Winter Child Led Play With Loose Parts

What is a tinker tray?

Tinker trays are filled with open ended loose part materials that will spark curiosity, problem solving, critical thinking and imaginative play. The objects in the tray can be used in any way the child chooses and there is no set way that they should be used.  It is commonly used in the Reggio Emilia Approach to learning and can be adapted for a range of different ages and stages of development. 

Materials for a tinker tray

Any tray with compartments can be used to display and store the loose parts to be used in play. I quite like using trays made out of natural materials like wood and seagrass as i always think we can display our materials in a beautiful way in these. Here are some ideas of what you could use or re-use:

• A cutlery tray insert
• A chocolate box or biscuit box insert
• Bun trays
• Tie box
• Jewellery tray insert
• Desk drawer dividers
• Tool boxes
• Crafting boxes
• Ice cube trays
• A tea bag caddy 

Items ideas for your tinker tray:

We can create nature themed trays around a particular season, theme or child led play interest. It might be around the colours we see in the winter with natural and man made objects in the shades of whites and blues. Or perhaps one in response to the snow outside containing wooden snowflakes, buttons, cotton wool balls, glass gems and blue and white pom poms and adding these to black card to spark snowflake creativity!

We can use a range of natural and man-made materials to spark curiosity. Here are some ideas I have for Winter time:

• Orange slices
• Twigs
• Pinecones
• Wooden snowflakes
• Peg people
• Felt pieces in winter colours
• Winter foliage 
• Bark
• Buttons
• Pom poms
• Cellophane pieces
• Pipe cleaners
• Tree cookies
• Cinnamon sticks
• Mosaic pieces (swimming pool tiles)

How can we use the objects?

• Use them in crafting
• In the playdough or clay
• In the sand or kinetic sand
• On the snow
• Create transient art on a mirror
• Create transient art on a tree stump

Here are some set ups for exploring learning around trees. 

For more ideas on nature based play check out my Re-Wanderlust Child Nature Study Programme here