Tuff spot...what do you use urs for??

[StaffsMinder]

Ive decided we really should be getting a tuff spot as i've been saying it for a while. Ive got a few ideas for it but wondered if you could share ur uses for it too :)

[Angela234]

I USE MINE FOR; i have 2

Sand all the time

Water

compost

Top soil

cornflakes

geli baff

I READ SOMEWHERE ABOUT PUTTING TURF IN AND PLAY WITH ANIMALS/DINOSAURS (OOPS CAPITALS ON)

Angela

[angeldelight]

There might be some ideas in this old thread

http://childmindinghelp.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=5043&highlight=tuff+spot+ideas

Angel xx

[hbomb1]

Yesterday at my daughter's preschool, there had filled theirs with marbles, and penguins with shredded silver paper and silver glitter. It looked really good. Think it's time I bought a tuff spot.

[huggableshelly]

oohhhhhhhhhhh

I'm off to wickes my tray needs replacing.

[tinkerbelle]

i tried to buy on from the nes arnold sale but they are discontinuing them and had none in stock any ideas where else to get one id love to have one

[louni]

One of our favourites is shaving foam, lovely & messy! xx

[angeldelight]

i tried to buy on from the nes arnold sale but they are discontinuing them and had none in stock any ideas where else to get one id love to have one

http://www.tts-group.co.uk/Product.aspx?cref=TTSPR594135

http://www.tts-group.co.uk/Product.aspx?cref=TTSPR592978

http://www.reflectionsonlearning.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=9608

xx

[singlewiththree]

Ah now I know what you are talking about, basically a cement mixing tray :) I've got one of those somewhere...... in the garage maybe. off to look.

[huggableshelly]

I've just bought 2 from wickes £15.65 each.

one is ready to fill with foam outside when afterschoolies arrive, the other will be my indoor one I'm going to get some different materials to make a farm base, use lollypop sticks for the fencing and anything else I can find whilst I'm at it. would be easier to leave that idea until april as it fits in my my monthly plan but I wanna do it NOW lol

[avril]

I want one of these my ds has loads of diggers and I've seen somewhere one filled with stones and sand like a building site!

I must add that on my WANT ONE LIST!!!!!

[Mouse]

I've got a tuff spot for outdoor play, but for indoors (less space) I use a soaking tray from Lakeland (supposed to be used to soak oven shelves). It's great as it's got much deeper sides, so less of the mess escapes!

I make up pots of jelly with small plastic animals set in them, tip them out onto the tray & give the children plastic cutlery to dig/cut the animals out. They love it, but it can leave a sticky mess, so best for outside play.

[christine e]

i tried to buy on from the nes arnold sale but they are discontinuing them and had none in stock any ideas where else to get one id love to have one

B & Q but I think you will need to ask for a cement mixing tray.

Cx

[Chatterbox Childcare]

I use my sand box

[StaffsMinder]

Thanks everyone. Gave me the idea the other day when my nephew was playing with the soil left over from planting flowers in a bowl and playing with his dinosaurs that I really must get one!.

[RainbowMum]

Thanks for those links Angel - the 3rd one has just cost me a fortune lol!

[helenlc]

I am going to get some green material from the sewing shop later to use as grass and maybe put my animals out in my Tuff Spot tomorrow.

[helenlc]

I didnt get material - I got 2 bags of marbles (reduced in Sainsburys). My 11 and 8 yr old children (mine not mindees) are currently in the Tuff Spot with the marbles and swishing them around themselves!! They appear to be having great fun.

Oh and they had to evict my son's Micro Wrestlers from the Tuff Spot first!!

[LittleStars]

http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n439/loopylollishop/DSCF1084.jpg

Here is our favourite :-)

We have also done:

Jelly aquariums
Soap flake goop
Rockpools
Ice mountain
Boats in water
Sand

Ohh and for my inspection I made a 'sea' of shredded newspaper..then put in lots of things that should be in the sea and things that shouldn't be in the sea and the little ones had to find the things and say of they should be in the sea or not. It was great as onle little boy got in it and pretended to be swimming and the other who is very shy didn't want to play BUT had bought a penguin puppet with him so the penguin dived in and looked for the objects for him!

[singlewiththree]

I USE MINE FOR; i have 2

cornflakes
Angela

CORNFLAKES???? what with milk and spoons :laughing:

[mushpea]

so far we've had
porridge oats
compost
sand
did some sponge painting in it
gona squirt paint in the tray next time, let them 'draw' in it then print on to paper,
jelly
cornflour and water
flour
pasta
rainbow rice

what do you cover yours with when not using it, the covers from tps are £20 +postage just wonded if there was a cheaper alternative, at the moment because we use it outside i clear it away each nightbut would be much easier to leave out for the next day.

[OrlandoBelle]

I have never seen these before. Off to buy one at the weekend. You have all given me some great ideas!:)

[Polka Dots]

I got one from School Surplus (haven't used it yet). Does anyone know where you can get stands for them from?

[Allie]

I found the tuff trays were a bit big for my playroom so bought the discovery trays step by step do. They are big oblongs but they fit on my coffee table so a perfect height for pre-school children and they were only about £6


Allie

[mushpea]

I got one from School Surplus (haven't used it yet). Does anyone know where you can get stands for them from?

www.tts-shopping.com item number 672-fu00202

they are £50 so a lot more than the tray but are well worth it, they come with different sized poles so you can have it a different heights, I found that when ijust had the tray the kids would just walk accrross whatever was in it and not really play with it now i have the stand the 10yrold and 8yrold love playing in it too!!

[Polka Dots]

Something for the future I think. Thanks :)