DIY: I Spy Goody Bag to Entertain Your Kids on an Airplane
Long gone are the flights when I used to hold my dear infant on my lap, watch a couple of movies, while sipping on some sparkling water. Possibly even get a 15 minute cat nap at the same time. I remember those flights when all we needed was our infant carrier, mommy’s “milk,” and whatever the airplane had on flight (i.e. napkins, straws, a plastic cup) to keep him happy. Happy infant, happy parents. Oh, those were the good old days when airplane travel was a breeze…..until now. Still, what’s kept us hopeful (and our toddler amused) is this Do-it-yourself I Spy Goody Bag which is easy to make and fun to do!
I spy with my little eye, something that is ____________.
Flying with a toddler, scratch that, flying with a “two-year old” toddler is a totally different ball game. We find that our son has so much more energy than ever before. What worked when he was an infant, most definitely doesn’t work at this toddler stage. On our last trip, I brought along some home-made activities that was sure to entertain! Our son loved it just as much as I enjoyed putting it together. To create this fun DIY, see the instructions below.
Materials:
- A see-through pouch, pencil-case or plastic zip lock bag
- 1″ key chain ring or paper clip
- Party stuffing
- 10-20 mini toys to put inside
- Transparent tape
- Camera
- Printer or access to a print shop
Instructions:
- Open all the toys and party packaging.
- Display all the toys on a flat surface and take a picture of it.
- Print the picture of all the goodies.
- Poke a hole in the pouch, and attach the picture (of the goodies) with a 1″ key ring or paper clip to the zipper.
- Fill half the plastic pouch with party paper.
- Put in about 15-20 little toddler or party toys. Fill it with different items to pique your child’s interest.
- Mix the toys with the party paper so some toys are hidden. Leave about 10 percent space, so the trinkets have room to move.
- Tape the bag shut to secure the bag from opening (or from little hands trying to get a hold of the goodies).
- Play “I Spy” by picking an item in the bag and saying “I spy with my little eye” and then describe one thing about the toy. Let the child find the item (without opening the bag).
- Give a reward after you play the game or for good behaviour. Have fun!
This two-in-one is twice the fun!
As I mentioned, there is a part two to this bag. Once you’re done playing “I spy,” then it’s time to use your stash of goodies as a way to learn about each item, use it as a treat or reward. Since our tot was fascinated with each toy, we went the “learning” route and explained every item, followed by a Q&A. Another 20 minutes that kept our son engaged and all of us glued to our seats. In fact, the I Spy Goody Bag worked wonders for us and we plan to make different ones for future flights. Perhaps for the next trip, we’ll make it transportation theme-related and fill it with different cars, trains, and planes.
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