Our 1st Busy Bag Activity

Ok, this activity didn't actually fit in a bag but follows the same principals: A simple, usually handmade, educational activity to occupy your child and promote lone play.

I took my idea from watching C at one of our baby groups.  One of her favourite activities to promote hand-eye coordination was posting straws to small holes.  I had an idea to take it one stage further:

I used:

• 1 Cereal Packet
• 4 Coloured plastic bottle lids
• Coloured straws (to match the lids)

What I did

• Drilled holes (just wider than a straw) in each of the coloured bottle tops
• Cut a slot in the top of the cereal packet
• Glued the bottle tops to the top of the cereal packet, above slot
• Cut open the bottom of cereal packet so straws can be easily retrieved

Approximate Make Time: 

• 15 mins (plus 12 hours for the glue to dry)

Aim:

• To promote hand-eye co-ordination and colour recognition by posting the coloured straws through the correct colour bottle top.

 

C took to the activity straight away and immediately grasped what she needed to do.  We talked through each of the straw colours and which coloured hole it needed to go in and she needed no direction to select the correct hole for the straw.  I started the activity with 4 straws of each colour, so 16 in total and she correctly posted each one.

Later on, as her concentration wained, C was less bothered about which straw went in which hole but I was really encouraged by her earlier attempts.

All in all, this activity only kept C occupied for about 10 minutes and none of that could really be described as lone play however it is a starting point....