Craft Gossip

The largest independent craft review site since 2007

10 Busy Bags To Keep Kids Busy

by

I have been using busy bags to keep my children occupied since they were babies, they are 10 and 12 now. I still think busy bags would work at restaurants when they get fed up waiting for food or fed up looking at each other. Especially since phones are now a common dinner table activity it is very hard to stop them from touching their devices when every family around us is on them. I think busy bags with table top games would work wonders for those children who are not able to just sit and “people watch”.

But these busy bags are the perfect idea for younger children. I love the bags Powerfulmothering has used as they are easy to see in and quick to grab. If you are looking for busy bags for younger kids then you need to visit her blog and check them all out in this detailed article.  You could easily pop these bags together in an hour or less and it will literally give you hours of grab and go activities when you are out and about, travelling or unable to muster the energy to parent.

Read These Next

Have you read?

Hanukkah Unit Studies for Kids

Learning about Hanukkah is important for people of all faiths as a reminder that December isn’t just about Christmas and that their are many other important holidays that happen during this time. Hanukkah unit studies can give you ideas for incorporating the holiday into your holiday studies that happen in December, or to use at home for learning about people of different faiths.

Homeschool Superfreak has a lot of basic ideas for how to build a Hanukkah unit study, as well as FAQs about what Hanukkah is and why it is celebrated. This list is a good stargint point but doesn’t include all the details you’ll need. For example it says you can play the dreidel game but doesn’t explain how to do that or why it’s important. (If you need that information, this post from Mama Smiles is a good source.)

Teachers Pay Teachers has lots of great lesson plans and activities if you’re willing to pay a little bit to get some good content. Two I really like are this Hanukkah PowerPoint presentation from Shelia Melton, which provides a good overview of traditions, food and the history of Hanukkah; and a virtual field trip to Jerusalem from MagiCore, which includes lots of videos showing the city and activities like playing dreidel, drawing a menorah and making latkes. It’s a Google Drive folder and also includes writing activities and more for kids in second to fifth grade.

Kids Activities Blog has some simple printables with facts about Hanukkah and things kids can color in like a Star of David, sufganiyots (jelly doughnuts) and a menorah. These are great for learning the basics.

Homeschool Giveaways has a printable ebook about Hanukkah complete with questions kids can answer after they read. This would be a good one for older kids with good reading comprehension.

NurtureStore’s Hanukkah unit study includes a printable mini book, tons of crafts, as well as math and writing activities. I love the dominoes game that’s part of the unit.

And check out our previous posts for more Hanukkah crafts and learning activities!