Busy bags are little kits of pure 10 minute happiness. They’re meant to be stowed away in your diaper bag or purse until that moment when you need a quick distraction for the kids. Another benefit to busy bags? They are educational through play!
At my library, I hosted a busy bag party for two groups: one-year-olds and two-year-olds. The activities for two year olds were very easy to find but the ones proved a bit more difficult given their limited capabilities. But never fear! I have the programs right here!
Although putting the busy bags together was labor intensive, it is a great, simple activity to ask one of your teen volunteers to help you stuff the bags with supplies.
Hands-On Ones
- Styrofoam & tees – $5 bag of tees, $12 for foam
- Waterbottle and sticks – $0 Recycled water bottles, $3 colored sticks
- Paper Play – $0 left over paper supplies
Supplies
- Foam blocks
- Golf tees
- 20 Water bottles
- Colored sticks
- 20 sheets of
- Foil
- Sandpaper
- Felt
- Wax paper
- Wrapping paper
The water bottles doubled as sound makers!
Skip the golf tees–I just wanna squish it!
Added bonus: taking the paper out of the bag and putting it back. Repeat.
Hands-On Twos
- Pipe Cleaner shapes
- Felt Pizzas – $10 yard of brown and red felt
- Velcro sticks – $18 for velcro dots
- Button Snake
Supplies
- Cardstock
- Pipe cleaners
- Cut up felt
- Colored popsicle sticks
- Velcro dots
- Ribbon
- Buttons
- Needle and thread
Library Bonanza 
I luuuurve your Hands on One’s and Two’s so much. I’m going to try to incorporate some of your ideas into a new Toddler Explorers program I’m doing this summer.
I wonder if you could even just have all the supplies to make them with an example for each, and invite parents to come and make them for their kids, share their favorite ideas, and just socialize over their crazy offspring.