Time to Traymake

Just in case it’s new to your radar, a tuff tray is a large, shallow plastic tray with raised edges that provides children with a safe space for hands-on exploration and play. It can be filled with materials like sand, water, paint or small toys, allowing children to experiment and create in a controlled environment. Tuff trays are a simple tool for learning, helping children develop fine motor skills, problem-solving abilities, creativity, and social interaction through playful activities.

Magdalena Hajduk, manager of Play Mats Direct, says: ‘From festive winter scenes to sensory play, these budget-friendly setups turn any table into an adventure. Social media is packed with inspiration for tuff trays, with creators sharing endless ideas to keep kids engaged and learning. Accounts like @tufftrayobsessed offer a wealth of creative, easy-to-set-up activities that are both fun and educational. With these resources, families can make the most of their tuff trays.

‘For younger children, tuff trays make learning feel like play! While toddlers scoop, pour, and mix, they’re working on key skills like fine motor control, hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness – important for building independence. These activities may support skills for everyday tasks like feeding themselves or holding a pen. Tuff trays also encourage social skills as kids share, take turns and chat about what they’re creating.

‘As kids grow, tuff trays evolve into a platform for imaginative, purposeful play – think small-world scenes, science experiments or early maths and literacy practice. While toddlers focus on sensory discovery, older children apply reasoning, problem-solving and creativity, turning play into structured learning that fosters independence and confidence.’

These six tuff tray ideas for indoor winter play are perfect for turning any space into a festive, hands-on wonderland.

Snowman building: Fill the tray with cotton wool balls, small buttons, fabric scraps and orange paper for building mini snowmen. Add accessories like hats, scarves, and mittens to boost imaginative play.

Santa’s workshop: Set up a festive arts and crafts station with glue, glitter, pom-poms and coloured paper. Encourage kids to create decorations or cards while improving creativity and hand-eye coordination.

Reindeer food: Combine oats, glitter and small plastic reindeer figurines for a magical sensory experience. Kids can mix and scoop to create their own ‘reindeer food’ to leave out on Christmas Eve.

Christmas cookie decorating: Use pretend cookies (playdough or cut-out cardboard) with toppings like coloured beads, sequins, mini buttons and icing (using white playdough). Kids can decorate their cookies while learning shapes, colours and patterns.

Winter forest adventure: Create a snowy forest scene with pine cones, fake snow, animal figurines and holiday decorations. Kids can use their imagination to tell winter adventure stories, developing social and language skills.

Candy cane hunt: Hide plastic or wooden candy canes in a tray filled with shredded paper, fake snow, or rice. Kids can practice counting and fine motor skills as they search and collect candy canes. For an extra challenge, they can sort by colour or size.

Tips to make a good tuff tray

Choose a theme or focus

Pick a theme like sensory play, nature, maths, or seasonal fun. A clear focus keeps learning on track while making playtime enjoyable.

Use varied materials

Mix textures and colours, sand, water, rice, or fabric, to engage children’s senses. Tools like spoons or cups encourage manipulation, sorting, and experimentation, all while building motor skills and sparking creativity.

Encourage open-ended play

Avoid giving too many instructions! Let your child explore, experiment, and use their imagination on their own terms. The goal is discovery and creativity, and adding strict rules can limit the independence and problem-solving skills.

Rotate and refresh

Change up materials, themes, and activities to maintain interest. Seasonal trays (like Christmas or Easter) are a great way to introduce fresh, exciting ideas.

Support skill development

Consider the skills you want to nurture – scooping, counting, or building – and incorporate items that encourage those abilities. Simple tools like a spade or a cup can make a big impact on development.

Make it social

Tuff trays are perfect for cooperative play. Encourage siblings or friends to join in to promote sharing, turn-taking and teamwork. Collaborative play helps build social skills, communication, and emotional understanding.

Visit www.playmatsdirect.co.uk