (planning to stop at a couple stores we do not have in our town) when I realized we DID NOT PACK flashlights, fingerlights, battery-powered glow sticks, head lamps or anything but the 2 little ones in my glovebox! I think this clear pack is super important to point out so that the “glow” stars/planets and “glow” Easter eggs can get charged in the daylight and be ready for nighttime fun. We used the “glow” items in our tent this summer as nightlights for Princess and Eldest along with a white rope light.

Just had to include a glowing picture! The finger lights come in various colors. The battery-powered glow stick came from Walmart or Dollar General for $2-5 depending if there’s a whistle on the end or not. Check after Halloween and they may be clearanced out! The Easter eggs of course were purchased after Easter for 75% off. Just thought they were cool and could come in handy sometime.

Girly Girl Busy Bag

What little girl could resist this glam bag. Items from fast food or cheap dollar store dress-up kits.

Cellphone case, beaded necklaces, mini Carebear, shaped links from Dollar Tree, bracelet and mirror from Happy Meal, and crazy pink glasses from somewhere. All were found in Princess’ old dress-up drawer. I know my 3 yr. old niece would LOVE to play with this on the way to church!

Cars of the Rainbow Match Busy Bag

When I was pregnant with Eldest we bought some hot wheels cars thinking he would play with them. Wrong. He could care less, but Lil’ Red on the other hand love to crash cars down ramps and through paper towel tubes. So I thought a rainbow parking match game would be perfect for him. I even found some street signs as well.

I still need to find a flat purple and brown. We had tall vans that didn’t quite fit in the pencil pouches.

What car enthusiast doesn’t love a good parking lot? I made a free printable to include in this busy bag. Visit my blog and subscribe to email updates to receive the free printable. I would print it on cardstock and laminate for durability. Then match those colors away!

Also, be sure to check out the 10 Busy Bags I Want to Make!

Thaleia blogs at Something 2 Offer, writing about homeschooling, crafting, cooking, raising kids, and frugal living. She has been homeschooling full-time for 3 years and has lots of ideas to share. Stop by http://www.something2offer.com/ to read about the latest adventures of Eldest, Princess, and Lil’ Red!

«
»

Filed Under: Homeschool 3 Comments

Comments

  1. エコバッグ アウトレット ルイ ヴィトン says

    at

    Hmm it looks like your site ate my first comment (it was super long) so I
    guess I’ll just sum it up what I wrote and say, I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog.
    I as well am an aspiring blog blogger but I’m still new to everything.
    Do you have any helpful hints for inexperienced blog writers?
    I’d definitely appreciate it.

    Reply
  2. Mel says

    at

    I love busy bags! Having had two “surprise babies” 8 years after I thought I was done, I’ve forgotten all the ways I kept the other busy when they were little. Thanks for sharing

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Busy Bags in Action - Something 2 OfferSomething 2 Offer says:
    at

    […] Well, here is your chance. I’ve talked about busy bags before. I’ve talked about the busy bags I want to make. You see posts all over the blogosphere about busy bags swaps and making busy bags, but rarely do you see kids playing or using busy bags! I took two of my newest super loaded busy bags with me to my Preschool CC Childcare class. Boy were those kids excited to play with some new things. (We set out table type toys each week to help them transition into playing with us and forget that mommy left them.)I took the Little Scientist and Mini Office busy bags that I had blogged about at All Our Days. […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You have to agree to the comment policy.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

A great way to prepare for Christmas!

Truth in the Tinsel

Expand your world and experience new countries without leaving home

Fun classical music education for the whole family

Popular Series & Posts

Teaching Kids to Work
Lowercase Color by Number Printables
DIY Family Prayer Pail

allourdays

Allyson @AllOurDays
Cousins, and aunts, and uncles, oh, my! • Our ki Cousins, and aunts, and uncles, oh, my!
•
Our kids are having so much fun visiting with their cousins and Tim and I are enjoying our time being a nearby aunt and uncle instead of far away ones!
•
I think to helped that we've been using the Marco Polo app to connect with a couple of the younger cousins. It was great that they knew us right away.
•
Now the goal is to get the rest of our siblings on the app so we can stay connected.
•
How do you connect with far away family? We'd love to know all your tips!
Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. • What a Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs.
•
What a wonderful wedding weekend with family back in Maryland!
•
We're so thankful for our time together!
•
Do you live far from family? How often are you able to visit them?
She's barely five and can only read her name and s She's barely five and can only read her name and simple CVC words, but she's already a writer! (Swipe to see her work.)
•
She picked this book up from our library bin this morning and decided to copy the words from every page. "I love this book, and I want to write books just like it so everybody can read them!"
•
What is something your child has wanted to practice or learn about recently? How did/can you partner with them to make it a reality?
Today is a great day for an adventure! Get outside Today is a great day for an adventure! Get outside with your kids. Explore. Discover...and build great memories and relationships along the way!
.
Yesterday the kids and I picked up a friend and walked a local nature loop. The almost 2 1/2 miles sped by with finding awesome sticks, climbing nursery stumps, scrambling into branches, and searching for the perfect beach stones.
.
Have you enjoyed being outside with your kids recently? Where did you go 🌲🏖 or what did you do 🏕🚵‍♀️🤸‍♂️💐?
Our snack today is inspired by the audio book the Our snack today is inspired by the audio book the kids and I have been listening to in the van. Ninga Detectives has been playing as we go back and forth to town to do laundry, buy groceries, and run other errands. Then a few days ago, the characters were eating a fancy dinner at a Russian tearoom in New York City and caviar was mentioned.
.
I remembered I saw some at Grocery Outlet a few weeks ago, so I ran in and picked some up. Add in some simple crackers and cream cheese and this is our morning snack.
.
It was really easy but my kids are so excited about it. Just a reminder to myself that adding enchantment doesn't need to be meticulously planned or require copious amount of extra work. Oh, and that snacks make all learning better!
.
How do you add excitement and connection with the books you're reading or listening to? Let me know in the comments! (Also, watch our stories today for more about our caviar snack connection.)
The blinds may be permanently crooked, the window The blinds may be permanently crooked, the window smudged, and the view not particularly epic, but this gift of another day, breathing, filled with purpose, and surrounded by my little people is more than enough to find joy in!
•
Joy isn't an illusive feeling only reserved for those whose lives are glamorous and easy. Instead of being controlled by outward circumstances, joy is a deep contentment of knowing we are radically loved by God and entrusted with the great honor of working alongside him for his good purpose!
•
Happy Monday, friends!
•
Praying your heart is filled with joy and your day filled with reminders of God's deep love for you!
•
How can you claim joy today?
Great things never come from comfort zones. This i Great things never come from comfort zones. This is true for our kids and for us as parents watching them explore and trying to still breathe. This first shot definitely got me out of my comfort zone!
.
We had an amazing scramble through a local river bed last week. (Scroll for more photos and a video of the amazing rock formations.) There were many reminders to "watch your step" and a few times I simply had to look away. As difficult as it is for me to watch them do risky things I know they will never learn how to do new things if they never take risks. We can help them think through problems and plan their steps but in the end they have to risk failing and try.
.
How do you feel when your kids do risky things? How do you encourage them to try new things? How have you stepped out of your comfort zone recently?
We’ve been singing this hymn together for the mo We’ve been singing this hymn together for the month of September with @happyhymnody and I just love the deep theological truths that are being planted in our hearts as we sing.
.
While we may not agree completely with the doctrine of the writer, we know for certain that it is only by God’s grace and work through Jesus that we can be washed clean and have hope for eternity.
.
“Helpless, look to Thee for grace”
.
“Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee.”
.
Do you like this hymn? Have you found God to be a rock for you during difficult times? Tell me about it in the comments.
"Play is the highest form of research." -Albert Ei "Play is the highest form of research." -Albert Einstein
.
Last week we visited the Imagine Children's museum in Everett, WA. We all had a wonderful time. From a theater and dance screen to a water room and giant foam building blocks there is definitely something for everyone. Children's museums are such amazing places for kids to explore and problem solve through play.
.
Do you agree with the quote above? Tell me something your kids love to play.
Follow on Instagram
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: API requests are being delayed for this account. New posts will not be retrieved.

There may be an issue with the Instagram access token that you are using. Your server might also be unable to connect to Instagram at this time.

What We’re Pinning

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact

Copyright © 2023 · Adorn theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2023 · Adorn Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in