What We're Reading Wednesday ~ If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

I LOVE Laura Numeroff’s “If You Give…” series!  So does my Little Man and I can pretty much guarantee that Baby Boy will as well… especially if I have any say in the matter.  I also love busy bags.  I make them often and we take them everywhere.

Today I want to share a super simple beginning sounds busy bag I made for If You Give a Mouse aCookie.  All you’ll need is a template for a blank cookie jar (several copies), scissors, glue, brown construction paper (maybe a marker if you want to add chocolate chips), and some magazines. 

I picked some letters that I was working on with Little Man at the time.  I wrote each of the letters on one of the cookie jars and then I got down to searching… and by searching I mean I spent an hour reading magazines and cutting out random pictures as I noticed them.  Multitasking at it’s finest!  Add the pictures to the cookies and then let your little one start sorting! 

With this particular busy bag, the activity can be so easily changed to fit the level of your littles.  Think about it … beginning sounds, environmental print letters, upper and lower case matching, sight word sorting, etc. 

With all that said, how do you use busy bags?  Again, we take ours everywhere, but Little Man’s favorite is to toss one in a bag when we go to dinner.  He’ll play the entire time we’re waiting to be seated or waiting for food.  I love that it keeps him occupied so The Husband and I can have some adult conversation, but he’s also getting some good skill practice in!  This makes my mommy heart and my teacher heart super happy!  

Where do you use busy bags?  Comment below and give me some ideas!

I'm linking up at Teaching Mama, I Heart Naptime,  Teach Mentor Texts and 1+1+1=1!

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