What should you pay attention to when buying bean bags?
Patty Beekwilder
Looking for an original or sustainable gift for a baby, toddler, or preschooler? Then bean bags are a great idea! These play bags filled with cherry pits and grape seeds are fantastic to play with. Thinking about buying bean bags ? Here are a few things to consider.
What are bean bags and what can you do with them?
Beanbags are fabric bags filled with natural seeds. We fill our beanbags with cherry stones, grape seeds, and a mix of these. The different fabrics and fillings give each playbag a unique feel. But beanbags can also be filled with other materials. They are also called sensory bags or tactile bags.
Children play with it in all sorts of ways: stacking, throwing, shaking, feeling, sorting, and all sorts of role-playing.
What material are the bean bags made of?
Bean bags come in all shapes and sizes. You can choose bean bags made of fabric with the same texture. But for an extra sensory experience, it's wise to choose bean bags made of different fabrics with varying textures. For example, consider bean bags made of ribbed fabric, waffle fabric, smooth cotton, and teddy fabric. Each bean bag will have a different feel.
The different textures make the beanbags even more interesting for young children. By feeling them, they discover the difference between smooth and ribbed fabric. And that teddy fabric feels very different from waffle fabric. Sensory play stimulates the senses, which are still developing in a child.
Color recognition and color sorting with bean bags
Buying a set of rainbow-colored beanbags will encourage the development of color recognition and color sorting. Use sheets of paper in the same colors and sort them together. Or simply name the colors once your child becomes interested.
Is your child ready for a more challenging color recognition challenge? Then pastel-colored beanbags are a great idea. They teach a child that a color can have different hues. For example, there's blue, but also light blue.
What are the bean bags filled with?
Beanbags not only come in different colors, fabrics, and prints, but also with a variety of fillings. Beanbags can be filled with either natural or synthetic fillings. But what's the difference?
Bean bags with synthetic filling
If they're filled with a synthetic material, it's often plastic granules. These are small plastic pellets. This is a non-natural material that can be washed out.
Bean bags with natural filling
Bean bags can also be filled with a natural filling. There's a distinction between washable and non-washable fillings.
Non-washable fillings are:
- Sand
- Rice
- Corn
- Lentils
- Split peas
- Beans
Washable fillings (if washed properly) are:
- Cherry stones
- Grape seeds
If you want to be able to wash the bean bags, a washable version is a good idea. The most sustainable and environmentally friendly choice is bean bags filled with cherry or grape seeds. Washable and natural.
Do the bean bags have a CE mark?
All toys in the EU must bear a CE mark. The CE mark indicates that the product meets legal requirements, such as fire safety. Unfortunately, not all beanbags have a CE mark. If this isn't stated on the product, please ask the seller.
How many bean bags do you need?
Starting at 6 beanbags, you have a nice number to play with . But a baby often only needs 3. I've also written an extensive blog post about beanbags for babies . We now have a collection of 12 beanbags. This way, we can create an even longer footpath. We can play even more tossing games, and we can make even more beds for our toy animals. My tip: start with a set of 6 beanbags and expand your collection later for even more fun.
From what age are bean bags suitable?
Because bean bags are filled with a delicate filling, I recommend that children under 3 years old only play under supervision, in case a bean bag opens. I recommend them for children up to about 7 years old. However, I'm getting more and more messages from parents whose children are older than 7 and still play with them endlessly. Schools definitely still use bean bags later in life during games and gym classes.
I've been making bean bags for families, childcare centers, and schools for years. My bean bags are CE-certified. They're filled with natural, washable materials. Each set of bean bags contains three different fillings and is made of different fabrics. This gives each bean bag a unique feel, enhancing the sensory experience.
Do you have any questions about the bean bags? Feel free to email me at patty@littlebotaniclabel.nl
Have I made you curious about my bean bags?
