The holidays. I have a love/hate relationship with this time of year. It’s just so doggone busy around here. Not just with the holidays but also with back-to-back birthdays, traveling, and my wedding anniversary at the end of the month.

 Sheesh! I feel like I’m always running around trying to finish up last minute errands and grocery shopping, often times with the kids in tow.

If you have young kids then you already know what a pain it can be to run those crowded holiday errands with them. They get cranky having to wait in long department store lines and bored being in the car for all those trips to the grocery store.

Wanna know how I shop and run errands peacefully with my toddler??

Well do you remember when I wrote that post about how my the FoodSaver® System was my secret weapon in the kitchen? Well what if I told you that it’s also been my secret weapon to tantrum-free holiday shopping this year?

The secret….. HOMEMADE SENSORY BAGS!

Yep, you guessed it! I use my FoodSaver® System and FoodSaver® bags to create fun sensory bags for the kids. They keep them busy while I’m doing all of my holiday shopping and running around. Best. Idea. Ever.

foodsaver sensory bags

If you’ve never heard of sensory bags, they are basically fun, hands-on activity bags that are super easy and cheap to make. They allows kids to explore creativity, learning, art, you name it, 100% MESS FREE! Double win!

Even though the FoodSaver® System is typically used for keeping air out of food so that it stays fresher up to 5x longer than regular food storage methods, who says you only have to use it for the kitchen!

Hey as much as I hate having a bunch of appliances hogging up my kitchen space, The FoodSaver® System has completely earned it’s place by offering so many more uses besides helping me marinate food in minutes, reducing my food waste and helping me prep and store freezer-burn free meals!

Food Saver

I’ve used my FoodSaver® System to keep travel documents safe, organize & store my homeschool supplies and I even have a few homemade ice packs in the freezer made with FoodSaver® bags. Cool huh?

Using the FoodSaver® System and their BPA-free bags to create these sensory bags were a breeze! These bags are durable enough to withstand my toddlers constant pulling, poking, squishing, and dropping. The seal is super tight so I don’t have to worry about the sensory bag coming open like when I’d use regular plastic storage bags.

FoodSaver Bags

I think the reason why my kids love sensory bags so much is that they are only allowed to play with them when they are in the car, while they are in a shopping cart or waiting at a restaurant. It’s like this coveted item that they know they only have a limited time with.

FoodSaver system

We have a TON of sensory bags stashed in the car but I recently made up these new ones to surprise the kids with on our last marathon grocery shopping trip. Here’s how I made my latest sensory bags. When we’re out and about I place these on a clipboard to stabilize them.

  • Decorate the Snowman: Fill a FoodSaver® bag with 15 oz of clear, cheap hair gel. Add a laminated snowman template and items to decorate the snowman with. Seal and play!
  • Beach Scavenger Hunt: Fill a FoodSaver® bag with 2 cups of sand. Add various small items. Seal and enjoy. I also created flashcard with this bag so my older son could challenge himself and see how fast he could find each item.
  • Squishy Ocean Treasures: Add a drop of blue food coloring to 15 oz of clear hair gel. Add the gel to a FoodSaver® bag. Sprinkle in a few craft jewels. Seal and enjoy.

 

Seriously that sky is the limit for creating sensory bags! I’ve seen some that are used for teaching color sorting, sight words, letters, numbers, color mixing, you name it!

foodSaver Sensory bags

The FoodSaver® System is said to pay for itself within 14-27 uses for the average family of four. Well we are that family of four and my FoodSaver® System continues to pay for itself over and over again! It’s definitely been one of my best kitchen/homeschooling/organization/traveling/holiday shopping boredom buster investments ever! For more information on FoodSaver® Systems you can visit their website here. You can also follow them on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Youtube.

How do you use your FoodSaver® System to create, seal and share during the holidays?  Tell me in the comments for a chance to win a $100 VISA gift card!

 

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