"I Spy" Kids Bags

A friend of mine is doing a Toddler Busy Bag party and this is what I decided to make all 15 ladies (16 including myself)!  You know the "I Spy" books that your children just love and can spend hours looking at finding things?  Well, this idea originated from those books and is a fun item to have for the kids.  It is great to take to church, doctor's appointments, car trips, etc...  I've seen these done with felt before, but have heard complaints about the various items getting stuck on the felt inside and the kids not being able to find them.  So I came up with this!

Items Needed:
~ Pencil Case with clear plastic window (found at Walmart for .97)
~ Poly-Pellets.  (They're Non-Toxic and can be found at Hobby Lobby, Joann's, and Michael's in their doll making area.)
~ Small Fun Items.  (Some can be found around the house... marbles, dice, pennies, paperclips, buttons, etc.  And the others I found at various craft stores.)
~ Large Ribbon
~ Super Glue
~ Fabric Glue

*OPTIONAL:  Before you start to make your "I Spy" Bags, take a picture of all your small fun items on a a white sheet of paper.  Copy and paste that picture to a desired computer working space, shrink to a smaller size (I fit SIX onto one sheet of paper), label items, and print them out.  Have them laminated.  Cut them out.  And last but not least, attach to pencil case with a hole punch and string.*
1.  Fill the pencil case with 2.5 CUPS of poly-pellets.
2.  Add small fun items to bag (I used 14 items)
3.  Zip bag shut and take off the dangling part of the zipper pulley.  (You may need to use needle nose pliers for this step.)
4.  Put a small dab of Super Glue where the zipper pulley is on each side.
5.  Measure out your large ribbon, long enough to fit across zipper area and be able to fold around the edges to the backside of pencil case and cut to desired length.
6.  Use the Fabric Glue to glue the large ribbon on top of the zipper and around the back to the edges.  Allow to dry for about three hours.

Your "I Spy" Bag is now ready for your kids to play with!  My two year old doesn't understand that she should be looking for certain items yet, but she still enjoys looking at all the items in the bag.  So I definitely think this is a fun item for both younger and older kids!