I’ve gathered 11 years of tuff tray memories, and it made me think about how much sensory play really supports children — not just mine, but all the little ones I’ve worked with over the years. It helps with confidence, calm, curiosity, and understanding the world through their senses. Nothing perfect or Pinterest-worthy… just simple, meaningful play. If anyone wants easy, low-pressure sensory ideas to try at home, keep an eye out for daily tuff tray posts! Feel free to ask questions or share your experiences with us!! 🍃💛 Sensory play isn’t just “fun”… it’s how children learn. Tuff trays gave my kids: ✨ a safe way to explore textures, colours, pouring, scooping ✨ early problem-solving and creativity ✨ practice with fine motor skills ✨ emotional regulation through calm, repetitive actions ✨ confidence in trying new things ✨ imagination without limits ✨ a way to process the world when words weren’t enough For ND kids especially, sensory play is grounding. It gives them control, predictability, and a space to regulate. Looking back at all these photos reminded me of something important: children don’t need perfect setups — just opportunities to explore. I’ll be sharing some of our favourites over the next few weeks, along with gentle ideas for parents who want to try sensory play without the overwhelm. No pressure, no perfection… just simple, grounded moments that help little humans grow. 💚

This week’s tray is all about natural materials, sensory regulation, and open-ended play. Soil, petals, leaves, stones and water invite children to explore with their hands at their own pace. There’s no right way to play here — just space to dig, sort, pour, line up, mix, and notice. 🧠 Why this supports development: Builds sensory integration through different textures, weights and temperatures Supports emotional regulation — repetitive, earthy play is calming for many children Encourages fine motor skills (pinching petals, moving stones, scooping soil) Develops language naturally as children describe what they’re doing Allows control and autonomy, which is especially supportive for ND and PDA-profile children Nature-based trays like this meet children where they are — no demands, no outcomes, just meaningful play. Every Thursday we explore a different tuff tray, each supporting development in a slightly different way 🌿

Today’s tray is all about cold textures, tiny worlds, and slow, curious play ❄️ Ice chunks + penguins + polar bears = a perfect mix of sensory input, storytelling, and fine-motor magic. Here’s what this kind of play supports: ✨ Temperature exploration – great for kids who seek (or avoid!) cold sensations ✨ Cause + effect learning – melting, sliding, cracking ✨ Imaginative play – building little scenes, making voices, creating “rescues” ✨ Hand strength + coordination – picking up ice, moving figures, scooping ✨ Emotional regulation – cold sensory play is naturally calming for many ND kids The best part? It took minutes to set up and kept them engaged for ages. --- 💬 Try this at home: Freeze a tray of water overnight and smash it into chunks. Add arctic animals or anything waterproof. That’s it — instant sensory world! You can even make it Christmassy by adding tinsel or other sensory things!

Magic potions with coloured water, pipettes & interesting vessels✨🧪 Kids love watching colours change, making "potions," and getting a bit messy — and meanwhile they’re building fine-motor skills, cause-and-effect thinking, and early science concepts without even realising it. It looks simple, but it’s doing a lot for their little brains: strengthening fine-motor skills, hand–eye co-ordination, colour recognition, early science thinking, and turn-taking. Plus — squeezing, mixing, and watching colours change gives a calm, satisfying sensory outlet (perfect for regulating big feelings). 💛

Today’s tray is simple but so effective. A pile of popcorn in the middle, a few colourful pots, and some child-friendly tweezers — that’s it. Children absolutely love this kind of setup because it looks like play, but underneath they’re doing loads of developmental “work” without even realising it. The picking, pinching, and transferring strengthens their finger muscles (the exact ones they’ll later use for writing, buttons, zips, and using cutlery). The act of sorting into different pots gives their brain a calm, organised task to follow — perfect for children who get overwhelmed or need a predictable moment to reset. And the sound and feel of the popcorn itself makes it a lovely sensory experience too. You don’t need popcorn specifically — pom-poms, pasta, cereal, buttons, or anything you already have at home works just as well. The idea is simply to give their hands a job and their mind something slow and steady to focus on. A tiny setup, but genuinely one of those “quiet magic” activities that helps children regulate without pressure. 🌿