Play time doesn't need expensive toys that'll break after a few tosses. Tossing DIY bean bags are perfect for kids of all ages. They're easy, harmless, and perfect for playing!
Learn how to make your own bean bags with things lying around your house. You won’t even need your sewing machine!
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DIY Bean Bags for Your Kids to Enjoy
Materials
- Fabric of your choice
- Note: Make sure they're thick enough to support the weight of your desired filling.
- Fillings of your choice
- Dried beans, rice, small beads, etc
- Note: If you use food items as fillings, make sure to store them in a cool, dry place and avoid getting them wet.
- Needle and thread
- Sewing pins
- Scissors
- Funnel or rolled paper
Instructions
Step 1: Cut the Fabric
Cut your fabric into rectangular strips. Make sure the length of the strip is twice the length of your palm. This way, you won’t have to worry about it being too big for your kids.
Step 2: Fold the Strip
Fold your fabric in half, with the back of the fabric facing outwards. Using sewing pins, pin the sides to keep them from going out of place.
Step 3: Sew the Sides
Sew the sides together using a backstitch. Make sure you're leaving about 1 cm seam allowance. Keep sewing until you're left with about 3-4 cm opening. This is where you’ll be inserting your fillings later.
Since this is hand-stitched, it's important that the seam won't easily tear. You can learn how to sew a sturdy seam in this video tutorial.
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Step 4: Trim the Corners
Trim the corners and turn them right-side-out. This helps keep the bag from being too bulky.
Step 5: Fill and Close the Bag
Time to go crazy! Using a funnel, fill the bags about 3/4 full of your desired fillings. This is completely flexible. If you want a tighter bag, add more. If you want a looser bag, add less. Just make sure you won’t be over-stuffing or under-stuffing them.
Close the gap using a ladder stitch, and you're done!
Step 6: Ready to Play!
Create as many as you like, use different fabrics, and try working with designs too. Your kids will surely go crazy over these beanbags.
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5 Fun Games Your Kids Can Play with DIY Bean Bags
1. Bean Bag Basketball
For this game, you'll need:
- A Game Master
- Teams (Members of each team must have their own player number, starting from 1 and so on.)
- Chairs
- Bean bags
To begin, each team member must line up in front of their respective chairs. Player No.1 will automatically start. When the Game Master says, “Dribble!”, the player should make motions of dribbling with the bean bag.
When the Game Master says, “Pass to Player No. X”, the player holding the bean bag should pass it to whoever Player No. X is. The Game Master can choose to keep the bean bags passing. Once they say, “Shoot!”, the player should place the bean bag on the chair.
The first team to reach the chair gets the point!
2. Merry-Go-Round of Bean Bags
Have your kids sit in a circle around a bowl of their favorite candy. While singing a short song, have them pass the bean bag around. When the song ends, the kid holding the bean bag will get the chance to pick whatever they want from the bowl.
3. Bean Bag Dragonflies
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For this game, you'll need:
- 2 teams
- 6 bean bags
- Ties for the bean bags
To form the dragonfly, each team member has to put their hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them. In each team, there will be a Head (the person in front) and a Tail (the person at the back).
The Tails are each strapped with three bean bags. The Heads, then, have to steal the bags from the other team's Tails. The first team to steal all three bean bags wins!
4. The Great Bean Bag Hunt
Go ahead and hide the bean bags around the house. Make sure that while they’re hidden well, they’re still accessible to the kids. The more bean bags they find, the better!
To add a bit more adventure, you can go ahead and prepare a map. This will make your kids feel like they're in a great, big treasure hunt!
5. Bean Bag Bowling,
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For this game, you'll need:
- Cups or empty cans
- Masking tape
- Bean bags
Clear a path in your hallway or living room. On one end, form a triangle by placing cups or empty tin cans on the floor. On the other end, mark a spot by sticking a strip of masking tape on the floor. This spot is where your bowlers will stand. Slide the bean bags across the floor, and see who knocks down the most cans!
Up for something different? Check out Red Ted Art's video tutorial on DIY Chicken Bean Bag Tutorial:
These homemade bean bags are perfect for kids. They are filled to the brim with fun ideas, and they cost less too! Having fun doesn't need to be complicated. Sometimes, it just needs an extra fabric and a little love.
What bean bag games do your kids enjoy playing? Share your thoughts in the comments down below!
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