Bella kindly reminded me that I hadn’t set up a play tray activity for a while, so I gracefully took my kick up the bum and I set up a woodland themed tray and the girls loved it. You can buy a play tray also known as a Tuff Tray easily online and they are inexpensive. I recently ordered a Growbag tray and I accidentally ordered an extra large one (I always do things like that) but it makes the perfect sized play tray. Invitation to play is always a winner and it’s so easy to set up, I thought I’d share my Woodland theme play tray with you, in case you want to try it at home.
I’ve recently discovered Tiny Tinkers Shop https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/TinyTinkersShop?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=772574113 on Etsy and I love their products. I am a massive fan of supporting small businesses and I especially love handmade toys and learning sets. I brought this amazing Woodland Tinker Tray for just £9 and it includes 15 loose parts tinker tray including; Small 4cm wooden dolls, peg dolls 6.5cm, wood pieces, chalk board pieces, felt shapes and natural shapes. I also ordered Wooden Number Pieces for £9 which are great for open ended play and for helping the girls with their counting and number recognition.
I ordered some synthetic leaves, a couple of Schleich forest animal figures and Usborne Mini Birds to Spot and Trees to Spot books from Amazon, collected wooden sticks from the garden and I brought wooden crafty leaves from Baker Ross. I love setting up open ended play and just sitting back and watching the girls explore. Flo loved playing with the wooden peg dolls, she wrapped the “baby peg doll” up in a blanket made of leaves, whilst the bigger peg dolls were taking it in turns to sing My Little Pony on the tree stump stage.
Bella was absolutely fascinated with the Usborne Mini Birds to Spot book. She loves to learn new things and she was really excited to learn the name of the birds. After the girls had finished playing with the tray, she immediately dashed to the garden to bird spot and she couldn’t wait to use the sticker guide at the back of the book, to document which birds she had spotted. We have been on regular walks in the forest, so we will take the Usborne Mini Trees to Spot book out with us when we next go on a walk.
Play trays and invitation to play are a great way for children to learn, they give children the opportunity to explore at their own pace and it’s also a great activity to do with a sibling or friend. Play tray’s make a great activity for all ages and they are a good way to introduce messy and sensory play. If I’m struggling for inspiration, I always check out Pinterest as there are always so many amazing ideas. I want to do a Mathematical themed play tray next so watch this space.
