Busy Bags!

© Maria Foy | Happy Mum Happy Child

BUSY BAGS – THE REVIEW

Need something quick and easy to pull out and entertain your child?  Have to travel somewhere long distance?  Want it to be educational at the same time?  Then look no further – Busy Bags are here!!!

I discovered Busy Bags late last year, when Aimee introduced her products to me.  It wasn’t until this year that I got the opportunity to try her products, and I was most definitely not disappointed.

Aimee is a New Zealand teacher, and knows what children need to be exposed to before they get to school.  She is early childhood trained so understands the importance of child friendly / hands-on learning.  She is also a Mum of two (WONDER WOMAN, I KNOW!), so she knows what kids love doing.

Taken from Busy Bags’ website: “Busy Bags are hands-on learning activities for little hands and inquiring minds, they provide engaging educational activities, in grab-and-go bags.”

MY EXPERIENCE
I was sent two bags, Nuts & Bolts (18m +) and Bead Threading (3yrs +).  I have a 13 month old and a 3 year old, so both were perfect for them.  The bags themselves are very sturdy, and have a zipped opening.  Inside the bag is the activity plus an activity card, detailing what can be done.  The amount of pieces in each bag is very generous – enough for both kids to play with at the same time.

Also, don’t worry about the kids “wrecking” the activity either.  The entire activity (bag included) is extremely well made.  The pieces themselves are solid, and large enough for small hands.  So large in fact, that when thrown all around the lounge, I was still able to find them.  Nothing worse than losing pieces of a set!

I gave the 13 month old bag (zipped closed) and let him discover it on his own.  He figured out how it opened, tipped the nuts and bolts out, and then proceeded to play with the BAG.  KIDS – DOING THINGS THEIR OWN WAY SINCE THEY WERE BORN!

Eventually he picked up the general idea of what was meant to be done.  But even if he took a while, it wouldn’t have mattered – because everything he was doing, was learning.  There are multiple ways to play with this particular set – learning colours, matching different sizes, matching shapes.  Absolutely brilliant.

When my 3 year old played with the Bead Threading activity, she took to it like a house on fire.  She understood immediately what needed to be done.  The activity contained cards showing different combinations that the beads could be put on the thread, and this is where the real challenge was.  My daughter is still learning her colours, so this activity is perfect for helping her do this.  The beads come in different colours and different shapes, so there are many ways for the child to learn.

Essentially, your child can’t go wrong with these Busy Bags – they can do whatever they want.  You can guide them, but if you have a normal child, they’ll probably do the opposite of what you want them to do anyway…

MY THOUGHTS
Honestly, I can’t stress this enough – I HIGHLY RECOMMEND BUSY BAGS.  Because they come in zipped bags, they are easy to store, and then easy to get out again.  You can take them in the car and are perfect for the kids to play with on long trips.  The activity objects themselves are quite large, so perfect for small hands.

We went to Ireland when my daughter was 18 months old, and I wish so badly we had these at that time.

THE DEAL
The bags range in price from $20 – $45, with the opportunity to purchase sets, at a discounted price, if needed.  They suit 18 months +, however as the range has relatively large objects, it can be suited to younger.  My 13 month old loves it!

Please visit Aimee at her Busy Bags FACEBOOK page, and check out her website www.busybags.co.nz.

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