Monday, March 1

Beanbag Activities


I made some beanbags (yes, another item from the never ending to-do list). These beanbags are filled with rice and my favorites are the ones made with flannel because they are so soft. We have used them a few times for our "circle" time and my daughters loved it. Beanbags are such a great sensory experience. The weight of the beanbag in the hand, the feel of the fabric, the movement and the sound of the contents inside. They are great for throwing and catching because they don't roll (or bounce) all over the place inside the house.




The first game we played with the beanbags was jumping over "the candlestick". I started with one beanbag and we took turns jumping over it while repeating:

Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, ______ (child's name) jump over the candlestick!

We then added a beanbag each time making it higher and higher.

Another game was balancing the beanbag on the hand (head, elbow, or back) and walking in a circle while reciting:

There was a man in our town
Who went for a walk one day
But the wind blew so hard (make blowing sound)
He turned around and walked the other way. (Turn and change direction)

Lots of fun! I am working on a download for all the games we play (playsilks, beanbag, rhythm sticks, etc.) If you have circle games to add, share them in the comments and I will add them to the download.

12 comments:

Fiona said...

what a great idea. I am going to make some bean bags out of the kids old clothes lol!

Jennifer said...

I just happened upon your blog today and just had to say that it's wonderful and so lovely. I love the activities that you share. I am familiar with many of them from my experiences as a creative arts therapist and music and movement teacher. I am currently a stay at home mom of two boys (3 yrs and 10 months) and I'm very interested in Montessori and Waldorf education. I'm thinking about homeschooling. Thank you for sharing. It's very helpful.

angelina said...

yes, i like the circle games as well. please keep sharing!

Miri said...

Beautiful bean bags!
How big did you make them??

Elizabeth said...

I love the ideas so far! I made beanbags from this great tutorial for my son's 1st birthday last month. My 7 year old loves them just as much as he does so I appreciate the activities you listed thus far. A few days ago we played a game where one person walked around with my son's walker wagon and the other person had to try to throw the bags in. It was fun.

http://chezbeeperbebe.blogspot.com/2010/01/tutorial-and-pattern-counting-bean-bags.html

Ariella said...

Bean bags are so great. We recently made some filled with rice and lavender, and some with beans. So much fun!

Joyful Learner said...

This is going to go on my to do list!

Kylie said...

Oh I am so looking forward to your download. We've recently started 'circle time' here at home and it will be a great addition. :)

Carrie said...

Thank you so much for sharing these games! They are so simple and clever, perfect for wee ones. I am looking forward to seeing your download!

Amy said...

Thanks for the comments! The bean bags are 4" x 4".

gardenmama said...

such a sweet idea, the beanbags came out lovely! : )

Pierrette said...

I love these, beanbags are now on my to do list.