I’ve been adding to my collection of busy bags and sensory boxes. I’m sharing the printable pattern card to my newest busy bag – Rainbow Popsicle Patterns!
What is a Busy Bag?
Simply put, a busy bag is a simple activity to engage your preschooler or toddler. These simply activities engage your child and encourage them to play independently. Busy bags require little supervision and instruction, which gives you a break too!
These activities are reusable, and can often be modified as your child grows and learns.
When to use a Busy Bag?
Busy bags are great for times when you need to keep your kids occupied (and quiet) for a period of time, such as a doctors visit, church, or when you need a moment to yourself.
I like to get busy bags out when I know I need to have some one-on-one time with one of my kids, and I can’t keep my eye on the other one. 😀 Busy bags are especially great when a new sibling arrives. Get a busy bag out when nursing or changing the baby.
I also find that busy bags are a nice quiet activity to reset if we have had a busy day or morning.
Who is this Busy Bag for?
This activity is geared toward preschool age, 3 to 4 years old. That shouldn’t stop younger ones from trying though! Miss W is just under 2, and she likes to pretend and line the popsicle sticks up. She is working on recognizing colors, so we say each color out loud as she pulls it out of the bag.
Mr. 4 knows his colors and can line up the correct patterns, with a bit of concentration required. The third image is a bit more advanced- with some of the sticks overlapping each other.
What Supplies Do I Need for this Busy Bag?
The supplies required are very simple! You will need:
- Oversized Rainbow Popsicle Sticks
- Binder Bag for storage (you can use a ziplock bag- it just won’t last as long!) 😀
- Laminator (optional)
- Cardstock for printing
- Scissors
I do recommend either printing on cardstock, and/or laminating these cards. I was actually pretty surprised at how reasonable a home laminator is! Our local store carries them, but only in a smaller size. I opted to get this one, that can laminate a full sheet of paper.
Instructions
- Print the pattern sheets. (You should be able to either right-click and save or drag the image to your desktop to save it).
- Cut the patterns out- there are 4 patterns to a sheet
- Laminate each pattern card (optional)
- Add cards and a few popsicle sticks of each color to your bag.
That’s it! Grab the bag out when you are ready! When you first introduce a new activity, you may need to explain or demonstrate. After that, you might be amazed by how quickly they pick it up! 😀
Print Your FREE Rainbow Popsicle Busy Bag Pattern Cards:
Page One:
Page Two:
Page Three:
I hope your kids enjoy this activity as much as mine! I’m excited to share more in the future, this was a lot of fun to put together 😀
