Busy Bag Swap!!!

Say...what?!?

Yup, I am doing one.  And YOU can do one too if you want (or if your friends want)!

Here is my post from Facebook if you are interested!!!

• What is it you ask? It is a gallon sized ziploc bag filled with an activity (educational or just plain fun) that can keep your kid occupied, having fun, and maybe even quiet for a time. It is something you can take with you out, maybe to a doctor’s office, or even just use them at home when you are trying to make dinner.
  
  Your part is that you are going to make bags with an activity in them (geared toward 2-5 year olds, but I think all kids would enjoy these), and I am going to collect them all, and give each of you the other bags. So if 20 of you participate, then you will get 19 different bags!!! This would make a great Christmas present even, or you can pull out a new bag every time you need one.
  
  I actually tried to be a part of another swap online, but it gets full after 150 participants, and over 1000 were applying! I thought, why don’t my friends and I do one, and then it will be cheaper and more fun! I ended up buying a kit that was pre-made, but it was VERY expensive, and now I wish I would have thought of this sooner.
  
  The only cost to you is your supplies (and if you have to ship it to me and back, then you will need to pay shipping). I recently made a few of these bags, and they cost me pennies to make. You can make something as cheap and easy (for those of us who are crafty impaired) as a piece of string for lacing noodles, to something extravagant and creative as magnetic car bingo (I saw this lady make these with burner covers, and magnetic backing, super cute!) I think it is better if you keep it as cheap as possible, and even try and use things around your house.
  
  Here are some websites with ideas and info of other swaps, and you can also do a search online for busy bags, and get TONS of ideas.
  
  http://moneysavingmom.com/tag/busy-bag-ideas
  
  http://blog.kidletoccupation.com/index.php/why-wont-this-publish#more38
  
  http://therigneys.wordpress.com/2011/08/26/toddler-busy-bag-swap/
  
  The last website gives this criteria, and I am going to use it...
  Each activity needed to meet the following criteria:
  Self-contained. This way, you can just grab a bag and GO! (without having to add a number of supplies to the bag in order to make it useful.)
  Transportable. Yes, they will definitely be used at home, but I want to be able to grab a few bags to take to a restaurant, a waiting room, plane trips, car rides, etc.
  Convenient. None of the bags will have supplies that require major set-up or clean-up: (no paint, watercolors, liquids, sand, dirt, etc.)
  Inexpensive. I didn’t want anyone spending too much money on this project!
  Easy to Make: I didn’t want anyone spending hours and hours and hours making their activity.
  Re-usable. I want these activities to last a while so that our other children can use them in the future. Therefore, I avoided activities where you would have to buy new supplies to re-stock the bag. This is why lamination is important for some of the activities.
  
  If you are interested in doing this swap, I am going to give a deadline of letting me know by Monday, November 7th, by 5pm. I would also like to know what you THINK you might be doing, just to get an idea if we will have repeats. If someone is repeating something, I will let you both know and maybe you can pick something else. You don’t have to have the bags ready, or even stick to that idea by then, but at least let me know that you are doing it. Please leave me a comment on the blog if you are wanting to do it, or email me if you know it (don't want to go posting that on the big 'ole wide web!)
  
  Please only respond if you are positive you are going to do it, as the other ladies will be making that amount of bags. Then if you are participating, then I would like to have ALL the bags by Friday, December 2nd. If something comes up, we can work it out, but I will be assembling the bags in groups that weekend. If I am mailing them back to you, I will send them out that Monday. If you live in town, we can work out a way for me to get them.
  
  Let me know if you have any questions, and feel free to tell any friends that you might have that are interested. I AM limiting this to 20 people, since this is my first time to do it, so if we go over on people, it will be the first 20 to contact me.
  
  I AM EXCITED, hope you are too!  Now go get those creative juices flowing.  And even let your kids help!