Development-Boosting Activities With Paper Bags

These development-boosting activities with paper bags are low-maintenance, cheap, and fun for kids!

Paper bags are good for more than just lawn clippings and groceries…why not put them to use with some creative gross motor and fine motor play?

Development-Boosting Activities With Paper Bags

What you’ll need:

-Paper grocery and/or lawn bags

-Craft supplies

What to do:

1 || Have a sack race!  

Bigger lawn bags are perfect for this.  Roll down the top edge of the bag depending on the height of the child.  Have kids put both feet inside and jump forward as fast and far as they can!  Incorporate obstacles for an added challenge – jump over objects or around them!

2 || Have a relay race!  

For a great strengthening and sensory boost, have kids race to fill their bags (with leaves, sticks, small rocks, toys, beanbags, use a shovel to fill with dirt – use your imagination!) and carry them from a starting point to the finish line!  Have them dump the contents of their bags into bigger containers to see who can fill theirs first!

3 || DIY backpacks!  

This post from eHow shows how to make a paper grocery bag into a backpack.  Because paper bags are stiffer and more course, this craft is great for practicing basic cutting skills.  And then there are a million fun ways kids can use their new backpack!  We used ours for an outdoor nature scavenger hunt.

4 || More DIY fun!  

This post from Home With the Boys gives step-by-step instructions for how to turn a paper grocery bag into a vest for your little one!  Again, perfect for practicing cutting skills and awesome for pretend play.  Kids can decorate their vests however they like to become cowboys, superheroes, anything!

5 || Puppets

Get out your craft supplies and make a paper lunch bag into a funny puppet!  Use googly eyes, pompoms, stamps, yarn, crayons, paint, and markers to create your masterpiece

For Virtual Sessions:

Any of the activities above can easily be facilitated on a teletherapy call.  All the parents/caregivers need are some paper bags (grocery sized and/or lunch bag sized) and a few simple craft supplies!  Simply provide a list of materials ahead of time and lead the child through any of the activities above, modeling and demonstrating each.

Skill Areas Addressed:

Gross motor skills, balance, endurance, coordination, motor control, strength, sensory integration, fine motor skills, visual motor integration