May Activity Swap

RRCH will be hosting its THIRD Busy Bag exchange! (Click here to see the first swap).
This swap will be open to 20 participants and the activity you bring is up to you.
To join, leave a comment on this post, stating the name of the activity you plan to make.
Contact Nicki Truesdell at (400things@gmail.com) if you have any questions.
IMPORTANT DATES:

• Sign-up Deadline: April 23
• Exchanges: May 7

---

What's a Busy Bag Swap, you ask?
It's a very easy way to collect up to 20 "busy" activities for your preschooler.
On those crazy days when you have lots going on and a very inquisitive preschooler nearby (this is every day, right???) you simply pull out one of these activity bags and get yourself a possible half-hour of peace and quiet!
All you need to do is make one activity, and duplicate it up to 20 times,
bring it to the swap, trade with the other participants, and go home with
up to 20 different busy bags.
This activity is not limited to parents of preschoolers. Grandparents,
aunts, Sunday School teachers, babysitters, gift-givers; if you need some
preschool activities, you are welcome to join the swap. A stack of 20 busy
bags would make a great birthday gift!
Each activity needs 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
parents might 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:* Don't spend too much money on this project!
· *Easy to Make: *Don't spend hours and hours and hours making your
activity.
· *Re-usable:* I want 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 is important for some of the activities. Use a FREEZER bag for
durability.
· *Include instructions:* Make sure the activity has a clear name or
instructions for use. Laminate this if possible, or write on Ziploc bag
with a Sharpie.
· *Preschooler appropriate*: The activity needs to be appropriate for
ages 2-4. Every child is different, so busy bags may be simple and some
will be more advanced. That's okay. Variety is the spice of life!
If you're not sure if you can handle the expense or the time investment at this time, you might want to wait for the next swap. There will be more!
*If however, you do sign up with full intentions of participating, but then realize that for some reason you are unable to continue, please let me know right away, so that we can contact someone else who would love to be involved.*
Try to invest *no more than about $1 per bag*. (Use those Michaels, Joanns, & Hobby Lobby coupons!!)
Also keep in mind your schedule AND your budget. Some of you may have more time than money, vice versa. If you have the time, you might be willing to print and cut and
sort flash cards or felt shapes. If you don't have the time, but have a few extra dollars, you might be willing to purchase manipulatives that just need sorting into bags.
Need ideas? Google Activity Bags or Busy Bags or check out the RRCH Pinterest Boards by clicking on the red Pinterest button on the right sidebar.