Bean bags for the bored tot

[Marlet]

DD wanted some playsilks today so I pulled down my box of fabric and realized I had a lot of odd shaped/sized scraps from various projects. DD is on a throwing kick lately so I thought I'd make her something to toss that wouldn't do damage.

So here are the beanbags!

The sewing was quick and easy. I kept the top seam on the outside on purpose..the way it's folded over kind of creates a chunky handle for her to grab on to and keep a hold of. They are filled with kidney and navy beans. She's been toting them around in her caboodle (does that date me? ) since I gave them to her and for the most part isn't sure what they are. She handed them back to me and put them in the dry foods drawer at first.

[operamommy]

Great job! I peeked at them earlier but didn't get a chance to post till now. I like the little "handle" idea; now I wish I'd done that on ds2's bean bags!

[Hannahsmummy]

Lovely bean bags! Funny, we made some a couple of weeks ago as I have loads of small pieces of fabric. The only this I did differently was add a ribbon "tail" to each one.
I was amazed that my daughter (almost 4 at the time, she's 4 today LOL!), was entertained for 2 hours by them!!

[Jenlaana]

I was brought up in the plastics and commercialized toys generation so please forgive my ignorance...

but what is the purpose of bean bags? All I can think of is that game from the 80s where you tossed them into the x's and o's to play tic tac toe.

Same question on playsilks

[reader18]

Hi - New here. I think this is such a cool idea. My husband bought me a sewing machine and I sewed curtains for my sons room over 3 years ago, and have never gotten it out again. Partly, because of time and because I'm not really skilled at using it....but it sounds like this would be an easy enough project and I'm sure my kids would love these! I bet I have leftover fabric from his curtains to use somewhere around here. Thanks for the idea!

[Renee Ellen]

Originally Posted by Jenlaana

I was brought up in the plastics and commercialized toys generation so please forgive my ignorance...

but what is the purpose of bean bags? All I can think of is that game from the 80s where you tossed them into the x's and o's to play tic tac toe.Same question on playsilks

I would love to know too..:

[Marlet]

DD just tosses them about. Good for learning aim and the co-ordination needed for catching. She likes to toss them into various bowels but I'm not sure there really is any other game other than aim style ones.

[LaughingHyena]

Hmm things DD or I have done with beanbags

Throw into a target basket/bucket/onto a mat
Balance them on your head/elbow/foot etc
Egg and spoon race with a beanbag balanced on your spoon
Beds for small stuffed animals
Throw and catch (lots of variations of that one)
Juggling
Hunt the beanbag (I hide it and DD searches)
Building beanbag towers as you might do with blocks
Shake them along to music

For DD I made a mat with pockets in the same fabrics as the beanbags so she could sort them int the pockets. The beanbags were little start shapes with faces embroidered on them and became known as pocket people.

[holyhelianthus]

Originally Posted by LaughingHyena

For DD I made a mat with pockets in the same fabrics as the beanbags so she could sort them int the pockets. The beanbags were little start shapes with faces embroidered on them and became known as pocket people.

i love this idea!

[Tanzie]

oh those are so cute,i love the little duck fabric,what a wonderful idea,what else could i use in them beside beans?rice maybe?

[Marlet]

You could totally use rice...anything beady would work really. I just used beans we don't eat.

[reader18]

I have a question. I'm not really skilled with sewing, but I know a little. Could you make bean bags out of the kids old stained clothes, like t-shirts, or would the material be too thin to hold the beans? Most bean bags I've seen are a heavier material.

I was just thinking I have a lot of old T-shirt that are stained on the front, but I could cut the backs into squares and sew those together. Do you think that would work?

I guess I could try jeans too, maybe that would work better.

Any thoughts? TIA

[Marlet]

Originally Posted by reader18

I have a question. I'm not really skilled with sewing, but I know a little. Could you make bean bags out of the kids old stained clothes, like t-shirts, or would the material be too thin to hold the beans? Most bean bags I've seen are a heavier material.

I was just thinking I have a lot of old T-shirt that are stained on the front, but I could cut the backs into squares and sew those together. Do you think that would work?

I guess I could try jeans too, maybe that would work better.

Any thoughts? TIA

You totally could. If you thought it might be too thin you could always double it up so that it was thicker.

[fihz]

I made some a while back, and I sewed the top the other way instead of the same way so they aren't flat, they are sort-of triangular shaped. Really easy to manipulate, juggle, throw, catch, etc... Filled them with rice. They were used for a gazillion things around here, until they forgot them outside I need to make new ones!

[junipermuse]

Here are a couple of links to sites with ideas for beanbag activities:

http://worknotes.com/il/chicago/fit4...fitness/h5.stm

http://www.pittschools.org/aes/PE-LP46.HTM

http://www.pittschools.org/aes/PE-LP23.HTM

http://www.preschoolexpress.com/game...on_oct05.shtml

also there is this CD

http://www.fitnessbeginnings.com/bea...vities-cd.html

[LaughingHyena]

Could you make bean bags out of the kids old stained clothes, like t-shirts, or would the material be too thin to hold the beans? Most bean bags I've seen are a heavier material.

I was just thinking I have a lot of old T-shirt that are stained on the front, but I could cut the backs into squares and sew those together. Do you think that would work?

I use old clothes for lots of things like that, however I'm not sure I'd go with old T shirts for beanbags. I can't see a knit fabric holding up as well as a woven one. I'd be more likely to use old trousers or jeans.

Depending on how large your trousers are you might just be able to cut off a section of leg and sew the top and bottom closed.