Four configurations from a single tray and lid — sized for crawling infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Rotationally moulded in New Zealand. Still in service after 28 years.
Just like the EverPlay climbing range, the PlayTray is built as a “one size fits all” system that adapts to children’s developmental stages. You buy it once — it grows with your centre.
Used on its legs, the tray sits at the right height for 3–6 year olds. Eight to ten children can work around it at once, with room for messy provocations, sand sculpting, deep water play, or a wide nature-walk haul spread across the surface. Lower than a standard sand-and-water table, so children can reach the centre without straining.
Fill it with potting mix and let preschoolers plant seedlings, repot rubber plants, or build a worm farm. The deep trough contains the soil, the smooth surface hoses clean, and the tray rolls back inside once the session ends. Real tools, real soil, real responsibility — without turning the centre into a mud pit.
The lid lifts off the tray and sits flat on the ground as a shallow infant tray. Use it for finger painting, gloop, water sensory, sand or messy-play exploration with crawling infants. Babies can sit beside it, reach in, and explore the contents safely.
Flip the tray upside down. The legs sit on top, the tray becomes a smaller, shallower bowl at toddler height. Two- and three-year-olds can reach the middle without leaning in. The shallower depth is safer for younger learners and easier to fill, empty and supervise.
The PlayTray is a single piece of rotationally moulded plastic. No joins. No seams. No welds. Nothing that can warp, crack or pull apart in Australian heat. The same construction logic that lets it sit in 40-degree sun also lets it be rolled on its side by one teacher. And because it ships as one moulded piece on a pallet, it arrives ready to play — no assembly, no tools, no flat-pack.
Circular, no-join construction means thermal expansion is uniform — the tray expands and contracts as one piece, so nothing splits or pulls apart.
The colour is moulded through the plastic, not painted on. Years of direct sun and it still looks the same.
Original production-run PlayTrays from 28 years ago are still in daily use in New Zealand early-learning centres. Backed by a 10-year structural warranty.
15 kg empty. One teacher can roll it on its side from indoors to outdoors, or lift it onto a trolley. No two-person manoeuvres, no back strain.
Two short clips from centres using PlayTray every day — teacher feedback and tamariki at play.
Every PlayTray ships with an independent AS 4685 design compliance certificate — ready for your QIP, insurer, regulator or parent enquiries.
The PlayTray set isn’t just a tray. It’s a four-piece kit built around how early-childhood teachers actually work — set up the night before, hose it down at the end of the day, leave it filled and locked overnight, roll it where it needs to go.
Set up provocations in advance. Animals, insects and overnight contamination stay out. Children can’t open the lid — teachers get more flexibility with set-up and pack-down.
Connects to a hose for interactive water play. Swap with the standard plug for quick draining.
Tightens plugs so children can’t undo them, prevents plugs going missing, saves teachers’ fingernails.
Trays and lids stack — easy off-season storage when not in use.
Cocoa husks and measuring cups. Frozen flowers in ice. Driftwood, shells and blue-dyed water. Jurassic world provocations with sand and water. Whatever this term’s curriculum needs — the PlayTray adapts to it.
Colours moulded through the plastic — they don’t fade.
We’ve had our PlayTray for years now and it has held up brilliantly. The plastic is thick and durable, so it has not cracked or faded even with daily use outdoors. It is also very easy to clean — a quick hose down and it is ready for the next activity. Our tamariki still love it for water play, messy play and sand, and the fact that it has lasted this long makes it excellent value for our centre.
Upside down, upright, with the lid — so many uses. Lightweight and easy to move, even for teachers with back issues. Rolling it on its side makes setup so much easier. A bit heavy when full, but easy to roll or tip out. The trays last really well because they’re thick and durable.
We love our All-In-One PlayTray. We use it for so many things — cocoa husks with measuring containers, nature walks with leaves and ferns, gloop and shaving foam, shells and driftwood with blue-dyed water and sea creatures, autumn leaf hunts with snails under magnifying glasses, ice with frozen flowers, herbs from our herb garden. The possibilities are endless.
We have 2 at our centre. They’re easy to move around, and flipping one upside down is perfect when you only want a shallow amount of water.
The PlayTray is easy enough to move around — I can roll it on its side without much effort and it’s handy for setting up quick activities.
Why pay $997 for a play tray? Because it replaces three.
| Standard sand & water table | All-in-One PlayTray | Multiple single-purpose pieces | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ages covered | Preschool only | 1–6 years | One per age group |
| Configurations | 1 | 4 | 1 each |
| Capacity | 4–6 children | 8–10 children | 4–6 each |
| Material | Mixed plastics, often with joins | Single-piece rotomoulded plastic | Mixed |
| Frame | Powder-coated metal — coating flakes, frame rusts outdoors | None — single moulded piece, nothing to rust | Usually powder-coated metal |
| UV / heat resistance | Variable — fading and cracking common | No fading, no warping | Variable |
| Lifespan | 5–10 years | 20–30 years (28 yrs evidenced) | 5–10 each |
| Lid for overnight setup | No | Yes — child-proof locking catch | Rarely |
| Weight (empty) | 8–12 kg | 15 kg | Varies |
| Typical investment | $600–$1,200 | $997 + GST | $1,500–$2,400 |
The All-in-One PlayTray is intended to be used only under direct supervision. Water must be drained when the tray is not in use or unsupervised. Centres should include this advice in their supervision and management plan as a key risk mitigation. The PlayTray should never be left filled with water unsupervised.
Order online, or talk to our team about colours, multi-tray pricing, and lease-to-own options. We respond within one business day.
