Do you ever find yourself out and about with your little ones wishing you had something in your bag for them to do? I certainly do. It may be at a cafe or waiting for an appointment at the doctors surgery. You don’t need a lot…but you need something!
Here are 12 ideas of things you could take for your kiddos to do:
- Lego
We’re not talking the whole set here…haha – just a few pieces that can be put together and carried with you in your bag.
- Playdoh
Playdoh is pretty timeless…even my 10 year old son will play with it every now and then. They can make various shapes with it and it is easy to pack up at the end. These small pots are available now which makes it even better to carry around with you.
- Dinosaurs
They can let their imaginations run wild…and be transported to a prehistoric heaven with just a few dinosaurs! Easy to thrown in your bag and easy to pack up at the end.
- Paint
Now don’t freak out…we’re not talking pots of paint…you can get fantastic magic paint books where you just need to add water! These particular ones by Tiger Tribe be done over and over again. As soon as the water dries on the picture, it goes back to being blank. It’s a gift that keeps on giving. They retail for around $12 per set and are available in cars, dinosaurs etc.
- Bendy Snakes
These are always fun. Twisting them into various shapes helps pass the time for little ones.
- Cars, Trains & Roads
Pack a couple of cars and/or trains in your bag and you can fill in some time. Even better add in some road and you are set. We picked up this roll of “road” tape at Kmart for $2 and it has provided hours of fun.
- Draw & Wipe Boards
Again another timeless resource where kids can draw and wipe and start again.
- Colouring In or Activity Sheets
Whether it is a colouring in sheet, maze or dot-to-dot, activity sheets can keep kids happy for hours. You can either print out your own at home according to what your kids are into (eg. Ninja turtles, Frozen, Paw Patrol) or you can buy activity books at most department stores.
- Magnetic Boards
Create storyboards with magnetic characters. These are fun for the kids to do and they can make different costume combinations or landscapes each time.
- Click-Its
Something simple like this has endless possibilities of patterns and creations. They’re easy to take and pack up at the end. Keep an eye out for a jar of these plastic click-its at department stores or Aldi.
- Stickers
Kids never grow tired of stickers. All you need to take is a couple of blank pieces of paper and some sheets of stickers and they can use their imagination to set them out on the paper. Stickers are readily available and inexpensive at bargain shops.
- Notepad & Pen
Ever useful, the trusty notepad & pen can be transformed into a game of Hangman or Noughts & Crosses in no time!
So hopefully these have given you some ideas of things to pop into your bag the next time you are heading out with the kids to a cafe, restaurant or appointment. Mix them up from time to time so that your bag of tricks is ever changing and evolving!
Have fun!
