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My little boy hardly ever sits down…he is very different to his sister and always wants to be running around, very unlike his sibling at that age!  However, I have finally found something that engages him, keeps him still is actually educational!  Welcome to Little Scribblers Busy Bags and Activity Packs!

Little Scribblers Busy Bags and Activity Packs are designed for ‘on the go’ educational fun and entertainment.  Aimed at Early Years children, the packs cover a wide range of the Early Years Framework and encourage children to actively learn.

The kits contain; all the equipment needed for the activity, including wipe able pens if needed, activity cards with ideas for using the resource, graphical instruction cards which walk you and your little one through the learning steps in each kit and a tough, waterproof carry bag which is ideal for slipping into your bag and taking out and about with you.

The very much explore learning through play and cover areas such as pre-writing, writing, number, shape, pattern and matching and sorting.  There is also a strong element of encouraging fine motor skills which are essential for children as they enter into education and help them to be able to hold a pencil, pick up small objects and manipulate smaller play resources.

When we received our packs, the immediate favourite for my construction mad 4 year old was the ‘Off the Chain’ kit.  Here, children are encouraged to put links together to match the pattern on the cards.  They can then link their finished chain through the hole in the card to create an extension of the crane.  My little one was immediately up for the challenge and I was amazed at how quickly he grasped the concept. 

As a totally reluctant writer, it was a while before I introduced any of the writing activities and I sneakily waited till a day out with his little friend (a happy little writer!) before I introduced the cards.  His friend was immediately engaged and of course, not wanting to be left out, my reluctant little writer picked up a pen and had a good go at letter formation for the first time, ever!

The writing activities have now become a favourite, he actively goes for these, enjoying the mark making and rubbing out (the pens have a rubber on the end) and getting better at following lines on the ‘Ready Steady Go!’ pre-writing kits.  Again, I have been able to see him improve his pencil control whilst using the resource.   We have even progressed onto exploring the letters now!

The kits are really handy for going out and about.  I have found that rather than having a bag full of bits and pieces and ferreting around for a lost toy at the bottom of the bag each time we needed entertainment, I have been able to easily pull a kit out of my bag, safe in the knowledge that all I need for an activity is inside.

The kits do, however, need looking after.  Like anything, if bits go missing, the fun is spoilt.  Each kit is carefully made up to contain exactly what you need and so it’s vital that you keep all the bits together.   Some kits contain buttons and pomp oms etc. so you do to be a little eagle eyed to make sure everything ends up back in the bag.  I also realised quite quickly that I couldn’t let my son ‘go free’ with the kits as he would just empty out the bits from each bag to see what he could find!  They need a little coaching to get the most out of the kits, but the instructions that go with them are clear, bold, easy to follow and take seconds to get to grips with so once you get them started, you can easily sneak a quick coffee (while it is still hot) while they are busy with their activity.

As a teacher with a good number of years’ experience in Early Years I love these kits.  I particularly love the fact that they have encouraged my reluctant little one and helped him to get to grips with some of the skills he will be encouraged to practice when he starts school in September. 

The kits are relatively new to the UK and we really have attracted quite a bit of attention whilst out and about and every little friend that we have met up with has been instantly attracted to the kits – they are bright, bold, engaging and the little bits and pieces are an immediate magnet for little ones.  We’ve been lucky enough to travel quite a bit over the last few months whilst trying these kits out and I have to admit, they really have come everywhere with us; trains, plans and automobiles included!  It was great to know that within a small, compact bag contained all the tools we needed for a good session of educational entertainment.

So, if you are looking for something new, engaging, practical and appealing for your little pre-schooler, I really would recommend these Little Scribblers Busy Bags and Activity Packs, both with my mummy hat and my teacher hat firmly in place!

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