April Showers Bring MAY Flowers! Tuff Tray Fun for Sensory Play in Spring + USA Flowers
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Spring is here — and that means it’s the perfect time to add flowers to your Tuff Tray sensory play! 🌸 Whether you’re using real flowers from your garden or a bouquet that’s 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 — it’s perfect for crafting, sensory play, and saving money! 💐
Let’s jump into 4 easy activities using flowers in the Tuff Tray — with a little focus on USA state flowers too!
🌸 FREE TUFF TRAY PRINTABLES – 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 “arrange” real or fake flowers by poking them through
🌸 A beautiful spring keepsake — and a perfect Mother’s 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!
🌟 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!
💧 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!
🌼 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. It’s also budget-friendly and eco-conscious—many 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 “third teacher,” and nature plays a big part in that. When children explore real flowers in a sensory bin or Tuff Tray, they are not just playing—they’re 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 —especially in our sensory bins and Tuff Trays.
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 .
They invite curiosity, creativity, and connection—exactly what Reggio is all about.
FREE DOWNLOADS
Add learning to the TUFF tray with these fun, flower-themed printables:
🌼 Math Ten Frames 1–10 with a flower theme
🔍 We’re Going on a Flower Hunt – hide flashcards in sand and search!
🎨 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.
👉 Got a flower bouquet ready to toss? Don’t throw it out — 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.com