Welcome to our collection of sensory and creative play ideas for little ones! Whether you’re looking for mess-free sensory activities, outdoor adventures, or rainy day fun at home, this section is packed with ideas that spark imagination and encourage learning through play. Perfect for toddlers, preschoolers and curious kids who love to explore, create and get a little bit messy!
Ready to dive in? Scroll through the ideas below and see what inspires you today. Whether it’s a quick sensory setup or a full-on themed play session, you’ll find loads of inspiration to keep little hands busy and curious minds engaged.
Helping Your Child Become More Independent
Parents are naturally inclined to do things on their child’s behalf, whether that be to save time or simply to make life easier for the youngster. However, when parents take over,…
How to dye chickpeas for messy play.
I often use rice and chick peas for indoor play activities. They provide the sensory fun element of play but as dry ingredients the clean up process isn’t as daunting…
Frozen Tuff Tray Play
I have been filling the tuff tray with water every night in winter in the hope that it will freeze over, as I wanted to make a giant version of…
Crafting with Nature: Printing on a Tuff Tray
After the success of a previous nature themed tuff tray , which involved using found leaves from a nature walk as our canvas I decided to repeat the idea. Nature…
FireMan Tuff Tray
This is the most simple idea which I have seen doing the rounds lately….. and requires minimal set up compared to our recent tuff tray set ups like our car…
Arctic Tuff Tray Play
I decided to set up an arctic tuff tray outdoors to get a bit of fresh air – this one is not for the faint hearted! As the temperature has…
How to dye spaghetti pasta for sensory tuff tray play
Are you searching for a great way to introduce much fun and different textures into your child’s playtime? Look no further! In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the world of…
Sensory Tuff Tray Ideas
As promised, I have included all of our tuff tray ideas in one blog post for quick at a glance play inspiration. We love tuff trays because the benefits of…
Creative Tonie guide
How to add content to your first creative tonie Once you have set your tonie box up it’s time for you to create and upload your own content to a…
A mini Beast Tuff Tray
Like most three year olds Arlo is absolutely obsessed with bugs and so now that spring is blooming the garden is full of them and they are a great natural…
A: These are hands-on activities that encourage young children to explore, imagine and learn through touch, movement and creativity. They often involve things like messy play, textures, colours and role play.
A: Most of the activities on this page are perfect for toddlers and preschoolers, but many can be easily adapted for older children who still love open-ended, imaginative play.
A: Not at all! Most of these play ideas use everyday items from around the house. You’ll find budget-friendly, low-prep activities using things like rice, water, cardboard boxes, and recycled bits.
These play ideas are perfect for filling quiet afternoons, rainy mornings or just those “I’m bored” moments. Whether your child loves digging into sensory trays or prefers calm, creative play, there’s something here for every mood and energy level.
We’ve tested all of these ideas in real life — often with minimal prep and maximum mess! As a parent and teacher, I believe that play is the most powerful way to encourage language, curiosity and confidence. So grab a tray, some rice, and a few scoops, and let the fun begin!
Looking for hands-on projects you can do together? Check out our Crafts section for Cricut tutorials, seasonal makes and rainy-day inspiration.