Guides: Children's Library: Preschool Busy Bags

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What are Busy Bags?

HBPL wants to help you become your little one's first teacher!

Preschool Busy Bags are early learning kits for preschoolers you can check out with your HBPL library card. Busy Bags help parents get their little ones ready for kindergarten through simple activities that involve talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing together.

In every Busy Bag from HBPL, you will find activities based on the what we call the 5 practices of early literacy: talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing. What's early literacy? It's everything your child learns about reading - before they actually start reading! Early literacy includes things like carefully grabbing and turning a book page; recognizing shapes, colors, and letters; and even guessing where the narrative of a story might go next. Storytime, craft time, and many other library programs are all geared towards improving your child's early literacy skills, and Busy Bags are here to help you continue this learning at home!

Want a Busy bag preview? Check out the bags & everything inside in the box below!

Browse the Bags

In this bag, you'll find activities about building and construction that will encourage your little one to talk, sing, read, write and play.

This kit contains:

A Kit Instruction Guide
An Early Learning Guide for Parents & Caregivers
A Wooden Screw Board
Magnatiles
Counting Nuts & Bolts
& all of the books listed below!

Hello, World! Construction Site by Jill McDonald
Toddlers can learn all about the busy world of a construction site, with easy-to-understand facts about all the huge, noisy machines that captivate little ones' imaginations.
Tap Tap Bang Bang by Emma Garcia
Dig into this delightful board book with colorful pictures of tools and the sounds they make... but what are the tools making?
Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty; David Roberts (Illustrator)
A young aspiring engineer must first conquer her fear of failure.
Carpenter's Helper by Sybil Rosen; Camille Garoche (Illustrator)
Renata and her father halt work on their new bathroom when a pair of wrens builds a nest over the bathtub, allowing Renata to see their chicks hatch and begin to fly.

In this bag, you'll find activities about our woodland animal friends that will encourage your little one to talk, sing, read, write and play.

This kit contains:

A Kit Instruction Guide
An Early Learning Guide for Parents & Caregivers
A Pom Pom Placement Tree
A Jumbo Memory Game
Five Forest Animal Finger Puppets
& all of the books listed below!

A Cub Story by Kristen Tracy
A bear cub emerges in the spring when everything he sees is new and interesting, and grows up (a little) as the seasons pass until when winter comes, and he returns to his mother's den to sleep until spring comes again.
Bear Came Along by Richard T. Morris; LeUyen Pham (Illustrator)
An assortment of animals living separate lives discover they need each other when they have a chance encounter on a river.
Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson
Tap The Magic Tree invites the reader to tap, rub, touch, and wiggle illustrations to make an apple tree bloom, produce fruit, and lose its leaves.
In the Forest by Redd Byrd
It's a beautiful day in the forest! Introduce your little one to all the magic and wonder found in nature in this interactive Explore & Find board book filled with engaging search-and-find matching games, counting, new vocabulary words, and forest scenes designed to educate and entertain little nature lovers. The forest is full of places to explore and things to discover!

In this bag, you'll find activities about learning the alphabet that will encourage your little one to talk, sing, read, write and play.

This kit contains:

A Kit Instruction Guide
An Early Learning Guide for Parents & Caregivers
A Magnetic Letter Tracing Board
A Magic Writing Board & Flipbook
Wooden ABC Puzzles
& all of the books listed below!

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin
When all the letters of the alphabet race on another up the coconut tree, will there be enough room?
Mrs. Peanuckle's Hiking Alphabet by Jessie Ford
Get ready to go on a hiking adventure and learn your ABCs with Mrs. Peanuckle! Mrs. Peanuckle takes on the outdoors and shares all her favorite animals, plants, and more in her latest tour of the ABCs!
Square Cat ABC by Elizabeth Schoonmaker
The letters of the alphabet are used to tell the story of the mouse who meets Eula the square cat, in her garden. The mouse wants some spinach but Eula hates spinach. Along comes a porcupine who scares mouse away but in the end mouse and porcupine become friends, and square cat might try spinach.
Fingertrail ABC by Elisa Ferro
Meet an alligator with an accordion, a bear in a bubble bath, some fabulous flamingos with fans, and much more in this charming introduction to the alphabet. Gorgeous illustrations, irresistible finger trails and alphabetical text combine to make this a perfect book to help very young children learn capital letter shapes and the sounds associated with them.

In this bag, you'll find activities about learning our numbers that will encourage your little one to talk, sing, read, write and play.

This kit contains:

A Kit Instruction Guide
An Early Learning Guide for Parents & Caregivers
A Squeeze, Scoop & Count Ice Cream Shop Game
Learning Locks & Keys
A Paint Can Magnet Maze
& all of the books listed below!

Ten in a Hurry by Lo Cole
A school of fish is consumed, one by one and color by color, until the littlest and last fish takes a dramatic stand.
Everybunny Count! by Ellie Sandall
Bunnies play hide-and-seek and count together in this bright, colorful picture book that explores the natural world and celebrates friendship and one of the most beloved early childhood games. But that's not all. There's a special surprise awaiting the bunnies when they take a peek inside fox's den!
Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett; Kevin Cornell (Illustrator)
Kids will giggle as they count all the animals that have frightened the monkeys off the pages. Full of fun reader interactions and keeps readers guessing until the very last page!
Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin
Pete the cat loves the buttons on his shirt so much that he makes up a song about them, and even as the buttons pop off, one by one, he still finds a reason to sing.

In this bag, you'll find activities about music, dancing, and moving that will encourage your little one to talk, sing, read, write and play.

This kit contains:

A Kit Instruction Guide
An Early Learning Guide for Parents & Caregivers
A Lacing Bead Set
Shaker Eggs
Colorful Play Scarves
& all of the books listed below!

Stomp, Wiggle, Clap, and Tap: My First Book of Dance by Rachelle Burk
Toddlers are natural dancers and they love to move! Channel toddlers’ energy and help them develop balance, coordination, and control with the help of this engaging choice in dance books for toddlers.
Dance Party Countdown by Eric Litwin
Groovy Joe is a guitar playing dog who loves to sing and dance, and when many other dogs come and join him his home gets a little crowded, but the party is fun, and Joe is definitely a guitar hero.
Good Morning Yoga by Mariam Gates
Whether they’re an explorer crossing bridges, a gentle stream flowing downhill, or a brave ski jumper ready to fly, children will enjoy the adventure story that also helps them move their bodies and get ready for the day.
Everybunny Dance! by Ellie Sandall
A whimsical celebration of movement will have children jumping out of their seats to dance, play, and sing with these cheerful bunnies—and one not-so-scary fox. Everybunny is invited to join together in this joyous display of playful creativity.

In this bag, you'll find activities about our romping, stomping dinosaur friends that will encourage your little one to talk, sing, read, write and play.

This kit contains:

A Kit Instruction Guide
An Early Learning Guide for Parents & Caregivers
A Dinosaur Color Sorting Toy
Snap-Dinos
2 Jumbo Dinosaurs
& all of the books listed below!

Roar: a Dinosaur Tour by Michael Paul
A long, long time ago, dinosaurs roamed the earth. Some were big, and some were little. Some were fast, and some were slow. Some lived alone, and some lived together. They are gone now, but you can still see their bones at museums all around the world.
Dinosaur Kisses by David Ezra Stein
For newly hatched dinosaur Dinah, the world is an exciting place. There is so much to see and do. She tries this — STOMP! And she tries that — CHOMP! Then she sees a kiss and knows just what she wants to try next. Who can she kiss?
Am I Yours? by Alex Latimer
"Some friendly dinosaurs must help a lost egg after it's blown out of its nest. But if they are to reunite the little egg with its true parents, they must first discover what kind of dinosaur lies inside!

In this bag, you'll find activities about growing food, plants, and flowers that will encourage your little one to talk, sing, read, write and play.

This kit contains:

A Kit Instruction Guide
An Early Learning Guide for Parents & Caregivers
A My First Orchard Game
An Orchard Magnet Maze
A Stacking Garden Friends Game
& all of the books listed below!

What Will Grow? by Jennifer Ward; Susie Ghahremani (Illustrator)
Seeds can be big or small, round or pointy, and all sorts of colors. They can become flowers, trees, fruits, or vegetables, and they grow all times of year, during spring, summer, fall, and winter. But all seeds have one thing in common--inside each is a new plant life waiting to emerge. What kind of plant will bloom? Wait and see what will grow!
Plant the Tiny Seed by Christie Matheson
Plant a seed to watch it grow. Press on the cloud to make it rain. Jiggle the book to scatter the seeds. Interactive text teaches very young children how flowers sprout and mature.
Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
In this perennial classic by Caldecott Honor–winning author Lois Ehlert, little ones learn the colors of the rainbow as they watch a plants grow in a beautifully vibrant garden.
My Garden by Kevin Henkes
After helping her mother weed, water, and chase the rabbits from their garden, a young girl imagines her dream garden complete with jellybean bushes, chocolate rabbits, and tomatoes the size of beach balls.

In this bag, you'll find activities about taking care of your body that will encourage your little one to talk, sing, read, write and play.

This kit contains:

A Kit Instruction Guide
An Early Learning Guide for Parents & Caregivers
A Dentist Play Set
A Doctor Play Set
A Fine Motor Skill Vegetable Cutting Toy
& all of the books listed below!

How Do You Take a Bath? by Kate McMullan; Sydney Hanson (Illustrator)
Follow elephants, pigs, monkeys, hippos, and more in this charming rhyming picture book from veteran author Kate McMullan. How does a pig take a bath? It sinks in the mud! What about a chicken? It thrashes about in dust! And a cat? Why, it licks itself clean, of course! By the end of the book, the child finally makes his way to the bathtub, no mud baths or lick baths about it!
Brush! Brush! Brush! by Douglas Florian; Christiane Engel (Illustrator)
Everyone needs to brush! brush! brush! their teeth-inside, outside, right, and left. Bright smiles and enthusiastic kids show toddlers the basics of tooth brushing in this bouncy read-aloud.
Bear Feels Sick by Karma Wilson; Jane Chapman (Illustrator)
When Bear is too sick to play, his animal friends go to his cave to make him soup and tea and keep him company.
At the Hospital by Carron Brown
Meet the people and explore behind the scenes in a busy hospital! Use the Healthy Bodies kit flashlight to shine behind the special pages to see what’s hidden.
Eat Your Colors by Amanda Miller
Fun, colorful photos introduce little ones to the basics of good nutrition and colors!

In this bag, you'll find activities about our creepy crawly insect friends that will encourage your little one to talk, sing, read, write and play.

This kit contains:

A Kit Instruction Guide
An Early Learning Guide for Parents & Caregivers
Caterpillar Lacing Toys
A Ladybug Counting Set
Pretend Play Butterfly Wings
& all of the books listed below!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
A hungry little caterpillar eats his way through a large quantity of food until, full at last, he forms a cocoon around himself and goes to sleep.
Bee Dance by Rick Chrustowski
A honeybee searches for nectar, then returns to the hive to tell the other bees. She does a waggle dance, moving in a special figure-eight pattern to share the location of the foodsource with her hivemates. With vivid and active images, Rick Chrustowski brings these amazing bees to life!
Walter's Wonderful Web by Tim Hopgood
A determined little spider named Walter is trying to make a sturdy web that will stand up to the blustery wind. The webs he makes at first are woven in special shapes, but they are still wibbly-wobbly. Can Walter make a web that is both wonderful and strong?
Big Bug by Henry Cole
Beginning with a bug, various objects are revealed as being big and small in comparison with other objects on a farm under the big, big sky.

In this bag, you'll find activities about zipping, zooming cars that will encourage your little one to talk, sing, read, write and play.

This kit contains:

A Kit Instruction Guide
An Early Learning Guide for Parents & Caregivers
A Firetruck Screw Board
Wooden Cars & Alphabet Driving Mats
A Stop, Slow, Go! Game
& all of the books listed below!

Toot Toot Beep Beep by Emma Garcia
Follow the noisy vehicles and see where they are going! Say the sounds as you read along together, plus practice color recognition with fun car pictures.
My Car by Byron Barton
right, graphic artwork invites readers to count, name colors and shapes, and follow Sam and his car as they drive through a bustling world from Sam's home in the country to his job in the city. The surprise ending is a gem!
Moo! by David LaRochelle
When Cow gets her hooves on the farmer's car, she takes it for a wild ride through the country.

In this bag, you'll find activities about feelings that will encourage your little one to talk, sing, read, write and play.

This kit contains:

A Kit Instruction Guide
An Early Learning Guide for Parents & Caregivers
A Set of Feelings Clothespin Cards
An Emotions Felt Board
& all of the books listed below!

Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard
Feeling too grumpy to fly, Bird begins to walk and finds that his mood changes as other animals join him.
Little Monkey Calms Down by Michael Dahl
Little Monkey feels sad, mad and angry all at once--he needs to learn how to calm down.
The Feelings Book by Todd Parr
The Feelings Book vibrantly illustrates the wide range of moods we all experience. Kids and adults will appreciate Todd Parr's quirky intelligence as he pays special attention to the ever-changing, sometimes nonsensical emotions that we all feel.
The Way I Feel by Janan Cain
Illustrations and rhyming text portray children experiencing a range of emotions, including frustration, shyness, jealousy, and pride.

In this bag, you'll find activities about breathing, focusing, and being present that will encourage your little one to talk, sing, read, write and play.

This kit contains:

A Kit Instruction Guide
An Early Learning Guide for Parents & Caregivers
Animal Breathing Cards
A Nature Sensory Hunt
A Hoberman Sphere
Kids Yoga Pose Cards
& all of the books listed below!

I Am a Peaceful Goldfish by Shoshana Chaim
In I Am a Peaceful Goldfish, two children learn how to settle their difficult feelings with imaginative breathing techniques, pretending they are elephants, flowers, and even dragons!
My Mindful Walk with Grandma by Sheri Mabry
When a girl walks through the woods with her Grandma, she is so excited about their destination that she misses out on what is around her, but with Grandma's help, she learns how to breathe, be peaceful, and find herself in nature.
Alphabreaths by Christopher Willard
Learn the ABCs while practicing basic mindfulness through breathing exercises such as Mountain Breath and Butterfly Breath.
Listen Like an Elephant by Kira Willey
With Listen Like an Elephant, kids learn to slow down, listen to the world around them, and focus their minds--no matter how messy life becomes. Best of all, the exercise can be performed anywhere: in the backseat of a car, at home, or even at their desk at school.

In this bag, you'll find activities about the deep blue sea that will encourage your little one to talk, sing, read, write and play.

This kit contains:

A Kit Instruction Guide
An Early Learning Guide for Parents & Caregivers
Ocean Animal Sign Language Cards
A Here Fishy Fishy Board Game
An Ocean Animals Stackier Game
Sensory Match Seashells
& all of the books listed below!

I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean! by Kevin Sherry
A giant squid brags about being bigger than everything else in the ocean--almost.
Fish Wish by Bob Barner
A young boy's dream sends him on an underwater journey through a coral reef. Includes factual information on coral reefs and the animals that live in them.
Breathe by Scott Magoon
This simply told story follows a young whale on a journey of discovery as he experiences his first day at sea on his own! He swims, explores, and makes friends in his marine habitat.
Look Closer: Under the Ocean by Roger Priddy
You are invited on a journey through our amazing ocean in this beautifully illustrated board book with cut-through windows and over 30 sea creatures to meet.

In this bag, you'll find activities all about our favorite feathered friends that will encourage your little one to talk, sing, read, write and play.

This kit contains:

A Kit Instruction Guide
An Early Learning Guide for Parents & Caregivers
A Bird Balancing Toy
Crow Finger Puppets
An At-Home Bird Scavenger Hunt
Binoculars
& all of the books listed below!

Hello, World! Birds by Jill McDonald
Young children love watching birds. Now here’s a Hello, World! board book that teaches toddlers all about our feathered friends—with colors, shapes, sizes, and super-simple facts.
Bird Builds a Nest: A First Science Storybook by Martin Jenkins
It’s time for Bird to build her nest! Follow her as she pulls a worm out of the ground, lifts some twigs that are just the right size, and pushes the twigs into place. Uh-oh — one of the twigs falls to the ground! But after a day of hard work, Bird’s nest is ready and waiting. Can you guess what it’s waiting for?
Birds from Head to Tail by Stacey Roderick
In this fun informational picture book, children can test their knowledge of birds, one body part at a time. With a guessing game format, little learners can turn the page to reveal an illustration of each bird in its habitat, along with intriguing information about its unique body part and what makes it special.
Owl Babies by Martin Waddell
Three owl babies whose mother has gone out in the night try to stay calm while she is gone.

In this bag, we're going to paint our world with brilliant blues, shining purples, radiant reds, and all the colors of the rainbow!

This kit contains:

A Kit Instruction Guide
An Early Learning Guide for Parents & Caregivers
A Rainbow Pom Pom Board
Color Viewing Paddles
Colorful Stacking Stones
& all of the books listed below!

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr.
Children see a variety of animals, each one a different color, and a teacher looking at them.
Bear Sees Colors by Karma Wilson
While taking a walk with Mouse, Bear meets many other friends and sees colors everywhere.
Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh
Three white mice discover jars of red, blue, and yellow paint and explore the world of color.
Mix It Up! by Hervé Tullet
Using no special effects other than the reader's imagination, simple directions lead the reader to experiment with mixing and changing colors on the printed page.