Guest Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 HI Has anyone got a different idea for the water tray. We've had the usual toys and also cornflour, jelly, spaghetti and slime. Has anyone got any different ideas? I see the post for sand mousse which I will try. Anyone got anything else they would like to share???? Vicki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inge Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 treasure hunt in the sand tray.. bury items and get children to think of ways to find them and then try the ideas out, count items sort items, depending on what was hidden. Inge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Food colouring, food essense- peperiment, orange in the water tray. we had little nets that you get for fish tanks to fish out different objects to count- pebbles and glass beads and plastic ducks, little frogs. I let the children fill squirty bottles from the water tray with washing up liquid they loved squirting patterns. Straws and washing up liquid for blowing bubbles. washing up liquid in the sand. They like seeing different coloured water and smelling different smells. Wooden spoons and green water a few frogs and they were singing 5 little speckled frogs.......... good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Deleted the duplicate post, Ger. Do be aware of possible allergies when adding smells etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 ... and also be sure that if you've used cornflour paste or other foodstuffs in the sand tray that it gets properly washed. When putting away the sand tray this week I noticed that the tray itself had little mouldy spots on it. So I had to throw out the perfectly good damp sand and make sure it was properly clean. ...and lets not speculate why it hadn't been spotted when the tray was put out in the morning! Maz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shazzam Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 if you can have the water tray outside bits of guttering to transfer water into other containers is good, the other day i filled some latex type gloves with water they loved them, so the next day i did it again and froze them, took off the glove and just had 'ice hands' in the tray bit chilly but they enjoyed them. we've also had water in our tuff spot with bowls, jugs, spoons etc with sprouts, carrots, potatoes and dried herbs the children were making soups and stews!! one child spent ages just peeling the sprouts! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted March 6, 2008 Share Posted March 6, 2008 Ive just put water with my sand, will it mix into damp sand or should it be dry? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
narnia Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 sawdust is nice too....you can buy it vacuum packed so it takes up less space to transport home and it has had the dust removed from it............our children love it and we hide all kinds of things in it to surprise them..........plastic mini-beasts, twigs and sticks...........well, anything really! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 wet sand in tights Planting Tubes/water custard powder / cornflour mix seeds (damp) sand in paddling pool wallpaper paste in tights Fish in water tray washing clothes/toys shredded paper logs and hay HAVE FUN Peggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Love your pictures Peggy, its nice to see them to support the ideas you suggest so you can really see them in context. Paula x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luluj Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 I love the sand in tights idea. Will have to stop wearing trousers. Thank you for that. luluj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Fantastic pictures I really want to start doing all these activities at pre-school but every time I come in with these ideas they look at me as if to say "what planet are you on?"!!!!! Now I'm joint supervisor I don't care just go ahead anyway!!!! Just need more time to clean up afterwards thats all! Last week I emptied a bag of flour in the tuff spot and gave the children small jugs of water to see what happened it was great one child was practically swimming in it she loved it so much!! Luckily her mum agrees that learning is all about experimentation and didn't mind too much when she saw her daughters clothes, as although she was wearing an apron it still managed to get covered! Keep the ideas coming so I can go in to the other joint supervisor on Monday with more messy ideas, can just picture her face now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 8, 2008 Share Posted March 8, 2008 Fantastic pictures I really want to start doing all these activities at pre-school but every time I come in with these ideas they look at me as if to say "what planet are you on?"!!!!! Now I'm joint supervisor I don't care just go ahead anyway!!!! Just need more time to clean up afterwards thats all! Last week I emptied a bag of flour in the tuff spot and gave the children small jugs of water to see what happened it was great one child was practically swimming in it she loved it so much!! Luckily her mum agrees that learning is all about experimentation and didn't mind too much when she saw her daughters clothes, as although she was wearing an apron it still managed to get covered! Keep the ideas coming so I can go in to the other joint supervisor on Monday with more messy ideas, can just picture her face now! My staff soon got used to 'Planet Peggy' I miss the mess (since my preschool closed) but I have set up a formica table, leaning against the fence at home for my children to enjoy large scale painting etc, to my 'house husbands' dismay My garden looks like a preschool at the moment, dens made from taupaulins ( need to get that down before the gales arrive) sand/water tables, hopscotch mat, mobilo little people climbing many surfaces, trampoline, planks for car runs etc etc. It means I can still play whilst my children ( 5,9,11,13 yrs) are at school Peggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 8, 2008 Share Posted March 8, 2008 That's what I love about working at a pre-school. No-one minds if you get messy or sing with a bad voice. You can make a total fool of yourself and everyone thinks that it is great. Its just so lovely to see the children's faces light up and their confidence grow as we encourage them to enquire and investigate all their senses and abilities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 I love Peggy's ideas in sand and water and like Susan says I am always aware of allergies etc and sometimes think should I use this............... and thankfully I have no problems. Recently I used some small animal bedding in the tuff spot outside with animals in it and the children loved it. I have used bark with minibeast and now want to use decorative bark. A recent activity included using dog biscuits and the children used loving them for counting, sorting and making patterns. Is it possible to use all that nice coloured bird seed ??? I am terrible when i am out shopping i think why haven't i tried that. Yesterday i bought some fish in woolworths that you stick on the bottom of your bath, i think they will be great for the water tray. Keep the ideas coming thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 Yesterday i bought some fish in woolworths that you stick on the bottom of your bath, i think they will be great for the water tray. Keep the ideas coming thanks. Our children love those little fishies - especially the very satisfying noise/splash of water when they manage to pull them off... Maz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 9, 2008 Share Posted March 9, 2008 Been really busy the last couple of days and have just read all of your brilliant ideas! Will be using them over the next couple of weeks! Thanks everyone! Vicki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rossi Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 The photos were brilliant to see, good to see the children really enjoying the activities Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 Hi Carnarvon and welcome. thank you for making your first post after so long a silence! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 20, 2008 Share Posted March 20, 2008 5 bags of different coloured ice- each with a toy in the middle went down a storm with my Nursery children last week. The language and problem solving as they tried to get out said item was amazing!They were lucky it was nearly the holiday and my home freezer was nearly empty waiting for big shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 Wow! I bow to your superiority!!! You are so brave and incredibly imaginative - what fabulous ideas! Consider them now all stolen - thankyou very much for taking the time to attach the photos - looks like so much fun, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skippy Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 This is what makes this site so wonderful, all the ideas are fantastic. I haven't really got much to add we have had swampy mud water with bugs and dinosaurs in it with rock etc. Tea bags/leaves cups, teapot and strainers. The children loved this! Peggy it was great to see photos. The real fish looked amazing would never of thought of that. Were there any issues with using a real fish? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 This is what makes this site so wonderful, all the ideas are fantastic. I haven't really got much to add we have had swampy mud water with bugs and dinosaurs in it with rock etc. Tea bags/leaves cups, teapot and strainers. The children loved this! Peggy it was great to see photos. The real fish looked amazing would never of thought of that. Were there any issues with using a real fish? Only issue is to ensure thorough hand washing after play and thorough bleaching of water tray at end of session (after children have gone), plus a spray of air freshener Some species of fish do have very sharp dorsel fins, so check this too. We have extended play by taking the flesh off , then looking at the skin and skeleton, children are fascinated. Peggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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