A Fun and Fast Busy Bag with Buttons

I loved how simple the last busy bag I made was and how much Pooky enjoyed playing with it over and over. I decided to see if I could come up with another fun and educational busy bag that was also quick and simple to put together. I think I accomplished all that with this Busy Bag with Buttons. (Affiliate link – disclosure statement)

Pooky loves playing with these plastic shape buttons, and I feel comfortable with her playing with them unsupervised because they’re so large I don’t consider them a choking hazard. (Although, if your toddler is still in the mouthing phase, you should supervise closely or use at your own discretion.)

I decided to trace some of the buttons (with washable markers) onto a sheet of white paper so Pooky could use it as a color and shape matching game. (Note: after tracing the buttons with the markers, wipe them down with a damp cloth or baby wipe so the ink doesn’t transfer to your hands or other surfaces.)

To make the sheets reusable, I put them into sheet protectors. (You could also laminate them.) I put all the buttons in their own little baggie so they can be sealed up tight for good storage.

Pooky couldn’t wait to get started with the busy bag!

She immediately knew to match the shapes, but I had to show her to also match the colors. She adjusted her thinking and got busy.

I love seeing this kind of focus!

It was so cute to hear her talking to herself as she was doing the activity. She was naming the colors and shapes as she placed them on the sheet.

I made three different sheets for her to “work” on. This was just a silly face I made with some shapes. You could also create a design to go with a theme you’re studying.

The third sheet was a mixture of circles and ovals. I thought it would be good for her to practice discerning between the two.

After a while, she decided to get her stool, so she could sit down while she worked.

Later, she decided to work on two sheets at a time.

I would call this busy bag activity a success. It’s fun for Pooky, but still educational. It was quick and easy to create, and it’s minimal clean-up.

You may also be interested in these other busy bags:

Spell Your Name

Match the Lid

What busy bag ideas have you had success with? I’m looking for ideas to add to my busy bag board on Pinterest. In fact, I’d like to open it up to others, so I can get even more great suggestions. If you’d like to pin to the board, just follow me on Pinterest, and then send me a message asking to be added to the group board.