DIY Baby Sensory Bag

I'm sure I've said it a zillion times already - we love sensory play around here! This squishy bag entertains both my baby and my preschooler and costs practically pennies.

 This is one of the ones I've made for Bruce - and his brother got to choose what I put inside and which tape I used.  He says he made this for his baby Brucie! :)

Use a heavy duty Ziploc Freezer Quart-size storage bag - no off-brands (I guess Hefty would work too?), freezer style is thicker.  I've never had a bag break open and I assume it is because I always use the nice thick bag. 

A quick swipe of nail polish remover will remove the lettering on the bag.  I fill each one with hair gel from the dollar store - the clear kind. This bag is a gift for a friend's baby's 1st birthday - since it's a girl I added neon pink food coloring. Zip shut and squish around to mix in the food coloring.

 Reopen and add some fun items to keep baby entertained - try things with different colors and textures.  We've used:
-glitter
-foam shapes (snowflakes in the pink bag, fish in the clear one in first photo)
-perler beads
-other beads - we had vehicle, star, heart and flower shaped ones on hand, as well as all the letters of Bruce's name for his bag
-confetti and sequins
-googly eyes
-a small jingle bell

After it is sealed tightly, use duct tape around all the edges.  I cover about an inch of the bag and instead of folding the tape over leave it hanging over the edge, then flip over and tape the backside. This makes it a bit bigger and gives an edge for baby to chew on.