Mom's Secret Weapon - Busy Bags for On-the-Go!

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Screen-Free Busy Bags for Kids

Quick Links in this post:

Zipper bags with handles | Color Your Own Stickers | Sensory Squishes | Construction pop-up book | Amusement Park pop-up book Sensory Number Blocks | Water Spotter book | Butterfly pop-up book | Montessori Locks | Dot stickers

As a mom of three, I’ve learned over the years that a little bit of prep goes a long way. (This can be applied to pretty much any parenting scenario, by the way!) So, when a friend asked recently how I keep my kids entertained on-the-go without using screens, I couldn’t wait to show her our Busy Bags!

I keep these practical bags packed with a couple engaging, not-too-messy, and age appropriate items so that we can grab them on our way to a doctor’s appointment, a longer car ride, sibling’s sport practice – all those times when kids are having to sit and wait. Busy bags are just that – they keep kids busy!

They come in handy (literally – see the handles?!) in many scenarios and have kept my kids happy and not bored, without having a screen in front of them to play on. I’ll switch out what’s in there periodically to keep it fresh, but usually the bags are off limits at home so the contents are a bit of a fun surprise each time we use them.

Here’s what I’m loving in our Busy Bags right now:

The bags themselves! I love these because of the handle, two pockets, and they’re not so big that they get stuffed full of random junk. They’re just big enough to hold a few quality items and come in a pack of 6 cute colors.

This Color Your Own Sticker book is SO cute and has so many fun little stickers to color. Mom tip: the only way to keep markers from disappearing everywhere is to tape the caps together! You can still get the markers out but they stay put.

My kids love these sensory fidget squishes. These are so great when they need to be quiet like during church. (I may or may not also steal these to fidget on when there’s too many tabs open in my mom brain!)

Interactive Pop Up Books! I usually only pack books in these bags that have a little something extra to them so they’re not a one-and-done. Pop up books are great for this and entertaining for more ages. Some of our favorites right now are this gorgeous butterfly book, and Bizzy Bear at the Construction Site and the Amusement Park.

These fun sensory number blocks are great for building and counting. Plus, they all have a unique sensory filler inside so they are extra fun and calming to look at.

We love this Water Spotter book that is similar to Water Wow! but a little sturdier and has some hidden picture features.

This Montessori matching lock and key set is SO fun. Each little lock is a different vehicle, number, and has a unique key that matches. So littles can have a ball finding the correct key, learning how to lock and unlock, and then rolling them in a fun little train. We’re obsessed.

I love these dot stickers for so, so many activities at home and on the go! For these busy bags, I printed out dot marker pages that can double up with these dot stickers. They come in huge sheets so I cut them in half. I was able to find some free printables here that worked well!

How to pack a Busy Bag for Kids

While I linked our favorite bags and current toys & activities we love, you can really use any bag you have on hand and anything from your house to make a fun, engaging activity for your kids.

My biggest advice would be to choose things that are:

Off limits at home – if your kids are playing with something already, they’re probably not going to be all that interested in it while sitting in line at the DMV. Try to grab something they haven’t seen in a while, or something new and tuck it away.
Not too many pieces & parts – things will get lost. It’s inevitable. You’ve met kids. You’ve seen how they dump things.
Not too messy – I avoid things that will make somewhere else messy like craft supplies, things that can stain or spill, etc.
Age appropriate – I like the bags I linked above because they come in a pack of 6, so I’ve got 6 bags packed at all times. Because my kids are varying ages, I have one dedicated to each kid that has age-specific items in it. The other three bags are a mix for when they all might use it.