Turn outdoor play into a hands-on STEM lab with the Troughs Set of 6 (3 Sizes) by Naturally Inspired Play. Designed exclusively for Scholar’s Choice and handcrafted in Canada from durable cedar wood, these beautifully smooth wooden troughs invite children to design pathways, test ideas, and explore how things move; all through playful, open-ended learning. With three different sizes, children can build everything from simple slides and ramps to more complex “systems” that connect, branch, and change direction as they experiment.

These troughs are made for channelling play—but they’re also incredible for rolling investigations, construction play, and dramatic play. Use them as ramps for cars and balls, “delivery chutes” in a pretend post office, bridges in a small world landscape, or even part of a building site where children create roads and tunnels with loose parts. The curved channel shape naturally guides materials, helping children explore concepts like slope, speed, gravity, distance, friction, and cause-and-effect in a way that feels exciting and child-led.

Because the set includes multiple lengths, it encourages collaboration and problem-solving. Children can work together to plan a route, troubleshoot wobbles, adjust angles, and test “what happens if…” again and again. That repetition is where the learning lives—supporting perseverance, confidence, and teamwork, while strengthening the fine motor skills needed to position and connect pieces during play.

Play-based usage ideas (STEM + channelling play)

• Rolling investigations: send balls, pinecones, or cars down different trough lengths and compare speed and distance.
• Build a pathway challenge: “Can you make it go from point A to B without falling off?”
• Loose parts engineering: prop troughs on blocks, logs, crates, or the Stand for Troughs to create multi-level systems.
• Small world play: use troughs as rivers, roads, bridges, or slides for animals and figures.
• Outdoor construction site: create “material chutes” for rocks, mulch, or sensory fillers (supervised).
• Dramatic play add-on: turn them into a “drive-thru window” slide, a mail chute, or a pretend factory conveyor.

Key features

• Set of 6 troughs in 3 sizes for varied builds and endless configurations
• Curved channel design supports guided movement and repeated experimentation
• Handcrafted from durable cedar wood with a natural, smooth finish
• Open-ended loose parts resource for STEM, dramatic play, and outdoor learning
• Designed exclusively for Scholar’s Choice by Naturally Inspired Play
• Made in Canada

Benefits for early childhood development

This trough set supports early learners in developing STEM thinking through real, hands-on experimentation with motion and design. Children practise problem-solving and critical thinking as they plan, test, revise, and improve their systems. Positioning and balancing troughs builds fine motor skills and coordination, while carrying, lifting, and collaborating supports gross motor development. Social-emotional learning is woven into every build as children negotiate roles, communicate ideas, take turns, and practise persistence when designs don’t work the first time.

Specifications

• Product: Troughs Set of 6 (2 of each: 3', 2', 1') by Naturally Inspired Play
• Set includes: 6 cedar troughs in 3 different sizes (varied lengths for building)
• Material: Cedar wood
• Made in: Canada
• Designed exclusively for: Scholar’s Choice