Baby Bundles: Bugs

For an overview of the Baby Bundles early literacy kits, please visit the original post. The cost listed is the list price of each item, regardless of whether or not we got it on sale/discount. The activity sheets amount was calculated by cost of binder clip + lamination sheets.

Itemized List

• Tote Bag ($6.89) — 4Imprint
• Hello Bugs by Smriti Prasadam-Halls ($6.99) — Baker & Taylor
• In My Flower by Sara Gillingham and Lorena Siminovich ($8.99) — Baker & Taylor
• Melissa and Doug Caterpillar Gears Toddler Toy ($9.99) — Amazon
• Vinyl Bag ($2.99) — The Container Store
• Activity Sheets ($2.55) — created in-house

Total Cost: $38.40

Confession time: I actually started with toys while I was creating Baby Bundles. Since baby/toddler toys are a relatively small market compared with children’s toys, it seemed like I should get a list of toys that were appropriate for circulation before I picked out themes. Luckily, the toys lent themselves to natural themes and I still have a list of toys that I may use for future kits!

The Melissa and Doug Caterpillar Gears toy is definitely geared for older children as opposed to young babies. But I felt it was important to have some toys for the 2-3 age range, since babies grow up to be toddlers, and they also need Bundles of their own. I love that this toy provides opportunities for caregivers to help their child with colors, basic engineering, and bugs! And since it’s Melissa and Doug, I know that it will also stand up against multiple circulations.

Hello Bugs is one of my favorite board books to give to friends who are expecting. The high contrast pages make it ideal for young children, but the shiny bits can also capture the attention of older children. And the vocabulary building is great. In My Flower is part of a wonderful series of books, but it’s books that won’t get added to the library’s general collection due to wear and tear. But it works in a Bundle!

It’s been three months since the Baby Bundles debuted and this Bundle has circulated four times. I think it’s because it’s one of the older toys that I’ve used in the Bundles