Looking for Tuff Tray ideas
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  1. #1
    toddlers896 Guest

    Default Looking for Tuff Tray ideas

    What do you all put in your tuff trays and what has been the most popular activity x

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    Currently a pile of compost/mud, pots, little trowels and seeds. :-):-D

    Shaving foam to make patterns in.

    Water and cups/jugs/funnels.

    Dried rice/pasta/lentils plus pots etc to put them in. Maybe with added spoons.

    Sand ...wet or dry plus tools/pots etc

    Flour. Maybe flour made into cloud dough ( like moon sand )
    Cornflour and water.

    Shredded paper

    Mirrors

    Dried leaves/flowers/pine cones/conkers etc

    Sometimes I just put a selection of cars or duplo or animals or instruments or sensory items to be explored.

    I have seen people use cooked pasta/spaghetti, mash potato, jelly etc but I don't like using 'real' food as a play toy.

    I find the messy/sensory play is the most popular with all ages from babes ( who likes to crawl into the tray! ) to my 12yr old DS!
    Last edited by loocyloo; 25-05-2014 at 06:52 PM.

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  4. #3
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    Compost and plastic bugs
    Water beads
    Small world play scenes
    Construction
    Sensory items...lentils, cooked spaghetti, jelly, ice cubes etc...

    Sarah x
    Sarah, Bumble Beez x x

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  6. #4
    toddlers896 Guest

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    Quote Originally Posted by loocyloo View Post
    Currently a pile of compost/mud, pots, little trowels and seeds. :-):-D

    Shaving foam to make patterns in.

    Water and cups/jugs/funnels.

    Dried rice/pasta/lentils plus pots etc to put them in. Maybe with added spoons.

    Sand ...wet or dry plus tools/pots etc

    Flour. Maybe flour made into cloud dough ( like moon sand )
    Cornflour and water.

    Shredded paper

    Mirrors

    Dried leaves/flowers/pine cones/conkers etc

    Sometimes I just put a selection of cars or duplo or animals or instruments or sensory items to be explored.

    I have seen people use cooked pasta/spaghetti, mash potato, jelly etc but I don't like using 'real' food as a play toy.

    I find the messy/sensory play is the most popular with all ages from babes ( who likes to crawl into the tray! ) to my 12yr old DS!
    I once cooked pasta and put it in a bowl for the children to play with and my husband was not too impressed. He said its like we are teaching them that its ok to play with your food with your fingers and he was also disappointed as there are so many starving children in the world and we are wasting food so I kind of agree with you that real food shouldn't be used as a toy.

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    With chalk as a blackboard

    Water

    Dried rice and coconut

    Dried pasta

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  9. #6
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    There are lots of ideas on google. This is one of my favourites

    http://cyps.northyorks.gov.uk/CHttpH...x?id=12686&p=0

    Miffy xx
    Keep smiling!

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  11. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by miffy View Post
    There are lots of ideas on google. This is one of my favourites http://cyps.northyorks.gov.uk/CHttpH...x?id=12686&p=0 Miffy xx
    Fantastic link miffy...thank you x

    Sarah x
    Sarah, Bumble Beez x x

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    Found this list online....couldn't get the link to copy tho.

    Tuff spot ideas:

    1. Small world people.
    2. Animals.
    3. Orange lentils and trucks.
    4. Jungle animals, logs and twigs.
    5. Build a house with 3d shapes.
    6. Small gravel and diggers.
    7. Sand and water (pretend cement).
    8. Cornflour. (Coloured, blow with straw, letter formation.)
    9. Compost and cars.
    10. Beach scene- shells, crabs, water, fish.
    11. Leaves and magnifying glasses.
    12. Straw and farm/wild animals.
    13. Sand.
    14. Gravel.
    15. Compost with dinosaurs/minibeasts/flowers/trowels.
    16. White rice and arctic animals.
    17. Porridge oats and containers.
    18. Sponges, soap and water.
    19. Fairy liquid and bubble blowers.
    20. A massive pack of ice cubes slung in the middle, a liberal coating of cornflour for snow, a few drops of blue food colouring
    dropped on top, and a good shake of salt to start the melting process.
    21. Natural objects: leaves, stones, shells, etc... magnify glasses, colour lens.
    22. Minature garden- compost, flowers, pebbles, twigs, leaves, foil for pretend pond.
    23. spaghetti - cooked slightly, add different food colouring , use different tools and different sized containers to fill - e.g. food tongs, slottled spoons, chopsticks.
    24. Mixed bag of pasta, lentils, beans etc.Trays of little pots for sorting use tweezers, assorted measuring spoons, slotted spoons etc.
    25. Sandcastles.
    26. Numbers and letters in shredded paper.
    27. Frozen ice hands made using diposable rubber gloves.
    28. Spagnum moss (from B&Q), ferny plants, assorted stones and lots of dinosaurs.
    29. Dry rice & pasta with tea set and little spoons.
    30. Paper, children draw or paint using twigs, marbles, printing equipment for lovely backing paper.
    31. Sugar cubes for children to use as 'ice blocks' make igloos and houses for small world people.
    32. Compost & water- plough with ponies and rakes at harvest time.
    33. Ducks, frogs and weed and water.
    34. Reflective materials: fill tray with water and washing up liquid. Blow bubbles in solution using straws-rainbows appear on the bubbles from the reflection of light.
    35. Sand with jewels, sieve for buried treasure.
    36. Soapflakes with little water and glitter to make snow scene.
    37. Coloured ice cubes and plastic cups- mix colours when they melt. Add salt to melt the ice quicker.
    38. Green jelly and creatures- swamp.
    39. Diggers and tea leaves- looks like soil but smells interesting.
    40. Coloured sand - transparant funnels, small plastic bottles and teaspoons.
    41. Porridge.
    42. Grass seed/ cress- plant and grow.
    43. Bark.
    44. Shaving foam and paint.
    45. Plant beans and grow bean stalk.
    46. Plastic mirrors.
    47. Custard.
    48. Smash.
    49. Magnets and coins/paper clips hidden in sawdust.
    50. Fill with water and leave outside over night in the winter to make giant ice cube.
    51. Salt and glitter, sit tray on white net curtain,fill with small shiny objects eg tea strainer, silver measuring cups and spoons, silver jugs and small silver whisks.
    52. Turf!
    53. Printed backgrounds.
    54. Fill balloon with water, freeze, remove balloon explore with food colouring.

    Sarah x
    Sarah, Bumble Beez x x

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  14. #9
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    Great place to rest your wine glass too - catches all those little spills and dead easy to clean.

    Hic !

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    Quote Originally Posted by toddlers896 View Post
    I once cooked pasta and put it in a bowl for the children to play with and my husband was not too impressed. He said its like we are teaching them that its ok to play with your food with your fingers and he was also disappointed as there are so many starving children in the world and we are wasting food so I kind of agree with you that real food shouldn't be used as a toy.
    Post war baby - often went to bed hungry, so can't condone food waste I'm afraid.

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  18. #11
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    Ive found some pages on facebook dedicated to tuff tray ideas and with pictures. They are fab, great imagination.

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    Quote Originally Posted by lilac_dragon View Post
    Post war baby - often went to bed hungry, so can't condone food waste I'm afraid.
    I get you but food ones are often best with tiny ones as everything goes in there mouth and then it doesn't matter if they eat it. In my house things like cooked rice that gets played with gets recycled to the dog anyway lol

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    Blimey Bumble Beez - that's an amazing list! Thanks for sharing it. X

 

 

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