Entertain on the Go with Fun & Easy Toddler Busy Bags

Looking for some easy toddler busy bags to keep your little one entertained? Whether you’re on the go or just staying at home, these no-prep busy bags for toddlers are sure to meet your needs. Read on for our ten favorite, easy busy bags for babies and toddlers.

Ahhh, toddlers. That beautiful stage full of curiosity, enthusiasm, joy… And tantrums. And opinions. And energy. Allllll the energy.

If you’ve got a toddler, you know that it can be hard to keep them entertained. They want to do everything, but there’s still a lot of limitations to what they can do.  Restaurants, road trips, flights, dinner parties at non-baby-proofed houses- it’s enough to strike fear into any parent’s heart.

But it doesn’t have to be that way (well, not ALL the time at least). We’re bringing you a collection of easy toddler busy bags and busy bags for babies for our Littlest Salties.Cotton balls in a cup, pipe cleaner and beads, Q-tips in a spice container, and a miniature xylophone; Text overlay; First busy bags no prep activities babies and toddlers will love.

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No Prep Busy Bag: Spice Jar and Q-Tips

Someone at McCormick is an accidental genius, because those little spice jars they make are the basis of my very favorite busy bag for toddlers.

Clean it, fill it with Q-Tips, and let your little one put the Q-Tips back into the jar one at a time through the little holes on top.

Spice container and q-tips

It’s self contained, small, and one of the easiest toddler busy bags ever. And costs nothing, so no one will cry if you lose it.

Well, at least YOU won’t.

Duplo Blocks

It doesn’t get easier than this toddler busy bag- put a few single duplo blocks into a pencil pouch or bag and you’re done with this one! Stack, sort, spill and clean up- there’s lots of ways for littles to have fun.

10 Amazing, Engaging, NO PREP Busy Bags for Babies and Toddlers, from TheSaltyMamas.com.
Snack Catcher and Pom Poms

Abe loves to put pom poms in and out of this dollar store snack catcher (and let’s be honest- dump them out, scatter them, throw them, etc). 

You can also buy trainer chopsticks and encourage them to pick the pom poms up with those for extra fun.

Related Post: Fun Activities for a Stuck-At-Home Day

Card Drop

I have two versions of this- one in an oatmeal can and a more portable one that uses a mini-Pringles can (you know, the kind you pick up as you’re walking through Target because your kids are losing their minds and you have to at LEAST get to the diaper aisle before they totally melt down?).

Quaker oatmeal container with a slot cut in the top.

Anyways, you cut a slit about a quarter inch wide in the lid, and kiddos can drop a stack of playing cards into the can one at a time.

For the mini version, consider printing the color learning cards we’ve got included in our Teaching Colors Post.

The best thing about this one is that this toddler busy bag is self-contained. The canister holds the cards for you, and they are easily dumped out to start again.

Crayons and Index Cards

Less is more with little guys, so a few crayons (three or four from a restaurant, for example) will do. I like to put these in a clear pencil pouch with index cards (they are JUST the right size for this) and a few stickers.

Both the index cards and the crayons are cheap, disposable, and the perfect size for little hands.

index cards and small pack of crayons

As a bonus, we also use these to make little gifts when we’re on a road trip.  You can buy blank postcards on Amazon and make a goal of creating one for each person we’ll see on our travels. It’s a good way to extend the activity further when they’re starting to tire of coloring.

Related Post: The Best Sticker Books for Toddlers

Stringing Beads

You might be amazed at how young kids are able to do this.  Use basic pony beads (you can often find them at the dollar store!) and pipe cleaners to make them easier to thread.

pony beads and pipe cleaner

Twist a little loop onto one end so that the beads don’t fall off the other side.  Your little ones can string (and restring!) the same beads over and over again.

As they get older, consider asking them to make patterns, or sort beads on to the appropriate color pipe cleaner.

I think you know this already, but you’re gonna need to use all the caution with this one. You know whether or not your kid is likely to put these in their mouth.

Keep their skills fresh this summer! Practice sorting, patterns, and colors with these fun summer learning activiites at TheSaltyMamas.com. #summerlearningactivities #summerlearningloss #summerreading

If they are, try this activity with something that is already edible, such as Cheerios. If they’re not, still keep a close eye on them whenever they’re playing with small pieces like these.

Magnets

You know I keep cheap cookie sheets in my Activity Bag, but magnets are always a good choice to have on hand. You can use them at a friend’s house on the fridge, a napkin dispenser, or just play with them on a tabletop.

Letter magnet cutouts on a baking sheet

I like the standard letters, and I also keep a set like this to change it up.

Related Post: Early Learning Activities

Water Wow Books

We are obsessed with Melissa & Doug’s Water Wow books. They come with a little pen that you fill up with water. As kids draw with water, colors emerge.

two water wow books

Once they dry, the colors disappear again, and the kids can start from the beginning if they choose.

Full disclosure- these are for kids ages 3 and up, but I find that they worked even better for 18 month old Abe than they did for 4 year old Lila. No mess, quick results, and they don’t take up a ton of space.

Felt Board and Shapes

When Lila was little, I would fold up a piece of felt with some handmade shapes and figures (think animals, people, a Mr. Potato Head body and pieces) and store them together in a bag. Now? Yeah, ain’t nobody got time for that.

felt shapes on a felt board

To make an insanely easy toddler busy bag, buy these farm felt shapes on Amazon. They’re a great time filler (without the hassle of cutting your own). Build a scene, talk about animal names and noises, play pretend- they pack a big punch with just a little space.

Finger Puppets

There are SO many fun sets (we are partial to the family set and the farm animals), and they are great for the kids to play with or for you to entertain them with. (Personally, I HATE putting on a puppet show, but desperate times and all that).

Finger puppets including one blue bunny, one yellow duck as well as a green frog and lamb.

And if you’ve got older kids with you, they can put on a “Daddy Finger” song and puppet routine (and read this  post about the Daddy Finger song from Toot’s Mom is Tired. It’s HILARIOUS).

Bonus: Printable Busy Bags

Looking for more no-prep toddler busy bags? Check out our new printable toddler packs, the perfect addition to any busy bag.


And don’t forget to check out our printable sticker pack, too! Just add round label stickers to this pack, and you’ve got yourself five printable sheets that will get you HOURS of toddler engagement. 

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There are lots more ideas for busy bags for babies and toddlers, but these ten offer the most bang for your buck. With very little prep and lots of engaging play, these simple toddler busy bags will keep your little ones engaged for BIG amounts of time.

What’s your favorite activity for your kids when you’re out and about? Tell us in the comments below! 

Looking for more ways to entertain your toddlers? Check out these posts next-

8 thoughts on “Entertain on the Go with Fun & Easy Toddler Busy Bags”

  1. I love these ideas so much! Ironically, I totally just used the dollar store cookie sheet and some princess magnets my daughter got for her birthday on our road trip. She loved it!!! I have to try the Q-tips and spice jar, such a great idea! And I think were FINALLY ready for pony beads (she’s been a stinker about putting things in her mouth, but I think I finally trust her). Thanks for reminding me about using them with a pipe-cleaner! Keep the great ideas rolling!

    • Don’t forget about lacing Froot Loops if beads make you nervous! And did I see that you did a CRAZY long road trip screen free?? Kudos, mama!

  2. Just found these as I’m on the hunt for some quiet activities that will keep my 18mo busy by the time the newborn arrives in September…definetly will be getting the Water Wow, what a great idea!! Thank you 🙂

    • Congratulations! Christine is due this fall, too. So exciting! Hope these toddler busy bags will help keep your little one entertained!!

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