I love "I Spy Bags" from Etsy. They will keep kids busy for awhile as they search for all the objects safely sewn inside. Several sellers on Etsy have these available. Make sure to check out all their selections, the fabrics and themed treasures inside vary. Here are a few I found.
I Spy Bag (15) from Selena Fabric CreationsI also found these adorable teaching snakes on Etsy from seller NapTimeQuilts4Baby. They teach kids how to velcro, snap, tie, and button as they make a snake out of the pieces. So cute!
($15 each)
Another good quiet toy I like are lacing beads. Haba has a great selection, so check out Oompa to see them all. Alex also makes a couple sets that you can find on KidSurplus.
Another good quiet toy I like are lacing beads. Haba has a great selection, so check out Oompa to see them all. Alex also makes a couple sets that you can find on KidSurplus.
This is the Bambini Aqua Zoo ($18.99) set from Haba. Haba also has a Construction Site set and a Flower Faeries set.
This is the Sew 'n' Sew ($7.95) from Growing Tree Toys. It's basically a wooden cylinder with holes through it with a string and "needle" connected to it so kids can lace it in and out of the wood. This will even entertain adults, I often find myself playing with my son's beehive version of this toy, I've also seen a wedge of cheese version.
Lacing cards are also a great quiet activity. Make sure that you select a set that won't induce noise in your child if they must be silent. For example, I bought my son the Alex Tools Lacing set thinking it would be great for church. As soon as he pulled them out he started sawing and drilling the pew we were sitting behind, full sound effects included. They're still a great toy, we just don't bring them to church anymore. Here are some of my favorites:
Lacing cards are also a great quiet activity. Make sure that you select a set that won't induce noise in your child if they must be silent. For example, I bought my son the Alex Tools Lacing set thinking it would be great for church. As soon as he pulled them out he started sawing and drilling the pew we were sitting behind, full sound effects included. They're still a great toy, we just don't bring them to church anymore. Here are some of my favorites:
eeBoo's Children of the World lacing cards ($14.95) from Growing Tree Toys. eeBoo has wonderful sets, so be sure to check them all out!
Lauri also makes several sets available at Growing Tree Toys. This is the Lacing and Tracing Noah's Ark set ($10.95) and as the name implies these can be traced and colored for added entertainment. My favorite set in the line is the Cinderella set.
These are the My First Lacing Farm Animals ($6.29 on clearance) by Alex. I like this line of lacing sets because they are nice and thick for little hands. Again, make sure your child won't feel inclined to make the animal noises, although Alex does have a couple other sets that may be safe, like the Fashion set or the Layered Lacing sets available at Kidsurplus.
My son has gotten a lot of use out of a couple Imaginetics sets. These come with punch out, re-usable magnetic pieces that kids can arrange on the folding board. The sets come in two different sizes and a variety of scenes like Thomas and Friends, princesses, and even a doll house set.
My son has gotten a lot of use out of a couple Imaginetics sets. These come with punch out, re-usable magnetic pieces that kids can arrange on the folding board. The sets come in two different sizes and a variety of scenes like Thomas and Friends, princesses, and even a doll house set.
This is the Mr and Mrs Potato Head ($7.95) set from Amazon.
The Noah's Ark ($4.49) set is smaller and also found on Amazon.
If you live in Salt Lake, The Red Balloon carries these sets.
This is a cute little Star Marble Maze ($13.19) I found on KidSurplus, they also have a fish.
And, always a favorite is a Magnadoodle ($10.87) in travel size. These are available pretty much anywhere, we got ours at Smith's Market Place. Or you could throw an Etch-a-Sketch in the bag for older kids.
If you live in Salt Lake, The Red Balloon carries these sets.
This is a cute little Star Marble Maze ($13.19) I found on KidSurplus, they also have a fish.
And, always a favorite is a Magnadoodle ($10.87) in travel size. These are available pretty much anywhere, we got ours at Smith's Market Place. Or you could throw an Etch-a-Sketch in the bag for older kids.
And, don't forget a set of crayons and plain paper. I'm not a huge fan of coloring books. They take away from the imagination. Instead kids should draw or design what they like and not be forced to color in the lines. I can't stand when I go to pick up my son from his class and he's finishing a coloring sheet and the teachers are telling him to color in the lines. He tries so hard and gets so frustrated when he can't conform. I don't think kids should have to conform! They need to express themselves how they want. I had a whole 2 hour class lecture on this subject in one of my college classes where we learned that coloring books have no place in early childhood, save them for older kids.
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