Spring Tinker Tray Activities

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 themed trays around a particular season, theme or interest. It might be around the colours we see in the winter with natural and man made objects in the shades of yellows and greens. Or perhaps one in response to the foxgloves you notice while out on a walk  outside. You might put a tray together containing wooden flower petals, buttons, twigs, glass gems and leaves and adding a photo of the foxgloves to see where your children take the learning. 

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

• Nests
• Eggs
• Leaves
• Flower petals
• Cotton reels
• Grimms raindrops
• Glass beads
• Pipe cleaners
• Buttons

How can we use the objects?

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

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