So, you’re expecting a sweet new baby. Congratulations! But, do you have other children already? Are you worried about upsetting your family dynamic when your new babe is born? Because that dynamic WILL be turned upside and inside out. But, it’s okay. I’ve got something to help you make the transition while you figure out a new family dynamic: Big Sibling Kits.
When I first started putting together our Big Sibling Kits, I thought I had three to four weeks before my baby would be making his grand entrance. Plenty of time to get everything all made, constructed and organized and get this awesome post all written up to share. And then life happened and our little man showed up Sunday afternoon. As in four days ago. Surprise!
So, instead of spending the last three days polishing up some fabulous Big Brother Kits for my older boys and an awesome post for Lisa at Mabey She Made It and Melanie at Craft Cupboard‘s fun series, I spent it snuggling with one of the cutest little dudes I know, popping pain killers right on schedule and explaining to my older boys for the billumteenth time that they need to tone down their hurricane force energy, wash their hands (yes, again!), and keep their kisses to the top of Baby Brother’s head. While I had intended to have the kits ready to go with my older boys to my mom’s while our new baby made his entrance into the world, that didn’t happen. But they’ve been a LIFESAVER over the past few days.
When my middle baby, Little J, was about to join our family I was concerned about how his big bro would handle the adjustment. There’s always some adjusting when a new member joins the family. So, this time, to help ease the change, I planned to give my older boys Big Brother Kits – from the baby. You can’t hate someone who comes with presents, right? Right? Please let me be right…
What’s Inside Our Big Sibling Kits?
Obviously, you should adapt these things to fit your kids’ needs and interests. These are just to help give you some ideas if you decide to put together similar kits. Of course, my list is based on young boys… that’s what I have. My kids are both very active and ages 4.5 and 2. Older kids or little girls might not want the same things.
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– Bubbles. Personally, I prefer a Bubble Machine (we like this one) since my kids aren’t old enough to blow the bubbles themselves.
– Puzzles. I found Dollar Tree had 24 piece puzzles in a variety of themes. But I know my boys would love this giant undersea floor puzzle too).
– Books. We love Little Critter books and when I found “The New Baby” on Amazon, I got that for my boys. We also love the Osborne touchy-feely books. There is one titled “That’s Not My Baby” but it was hard to find. I did eventually find a boy version on eBay. The Berenstein Bears also have a “New Baby” story that we enjoy.
– Snacks. I did get a little sweeter snacks than I normal give them on any one given day, but they’ll be with grandma, so why not, right? Turn the tables a little and let her see what it’s like when she sends my kids home with cookies and fruit snacks at 8pm… Only joking. Mostly.
– Coloring Books. I chose to get Color Wonder products. I really like these mini-markers because they fit in my little one’s hands so well. We use Color Wonder products a lot when we’re out and I love not having to worry about big messes! And there’s a huge variety of Color Wonder coloring books and paper to choose from.
– Felt Road. I first made this for Big J like two summers ago and he has loving played with it ever since. Now, both my boys love it! They can split up the track pieces or share them. Don’t forget to include a car or two for each kid too!
– Play dough. I usually make my own play dough because it’s so cheap and easy. But, when I buy play dough, I really love the Play-Doh party packs. They have just the right amount of dough for little hands, there’s lots of colors to choose from, and they come with their own containers.
– Sidewalk Chalk. We’ve been having a pretty mild winter so far and the boys are loving the chance to play outside more than usual. I found a set at Dollar Tree and split it between my two boys. They like to draw with chalk on paper too. Dip the chalk in water first before drawing for more vivid colors and less dust.
– Big Brother Shirts. Confession: I actually made these and that’s how we announced to Grandma and Grandpa that we were expecting another baby. My boys love their “brudder shirts”. No time or desire to make your own? That’s okay, here’s some cute big brother shirts and big sister shirts that will show up right on your doorstep. You don’t even have to put on pants!
– Printable Sandwich Shop. This is more Big J’s speed, something he can do on the days he doesn’t feel like he needs to nap. It’s totally cute and you can’t beat FREE. Get your copy at Kid’s Activities Blog.
– Wooden or Paper Dolls. I’ve done a few of these for Big J so we can practice sequencing (First, put on shirt, then pants, last is shoes) and familiarity with dressing himself. Google “printable paper dolls” or find some super cute sets on Babalisme Blog. I really like these ones, as they aren’t excessively girly. This wooden dress-up bear set is fun too. Little J likes that they are magnetic and easy to dress!
– Mini Experiment Kit. This is a super toned-down version of the Kid’s Experiment Kit. Basically, the experiments that take only a few minutes and minimal supplies. Sparkle bottles or snow globes would also be a good project to do with preschoolers and early elementary aged kids, if you’ve got half an hour and the patience to deal with glitter.
– Story Tiles. These are the same idea as the story stones I made Big J, but smaller and, more importantly, lighter. Little J is going through a phase of throwing things. As long as your kiddo doesn’t put everything in their mouth, this is a great alternative. You can use sharpies to draw on the tiles or get fancy with a woodburning tool. I used Scrabble tiles, because I have a cupboard full.
– Memory Game. I chose some photos from the past year or so and printed two copies of each. Then I cut those out and glued them to scrapbook paper and laminated the cards. I hole punched the cards and they can be stored on a binder ring.
– Personalized Go Fish Game. You can play this game with the same cards you make for Memory. Just deal them out instead of laying them face-down on the floor. Then take turns trying to make matches. Make simpler cards for your younger kiddos – a single photo of dad, mom, grandma, grandpa, etc rather than multiple photos with mom and dad in them.
I ended up putting mostly store bought items in our kits, and that’s perfectly fine. My boys thought they’d hit the jackpot with all the new goodies in their bags. I had planned to do up cute little canvas bags with “Big Brother” on them – but instead I fell back on some bags we had around the house.
