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Thursday, July 7, 2011

Young Toddler (1-2 yrs.)Busy Bag Swap

This swap is now closed.
There will be 2 swap groups of 15 with 5 fill ins for each group. You swap coordinator will contact you in the next several days.

If you have not been contacted, check your junk mail folder or spam folder.
If you cannot find an email from your coordinator, email me.

Alrighty... here we go.

This swap is for young toddlers (about 1-2 yrs.) ONLY. If you're looking for another age group, be patient; it's coming.

This swap will only include 15 activities (or however many activities people brainstorm), rather than 30, due to the lack of variety of simple activities for itty bitty critters.
Want to join this one?

Step 1: Please review the following list of activities. Choose your top three choices of which you would like to create, or let me know if you have another idea that is not listed here. Due to the limited number of simple, non-choking hazard activities for little fingers, we will probably end up with fewer than 30 activities for this swap. I will split up everyone who signs up into groups of 15 (or however many activities we end up with) rather than 30.

You may need to be creative when you brainstorm your activity to make it fit into the budget or into your current stock of stuff around the house. For example, the clank can really does not have to clank. It can be a sour cream container or cheap dollar store food storage containers. It does not have to be large, as it will not fit well into a box when it comes time to ship all 15 to your swap coordinator. You can use anything to insert in the slot, so long as it is not a choking hazard.


1. Pom Pom Bottles

2. Velcro Matching Rods -
(Set of 3 matching rods is sufficient. I'm finding it a challenge to make this fit in budget. If anyone already has supplies on hand, it may be more doable.)

3. Easter Eggs in an Egg Carton
(Half dozen is sufficient. You can cut an egg carton in half.)

4. Sponge Curlers

5. Swim Noodles on a Dowel or Rope
Someone creative enough to figure out how to attach a small length of dowel rod to the end of the rope to use as a "needle"?

6. Texture Cards

7. Pipe Cleaner Bottle
(Can substitute straws for pipe cleaners)

8. Pom Pom Stuff It In

9. Sponge Lacing

10. Clothespin Drop

11. I Spy Bottle

12. Laminated Flip Book

13. Clank Can
(Another picture here, at the bottom of the post)

14. Button Snake

15. Mini Felt Board (mid way through post)
(Glue two half sheets of felt to either side of a half sheet of card stock. Cut scrap felt in simple, larger shapes or shapes of common objects - cars, apples, etc.)


Step 2: Read the general overview of the swaps, if you haven't yet.


Step 3: If you're absolutely sure this is something you want to do, fill out the form below. This form will be taken down in 48 hours or when a "ridiculous" number of swappers is reach. (he he)

Filling out the form is not a way of expressing interest. It is a commitment to be a part of the swap. It is not fair to the other swappers if a handful of half hearted interest people sign up, only to flake out at some point. That would mean that many people spent time and money assembling 15 activities, but would not receive 15 in return. If you're not sure if you can handle the expense or the time investment at this time, then maybe you should pass this time around. If however, you do sign up with full intentions of participating, but then realize that for some reason you are unable to continue, please let me or your swap coordinator know right away, so that we can contact someone else who would love to be involved.

24 comments:

  1. Quick Question: MY ds is 2 1/2 do you think I'd be best waiting for an older swap or go with this one?

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  2. If it's something you want her to be able to grow into, I'd go with the preschool one. You would get some that are too hard for her, but you wouldn't be stuck with baby activities that she will grow out of soon.

    My son will be 3 in Nov, and while some of the preschool stuff is out of his skill level or attention span right now, I'd rather that than invest time and money into something he'll tire of in the next few months.

    Not sure if that helps of not.

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  3. Thanks so much for hosting/organizing/brainstorming these swaps! I hope to participate in the PreK. Found your site through Money Saving Mom. Lots of great stuff here. Thank you!

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  4. If you need someone to fill in I would love to! Or if you open another swap due to more interest please let me know. Thanks!!
    Jenny
    j.companik@lycos.com

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  5. LOVE this idea! So glad I came across it! I will definitely consider doing this!

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  6. Can we find out if we're making our kits for a boy or girl?

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  7. If you need a fill-in, please let me know. I missed it when you re-opened then swap. :( josie6504@yahoo.com

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  8. Yes, I missed it too and REALLY need some stuff or my almost-2 year old to do when we are homeschooling!

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  9. Please let me know if there are any openings for the toddler swap. Thanks! mccort@gmail.com

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  10. When will we find out if we're in the swap or not? I'd hate to think my spam box ate a message.

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  11. Morgana, you are in my group. I have sent multiple emails to this address: rental redux at blogspot dot com. Is this correct?

    Please email me at
    brenners at the herd . us

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  12. I'm sorry- I must have put in the wrong address. (I had a mini-stroke late last month and there's days when I still can barely spell my own name right... blah!)

    I've emailed you the correct address. I hope it's not too late. : )

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  13. Hi!! Do you have a mailing list that lets us know when new swaps come around? I would like to join a toddler OR peschool swap (have one of each) when they come around again (unless you end up needing a fill-in this time around). i'm a former preschool teacher turned sahm itching at the seams to b creative and have the opportunities to play with other moms' creativities!! Thanks for all you do!! -Rachel rtorimoto AT gmail DOT com

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  14. Ugh! I missed it when you reopened the swap! email me at andrea 1548 at msn dot com if it reopens or you do it again, please! :)

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  15. I would love to join the next round. What a fabulous idea!

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  16. Hi! I'm currently involved in the Toddler Swap and just wanteed to share my feedback about the "I Spy Bottles" activity. I would adivse using small water or Gatorade bottles instead of full-size water bottles. I chose sparkling water bottles due to their sturdiness only to find that they didn't all fit in the $14.95 flat-rate USPS box. I had to spend a total of $25.90 on shipping for this activity!!! Plus, it is advised to ship using the flat-rate boxes because those bottles get heavy! One more suggestion--I used clean and dried-out sandbox sand instead of craft sand. Craft sand would have cose me approx. $30 whereas sandbox sand was $6 for 2 big bags.

    Just wanted to pass that along to help the next person save a little money :-)

    Thanks!

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  17. Yes, please do another preschool swap!

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  18. I noticed johnstonfamily4 used sandbox sand instead of craft sand for the "I Spy Bottles" activity and I just wanted to offer a suggestion. When my son made these in preschool, they used rice instead of sand. Much cheaper and worked just as well! (Well, it did until he dumped all the rice down my bathroom sink and then turned the water on... But that's a whole other story. lol)

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  19. Very interested in the toddler and preschool swap...So bummed I just missed it!!Please have another SOON!!!!
    brangelo1@gmail.com

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  20. I also want to see another toddler swap! :)

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  21. Me too Amber! I missed the previous one and have only seen preschool age since :(

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  22. I'd also love to see another - If you needed enough people, I know several with kids this age.

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  23. are you guys going to do anymore busy bags swaps? If so I would like to do one thanks

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