Tuesday's Toddler Tornado #4: Lookie Bottles and Bags

A few weeks ago we made this little "lookie bottle" to try to help keep Little Bit quiet at church. It's a plastic soda, er, I mean water bottle filled with rice and tiny toys such as novelty erasers, Legos, jacks, and unused party supplies.

 

As much as we tried to show her how much more fun it would be to play with this bottle than to talk loudly during the sermon, she had no interest in it. So, it just kind of got tossed in the playroom and was forgotten about.

Until...

She found it on her own a few days ago and became totally engrossed in finding all of the tiny toys that were hiding between and behind the rice.

Perhaps our approach in church, triggered by desperation, was slightly mishandled. On her own, Little Bit was captivated by this toy for a good 20-30 minutes. That's long enough to take a shower, so in my book, this toy is a keeper!

Just a note if you decide to make a lookie bottle (this is just what we call it, you can make-up your own name) for very young children, don't forget to glue the top on so that you don't have to worry about the tiny toys falling out and getting swallowed.

Alternatively, you don't even have to make your own. I came across these "Eye Spy" bags while Pouncing at Etsy (if you've never Pounced you're missing out!). Same concept, but so much cuter! The seller's name is Ainsley and Oswald and she has several of these bags in different motifs.

 

 

Photo from Ainsley and Oswald's Etsy Shop.

Do you have any tips for parents of babies and toddlers, or even preschoolers? Parenting lessons you'd like to pass on? Snack ideas your just itching to share? Or a product you think every Mommy and Daddy of little ones should know about? Post your link here every Tuesday and check to see what others are doing!