Christmas in WA rarely looks like the cards. There's no snow on the lawn, the afternoons are hot, and the end of the year is already busy. But little ones still love that festive feeling, and a tuff tray is a lovely way to bring a bit of "white Christmas" magic into a summer day without the stress.
This set-up is for parents and educators alike. It uses two easy taste-safe recipes (cloud dough "snow" and red and green rice), a frosty mirror "ice rink", and an Aussie nature corner with gum leaves and gumnuts. You can do it all at once on one big tray, or split it into mini set-ups over the last few weeks of the year.
Before you start: a few safety notes
- Heat-treat your flour. Raw flour isn't a ready-to-eat food, so if little ones might taste it, heat-treat it first. Spread it on a lined tray and bake at about 175°C for around 5 minutes, or until it reaches 74°C, then let it cool completely (method from Raising Wild Things). Plain flour contains wheat, so check for wheat and gluten allergies.
- Taste-safe isn't the same as edible. These recipes are fine if a curious toddler has a nibble, but they're not snacks. Supervise closely.
- Watch the small festive bits. Jingle bells, sequins, small pompoms and dry rice can all be choking hazards for babies and toddlers. For under-threes, use larger items and skip anything that could fit in a mouth.
- Leave light-up decorations out of the tray. Many flashing decorations run on button batteries. The ACCC warns that button batteries can cause serious injury or death if swallowed or inserted, and says children up to 5 are at greatest risk. If you think a child has swallowed one, call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 straight away, or 000 if they are bleeding or having trouble breathing.
- Skip water beads and essential oils. Water beads are not a safe sensory base (the ACCC advises against them), and essential oils aren't needed. Real cinnamon sticks and orange peel smell festive enough.
- Find the shade. If you're playing outside, set up in full shade and play earlier in the day. When the UV Index is 3 or above, SunSmart recommends shade, hats, sun-safe clothing and SPF50+ sunscreen.
What you'll need
For the cloud dough "snow" (recipe from There's Just One Mommy):
- 4 cups (about 500 g) plain flour, heat-treated and cooled
- ½ cup (125 ml) vegetable oil (use vegetable oil, not baby oil, so it stays taste-safe)
For the red and green rice (method from Taming Little Monsters):
- 1 cup uncooked white rice per colour
- 10 to 20 drops of red or green food colouring per cup
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar per cup
- Zip-lock bags and a lined baking tray for drying
For the tray:
- A tuff tray, on a stand or on the floor
- A mirror insert or a small unbreakable mirror for the "ice rink" (optional)
- Small figures or animals (polar animals, reindeer, or any favourite toys)
- Scoops, measuring cups, cupcake cases, a muffin tin and a few small bowls
- Gum leaves, gumnuts, bottlebrush flowers and cinnamon sticks for the nature corner
- A few large shatterproof baubles (size them for your youngest player)
Step by step
- Make the rice the night before. Put 1 cup of rice, the colouring and the vinegar in a zip-lock bag, seal it and shake until every grain is coated. Spread it on a lined tray to dry overnight. Repeat for the second colour.
- Mix the snow. In a big bowl, rub the cooled, heat-treated flour and the oil together with your fingers until it holds its shape when squeezed but crumbles easily. That's your cloud dough.
- Zone the tray. Pile the snow on one side, pour the red and green rice into the other, and leave a clear space in the middle. Zones help little ones know where things go, and they slow the mixing down a bit (it will still mix, and that's fine).
- Add the ice rink. Set the mirror in the middle, or lay a small mirror on top of the snow. Line the edge with a "snowbank" of cloud dough and pop a few figures on to skate. The reflections are always a big hit.
- Build the Aussie Christmas corner. Arrange gum leaves, gumnuts, bottlebrush and cinnamon sticks so children can "decorate" their own little bush Christmas tree on the rice or in the snow.
- Add tools, then step back. Put out the scoops, muffin tin and cupcake cases, then let the children lead. Snow cupcakes, reindeer races and sorting red from green all count.
Three easy swaps to keep it fresh
- Wrapping station: Lay paper inserts or butcher's paper on the tray with wooden blocks, small boxes, tape and safety scissors. Wrapping a block is brilliant fine motor work.
- Santa's beach day: Swap the snow for a beach scene. Our Beach Day in a Tray post has a heat-treated cloud dough "sand" you can use, plus a figure in a Santa hat.
- Bauble count: Hide large shatterproof baubles in the rice and ask, "How many red ones can you find?" Use a muffin tin for sorting and counting.
For educators: making it work in the last weeks of term
WA public schools finish Term 4 on Thursday 17 December 2026 (Department of Education), so a simple, reusable set-up is worth its weight in gold. Make the rice and cloud dough once, store them in airtight tubs, and rotate the swaps above across the final weeks.
Not every family celebrates Christmas, so you might frame it as a "summer celebrations" tray and invite children to share how their families celebrate this time of year. The EYLF encourages educators to "investigate and explore cultures, traditions and heritages to broaden children's understanding of the world" (Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia, V2.0, Outcome 2). A rice and snow base works just as well with lanterns, diyas, family photos or beach scenes.
If you're kitting out a few rooms before Term 1 2027, our Education Bundle ($1,047.50) brings trays, stands and inserts together for classrooms. Email me at emilie@busylittlefingers.com.au for multi-tray quotes.
What they're learning
- Sensory exploration: soft, powdery snow next to crunchy rice and smooth, cool mirror.
- Fine motor skills: scooping, pinching gumnuts, filling cupcake cases and wrapping.
- Early maths: sorting by colour, counting baubles, full and empty.
- Language: words like crumbly, shiny, reflection, freezing and sparkly.
- Connection to their world: talking about what summer celebrations look like for their family, in their own backyard.
Clean-up tip
Cloud dough is a little oily, so brush or scoop it straight back into an airtight container rather than wiping it around. Sieve any snow out of the rice, and if the rice gets wet, throw it out. Wipe the mirror gently with a soft damp cloth (no scourers, as acrylic mirrors can scratch), and store it flat. Want to keep the set-up going tomorrow? A Tuff Tray Cover ($34.95) keeps dust, pets and curious fingers out overnight.
Shop the set-up
- Tuff Tray & Stand Package ($245): our most popular set, at a comfy standing height for kindy and school kids.
- Tuff Tray ($80) on its own, if you'd rather play on the floor or the lawn.
- Small Tuff Tray & Stand Package ($190): a 70 cm tray for smaller spaces and littler bodies.
- Mirror Tuff Tray Insert ($34.95): currently on pre-order and shipping after 18 November. It's delicate, so it's best for gentle, supervised play.
- Paper Tuff Tray Inserts ($29.95 for 10) for the wrapping station.
- Grass Tuff Tray Insert ($32.95) if you'd like a green "paddock" for reindeer, kangaroos or both.
Ordering a tray as a Christmas present? Email me at emilie@busylittlefingers.com.au and I'll let you know delivery timing to your area. We ship Australia-wide.
Happy festive playing, and stay cool out there!