TinyStepper
Child crouching on pavement drawing bright suns and flowers with chalk

Jelly Dig Sensory Tray

Set a tray of wobbly jelly with hidden toys inside — squeeze, poke, dig, and rescue the treasures.

Activity details

12m–3y15 minslowindoorPlastic Containers

Instructions

Get ready
  • Make a large batch of jelly following packet instructions in a shallow tray
  • Drop in small waterproof toys before it sets — space them out
  1. Make a large batch of jelly following packet instructions in a shallow tray
  2. Drop in small waterproof toys before it sets — space them out
  3. Refrigerate until firm
  4. Set the tray in front of your toddler with a spoon and small containers
  5. Let them poke: 'Feel how wobbly it is!'
  6. Encourage digging: 'Can you find what's hiding inside?'
  7. Try different techniques: squishing, slicing with a spoon, pulling apart
  8. Celebrate each rescue: 'You found the frog! Keep digging!'

Parent tip

Set out plastic containers before inviting your toddler in so the first minute feels smooth.

Proud child holding up a painted sheet covered in bright handprints and splatters

What success looks like

Messy hands and a child who doesn’t want to stop. The artwork doesn’t need to look like anything — the process is the point.

Make up a large batch of jelly (gelatine) in a shallow tray, drop in small waterproof toys, and refrigerate until set. Your toddler pokes, squishes, slices with a butter knife, and digs out the buried treasures. Jelly provides a completely unique tactile experience — cold, wobbly, slippery, and slightly resistant. The transparency means toddlers can see the toys but must work to reach them, building anticipation and fine motor problem-solving.

Why it helps

The NHS Best Start in Life programme recommends sensory play as a valuable way for toddlers to explore the world, noting that it supports language development, cognitive growth and fine motor skills. Jelly provides a unique combination of tactile properties — cold temperature, elastic resistance, and slippery surface — that engages the somatosensory system in ways no other material can. For toddlers who are developing tactile discrimination (the ability to identify objects by touch alone), digging through a semi-transparent medium that partially obscures the target trains both visual and tactile processing simultaneously.

Variations

  • Use different coloured jelly layers for a rainbow effect — set each layer before adding the next.
  • Add glitter to the jelly mixture before setting for sparkly excavation.
  • Make it taste-safe by using real fruit juice jelly so younger toddlers can eat as they dig.

Safety tips

  • Use sugar-free jelly if your toddler is likely to eat it — they almost certainly will taste it.
  • Ensure buried toys are too large to be choking hazards.
  • Jelly can be very slippery — play on a contained tray and keep it off the floor.

Want to try another?

Ice Cube Painting

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