With the days growing longer and the temperatures rising, we’re on the hunt for quick and easy DIYs that will inspire your child’s imagination — without breaking the bank. After a little digging through our craft stash, we realized that we could make no-sew bean bags and then pair them with our Playchutes for hours of outdoor fun! Best of all, no sewing machine is required to make this simple DIY; a hot glue gun works like a charm!

Here’s what you will need to get started:

Supplies:

  • Felt sheets
  • Uncooked Beans
  • Hot Glue Gun
  • Pompoms

To begin, fold a sheet of felt (or any fabric of your choosing) in half and crease the edge.

Next, cut out a square using a sharp pair of scissors.

Using a hot glue gun or any other type of permanent liquid adhesive, apply glue along the lengths of the sheet of felt and then fold back in half.

Seal up the edges by pressing the fabric with your fingers until the glue is set.

Next, pour in the beans until the felt square is about halfway full.

Finally, seal up the fourth edge of the bean bag with hot glue and apply pressure with your finger.

For extra flair, adhere pompoms to the bean bag using hot glue. You can add a few or a bunch — the possibilities are endless!

Once your bean bags are complete, throw them in the center of our Playchute and launch them into the air!

Our little ones loved crouching on the ground and then springing upwards to send the bean bags flying!

Lots of giggles!

Not only are our parachutes a fun physical activity for children of all ages, but they’re a great way to build social and cognitive skills as well!

Perhaps the best thing about our parachutes is that they’re fun for everyone involved. In fact, after witnessing this play date, we’re not sure whom enjoyed the parachute more — the happy kids or the parents of said happy kids! It’s the simple joys that mean the most.