The popular Tuff Tray is such a versatile resource to have for children at home or in your setting. With or without a stand it can be used for many small world set ups, messy play, investigation, explorations, adventures and crafts. Tray Play filled with provocations and invitations to play help children to play and learn at the same time.
Below, we show 100 of our best tuff tray play ideas. Some great invitations to play.
You don’t even need a Tuff Tray, rectangular builders trays from hardware stores, circular metal trays, smaller sand trays or even a washing up bowl or the lid of a storage box will do.
- Small World Set Ups – from pirates and fairies to Duplo, Lego, Playmobil and Dinosaurs!
- Messy Play
- Painting and Art / Crafts
- Early Mark Making
- Themes – Pirates, Dinosaurs, Fairies, Dragons
- Exploring colours, number and shape
- Storytime
- Learning Colours and Numbers
- Water Play
- Planting
- Wild animals
- Science investigations and exploration
Here are just some of our Tuff Tray play ideas:
- Fairy Small World Play in the Tuff Tray
- Planting seeds in the tuff tray
- Natural collections in a tinker tray
- Potion making in the tuff tray
- Sensory play in the tuff tray with Dinosaur Jelly
- Big art messy play in the tuff tray
- Mark making in the tuff tray
- Exploring circles and fractions in a tray
- Washing toys in the tuff tray
- Duplo in the tuff tray
- Easter play in a tinker tray
- Exploring dinosaurs and mud in a tuff tray
- Discover and dig for dinosaurs in a small tray
- Dinosaur tinker tray exploration in a tuff tray
- Exploring numbers in a tuff tray
- Exploring colours and rainbows in a tuff tray
- Discover Pirates and dig for treasure in the tuff tray
- Playmobil Pirates small world play in a tuff tray
- Sand Art in the tuff tray
- Simple Sand Play and wooden blocks
- Sand and Wild Cats
- Sensory Sand on the mirror Tray – baby play
- Small Worlds – Fairy Mushroom on Sand Tray Play
- Water play and boats in the tuff tray
- Recycled cardboard box castle in the tuff tray
- Messy mud play with dinosaurs in the tuff tray
- Gruffalo storytime in a small metal tray
- Turtles and water play in the tuff tray
- Transport in the tuff tray
- Comparing sizes in the tuff tray
- Small world animal scenes in the tuff tray
- Small world Bears and wooden platform in a tuff tray
- Messy exploding science in a tuff tray
- Discover and learn about Bees in the tuff tray
- Balls in the tuff tray
- Shaving foam in the tuff tray
- Thomas Trains in the tuff tray
- Sensory edible frozen fruit smash in the tuff tray
- Exploring shadows in the tuff tray
- Sensory potion and perfume making in the tuff tray
- Marvellous metallics in the mini deep tuff tray
- Big art recycled cardboard loose parts creations in the tuff tray
- Small World Recycled Cardboard Tray Play – Painted!
- Polar Regions small world play in the mini deep tuff tray
- Winter and Polar Bears Small World Tray Play in the wicker mirror circle
- Minibeasts and minibeast hotel making in the tuff tray
- Elephants
- Big Cats
- Rainbow Sensory Chickpea Mirror Tray Play
- Rainbow Investigation Tray Play
- Wooden Rainbow Loose Parts – Grimms Rainbow – wicker Tray Play
- Halloween Recycled Treehouse Small World Nature Tray
- Halloween Castle Small World Sensory Chickpea Tray Play
- Halloween Art Wreath
(Colour Sheets from Mrs Mactivity)
- Halloween Sensory Loose Parts Invitation to Play Tray
- Autumn Nature Small World Tray Play
- Autumn Leaves Tray Play – mini deep tray and stand from Cosy
- Magical Dragons in the wicker tray
- Sunflower Investigation Tray Play
- Sunflower Counting Tray featuring the array tray
- Autumn Bears Invitation to Play Idea
- Autumn – Conker Investigation and Counting Tuff Tray
- Autumn leaves and Conker Small World Tray Play
- Messy Mark Making Tray Play
- Big Art Tray Play
- Wild Animals Tray Play
- Blackberry Investigation Tray Play
- Diwali Activities Tray Play
- Exploring White Tray Play
- Autumn Story Tray Play
- Dinosaur Dig and Investigation in the wicker tray
- Space Tray Play
- DIY Light Box Loose Parts The Big Freeze
- Russian Dolls Tray Play
- Parts of a plant Tray Investigation
- Diggers and Conkers Tray Play
- Storytime with miniature bears
- Dear Zoo – Storytime Tray Play
- Small World Fairy Castle Tray Play
- Nature and Outdoor Treasures Tray Play
- Christmas Sensory Tray Play for Babies
https://www.cosydirect.com/heuristic-wicker-tray-60cm-48391 - Halloween Witches Broth Slime Tray Play
- Water Play for Baby Tray Play
- Small World Mouse Castle Tray Play
- Discussing Feelings Tray Play
- Wellbeing and talking about feelings Tray Play
- Exploring Dinosaurs and Bone Dig Tray Play
- Ladybird Counting Spots Tray Play
- Flower Soup Tray Play
- Exploring Sensory Lemons Tray Play
- Train Tray Play for Baby
- Holidays Sensory Tray Play Idea
- Bears Family Storytime Tray Play
- Nature Collections – looking in more detail – Tray Play
- Pooh Sticks Storytime Tray Play
- Collecting Magnetic Shiny Objects – Basic Science Tray Play
We always have a variety of accessories to hand to dress our tuff tray. Our most popular inserts and mats are our artificial grass mat, Mirror insert and felt scenery mats (all from Cosy Direct). We also have a box of items such as sticks, dried leaves, pinecones, conkers, Acorns, stones, pebbles, wooden circles and cuttings, wooden pieces to build with, small world trees and figures, potted plants, water beads, glass beads and fabrics. Fairy Lights also make tray play magical. Add height to your tray play by adding a wooden crate. We love all the Cosy Felt accessories for the tray too, the trog towers, and their new rainbows.
We also love these tuff tray alternatives and accessories:
- cover
- wooden stand
- den canopy
- smaller tuff tray and stand
- mats – reflective, artificial grass
- under stand storage crates
- seating
- metallic circular tuff tray
- Tinker trays
This is an amazing wheelchair friendly disabled access tray and stand – what a fabulous idea for inclusion and accessibility for disabled children.
Lottie Makes 
Hi where did you get your gruffalo figures from ?
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