By the way, What is an invitation to play? An invitation to play is an open ended play set up that allows your child to use their imagination in new ways. It is used to expand your child's interests without much adult interference. An invitation to play includes loose parts that your child can use to count, measure, sort, etc. The loose parts you choose depends on the theme you are portraying. For instance, if you are using a beach theme, you can use sand, large and small shells, dyed rice (ocean) and a variety of scoopers for exploration. Most invitations to play utilize a tray of some sort. You do not have to buy a special tray. If you do not have a tray you can use a shallow, plastic bin, cookie sheet, cake pan or even aluminum pan. I've even seen kiddie pools as large trays. Children learn best through hands-on learning experiences. We foster independence and curiosity when we allow our children to play. I set up my invitation to play. Now what? Allow your child to explo...