Mama.Papa.Bubba. -
Menu
Skip to content
  • SHOP
  • preemie
  • baby
  • play
  • craft
  • learn
  • cook
  • DIY
  • kuwait
  • vancouver
  • contact
  • about

Tag Archives: gardening

Gardening Sensory Bin

5 / 19 / 18

Gardening Sensory Bin | Mama Papa Bubba Blog

Oh, how I love me a good sensory bin.  When Miss G was a toddler, we were sensory bin QUEENS.  Seriously though.  We probably had a minimum of two sensory bins going on any given day.  She loved them, I loved them, and they come with SO many benefits, so we just ran with it.  

Well, as soon Sam started digging in our freshly planted container garden, I knew exactly what we needed to put together for him – a gardening sensory bin!  A place where he’d be free to dig, fill, plant, and rake to his heart’s content.

Gardening Sensory Bin

So that’s exactly what we did.

Gardening Sensory Bin {this post contains affiliate links}

Here’s what it included:

– potting soil (the plainest, nothing added soil the store had)

– several small pots from the seedlings we’d purchased for our garden

– a kids’ gardening shovel

– some dried beans for seeds

– a mini gardening tool set

– plant tags from our seedlings

– faux tulips

We also used the double bin method that I often use with Sam (my boy who can destroy an entire room in approximately 30 seconds flat).  It’s not a perfect system, but it does help contain the sensory bin filler (in this case, soil) and the extra space can also be used to house materials you want nearby, but not necessarily right in the sensory bin itself.  This is our go-to small sensory bin and this is my beloved jumbo sensory bin.

Gardening Sensory Bin

As I usually do when introducing an open-ended activity, I sort of just sat back and observed from the get-go.

IMG 3632

Now he had spent the last few days helping Grae and I transplant seedlings into containers, but it was the sweetest thing to watch him carefully fill his pot with soil and then stick a flower in the centre.

IMG 3636

Before long, Miss G joined in.  I’m always more than happy to let her enjoy activities I’ve set up with Sam in mind, but I do sometimes like him to get a stab at it first – before seeing how his big sister would interact with the materials.

IMG 3645

Now I don’t know whose idea it was, but once Grae joined in it wasn’t very long before one of our pump pressure water sprayers came into play.  {Side note: I looove these for gardening with kids as I feel like they make it hard to over water or hurt the seedling with a flow that’s too strong.} 

Gardening Sensory Bin

Of course once the water came into play, a whole lot of drinking and showering came along with it – hah!

Just for fun, let’s take a look at the last time I did a gardening sensory bin for Miss G, shall we?  This was back in October of 2014 {so Grae was just over 4 years old} in the courtyard of our apartments in Kuwait.  I took the photos for the purpose of sharing them here on the site, but never got around to it {#storyofmylife}.  Her bin was similar, but included the CUTEST white picket fence and tiny wooden ladybugs.  Also, those lilacs?  Beautiful.  {Still sad that I had to leave so many fun things behind when we moved home.}

IMG 4688

IMG 4691

IMG 4695

IMG 4700

Aw, my sweet baby girl!!

You can also see another gardening sensory bin we did when Miss G was just a year old here.  My gosh – the concentration and determination in that video just kills me!

 

Are you following us on social media?  

Find us on: Facebook  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Twitter

 

 

 

We’d love to have you!

2 Comments

Potted Salad Garden Gift

6 / 20 / 177 / 30 / 17

Potted Salad Garden Gift | Mama Papa Bubba

Last year, Miss G’s very first year of school, was a doozy.  Beyond having just left her home, friends, and most of her possessions in the Middle East to start over here in Canada, Miss G was also becoming a big sister after 5 years of being an only child and starting school for the very first time.  When we got settled in Vancouver, we decided that we’d give traditional public school a try, despite the fact that we’d long decided that we’d homeschool if we were to stay in Kuwait.  I had gotten excited about the possibility of homeschooling and wasn’t 100% sure about the decision, but after meeting what quite possibly might have been the greatest principal / office administrator combo EVER, we were hopeful it would be a great year.  Our cautious and sensitive girl was even excited about Kindergarten!

Read More

1 Comment

Spring Garden Play Dough Set

3 / 10 / 153 / 19 / 15

Spring Garden Play Dough Set | Mama Papa Bubba

Spring on the horizon means that it was finally time for us to say au revoir to the Christmas and winter play dough kits we’ve had around for months…  New season, new play dough sets  – that’s what they say, right?? ☺  

Read More

4 Comments

Radish Top Egg Heads

4 / 24 / 134 / 26 / 13

Radish Top Egg Heads | Mama Papa BubbaWhile we made grassheads using my tried and true nylon method last year, this time around we decided to switch things up a little with an egg shell version.  Not only is this method very simple {and therefore more toddler friendly}, but afterwards you can remove the googly eyes, give the shell a good crunch, and plant them directly into your garden!

IMG 8146Here’s what we used for the project…  Eggshells (washed well), craft glue, googly eyes, quick sprouting seeds of some sort (we went with radishes), a couple of Sharpies, and some soil.

IMG 8152Gracen started off by gluing a pair of googly eyes to each eggshell using craft glue and a Q-tip.

IMG 8158After letting the eyes dry a little bit, she used Sharpies to add on little button noses and pink smiles.

IMG 8161Then we carefully set all of the little egg heads into an empty carton, making sure to be mindful of the still slightly wet eyes.

IMG 8166Using a small spoon, Miss G then filled each of the egg heads with potting soil.

SeedsNext up was the addition of seeds.  While you should probably only plant a couple of seeds in the space an eggshell provides, one or two sprouts wouldn’t make for a very good head of hair.  With that in mind, Gracen sprinkled them generously. 

IMG 8175Then she covered them with another sprinkling of soil and patted the surfaces down with her finger tips.

IMG 8184One of our last steps was finding them a good, safe spot with lots of sunlight, so on a crate in front of our living room window it was.  Grae gave them a good misting, and we hoped for the best. (When having kids water seeds, I always opt for using a spray bottle.  It’s fun, it’s great for motor skill development, and it’s nearly impossible to overwater.)

Day 3  4Counting the afternoon we planted as day one, here’s what we had on days 3 and 4.  Not bad, right?

Day 6And here’s after a couple more days…

IMG 8596By day 7 (today), here’s what we have.  Little egg heads with wild green hair.  Before long, it’ll be time for a hair cutting session (which is half the fun), and the best part is we’ll have some delicious radish greens to add to a salad or smoothie. ☺

♥ 

For extra fun, like us on Facebook here and find us on Instagram here. 

 
 
2 Comments

The Barefoot Gardener

4 / 13 / 134 / 17 / 13

IMG 7979IMG 7977Pulling WeedsIMG 7986Though our little miss is normally a rockstar sleeper, Grandma Charlotte is staying with us right now and sleep is difficult when excitement levels are running this high.  After a tough time getting to sleep last night, today’s nap didn’t happen.  And a skipped nap in this house is not just an ‘oh well’… This little lady needs her naps.  Desperately.  Our coping mechanism to get through the afternoon as gracefully as possible?  Getting outside and soaking in some fresh air and sunshine.  It just so happens that today it was in the {yet to be planted} garden in pajamas. White ones.

A filthy toddler and dirt-stained jammies? Totally worth a happy afternoon.  Because in the words of Miss G, “It’s okay to dirty.”

♥ 

For extra fun, like us on Facebook here and find us on Instagram here. 

Leave a comment

A {Kiwi Crate} Window Garden {& a Giveaway!}

11 / 17 / 121 / 23 / 13

A couple of weeks ago, Gracen and I attended an awesome Halloween-themed story time at Pottery Barn Kids.  (Who knew, right?  It happens every Tuesday at 11 a.m. for those of you who are in Vancouver.)  Afterwards, the kids got their Book Club passports stamped and were each {very generously} gifted a Kiwi Crate to take home.  

IMG 1857I’ve seen Kiwi Crates on a few of the blogs I read and I’ve always thought they were very neat, so I’m not sure who was more excited about the gift…Gracen or I.   (If you’ve never heard of them before, they’re basically little boxes that arrive to your door each month and are filled with all of the materials/instructions/inspiration needed for hands-on projects.  Some are science activities, some are arts and crafts, and some are geared towards imaginative play.) 

IMG 1861This afternoon we took out our crate, opened it up, and found all of the materials needed to put together a window garden.  Needless to say, my little gardening enthusiast was thrilled.

IMG 1865IMG 1903Included was a  clearly laid out instruction card complete with diagrams, and a sweet little observation booklet for Miss G to draw in. 

IMG 1868IMG 1871IMG 1878IMG 1877IMG 1885IMG 1888We carefully set up the garden, referring back to the instruction card after each step.  Gracen, Miss ‘Let’s Do a Project!’, loved it and took her work very seriously.

IMG 1892IMG 1896IMG 1897With the exception of really making sure the suction cups were stuck to the window and printing the words “mint” and “basil”, Grae was able to do everything on her own, which was lovely.

IMG 1898IMG 1900We now have a sweet little garden set up right in our living room and I can’t wait to help Grae water it each day and watch as our fresh herbs grow.  ☺

Because we enjoyed our Kiwi Crate so much, and I sincerely think they are a great way for parents and children to try new things together, I contacted Kiwi Crate and asked if they’d like to share the love with one of our readers.  And guess what? They do!  One Mama.Papa.Bubba. reader will receive a complimentary crate of their own, and will have the option of selecting a regular crate or one of the new holiday-themed crates.  

The contest is open until Monday, November 26th and there are multiple ways to win (be sure to leave a separate comment for each).

 

To enter to win a complimentary Kiwi Crate:

Leave a comment below telling me something you love to do with your kid(s).

 

For additional chances to win:

–> ‘Like’ Mama.Papa.Bubba. on Facebook, then come back and leave a second separate comment saying you did so (or that you had previously).

–> ‘Like’ Kiwi Crate on Facebook, then come back and leave an additional separate comment saying you did so (or that you had previously).

–> Sign up for Kiwi Crate’s fun-filled newsletter, then come back and leave an additional separate comment saying you did so.

–> Follow @jkossowanon Twitter, then come back and leave a separate comment saying you did so.

–> Tweet about the giveaway and leave an additional separate comment saying you did so.

 

Don’t forget to leave your email address!  The winner will be announced on November 27th and contacted via email.  Good luck!!

♥

Kiwi crate did not ask me to write this post, nor did they compensate me to do so, but in the interest of full disclosure, I did sign up to be a part of their affiliate program.  This means that when Kiwi Crate products are purchased through the links i’ve provided, I get a small kickback from the company.

60 Comments

Fall Flowers

10 / 1 / 1210 / 3 / 12

IMG 0130IMG 0121IMG 0114IMG 0124IMG 0127IMG 0116IMG 0136IMG 0134IMG 0131It may be the first of October, but the flowers in our front gardens would never let you know it.  Today Miss G took some time to sniff her way around our yard and comment on each of the flowers she found – “Dis one soooo beautiful, Mama!”.  

Soaking up the last signs of summer around here…

♥

 
7 Comments

Garden Goodies

7 / 3 / 127 / 6 / 12

IMG 6178IMG 6179We returned home from vacation to a garden overflowing with goodies. Judging by the repetitive “More baby green balls, please!”, these are Grae’s new favourite.

♥

Leave a comment

iPhoneography // Garden Goodies & An Outdoor Dinner

6 / 15 / 126 / 16 / 12

Outdoor eveninggarden goodies round 1 // garden goodies round 2

picnic dinner for 3 // swooping in to munch on Papa’s corn on the cob

Determined to make the most of our rain-free day, this evening we all headed out into the backyard to put our new barbecue to good use.  While our asparagus, corn, potatoes, and chicken were grilling, Gracen enjoyed appetizers straight from the garden.  Actually, to say that she enjoyed them would be an understatement…  She ate everything in these photos, plus an additional 2 carrots.  How she had room left for dinner, I’m not sure.  But she did.  And of course, Papa’s corn on the cob was even more delicious than her own.

♥

Photos edited using Instagram. Find me under ‘jkossowan’.

Leave a comment

Grassheads: Hairstyle Edition

6 / 5 / 126 / 6 / 12

A couple of months ago, on a very rainy Vancouver day, we had a little family crafternoon and put together Gracen’s first ever grassheads.  Ever since, they’ve been sitting atop their mason jars on our kitchen window sill, soaking up the sunshine and drinking up loads of water.  Of course, our little magic girl’s grasshead has grown far better than Mama’s or Papa’s.IMG 4178

This is what it looked like this morning…
IMG 4182About time for a hairdo of some sort, I’d say.  So while Gracen napped, I set up a little play invitation for her. I gathered up some hair goodies, a couple of elastics, and an old hairbrush and set them all out on her table along with her grasshead.IMG 4183

This was her reaction when she saw what I’d set out for her…  Kisses for the grasshead!  Apparently she liked what she saw.
IMG 4187She wasted no time getting started.  She climbed up on the chair, and got busy trying to put the clips in. It wasn’t easy, but with a little bit of help, she put every single clip in the grasshead’s hair.IMG 4192

Next up was the headband.  
IMG 4200That is, until she decided she’d wear it instead!IMG 4205

Done with the first hairstyle! Future hairstylist?  I’d say so.
IMG 4217Afterwards, I helped her make little grass pigtails.  She thought it was completely hilarious and kept stroking her own pigtails and then pointing to those belonging to the grasshead.IMG 4219

Overall, Gracen loved this activity.  My only wish is that I had taught her how to properly use scissors by now so that the grasshead could have gotten a little trim!   I guess we have something new to work on. ☺

1 Comment

Surprises

5 / 25 / 125 / 25 / 12

Surprise #1 – Waking up to a text saying that Manmaw Sue was on the island and would be passing through Vancouver in a couple of hours.

Surprise #2 – Manmaw showing up with a hydrangea for our flower-obsessed, purple-loving little lady.IMG 3545And this is what we did for much of our afternoon:

IMG 3552Gracen sat up on her chair, hydrangea right beside her, and told me all about how it was “Grae Grae’s” flower (as she did her little sniff sniff nose), how it was purple, and how it was from her Manmaw.

♥

Leave a comment

Gardening Sensory Bin

5 / 11 / 123 / 24 / 14

With today’s gorgeous weather and all of the fun Miss G had with yesterday’s sensory box, I decided to pull together another one this afternoon.

Gracen helped us plant our first ever garden this year and really loves checking in on it. She smells the flowers, strokes the leaves, and plucks out things that don’t belong, but she can’t do much more than that without disturbing the plants. So today I decided to give her a little “garden” of her own in the shape of a gardening sensory bin.

We headed to the garage and collected a few items, all of which we already had on hand.  We started with a good amount of soil, then added some eco-pots, herb and strawberry tags, gardening tools, and a couple of pinwheels (Grae’s favourite part of our current garden).  Grae’s contribution? A little fistful of rocks.

IMG 2356

Let me tell you, this sensory box was a HUGE hit.  Without a word of a lie, she played with it for nearly two hours.  She was so into it that I even got to lay on the grass and catch up with emails on my phone for a few minutes.  She filled pot after pot of dirt and I was hugely impressed by her ability to get heaping scoops of soil into her pots without spilling much.  My favourite thing was that in between scoops, she would tap the excess dirt off her shovel by tapping it on the side of the container like I’ve taught her to do when we cook.  When she’d filled a pot, she’d pat down the dirt with her hand and then top it with a cluster of plant tags or a pinwheel.

IMG 2363

IMG 2368

IMG 2372

IMG 2384

IMG 2380

IMG 2389

IMG 2391

She also quite liked finding clumps of soil and breaking them up with her fingers.

IMG 2401

Of course we eventually reached the point where she decided it was time to get in the sensory bin.  I mean which sensory bin isn’t better when seated inside?

IMG 2403

What she wasn’t overly impressed with, however, was having dirty feet.  After meticulously brushing them off, she carefully climbed out and stayed out for the rest of the afternoon.

IMG 2408

Here’s a little video of serious sensory box play in action:

♥

3 Comments

Snippets from a Sunshiny Afternoon

5 / 11 / 125 / 11 / 12

IMG 2393Outdoor baby.

IMG 2425Dandelion puff collection.

IMG 2445A serious sunhat.

IMG 2430Missing hands and feet.

IMG 2443Freshly bloomed.

IMG 2457Dirty little hands.

IMG 2461Afternoon snacks.

IMG 2473Watermelon monster.

IMG 2484Garden investigating.

IMG 2488

Beet greens.

IMG 2494Homegrown strawberries in progress.

IMG 2496Lawn rolling.

IMG 2501Pussywillow plucking.

IMG 2508A shoe full.

IMG 2517A teeny friend.

♥

Leave a comment

Up Late

4 / 27 / 124 / 29 / 12

IMG 1422

IMG 1425Guess who arrived tonight… And guess who is up past her bedtime chomping on a slice of watermelon while showing Manmaw our {blossom-covered} garden…

2 Comments

The Little Things…

4 / 23 / 124 / 23 / 12

Today’s backyard discovery…
IMG 1161IMG 1165IMG 1164I absolutely adore how magical the little things are when seen through Gracen’s eyes.

♥

2 Comments

Posts navigation

1 2 Next Page

find us here

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Email

looking for something?

want our posts to your inbox?

popular posts

  • Homemade Air-Dry Modelling Clay {aka baking soda clay}
    Homemade Air-Dry Modelling Clay {aka baking soda clay}
  • Make Ten {an easy card game for kids}
    Make Ten {an easy card game for kids}
  • Tape Pull Fine Motor Activity
    Tape Pull Fine Motor Activity
  • Cookie Cutter Bird Seed Feeders {A Toddler-Friendly Method}
    Cookie Cutter Bird Seed Feeders {A Toddler-Friendly Method}
  • Morning Routine Flip Chart
    Morning Routine Flip Chart
  • Simple Heart Resist Art
    Simple Heart Resist Art
  • Easy DIY No-Sew Parrot Costume
    Easy DIY No-Sew Parrot Costume
  • Baby Play Dough
    Baby Play Dough
  • Chunky Monkey Frozen Yogurt Bites
    Chunky Monkey Frozen Yogurt Bites
  • Super Simple No-Cook Chocolate Play Dough
    Super Simple No-Cook Chocolate Play Dough

archives

Site made with ♥ by Angie Makes
Angie Makes Feminine WordPress Themes