to a preschool-aged activity exchange. What is THAT, you wonder?
If you are like me, you have larger-than-life desires to make wonderful crafty activities for your children to help engage them in enjoyable, educational play. But because they require forethought and planning, they often go undone or are disgraceful attempts.
This is where YOU come in. What would happen if 20 or so parents, grandparents, or caregivers each made 20 copies of the same activity and then exchanged them with each other? Why, those same 20 people would end up with 20 different activities to keep our little ones busy! Bonus: not only would you only need supplies to create one activity, but you would only have to create one activity! Sounds MARVELOUS to me! That, my friends, is an activity exchange.
So, who's with me?
Here are a few of the organizational details.
STEP 1. After review, you choose your top three choices from a list of various activities
listed below and communicate them to me by Friday August 5 (or when we reach 20 people, whichever comes first). Activity categories include shapes & colors, numbers/counting/early math, alphabet, and just for fun. For our first attempt at this, please do not stray from this list. We'll get crazy in the future if one exists for this small niche blog.
STEP 2. I place you according to your requests and our needs and communicate that assignment to you by Wednesday August 10.
STEP 3. You create no more than 20 of the same activity you were assigned. (This number may be less depending on how many people sign up. I will communicate that to you when I notify you of your assignment.) The goal here is not to spend a lot of money. You may need to be creative in order for it to fit into your budget.
STEP 4. You drop them off during a scheduled drop-off time at a location to be determined on Wednesday August 24. If that date does not work for you, another time may be arranged to collect your activity set.
STEP 5. After assembly of the packets, you will pick up your completed activity set at a location to be determined on Saturday August 27. Again, if that date does not work for you, another time may be arranged to issue you your completed activity set.
STEP 6. ENJOY the laughter, the quiet, the learning, and anything else that ensues from these wonderful bags of fun!
Please be mindful that once you have committed to being an activity creator, that others will be creating an activity for you. So, please do not sign up if you will not be able to fulfill your assignment. No need to fret, though. If this inaugural exchange is a success, I hope to offer it again in the future. However, if circumstances arise that prevent you from participating after signing up, please let me know at your earliest convenience, so that I can replace you.
Let me encourage you to pass this on to your friends. The more people who participate, the more activity bags we receive!
Disclosure: This idea DID NOT originate with me, but has largely been modeled (including activity selection) after Brenda's Busy Bag Swap at
Unsolicited Advice. I personally thought it was not worth it to pay shipping, when a local exchange could so easily be organized.
ACTIVITIES FOR REVIEW AND SELECTION
For all activities from Unsolicted Advice, permission has been given.
1. Shapes & Colors
2. Numbers/Counting/Early Math
3. Alphabet
4. Just for Fun
So, remember, the first 20 people to sign-up will participate in this exchange. This offer will close early if we have 20 people sign up prior to Friday August 5. So hurry-up and submit your "application." You may do so by emailing me (activities4kiddos at gmail dot com) your name, both first and last, your email address if different than the one you email me from, and your three activity preferences.
Eager to get started,
Danielle, Your Fun Coordinator
