Busy Baby Bib -- for infant or toddler with vision and/or mobility impairment

Babies and toddlers are all about exploring and getting into things. When my twins were little, I noticed how much time Andrew, typically developing, spent digging through the toy box or playing with the assorted junk he found around the house. All that exploration built his understanding of the world. He handled textures, learned about weight and shape, examined colors -- all great learning.

Daniel, because of his CP and his CVI (cerebral palsy and cortical vision impairment), was unable to crawl, cruise, or toddle to get into messes. With his high tone (also called spasticity) he was unable to grasp objects. When we tried to wedge a toy into his fist, his startle reflex kicked in, and he'd drop the toy. He was pretty much dependent on us to bring sensory experiences to him -- which we gladly did, but it just wasn't the same as independent exploration.

Enter the busy bibs. . .

These bibs are constructed with basic sewing materials and common household objects. Beginner sewing skills are all that's needed.

You could adapt a commercial bib if you have one on hand. Or you could use a store bought bib as a pattern for your own creation. My bibs used most of two fat quarters of coordinating fabrics, scraps of quilt batting, and a few lengths of elastic, buttons, yarn and ribbon scraps, and a small piece of velcro for the fastening.



What you're seeing above: The yellow rectangle is a lavender scented bean bag with an elastic loop for easy attachment to bib. Keep in mind that beans can sprout when damp. . . ahem.

The pink heart is a rice and cinnamon scented bag. The blue coin pouch / key chain makes for a fun way to store a couple of small snacks -- cheerios or raisins work.

The assorted yarns, ribbons, and fabric snippets along the right side are similar to "Taggie" blankets often used for infants.

The bottom edge features a tube of minkie fabric in bright yellow. Many children with cortical vision issues favor bright yellow and orange, so we tried to use them often for Daniel.

My kitchen junk drawer was rich pickings for busy bibs -- that orange mesh above? That's from a citrus bag. I put crinkly paper inside. An elastic loop with some plastic beads is sewn securely into the side of the bib.


I made my busy bibs reversible -- the green side features loops for attaching toys. Key chains often made inexpensive, interesting attachments. The yellow "T" is a standard tool for many SLPs working with young children, offering oral exploration and chewing practice. Attaching it to the bib keeps it handy.


Velcro closure works, or you might try using snaps, a button and button hole, or ties.

The white ribbon has a nice satin texture (scraps from a gift packaging.) But it also works well to tie a small stuffed animal to the bib. The yellow chick attached to the bib plays Easter Parade when squeezed.

It's a good idea to make it easy to attach / detach anything that can't go through the washer and dryer easily.

And of course, for safety, you should check for wear and tear, to be sure your child can't remove small items which might be choking hazards.

Hope my busy bibs spark some ideas for your own custom creations. If you make something similar, please share pictures!