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What's In Your Tuff Spot This Week?

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in Observation, Assessment and Planning

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We have 4 tuff spots. One is permanently on the floor with wet sand-the children love it as they can dig like they are on the beach. One is always on a table-this is the one I've used this week for in the sea but we have all sorts of things in that one, paper with scissors, pasta, rice and lentils etc. We have another which goes on the floor with the dinosaurs, farm animals, zoo animals. The other is there for if we just need it-someone was practically giving it away so I had to have it!

Linda

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Some great ideas here, just wondered do you have your tuff spot on the floor or table top?

We have a stand for ours and at the moment we have dinosaurs with sand in. It's one of our new purchases and the children are loving it.

 

Sally

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I also didn't know what a tuff spot was (!), just had a look online they look fab and all the ides for what you can put in them from on here have been excellent! the children would absolutely love one in our setting!!

 

thank you x

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  • 2 months later...
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I am so impressed in looking and finding new ideas to make our setting more inspirational, never heard of a this before either, wish list getting bigger and more exiciting. wha a great idea!

Keep them coming

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AnonyMouse_12208 15+ Years

AnonyMouse_12208

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Tuff spots are fantastic! They are a really useful way of getting the children to develop co-operation skills, as their shape means the children all face inwards and play together. We purchased a tuff spot stand recently and I can not recommend it highly enough. It wasn't too expensive (about £40 I think) from TTS and it means that the tuff spot is accesible to all pupils (we have children who couldn't reach it on the table, and some with disabilities can't access it on the floor).

Some of our favourites are - sponges with babybath on and just a tiny amount of water - see who can make the most bubbles - this is great for developing strength in the children's muscles - so helps with maniplatuve and fine motor control.

Dinosaurs and moss (the sort of stuff you get to put in hanging baskets at the garden centre) - very popular with boys and you can create all sorts of environments.

Chopsticks, bowls and noodles were popular when we read "clever sticks" - you can make it trickier by putting in pulses and pasta and introduce an element of sorting.

Shaving foam with writing patterns to copy (check that it's hypo allergenic although I've never had any problems)

Fine sand and markmaking tools

scoops, tweezers, tongs and pots and various pulses and pasta - great for sorting and for maniplulative skills.

We tried mono prints but it did get a bit messy - make sure they are wearing cover all aprons!

Jelly is also a good messy one (outdoors is better than in though if you want to stay friendly with your caretaker)

Soft fruit and knives (blunt obviously) to develop personal skills - we linked that one to Handa's surprise.

I could go on for hours.... (and probably will)

Next week we are going for a "Bob the builder" theme as part of our houses and homes topics - so bricks and mortar one day (the minature sort) lego bricks, we're actually going to use it for it's intended purpose for one day and pretend to mix cement! Still thinking what to do for the other 2 days - any ideas?

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It wasn't too expensive (about £40 I think) from TTS
:o

 

 

We buy ours from wickes for £15:99.They are not an educational resource they are a builders tray for mixing cement on.Some inventive person saw their worth for education.You are obviously going to pay through the nose from educational suppliers

 

Link to Wickes

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To alter the very long link!
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AnonyMouse_8466 15+ Years

AnonyMouse_8466

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We buy ours from wickes for £15:99.They are not an educational resource they are a builders tray for mixing cement on.Some inventive person saw their worth for education.You are obviously going to pay through the nose from educational suppliers

I think Ruthswailes was talking about the stand and not the Tuffspot itself Biccy - but what you say is absolutely right. Once someone spots a nice little niche market they'll charge whatever they think they can get away with it (and if we continue to buy them at their prices then they'll continue to do it, I guess!).

 

I wonder if Wickes will now have an unexpected run on Builders' trays? :o

 

Maz

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AnonyMouse_10713 15+ Years

AnonyMouse_10713

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We bought our tuff spot from a DIY store, and then purchased a stand from educational supplier, only trouble is it doesn't quite fit properly!! :o It takes two adults to get it on the stand, and when the children play on it it slowly lifts up one side and pops off. Can still be used like that but is really annoying especially if you have water in it and it ends up on the floor!!!

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we love our tuff spot!! :o we got ours from tesco vouchers last year with the stand so if anyone hasn't used there's yet now is the time or get set up to do it next time i believe they are in the sports and computers books!!!

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AnonyMouse_8391 15+ Years

AnonyMouse_8391

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we did the cornflour and ice cube one today it was great!

my favourite one though was small veg: a few sprouts,carrots and potatoes some herbs and spices, gravy powder, jugs of water, spoons and pots.

the children had a lovely time cooking stew, peeling sprouts and seeing what floated and what sank in pots of water!

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  • 1 month later...
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Hi! just a quick question, do you plan your tuff spot in advance? if you are using the FS and using themes or topics I am guessing so, but within Birth to three do you plan in advance weekly or just put out what the children are interested in or are showing an interest in and change reguarly? I know we are changing to the EYFS soon but it would be nice to get some info, as i have recently started in a B23 room working with 2-3 year olds and its all quite new to me...

 

Thanks in advance x

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  • 6 months later...
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Hi tuff are fantasic and I went to wicks Building merchants and they are a fraction of the price of the ones on line or in the toy catoglues. i think I paid £15.00 or less. :oxD

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AnonyMouse_8466 15+ Years

AnonyMouse_8466

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Hi tuff are fantasic and I went to wicks Building merchants and they are a fraction of the price of the ones on line or in the toy catoglues. i think I paid £15.00 or less. :oxD

Me too!

 

Welcome to the Forum, tictocplay. Hope you make yourself at home!

 

Maz

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  • 4 years later...
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There are some wonderful ideas here, can I just check though about Health and safety issues? Are there any relating to things like rice, pulses etc? I used dried rice in a tray last year, and one of the teaching assistants was worried/ concerned/ fussing that rice was a risk to kids in case they ate it uncooked?

 

It seemed a bit overcautious to me, but i just wanted to make sure. Is there a list anywhere?

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