How to Make a Quiet Bag to Keep in the Car for Kids

Since you never know what the day may bring it is always best to be prepared. As parents we often find ourselves in situations where we need our children to be well-behaved and quiet, which is typically the time that want to be loud. Keeping a stocked "Quiet Bag" in the car for occasions such as these can make situations less stressful for you and your children. You will be able to grab what you need out of it to match the situation that you are in.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Large book bag
• Different sized zippered bags (gallons, quart and sandwich)
• Quiet ctivities of your choice (See Step 2 for suggestions.)
• Non-Pperishable snacks
• Tape
• Permanent marker

1. Find a backpack that is large enough to hold the items that you choose to put in your quiet bag.
2. Quiet items that work well in the bag are:
   Coloring books with crayons
   Dry erase board with dry erase markers
   Etch-A-Sketch
   Puzzles
   Paper dolls
   Magnet dolls
   Bag of Legos
   Lacing cards
   Sticker books
   Children's books
   Dot-to-Dot books
   Maze books
   Lacing beads and string
   Mr. Potato Head
3. Take the loose pieces of these items and put them in the appropriate sized zippered bag.You can put puzzle pieces in bags and then attach them with tape to the back of the puzzle. This will keep the bag well organized and items easily accessible. It will also protect pieces from getting lost on your outings. You can label bags if needed.
4. Also include some snacks that will stay fresh for awhile. Wrapped peanut butter crackers, zippered bags of goldfish crackers, granola bars, Cheerios, rasins and other similar snacks work well.
5. Find a place in your car where you will easily be able to access the contents of the bag but where it will not always be in the way.

Tips & Warnings

• You should rotate the contents of the bag every month or so to keep kids interested in the activities and to ensure that the snacks are fresh.
• Always keep your eyes out for fun, age-appropriate activities to add to the bag.
• When looking for items for the quiet bag, always check for broken, recalled, or unsafe items.