Tons of Ideas for Preschool Busy Bags

I went through a phase where I was obsessed with toddler and preschooler busy bags. I was part of a mom’s group and we did a giant swap of busy bag activities (so big I got five blog posts out of it, check them out if you’re in that age group) and I always loved having those handy activities for on the go or quiet time or when I just needed a minute to get something done.

At Arrows and Applesauce, she has busy binders instead of bags, with each activity in a pouch that kids can easily flip through and pull out what they want to use. (This would also work in a box, with each activity in its own bag.)

She has a post all about what’s in her busy binders. There are two of them, one relating to letters and colors, and one full of activities about numbers and shapes. There are lots of great ideas here even if you don’t want to make a big binder full of activities right now.

Do you have a favorite busy bag idea? I’d love to hear about it!

[Photo: Arrows and Applesauce.]

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Paper Bag Activities for Kids

I’m in deep denial about the fact that new year is almost upon us again! It’s been the fastest and the longest year at the same time, and I can look back and see some good things as well as some things I wish had gone differently.

Doing a year in review with your kids — whether in the classroom or at home — is a good way to capture some of their memories and the things they really liked about the year gone by.

There are a lot of different printable year in review worksheets you can use if you want to make this super easy. Here are links to a few (often part of larger posts about NYE celebrations with kids that are worth a read, too):

Teach Beside Me has lots of fun printables fro the end of the year, including a year in review that covers favorite memory, funniest memory and the best book they read, among other topics.
NurtureStore‘s version has space for a self-portrait and prompts like favorite toy, best day out this year and future dream job.
Remember favorites, their “best idea” of the year and have room for setting goals for next year with this one from The Keele Deal.
The year in review from Yes We Made This has room for drawing or writing and includes things like something they learned, a memory they made and a place they visited.

Of course you could pretty easily make your own year in review for the whole family to do that asks questions based on what you most want to remember. (Favorite video game? Best friend? Favorite family memory?)

And if after the year in review you’re ready to look ahead a bit, Mrs. Merry has new year’s resolution printables to inspired kids to look ahead and set goals for things they want to try. You can totally fill this one out as a grownup, too.

[Photo: Mrs. Merry]

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