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Tag Archives: toddler activities

Fall Leaf Colour Sort

10 / 8 / 1910 / 9 / 19

Fall Leaf Colour Sort | Mama Papa Bubba

Honestly?  I wasn’t ready to dive into all things fall just yet, but when we returned home from our Seattle and Vancouver trip to freezing cold weather (we’re talking zero overnight and 4 degrees by the time we were heading off to school), I decided we’d better get on it in case we skip fall altogether this year and transition straight into winter {fingers crossed that DOES. NOT. HAPPEN.}  So today, while Sam and I were out on our morning walk / scoot, we kept our eyes peeled for beautiful fall leaves and collected them in a little bag along the way.  Once we got home, we rinsed them off, dried them, and put them to work in all kinds of really fun, really simple activities, one of which was this fall leaf colour sort.

Fall Leaf Sort | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

Here’s what we found…  There wasn’t ton of colourful leaves on the ground just yet, but we still managed to find several leaves in browns, reds, oranges, yellows, and greens which was good enough for us!

Fall Leaf Sort | Mama.Papa.Bubba.{this post contains affiliate links}

Now just for fun, we decided to do this little activity in our beloved Ikea sensory table…  When we were down in Vancouver, I picked up 4 of the smallest TROFAST  bins with sorting activities just like this in mind (previously we just had the 2 larger bins) and they worked perfectly.  I folded pieces of brown, red, orange, and yellow card stock in half, pressed them down into the base of the bins, and our fall leaf colour sorting game was ready to go!

That being said, you certainly don’t need a fancy sensory play table for this activity…  You can just as easily tape 4 pieces of card stock or construction paper to the table or floor or use a set of 4 bowls or containers. Work with what you have on hand!

Fall Leaf Sort | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

Next up, I set the leaves around the edges of the table and invited Sam to come and take a look.

Fall Leaf Sort | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

Given that he’s 3 {soon turning 4} and we’ve done plenty of sorting activities (our car and truck colour sorting was one of his faves), this leaf colour sort was a total breeze for him even though I wondered if a few of the leaves might be a little tricky….

Fall Leaf Sort | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

They weren’t (hah!)  He basically moved at this speed until every last leaf was in the bin of the corresponding colour.

Fall Leaf Sort | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

Sorting is such an important skill and building block for other future skills that I absolutely would not consider something like this – something that’s really “easy” for him – a waste of time.  Reinforcement is super important for kiddos and “easy” activities are excellent for building confidence, so go on and do those too easy activities anyways!

Fall Leaf Sort | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

See that yellow and read leaf over the edge of the table?  When activities are fairly easy for your little one, it’s a great opportunity to guide the learning a little further, really discuss what’s happening, and model new language.  When Sam decided that that leaf should go in the yellow bin (I would have done the same), I said, “Oh interesting.  How did you decide to put that leaf in the yellow container?”  We then went onto to talk about how it’s MOSTLY yellow, more yellow than red, even though the TIP is red, etc. and it was the perfect chance to reflect on his choice and use some comparison language in our conversation.

Here’s a peek at the other two fun little things we used our leaves for…

 

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A post shared by Jen | Mama.Papa.Bubba. (@mamapapabubba) on Oct 1, 2019 at 1:01pm PDT

This simple leaf matching game from Little Pine Learners…

 

 

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A post shared by Jen | Mama.Papa.Bubba. (@mamapapabubba) on Oct 1, 2019 at 7:50pm PDT

And our super simple fall leaf crown from years past.  {Isn’t he darling??  I just want to smush on him!}

Colour Sorting With Fall Leaves | Mama Papa Bubba

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Muddy Monster Truck Derby Sensory Bin

1 / 22 / 191 / 22 / 19

Muddy Monster Truck Derby Sensory Bin | Mama Papa Bubba

Okay, so before you see this awesome muddy monster truck derby sensory bin and think it’s all fun and games over here all day every day, here’s what you need to know…  This morning Sam came along for the school run in undies, a t-shirt, and a sweater.  In minus four degree {celsius} weather.  No pants.  No socks. No boots. And no jacket.  Let alone a toque or mittens.  Thank goodness we do the whole car blanket thing and he at least had that once in, but you guys – this morning was a doooozy.  We got home, I moped a bit, he continued to shout and whine and throw things, and I made a cup of coffee and gulped the whole thing back in bed with the door closed.  Then we hugged it out, agreed to start our morning over, cleaned up, and put this sensory bin full of mud and monster trucks together.

Thank fricken goodness sensory play and calm music have the power to turn a day around.

Muddy Monster Truck Sensory Bin | Mama.Papa.Bubba.{this post contains affiliate links}

Here’s what we used to put this taste-safe, scented, amazing-feeling sensory bin together…

  • one of our go-to Sterilite sensory bins (any shallow bin will work)
  • cornstarch from our play cupboard (when it comes to cooking with it, I always use an organic version)
  • cocoa powder
  • a couple of small toy monster trucks

and later on, these Green Toys cars too.

Muddy Monster Truck Sensory Bin | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

If you haven’t guessed yet, our ‘mud’ for our monster truck derby sensory play is CHOCOLATE oobleck!!

Muddy Monster Truck Sensory Bin | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

We didn’t even bother mixing this up in a separate bowl!  Sam just dumped the cornstarch and cocoa powder straight into our bin…

Muddy Monster Truck Sensory Bin | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

Then whisked it up…

Muddy Monster Truck Sensory Bin | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

And mixed with a wooden spoon as I gradually added water.

Muddy Monster Truck Sensory Bin | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

You can play with the amounts of each ingredient to create thicker or thinner oobleck, but here’s our recipe…

CHOCOLATEY OOBLECK
  • 2 cups of cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup of cocoa
  • 2 cups of water

Whisk the cornstarch and cocoa together well.  Add the water and stir with a wooden spoon {or better yet – your hands!} until the oobleck has a uniform in texture.

Muddy Monster Truck Sensory Bin | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

I gave the chocolate oobleck one last mix before Sam very enthusiastically popped his monster trucks in.

{It goes without saying that Chloe was in on the fun in approximately 2 minutes flat.  Seriously – this kitty of ours loves sensory play just as much as Grae and Sam do!}

Muddy Monster Truck Sensory Bin | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

It obviously depends on the size of your bin, but our layer of oobleck was thin enough to leave very visible monster truck tracks and Sam noticed right away.

Muddy Monster Truck Sensory Bin | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

Muddy Monster Truck Sensory Bin | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

He also realized how insanely neat oobleck is to touch and hold and squish.

Muddy Monster Truck Sensory Bin | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

As for the mess?  With activities like this one, I just remind him to keep his hands in or over the bin.  The truth is that the oobleck mud dries up on surfaces and is a cinch to wipe up, but I still don’t want it all over the kitchen obviously.

Muddy Monster Truck Sensory Bin | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

Part way through his play Sam asked for something for the monster trucks to drive over, so that’s when I offered him a few little Green Toys cars.  We lined them up just like you’d see at a monster truck show and after getting a thorough drizzling of mud, the monster trucks began driving and jumping over them.

Muddy Monster Truck Sensory Bin | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

Muddy Monster Truck Sensory Bin | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

Although this addition was initiated by Sam, starting simple and adding things in here and there during play is one of my go-to methods for extending play activities.

 Muddy Monster Truck Derby Sensory Bin | Mama.Papa.Bubba.
Muddy Monster Truck Sensory Bin | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

Also his request?  ‘A tool and a bucket’, plus later on, a ramp which I chopped from an almond milk carton.  This was during a full one-hour play session and though I have a feeling that it would have lasted significantly longer, we had to put it on pause for nap time.  With the promise that he could continue later on in the afternoon, of course.

Muddy Monster Truck Derby Sensory Play | Mama Papa Bubba

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Open-Ended Sensory-Rich Art Activities for Toddlers

6 / 8 / 186 / 12 / 18

Open Ended Sensory Rich Art Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers | Mama Papa Bubba

If you know me well, you know that one of the many things I would LOVE to do one day is facilitate sensory-rich art and play classes for little ones and their parents or caregivers.  It’s been a dream of mine ever since Miss G was four months old and she and I attended Kindermusik classes in a fellow expat mama’s home during our first stint in Kuwait…  I just loved that the instructor was creating this awesome little community of expat mamas while doing something she loved and getting to stay home with her kiddos all at once – a dream come true, really.

I was lucky enough to get a little taste of facilitating sensory and art classes when I taught at a creative play and learning centre during our second stint in Kuwait, but what I’d really love is to have a gorgeous little studio in the backyard {I’m picturing bright white walls and loads of light pouring in through big windows} dedicated to bringing parents and their littles together through playing and creating.  As much as it would be a space for parents to connect with their kids, it would be a space for parents to connect and form friendships too…  There would be time for free play, books  woven into our time together, and the projects would be as sensory-rich and open-ended as possible.  Ugh – doesn’t it sound amazing??  {ONE DAY!!}

Until then, I’ll enjoy all of the fun play and art projects with my own kiddos and since the weather recently perked up in the Okanagan, Sam and I have been doing just that!

Below are 5 open-ended, sensory-rich art activities that he’s absolutely loved recently…  In all of these, we used one or more products from Crayola’s ‘My First Crayola’ line aimed at meeting little ones in the early stages of their development.  The art tools are sorted by stages rather than ages, which I love because as we all know, all kids develop and progress differently.  The 3 stages are:

1) Scribble – for kiddos making their first random marks

2) Doodle – for little ones who can repeat different types of lines

3) Draw – for kids who can draw shapes and basic pictures

Now while I’d say that Sam is pretty much in Stage 2: Doodle at the moment, there are definitely Stage 1 tools he still loves using and there are even a couple of Stage 3 products he’s able to use independently.  In the end, you know your child best, so go with what works for them!

This post is sponsored by My First Crayola.  I’ve been a Crayola fan for pretty much my entire life… {tell me – was there anything better than opening a brand new jumbo box of crayons with the sharpener built into the back as a child?! Nope.  There really wasn’t.} as always, all of the opinions in this post are my own.

Alright, ready??  Here are 5 super fun, open-ended, sensory-rich art activities to try with your little one…

Rip & Stick Sticky Collage

Open Ended Art Activities for Toddlers

The materials:

  • Crayola construction paper {we used full-sized sheets from the huge pad we always keep on hand as well as half sheets from the Preschool Readiness Kit simply because the colours are so beautiful}
  • clear contact paper
  • clear tape
  • Crayola safety scissors {from their stage 3 line} optional

Open Ended Art Activities for Toddlers

The set-up:

Cut out several construction paper frames, adhere them onto a large roll of clear contact paper, and then cut away the extra contact paper.  Hang the frames up onto a wall or window sticky side out and include a little basket or tray of small construction paper squares and the safety scissors {if including them} nearby.

Open Ended Art Activities for Toddlers

The process:

Invite your little one to rip {and or cut} the construction paper squares into small bits. Sam’s not quite ready for scissors just yet, but he was very interested in them and gave them a go.  Ultimately, we went back to ripping because it’s more appropriate for his current abilities and he loved it!  While it can come off as simply destructive, ripping paper actually provides a great fine motor skill workout and provides both auditory and tactile feedback – win-win!

Open Ended Art Activities for Toddlers

With the paper bits ready to go, invite your little one to stick the bits up onto the frames.  The contact paper is a great way for little ones to explore the concept of sticky and makes creating collage-style art a breeze.

Open Ended Art Activities for Toddlers

Another perk?  A contact paper collage means no glue necessary, so this is virtually a mess-free activity.

IMG 4069

The finished project:

Isn’t this beautiful with the sunshine streaming through the window?  I especially love this project because it can be left up for days and added to when the mood strikes.

No Paint Watercolour Painting

Open Ended Art Activities for Toddlers

The materials:

  • a large piece of watercolour paper
  • wide painter’s tape
  • Crayola Washable Tripod Grip Markers {these are the best – no rolling and a short, rounded tip that can even stand up to our Sam-nado}
  • Crayola Washable Tripod Grip Stampers
  • Crayola Jumbo Paintbrushes
  • Crayola Round Paint Brushes {this is my very favourite set of kids’ paintbrushes}
  • a jar of water

Open Ended Art Activities for Toddlers

The set-up:

Using painter’s tape, secure the watercolour paper to a flat, easily washable surface.  This will not only keep it in place as your little one creates, but will also leave a beautiful white border around the edge of the piece that will make the finished project  pop and look super polished.  Remove the caps from the tripod markers and stampers and place them in a tray for easy use and prepare a jar with some water and the paintbrushes in it for a little later on.

Open Ended Art Activities for Toddlers

The process:

Invite your little one over to draw and stamp on the large piece of watercolour paper.

Open Ended Art Activities for Toddlers

The more colour the better in this case, so it’s perfect that the little shape stampers we used basically beg to be coloured in.  {Just look at that concentration, will you?!}

Open Ended Art Activities for Toddlers

This is also the perfect time to experiment with different types of lines…  Slow ones, fast ones, straight ones, wavy ones, crazy ones – anything goes!

Open Ended Art Activities for Toddlers

Alright, now for the magic!  Once your little one is done colouring and drawing, tuck the markers and stampers away and bring out the water and paintbrushes.

Open Ended Art Activities for Toddlers

Invite your little one to paint their picture with water and watch as they observe with wonder.

Open Ended Art Activities for Toddlers

When the painting process is complete, leave the piece to dry.  Later on, gently remove the painter’s tape to reveal white border.

The end result:

Open Ended Art Activities for Toddlers

Stunning, isn’t it?

Upside Down Drawing

Open Ended Art Activities for Toddlers

The materials:

  • a piece of bristol board
  • painter’s tape or masking tape
  • Crayola Washable Palm Grasp Crayons {these were Sam’s very first crayons and I recommend them all the time}
  • Crayola Washable Tripod Grip Crayons
  • a low table

Open Ended Art Activities for Toddlers

The set-up:

Using masking tape or painter’s tape, secure a piece of bristol board to the underneath side of a low table {coffee tables and kid-sized tables are perfect for this}.  Trim the bristol board first if needed.  Set out a variety of crayons in a tray or basket under the table.

Open Ended Art Activities for Toddlers

The process:

Invite your little one to draw upside down!  Sam totally got a kick out of this.

Open Ended Art Activities for Toddlers

While this may seem like such a simple activity, the upside down element really brings a sense of excitement to the project and requires some gross motor planning that just isn’t required when drawing or colouring in the usual manner.

Open Ended Art Activities for Toddlers

Depending on your little one’s interests and abilities, he or she may experiment with different kinds of lines and formations like Sam, or he or she may compose more of a traditional picture – both of which are great.  There’s no right or wrong here and the activity can be left out and added to for as long as you like.

IMG 4078

The end result:

This is what I found under our coffee table a few days ago after more than a week of adding to it.  Obviously Miss G jumped in on the fun at least once and fun was had.  It may look like nothing more than scribbles, but the purpose with open-ended art is the process of course.

Foamy Painting 

Open Ended Art Activities for Toddlers

The materials:

  • a large tray with a raised edge {even a baking sheet will do}
  • watercolour paper
  • water
  • Crayola Fingerpaint {this stuff is super washable – even after sitting on our easily stained white table for 45+ minutes}
  • dishsoap
  • cornstarch
  • a blender
  • a paint tray of some sort
  • Crayola Jumbo Paintbrushes

The recipe:

  • 1/4 cup of water
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons of fingerpaint
  • 1 tablespoon of dish soap {while natural formulas will work, the foam made by a traditional formula seems to last longer}
  • 1 tablespoon of cornstarch

Simply place everything into a blender and blend on high for approximately 30 – 45 seconds.  Repeat for each colour, working quickly as the foamy bubbles do disappear over time.

Open Ended Art Activities for Toddlers

The set-up:

Trim your watercolour paper so that it will fit on your tray or baking sheet.  Whip up foamy paint, place it into a tray of some sort, and set it out with Crayola’s Jumbo Paintbrushes {I love the sensorial element these add to painting projects}.

Open Ended Art Activities for Toddlers

The process:

Invite your little one to create a masterpiece using the foamy paints you made. I tend not to give Sam any instructions with projects like this one…  The more open-ended the better.

Open Ended Art Activities for Toddlers

Although the foamy paint will thin out with time, the beauty of pairing it with these Crayola Jumbo Paintbrushes is that their sponge-like textures totally have the ability to reactivate the bubbles.  Sam discovered this on his own as I sat back and observed and he was so pleased with himself.

Open Ended Art Activities for Toddlers

Allow your little one to explore the paints with his or her hands too if desired!  This is as much a sensory play activity as it is an art activity and this homemade paint is super washable, so nothing to worry about there.

When done, carefully remove your little one’s piece from the work tray leaving all of the bubbly foam in place and set it somewhere to dry.  If you have something that will allow it to get some airflow on the bottom too, even better!  {The cooling trays you use while baking are amazing for this purpose.}

Open Ended Art Activities for Toddlers

The end result:

How unique is this finished texture?!  It almost reminds me of the moon’s surface.

Bubble Wrap Stomp

Open Ended Art Activities for Toddlers

The materials:

  • bristol board
  • painter’s tape
  • Crayola Fingerpaint {I like mixing ours with some white Crayola Washable Kids’ Paint just to mute the colours a wee bit}
  • a paint tray
  • Crayola Round Paintbrushes and/or  Flat Paintbrushes
  • bubblewrap
  • a drop cloth of some sort

Open Ended Art Activities for Toddlers

The set-up:

Set your drop cloth out and secure the bristol board to it using the white border method.  Place your paints into a paint tray of some sort and designate one paintbrush per colour.  Trim a piece of bubble wrap so it’s the size of your bristol board or smaller.

Open Ended Art Activities for Toddlers
The process:

Invite your little one to paint on the more textured side of the bubblewrap.  For this project, you may want to encourage him or her to be generous with the paint as it tends to turn out better when a good amount is used.

Open Ended Art Activities for Toddlers

Next, flip the bubble wrap over onto the bristol board canvas and invite your little one to {carefully} walk, dance or stomp on top of it.  You want the bubble wrap to stay as flat and still as possible, so if you can hold down the edges while your little one dances and stomps, I’d recommend it.

Open-Ended Art Activities for Toddlers

You may also want to put on some tunes for this step – I mean, what doesn’t a little ‘Baby Shark’ make better??

Open Ended Art Activities for Toddlers

Carefully lift the bubble wrap and invite your little one to do some more painting on it.

Open Ended Art Activities for Toddlers

Then repeat the walking / dancing / stomping process again and again until the bristol board is covered in layers of textured, bubbly-looking paint.

Open Ended Art Activities for Toddlers

And if all that stomping and dancing tires your little one out, why not let them have a little lay down on their artwork, right?  {HAHA!}

Open Ended Art Activities for Toddlers

The end result:

Beautiful, right?  I love how the colours gently blend together in some spots while the individual bubbles are quite evident in others.

Well, that’s it.  Five super open-ended art activities for little ones that are all about experiencing the process rather than creating something with a specific finished product in mind.

What do you think…  Would your little one enjoy any of these?

Open Ended Art Activities for Toddlers | Mama Papa Bubba

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Car and Truck Colour Sorting

2 / 22 / 182 / 26 / 18

Car and Truck Colour Sorting | Mama Papa Bubba

Oh my goodness…  This boy and his cars and trucks.  He’s nothing short of obsessed.  The other thing he’s been really into for months?  Colours.  Smack the two together and you’ve got a car and truck colour sorting activity that’s incredibly easy to pull off, but super engaging for little car and truck lovers like Sam.

Car and Truck Colour Sorting {this post contains affiliate links}

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • coloured construction paper {CAN}
  • sticky tape
  • small cars and trucks in various colours

Car and Truck Colour Sorting

Set up couldn’t be easier…  Basically choose a surface {we went with our coffee table, but a floor would be great too} and loosely tape sheets of construction paper in various colours down to it.  These will serve as your colour categories or ‘parking spots’ or ‘garages’ if your little one is as obsessed as mine is.

Car and Truck Colour Sorting

Now this activity was actually inspired by something I saw Sam doing in the playroom a few days earlier {he was colour matching his cars and our SPRI balance pods {CAN} while carefully placing the cars atop the pods} so I knew I probably wouldn’t have to give him much guidance…  I simply set out a little basket filled with his cars and asked if he wanted to park them in their spots and with that, he got started.  My favourite thing was watching him with this little aqua car…  He went back and forth between green and blue several times before deciding just to hang onto it – hah!

IMG 2455

After that it was smooth sailing though…  He’d often tell me the name of the car and then its colour as he was placing it in its spot.

Car and Truck Colour Sorting{aqua car makes a reappearance}

Car and Truck Colour Sorting

At the beginning, he’d announce the colour of the truck or car and then simply place it down on the coordinating piece of construction paper…

Car and Truck Colour Sorting

But before long he was ‘vrrooooooming’ his cars across the coffee table and slamming on the brakes when they’d reached the parking spot.

Car and Truck Colour Sorting

Doesn’t this look like a total blast?

Car and Truck Colour Sorting

I’m guessing Sam thinks so because we’ve already played it again TWICE!

Colour Sorting with Cars and Trucks | Mama Papa Bubba

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Car Ramp Sensory Bin

2 / 6 / 182 / 6 / 18

Car Ramp Sensory Bin | Mama Papa Bubba

Oh, how this little boy of ours loves cars, trucks, tractors, and all things that go.  Help him set up some sort of ramp and he’ll send vehicle after vehicle after vehicle down that hill. It’s his jam.

One day a little while back while Grae, Sam, and I were down in the playroom, this idea sort of randomly sprung to mind.  Brad had tucked a bunch of empty wrapping rolls in our play closet earlier in the week and Sam was enjoying his trucks but was frustrated that the ramp he’d set up wouldn’t stay in place.  While I briefly thought about trying to help him tape his giant ramp in place, I remembered our stash of paper rolls just waiting to be used for something fun, and that’s when this little car ramp sensory bin was created!

IMG 2161

Now thinking back, I’m pretty sure that this idea was inspired by The Imagination Tree’s awesome cardboard tube racing activity…  I remember seeing her beautifully painted tracks and colourful images a long time ago… I probably just didn’t realize what a little car enthusiast I’d have on my hands one day in the future!

Car Ramp Sensory Bin

Our ramps certainly aren’t as pretty as hers and maybe one day we’ll paint an entire set of paper roll roadways {how fun would that be?}, but these certainly did the job and setting everything up was incredibly quick and easy.

Car Ramp Sensory Bin

Because this little set up was completely impromptu, I didn’t take photos of the set up process like I usually do, but I think it’s pretty self explanatory.

Car Ramp Sensory Bin{this post contains affiliate links}

All you need is a pair of scissors, some cardboard tubes, painter’s tape {CAN}, and a big, shallow bin {CAN}.  {Any big, shallow bin will do, but this huge under the bed bin is one of my absolute favourites for any kind of sensory or small world activity.}

Car Ramp Sensory Bin

All you have to do is cut the tubes in half lengthwise, trim them down to whichever size you like, and then use painter’s tape to secure one end to the edge of the bin and the other to the base of the bin.

Car Ramp Sensory Bin

Add a bunch of little vehicles and it’s time to play!

Car Ramp Sensory Bin

The beauty of having your ramps contained in a big bin?  The cars zip down quickly, but stay within reach!  A bin of this size also means that there’s more than enough room for several kiddos to play at once, and Miss G actually did play alongside Sam for quite a while.

Car Ramp Sensory Bin

While we’ve tucked our bin away for now, I’ve saved the paper tube ramps to use again next time and I’m certain it won’t be long before Sam requests this activity again.

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Tinker Play Dough

1 / 14 / 181 / 17 / 18

Tinker Play Dough | Mama Papa Bubba

Welp, Miss G went back to school yesterday and we’re officially missing her already.  {Not to mention the slow mornings, pajama days, and general lack of a schedule we had over the break.}  I told myself that I’d sign Sam and I up for some fun things come January, but honestly, I just haven’t done it yet…  Besides the fact that Vernon isn’t overflowing with options and our school drop-off / midday nap / school pick-up routine really only allows for a class or program between the hours of 9 and 11 am, I know that any play-based program with shared toys will most likely mean sickness after sickness for Sam because a) cold and flu season and b) preemie immune systems suck.  And he’s still recovering from his post-Christmas sickness!  So for now, we’re sticking with our snowy walks, coffee shop visits here and there, and a whole lot of play at home. 

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Bath Tub Art Studio

1 / 8 / 181 / 17 / 18

Bath Tub Art Studio | Mama Papa Bubba

Oh my goodness…  Sam had such a fantastic time in his little bath tub art studio this afternoon.  If you’ve ever wondered how to paint with your toddler without creating a total disaster, or if you’ve avoided toddler art projects all together because of the mess they make, this is for you!  Not only is the mess contained within the tub, but clean up is a total cinch and it’s never been easier to transition straight into bath time afterwards. Win!

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Tape Pull Fine Motor Activity

9 / 28 / 1710 / 11 / 17

Tape Pull Fine Motor Activity | Mama Papa Bubba

Fun fact?  When we were going back and forth between Canada and Kuwait regularly and spending our holidays travelling, one of my go-to occupy-Miss-G plane items was tape.  Washi tape usually, but I’d stash a roll of masking tape or painter’s tape in my bag in a pinch.  I know that seems weird, but honestly – there’s just so much fun to be had with a roll of tape!  You can rip off pieces and stick it on paper to create art, you can fashion crowns and bracelets and rings out of it, you can play tic-tac-toe on the meal tray using it, and if you’re quite little, you can simply stick it onto things and then pull it back up.  It’s fun, it’s no mess, and it’s fantastic for little ones’ fine motor skills!

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Toddler Take Along Kit

3 / 19 / 174 / 2 / 17

Toddler Take Along Kit | Mama Papa Bubba

After making Miss G a big kid take along kit not long ago, I knew I needed to make one for Sam too.  And since we leave on a little spring break getaway tomorrow morning, today was the day!  Here’s our little toddler take along kit…

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Baby Play Dough

1 / 29 / 172 / 1 / 17

Baby Play Dough | Mama Papa Bubba

If you know me well, you know that my love for play dough runs deep.  I’ve loved it for ages… It was a total lifesaver while babysitting and nannying as a teenager and university student, it was a staple in my Kindergarten classrooms when teaching, and it’s always out and available in our house now that I’m a mama.  Over the years, Miss G and I have created some pretty amazing recipes…  Amazing sand dough, gorgeous starry galaxy dough, lemony dough made with real lemon zest, chai tea latte dough, super soft chocolate dough, celebration dough full of foil glitter, the most fragrant ever gingerbread dough, vanilla mint dough {one of my favourite ever scent combos}, pumpkin spice dough made with real pumpkin…  The list could go on.

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Water Bead Play for Babies

1 / 15 / 171 / 23 / 17

Water Bead Play for Babies | Mama Papa Bubba

I love, love, love water beads and because Sam absolutely loves anything big or small that is ‘ball’ shaped, I knew he’d love them too.  The trouble is that we’re still very firmly planted in the put everything in the mouth stage.  Old food bits on the floor, dry crunchy leaves, shoes, tissues, sand…it all goes straight into his cute little mouth.  So we’re definitely not ready for a water bead sensory bin just yet.  That being said, a water bead sensory bag – YES!  Putting different activities and materials into a large zip-close bag and taping the top shut is my go-to move when it comes to fun for this little one of mine.  It allows him to explore so many things that would normally either be unsafe or at the very least, extremely messy {not that there’s anything wrong with mess – getting messy is important too} and this little water bead play for babies set-up has been a total hit so far!

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An Activity Bag a Day {while Mama’s away}

7 / 15 / 137 / 17 / 13

An Activity Bag a Day While Mama s Away | Mama Papa BubbaThis weekend, after nearly 3 years of rarely leaving my little lady for more than a couple of hours at a time, I spent a weekend away in Whistler with my best girlfriends from high school.  While I was a teensy bit anxious about it all, the fact that she was staying home with her Papa made it much easier than if it was the both of us going away at the same time. That being said, my mama tendencies made sure the house was in order and the fridge and cupboards were well-stocked before leaving.  I also knew I wanted to leave a little something special for Grae for each day I was away so that she knew I was thinking of her and would have something from her mama if she was missing me just a little bit.  Each of the bags contained a little note and all of the items needed to do a fun activity of some sort – something I knew Miss G would love and would be helpful if there were any ‘lulls’ throughout the weekend.

Here’s a peek at what was inside…

IMG 0209The day before I was leaving for my trip, Gracen came to me and said with big eyes, “I have an idea!”  She explained an elaborate ‘hockey station’ that would involve moving our living room carpet, sweeping underneath, making nets, and creating little hockey sticks.  When I saw this set of miniature sticks and balls, I knew they’d be a total hit. 

IMG 0211Knowing that Brad and Grae planned on visiting Science World, I left our membership card and a gift card that could be used for snacks during the visit in the Saturday bag.  The visit would have been enough, but since one of our favourite exhibits involves launching parachutes, I included a couple of inexpensive parachute guys to experiment with afterwards.

IMG 0213On days when Brad gets up with Grae and lets me sleep in, the two of them sometimes enjoy some morning television together (a rarity in our house).  I decided to go with a lazy Sunday theme and pack up the makings of a special movie morning – a couple of videos and some yummy treats (wild rice sticks and unsweetened dried mango for Miss G and popped chips for Brad).

IMG 0215Just in case, I also included a ‘bonus bag’ to be used if needed.  Inside were a few thick cardboard pieces, a box of sugar cubes, some white glue, and instructions to use the items to build sugar cube structures of any sort.

After a lovely weekend filled with reminiscing, 11:30 breakfasts, and quiet afternoons reading at the beach, I returned home to a quiet house.  It took all I had not to go into Gracen’s room and snuggle up with her as she napped, and when she did finally wake, after a whole lot of vibrating, leg kicking, hugging, and ‘I missed you’s’, the first thing she said was, “Mama, can we open my last bag together?!  I’ve been waiting for you to come home to do it!”  That right there told me that the activity bags had been a hit.

Together, we opened the final bag (the bonus one) and sat on a blanket underneath our plum tree building structures out of sugar cubes.  It was the perfect finish to my first weekend away.

♥ 

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Make Your Own Pizza Station

5 / 29 / 135 / 29 / 13

Over the course of the last week or so, the one thing Gracen can’t stop talking about is ‘when she gets bigger’.  So far, she’s told me she’s excited to get bigger so she can cross the road by herself, ‘work at a job’, walk in parking lots alone, drive a car, and go to university (Eesh…slow down, baby girl).  Part of me wants to curl up and cry, and the other part is incredibly proud that she desires such independence and self-sufficiency at 2.75 years old.

Making Your Own Pizza Lunch Station | Mama Papa BubbaWhile I’m not ready to hand over the car keys or let her navigate her way across a busy road just yet, I am ready {and more than happy} to let her put together some of her own meals. Given the proper set up, it’s something she’s totally capable of and she’s so, so, sooo proud after having done so.  A couple of days ago, she created her own breakfast banana split, and today she assembled her own quick and easy pizza lunch.

To make is super simple, we skipped pizza dough all together and used wholewheat Middle Eastern flatbreads instead.  These work perfectly, but wholewheat tortilla shells, pitas, and even bagels (cut in half of course) are great too.  Together, we cut up a bunch of stuff we had in the fridge (grilled chicken, red and yellow peppers, zucchini, and mango) and I set it all out, along with some grated fresh mozzarella and pesto, in a little pizza making station for my girl.

IMG 8347We’ve done this many times now, and what I’ve learned is that it’s best to let her create her pizza masterpiece directly on the parchment-lined baking sheet we’ll use to bake the pizzas.  After that, I kind of just let her go.  I’m a big fan of not directing our activities all that much (well except when it comes to safety, I guess), and really, it doesn’t matter which order the toppings go on in all that much.  The finished product will undoubtedly be delicious no matter what.  

IMG 8349That being said, we’ve made our favourite from scratch pizza together so many times in the past, she pretty much sticks to the sauce, cheese, toppings order.  And when this girl does toppings, she does toppings!

IMG 8351Here’s her mini pizza, ready for the oven.  I cook ours for about 5 to 8 minutes at 350 degrees, then crank up the temperature and broil them for just a minute at the end.

IMG 8354I can’t even explain how proud Miss G is after creating her meal on her own… She exudes pride.  And my personal opinion is that when kids take part in creating food, they are much more likely to eat it.

IMG 8355The verdict?  A total hit.  A pizza assembling station is always a hit in our house. 

♥ 

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

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iPhoneography // Gracen Types

4 / 26 / 134 / 28 / 13

Gracen TypesThough we aim for very little screen time in our house, this afternoon Grae asked me if she could spell some words on my computer.  Because there was so much potential learning involved, I just couldn’t say no.  She cozied up under the covers of our big bed, selected her font colours, and typed her name first.  Since she already knows how to spell ‘Gracen’, she did it on her own, even though hunting for each letter was {painfully} slow.  After completing her name, she asked to type other words.  She selected a new font colour each time, told me her word, and I spelled them aloud while she searched for the letters.  Needless to say, her newly found skills left her as proud as a peacock.

♥ 

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Wooden Spoon Puppet People

4 / 8 / 134 / 11 / 13

Wooden Spoon Puppet PeopleLast spring, I bought a multi-pack of wooden spoons in order to make a bird feeder similar to this one.  While we don’t buy bottled water (or any kind of individually bottled beverage for that matter), I thought a plastic bottle of some sort would eventually make its way into our recycling bin… Well, it hasn’t.  Not yet at least.  And while I could go digging through my neighbours’ bins on trash day, I decided we’d switch things up a little and finally put our wooden spoons to good use with this fun little project.

IMG 7737To get us started, I put out some coloured Sharpies, some felt strips, ribbon pieces, pieces of yarn, googly eyes, sequins, buttons, gems, some glitter glue, and some craft glue.

IMG 7741We started off by attaching some googly eyes to the back of our spoons with craft glue, and then I encouraged Gracen to add the other details as she pleased.

Wooden Spoon Puppet PeopleHere’s her first puppet person.

IMG 7747IMG 7753After creating a few girls, it was time to create a boy.  She asked me to cut out some ‘Papa hair’, a moustache, and tie for him, and then put him together, adding buttons down his front because ‘that’s how Papa’s shirts are for work’.

IMG 7756Here’s our completed wooden spoon puppet people family…  From left to right, Daddy, Dah-fat, Fadeen, and my personal favourite, Fafee Cacus. (Oh, the names things are given right now…)

Puppet talkLater on, once dry, Gracen disappeared into her room with the puppets and I found her acting out a playground scene and making the mommy and daddy puppets kiss. ☺

IMG 7769

♥ 

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