8 Outdoor Tuff Tray Ideas
Posted by EYR Team on 28th Apr 2025
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We all know about the importance of getting outside. However, it can be difficult to think of new and exciting activities that keep little ones engaged without using a lot of costly resources. In this blog we bring you 8 different activities to try with your little ones using only a tuff tray outdoors. Read on for more!
1. Practice sorting
Sorting is a great early maths activity and can be done with any resources! Use our Tuff Tray Paper Pad, our new Tuff Tray Whiteboard or our Tuff Tray With Stand to draw out sections on the tuff tray. Then add a number of items collected from the great outdoors, such as flowers, plant pots, or leaves, ready to be sorted.
Sorting games can be done by colour, size, number of petals or any other way you can think of. This will encourage younger children to investigate new things and use logical thinking.
2. Create a Mud Kitchen
As we know, Tuff Trays are durable and perfect for messy play! Transform yours into a mud kitchen by adding various utensils such as bowls, cups and spoons. Use mud, water and other natural ingredients to invite children to make their very own mud pie or flower soup!
Need the mud kitchen to be taste safe? Use cornflour, chocolate powder and water to create a messy play station safe for curious children!
3. Explore a Small World
Take advantage of the tuff trays raised edges! Perfect for keeping all of your small items and toys contained, the tuff tray is an ideal base for small world play. Let your little one's imaginations to run wild and encourage them to add to their small world with leaves and flowers to create magical, natural environments.
4. Make a Potting Station
No outdoor space? No problem!
Tuff trays present a great space to teach children about gardening and potting plants. Children can create their own mini garden even in the most limited of spaces. Set up your tuff tray with books about flowers, plant pots, seeds and gardening tools and get planting!
5. Practice Mark Making
Why not use your Tuff Tray Paper Pad as the perfect place to practice mark making with something a little more unusual than a brush.
Head out on an outdoor scavenger hunt with your little ones and see what materials you can find that can be dipped in paint? Stones, flowers, sticks, leaves and pine cones are all fantastic to experiment with and explore the different patterns that they make. Take your collection home and make a masterpiece!
6. Get involved in Sand Play
Who says you need to go to the beach to build a sandcastle? Create your own personal beach by taking advantage of the high edges on the Tuff Tray. Pile the sand in and grab your shovel to build sandcastles wherever you are.
7. Make a splash with Water Play
Engage your little ones in some fun water play and create something unique by using a Tuff Tray or a large rectangular tray as a water play tray/water table! Simply mix bubble solution and paint in a Tuff Tray outdoors and use a straw to blow the bubbles in the mix. Then gently lay your paper on the top and lift it up to see a beautiful bubbly picture!
8. Go on a Fossil Hunt
Become an archaeologist with a fossil hunt! Create the perfect dig zone for your little ones by burying fossils in sand and soil. Using brushes and scoops your little explorers can uncover each buried treasure in turn. Why not encourage your children to add natural resources that they can find to make the ultimate Jurassic scene!
