It can be hard to know how to include your little one on Valentine's Day, especially if they are too young to read a card, and you don't want them eating chocolates, although they might enjoy helping you with some Valentine's baking. A Valentine's tuff tray is a great way to get them involved, and even if they don't fully understand what the day is about, they will still have fun.
Children love to feel included and do the same thing as older siblings or their parents. If the concept of Valentine's Day is a little beyond them, your little one will still sense a special occasion and get excited so planning a few themed activities is a lovely way to spend time together and enjoy the day. As well as a tuff tray, your little one might enjoy some Valentine's crafts or making a card for family or friends.
If you like to celebrate Valentine's Day as a family then setting up a themed tuff tray, as well as dressing up little one in a cute Valentine's outfit, will be a great way to mark the occasion and will also create the opportunity for some fun valentine's photos.
What is a tuff tray?
Originally created for the construction industry, a tuff tray is a large tray which can be filled with lots of different sensory items. They are perfect for messy play and can be filled with items such as paint, or slime, water, rice, shaving foam, or even lego or puzzles. They are easily accessible for children and great for keeping the mess all in one place. Tuff trays are especially popular with early years and Montessori providers and there are plenty of tuff tray ideas to keep your little one entertained whatever the day.
What are the benefits of a tuff tray?
We all know how important it is for children to learn through play, but what are the specific benefits of a tuff tray? Rachel Moffat, a mum of two and play tray advocate, says, "Setting out inviting activities with cognitive and physical challenges has a significant benefit to early childhood development. Undoubtedly, tray play gives children the opportunity to explore and discover independently, it fosters their creativity and imagination."
Not only can children learn by playing independently but if tuff trays are used in nursery settings, they are extremely social, allowing children to gather round them and share the experience. Tuff trays can be themed for any occasion, or learning topic, and so make the perfect Valentine's activity for at home, nursery or school.
If you think you and your little one would enjoy spending time together this Valentine's Day exploring a tuff tray, we have found some great tuff tray ideas to inspire you.
Valentine's Day tuff tray ideas
Play dough Valentine's Day tuff tray
Kids love play dough and so a play dough valentine's tuff tray is sure to be a winner. Plus, you can make your own with this simple play dough recipe and use red food colouring to make it the perfect colour. Once you have your play dough, put it in the centre of the tuff tray and surround it with decorations so your little one can get creative. You could use shiny pebbles, glitter, rose petals and toy gems, all of which will encourage your little one to explore the play dough with actions like rolling, pressing, squeezing or pushing. If you have some to hand, add a few drops of rose oil so it smells lovely too.
Textured Valentine's Day tuff tray
For something a little less messy, a tuff tray with lots of textures will really intrigue your little one. They will love exploring how everything feels, or even sounds and they will have fun making patterns. This also won't make a lot of mess, but you might need to collect a few pink and red items before Valentine's Day in preparation.
Floral Valentine's Day tuff tray
Despite it being February, the weather might be kind and let you explore outside. A tuff tray filled with flowers is a great idea for Valentine's Day. Your little one will love looking at, feeling and even smelling the flowers, especially if you add some magnifying glasses for them to use too. You could even set up some paint so they can paint a picture of their favourite flowers. The possibilities are endless!
Sensory Valentine's Day tuff tray
If you are brave, and don't mind a bit of clearing up, then shaving foam in a tuff tray is always popular tuff tray activity. For Valentine's Day you can add pink or red food colouring, or even glitter, to make it more fun. Children love the feel and smell of it. Similarly, some pink or red slime with things to add in is another fun Valentine's tuff tray option.
Dyed rice is a popular choice when it comes to tuff trays. It is extremely versatile and can be poured, shaped or used to bury items. You little one will enjoy feeling it run through their fingers, or even putting it into a container and shaking it to make a rattling noise. A rice tuff table will entertain your little (and bigger) ones for ages and will be ideal for a Valentine's tuff tray if you dye the rice red, or mix it with little paper hearts that your little one can pick out with tweezers.
Water Valentine's Day tuff tray
Finally, kids love water. Again you could use food colouring in water, and some bubble bath or washing up liquid to create a bubbly, pink, watery tuff table. Maybe add some pipettes so they can practice sucking up the water, and dripping it out, or some bath toys, or heart-shaped pebbles for them to play with. Alternatively, create a valentine's soup, with coloured water and hearts which they can mix around, or fish out.
How do you use a tuff tray?
Tuff trays allow your little one to play in a safe, contained place. They provide educational fun and they are great for sensory play. They can be themed for an event, like Valentine's Day to include your little one in the special occasion or help develop their understanding. While the play is (hopefully!) contained in one place, some of the things you can use can be messy so be prepared to wipe up shaving foam, sweep up rice, or mop up puddles once they have finished playing.
What can I use in a tuff tray?
Think of items that stimulate the senses, which will make noise, or have different textures or even smells. Also items that can be played with, or help develop motor skills are great, for example threading pasta on a string, pipettes in water, tweezers, or scooping up rice.
Some great tuff tray ideas include:
•Play dough
•Rice
•Pasta
•Shaving foam
•Water
•Paints
•Slime
•Shredded paper
All of the above can be adapted for a special occasion, such as Valentine's Day by adding food dye or collecting objects associated with the celebration, like little hearts, flowers, either real or artificial, or even shiny pebbles or gems. Whatever you choose to use, a themed tuff tray makes a lovely Valentine's Day activity for your little one.
Laura Healy is a Commercial Content Writer for Mother&Baby. She is a mum-of-two girls and loves writing about all things parenting, she is particularly interested in the toddler years and eco-friendly baby products, as well as children’s literature. She has a PhD in Creative Writing and has published short stories in the UK and Ireland, as well as previously writing freelance for her local paper.