Busy Bag Idea: Wacky Sacks

 

I saw this great idea for a craft/toy for my son to play with while I am reading aloud to him or to add to your busy bag collection. I have a little wiggle boy who just can’t sit still when we are doing quiet activities and since I had all the items needed to make these Wacky Sacks we turned it into an art project.

I first saw this idea of at Somewhat Simple. We have a ball we purchase that is squishy like these Wacky Sacks but it is always more fun for kids to make something themselves. The instructions were great at Somewhat Simple.

We already had everything on hand we needed to assemble them but if you don’t all the items can be purchased at the dollar tree. 🙂 You will need play dough, balloons, permanent marker and something for hair like yarn or pom poms.

Roll a can of play dough into a roll and then stretch your balloon as wide as you can. Stuff the play dough log into the balloon and then get all the extra air out. Stuffing the play doh in is a little harder than you would think. I really stretched the balloon wide while the kids stuffed the play doh way down into the balloon. If you just try to stuff it into the top, the balloon will expand in the neck area and the play doh won’t get all the way to the base of the balloon. This was our mistake not once but twice.

Once the air is out then tie the opening to the balloon closed. Add some eyes by drawing them on with a permanent marker and then add a little yarn or pom poms near the tie for hair and that’s it.

Now my son being a  6-year-old curious boy just had to, after a few days of playing with his Wacky Sack, cut it open to see the play doh inside. After he saw that it was still just the play doh we were able to roll the play doh into a log again and squash it into another balloon. So even if the balloon doesn’t last you can always make a new Wacky Sack by re-using the play doh in a new balloon. 🙂

[signoff]