Counting Dinosaur Game {Busy Bag Activity}

Along with sharing various toddler friendly crafts on my blog, I want to start sharing toddler themed busy bag activities too.

Never heard of busy bag activities?

They are called busy bags because…well…most are stored in bags & in the end, keep kids busy. Some are just games and some have a learning lesson behind them. The concept is to make the busy bag activities durable and be able to use them over & over again. Plus it gives moms an excuse to get crafty {to make them} and then afterwards your child is satisfied with the end result too. It’s a win-win situation. With so many road-trips going on this summer, busy bags are great to throw in a basket & hand one over when your child gets fussy or bored.

Today’s busy bag activity is called “Counting Dinosaur Game.” Your child will have to count the dots on each dinosaur cutout, then add the same amount of clothespins {spikes} along the back of each dinosaur. To make this activity, it takes a few easy steps & less than 30 minutes to put together. The cost is also very reasonable & and you can change out supplies to best suit you.

Ready to learn how?

Here is what you need:

* Laminator
* Laminating Sheets
* Paper Punch
* Cardstock
* Mini Clothespins $3.00
* Dinosaur Cutouts $2.00
* Glue Stick

The mini clothespins and dinosaur cutouts were purchased at Hobby Lobby. You can always free style your dinosaur, search the internet for a template or if you have a Cricut Die Cut Machine – make your own cutouts. {And if you don’t want to do dinosaurs – change it up!}

First things first – divide up your dinosaur cutouts & clothespins. One dinosaur with one clothespin, another with two, another with three – so on & so on. I decided to go up to 5 for lil man since we are just starting with numbers, but you could go even higher. Just remember, the clothespins have to fit on the dinosaur, so keep that in mind.

Next make your paper punches. Like I mentioned in the above paragraph – one paper punch for the dinosaur with one clothespin. Two for the dinosaur with two clothespins. And so on & so on.

Then glue your paper punches on the dinosaurs and slide between your laminating sheets.

Run them through your laminator & let them cool down for a bit.

Using small scissors, trim the dinosaurs out.

And you are done! To play, just ask your child to count the dots & add the same amount of clothespins along the back of the dinosaur. Once the game is done, store in a ziplock baggie for future uses. {Or sew up a really cool bag}

To change up or add some flare – paint your clothespins or change up the colors on the dots. You could even change the game up, by doing a single clothespin that matches the color of a particular dot on each dinosaur. Similar to the Paint Chip Matching Game I shared before.

A laminator is such a great investment when it comes to busy bags & educational stuff. I’m so glad I made the jump & got one. In fact, tomorrow I’m sharing another activity/busy bag I made using my laminator. Be sure to check back for that! Until then, enjoy your weekend!! #gluedtomycrafts