We recently invested in three tuff spots, you know those tray things that builders use for mixing cement but that have been repurposed for us Mommas/caregivers to keep our kids amused. Oh where have these little beauties been all my child raising life?
I never invested in tuff spots when my kids were small for several reasons, firstly I struggled to source them at a reasonable price and secondly I didn’t really see the value in them when we had a sand and water tray. I will say it now, I was wrong.
I found a set of three 70cm X 70cm tuff spots on ebay for a little under £30, did I need three? Probably not, but at the same time I was sure I could find a use for them and I am glad I did as there have been days I have used all three almost wishing I had more to play with. I was unsure whether to go for this size or the 100cm X 100cm, it was a serious debate. I am glad in the end I went for the 70×70, it is the perfect size for us as I can fit two of them on our dining table with a little room still for drinks and snacks but plenty of room for both children and myself to crowd around to play.
Traditionally these trays are used for EYFS children (0-5 years) however they have been invaluable to my two and my sanity. It is worth remembering here that because of my children’s autism and other additional needs their emotional age is below that of their chronological age but I firmly believe that even without this they would be invaluable to us.
I have so far used them to supplement our learning most weeks. I have set up craft projects in them, water based activities on hot days, stem activities, treasure digs (which has always been a favourite of my kids long before we got tuff trays), we have done numerous sensory activities and I have an entire notebook full of ideas for future play ideas for them.
One of the best things about them is they generally contain all the mess, I do say generally as my two are grot monkeys who could mess up a clean room in seconds. Once the contents have been emptied, a quick antibacterial spray and they are good to go for the next great idea.
I strongly suspect that our tuff trays will become our number one home educating resource. I just love watching the kids’ eyes light up everytime they see the trays set up and watching them zombie walk towards them, arms stretched out, desperate to get involved with whatever treasure they may hold.
