“Mom, I’m bored!” “Mom, the Wi-Fi isn’t working!!” “Mom, is it cool if we surf down the stairs in sleeping bags?” For those moments during Summer Break when you need to bust their boredom, when the Wi-Fi goes out, or when their imaginations hijack all common sense, busy bags to the rescue! So, what exactly are Busy Bags?
Busy Bags are bags filled with age-appropriate activities, arts, crafts, and games to occupy your kids. If the thought of researching various activities and purchasing all the supplies to put in your kiddo’s busy bag sounds overwhelming and is something you don’t want to do, I’m right there with you! This is why I invited other mommas to participate in a Summer Busy Bag Swap, after all, many hands make for light work! A couple of years ago, our first Busy Bag Swap turned out so successful that we did it again and again. Who’s interested?
How it Works:
1-Invite Families to Participate
Invite 5-10 families with children around the same age as your kiddos- if you have school-aged children, invite other families that have kiddos all school-aged (5 & up), if you have toddlers and preschoolers, invite other families with toddlers and preschoolers, etc. Also, instead of putting together a busy bag for each child, we put together a busy bag for each family. This way, everything is equal and fair because let’s be honest, it wouldn’t be cool to have a family with one child be expected to buy bags for each child in a family with four children. Once you have confirmation from the familie,s put together a Facebook group message or Facebook event where everyone can communicate easily.
2- Decide on a Budget & Activity to Swap
First, indicate what the budget is for each activity. This will ensure that any awkward moment, like one family bringing 10 $30 board games to swap while another brings 10 $1 coloring books, doesn’t occur. For our swap, we keep the budget at $1-$5 per activity. Once you have established the budget request, everyone shares what activity they plan on contributing to the swap in order to ensure that there aren’t duplicate activities. Need some ideas? 
- Playdough
- Water balloons
- Magnets
- Sidewalk Chalk
- Marshmallow & Toothpick construction
- Paints
- Highlights Magazine
- Make your own Silly Putty
- Make a Tornado in a Soda Bottle
- Paper Airplanes
- Moon Sand
- Legos
- Coloring books
- Crossword Puzzles
- Mad-libs
- Dominos
- Uno
- Finger Paints
- Scavenger Hunts
- Stamps
- Origami
Remember, your activity need only be as complicated or time-consuming to collate as you wish. There is no shame in grabbing a kit already assembled at 5 Below, like we did last year and again this year….meanwhile, the other mommas really brought it with Salt Painting, Scavenger Hunts, etc.
3-Pick a Date, Time, & Location for the Swap
Because this is supposed to be an activity that helps moms, it is recommended that you meet at a park. This way no mom feels obligated to clean her house, kennel a rambunctious puppy, or give the illusion of a tidy playroom. 
Added bonus, kiddos can go run and play on the playground while moms assemble bags. Chances are everyone will not be available on the same day and time that is okay! Just have that mom drop off her activities and bag with another mom and she can pick it up at a later date.
Bonus-
If the first swap runs smoothly, organize a second and third. This way, you have enough activities to keep your crew busy all summer long! Want to add to the fun? Make each swap a theme! Arts & Science, Math, Camping, History, etc., the possibilities are endless! Have fun with it!!
Happy Swapping!!
Mom on the go in Holy Toledo 