Busy Jilly, Part 2

When I wrote Busy Jilly, Party One it was with the assumption there would be a part two.  Then I got busy/lazy (you pick) and it took me almost 2 months to post Part Two.  I would plan on Part Three sometime in late 2013.  But, until then, here are 4 more easy/cheap to make activities to keep your toddler busy.

5. Foam Stickers- These are possibly my favorite things in the world.  EVERY kid I've ever encountered loves foam stickers.  It's not too hard to pull the paper off, and they can be stuck and re-stuck to everything.  I've gotten two big tubs at Michael's with 50% off coupons so they were about $4 each, and a tub lasts forever.

6. Threading Felt- I found this activity here and when I realized I had all the materials on hand I started making it immediately.  Jilly still can't do it herself, which eliminates it from the category of "things I can hand her when I need to be doing something else" but I figure as we practice more she'll soon be able to maneuver the felt pieces over the button by herself.  And then, oh the glory, this will be so easy to take along anywhere and everywhere.  

7.  Wallet- If your child is anything like mine his/her very very favorite activity is to raid your wallet.  And as nice as it is to have something that keeps her occupied for a while, it is not pleasant to arrive at the doctor and realize that your insurance card is no longer inside your wallet.  I saw this idea on pinterest, and luckily I had an old wallet lying around the house but you could probably find a cheap wallet at Goodwill to use.  On pinterest it said to cut pieces of scrapbook paper to put in the wallet, but that wouldn't fool Jilly for a second.  I've been collecting random cards we have around- an old license, BYU ID card, an expired AAA card, rewards cards from stores, business cards, etc.; her especial favorite is a Disneyland ticket that has Minnie Mouse on it.  She loves pulling all the cards out then sliding them back in their spaces.

8.  Beans- So, so, so entertaining.  Whenever we have leftover beans from a recipe I toss them in a plastic bag.  We now have quite a collection of different colors and sizes.  Give Jilly a few bowls and measuring spoons and she's happy for a good solid 30 minutes.  Cleanup isn't too bad because she's actually pretty good at keeping them on the blanket.