April Showers Bring MAY Flowers! Tuff Tray Fun for Sensory Play in Spring + USA Flowers
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Spring is here â and that means itâs the perfect time to add flowers to your Tuff Tray sensory play! đ¸ Whether youâre using real flowers from your garden or a bouquet thatâs past its prime, there are so many ways to explore, craft, and play.
Bonus tip: Use an old flower bouquet at the end of bloom â itâs perfect for crafting, sensory play, and saving money! đ
Letâs jump into 4 easy activities using flowers in the Tuff Tray â with a little focus on USA state flowers too!
đ¸ FREE TUFF TRAY PRINTABLES â Just Print and Play!
Find the download links at the end of this blog. Scroll Down
1. DIY Flower Vase Craft in a TUFF TRAY
Make a sweet vase out of cardboard!
Draw and paint a vase shape
Use a pencil to poke small holes
Let kids âarrangeâ real or fake flowers by poking them through
đ¸ A beautiful spring keepsake â and a perfect Motherâs Day gift idea!
2. Flower Stamp Painting in a TUFF TRAY
Give kids a flower and let them paint with it!
Dip the petals in paint
Press on paper to make flower stamps
Try it on a card for Mother's Day!
đ Fine motor, color mixing, and creativity in one simple activity!
3. Flower Soup with Ice Petals in a TUFF TRAY
Create a sensory soup in the tray!
Mix real flower petals , water, and frozen ice cubes with petals inside
Add bowls, scoops, and spoons
Let kids pour, stir, and play freely!
đ§ Great for cooling down on warm spring days and encouraging open-ended play.
4. Dinosaur Flower Play in a TUFF TRAY
Make a cardboard dino stencil (think: T-Rex, Stegosaurus, or Triceratops!)
Place it in the tray
Let kids fill the shape with loose flower petals or stems
Add dino toys and small world play!
đź Dinosaurs + flowers = fun sensory adventure!
Why Flowers and Natural Materials Belong in Sensory Play
Using natural materials like flowers, leaves, sticks, and seeds as sensory bin fillers is a powerful way to connect children to the world around them. Flowers bring color, scent, and texture into the play space, engaging all five senses. This kind of open-ended play supports fine motor skills, language development, and creativity. Itâs also budget-friendly and eco-consciousâmany flowers can come from your garden or an end-of-bloom bouquet.
This approach is inspired by Reggio Emilia , which values natural materials, child-led exploration, and learning through the senses. In Reggio classrooms, the environment is seen as the âthird teacher,â and nature plays a big part in that. When children explore real flowers in a sensory bin or Tuff Tray, they are not just playingâtheyâre making discoveries, asking questions, and building a deeper connection to nature and themselves.
Reggio Emilia Inspired Sensory Play with Flowers in the Tuff Tray
At Learning Through PLAYtrays , we love using flowers as loose parts âespecially in our sensory bins and Tuff Trays.Â
Kamilla, our founder and former early years teacher at a Reggio Emilia-inspired school , discovered how powerful nature play can be. In Reggio, children learn through hands-on exploration, and flowers became our favorite natural sensory bin filler .Â
They invite curiosity, creativity, and connectionâexactly what Reggio is all about.
FREE DOWNLOADS
Add learning to the TUFF tray with these fun, flower-themed printables:
đź Math Ten Frames 1â10 with a flower theme
đ Weâre Going on a Flower Hunt â hide flashcards in sand and search!
đ¨ Fingerprint Bluebonnet Craft (Texas State Flower)
Perfect for spring centers, morning tubs , or independent work .
Discover All 50 USA Flowers with These Tuff Tray Printables
Flowers bring color, texture, scent, and beauty to sensory play. With your Tuff Tray and a handful of blooms, you can spark curiosity, creativity, and connection.
đ Got a flower bouquet ready to toss? Donât throw it out â play with it instead! Share your creative flower ideas with us! Find us on social media to tag/share or send an email to Kamilla@playtraylearning.comÂ