Each busy bag is designed/selected 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. Each bag should cost no more than $1-$2 per bag!
- Easy to Make
- Re-usable The goal is for these activities to last a while so that our other children can use them in the future. Therefore, avoid activities where you would have to buy new supplies to re-stock the bag. This is why lamination can be important for some of the activities.
Guidelines for the swap are as follows:
1. You will choose an activity from your desired age group list and email it to the coordinator. If you want to make something different let the coordinator know and it will be added to the list. We don’t want to end up with duplicate activity types. Let the coordinator know as soon as you select your activity. Activities will be assigned to each swapper in each group based on a first come, first served basis. If there are four people all wanting to do the same activity, the one who signed up will be assigned that activity. If every one of a swapper's choices are taken, they will be assigned a different activity. (If you have a problem with your assignment, please contact the coordinator right away.) If you should need to drop out of the swap, please inform you coordinator as soon as possible so a replacement can be notified.
2. Once you have received confirmation of your activity assignment from your coordinator, you will have a specified time frame (approximately 2 weeks) to complete the bags. You will make 15-20 identical bags. This will give you ONE of your bags and ONE bag from 15-20 other people. In the end you will have 15-20 different activity bags to use when you need to try and keep your little one busy. We will then either meet at a members house or the library and exchange bags. If you are unable to attend you are responsible for getting your bags to the coordinator before the swap date.
3. Each activity must either fit within a file folder or within a large ziplock bag.
4. These activities should be easy to pull out and use, so include anything you can to make the activity complete. Also be sure to include any necessary instructions.
5. Lamination or page protectors for certain activities is highly recommended. We want the activities to survive our busy children. We also understand that lamination can drive the price per bag up. For that reason, lamination is encouraged but not required.
6. Remember to put together the type of bag that you would want to receive in return. This is really important, of course we want to be cheap-but we also want the activity to hold up to toddler use.
**Be as gender neutral as possible-we have boys and girls participating
