I have a job interview and need to do a 10 minute activity

[Olivia933]

Please any advice or thoughts on this.
I have a job interview in a preschool, I have been asked to do a 10 minute activity at my interview for the children 2+. I want to impress and do an activity that holds the children's attention. I obviously know lots of activities but wondered if anyone had any different ideas that may be a bit of a change for the children as I obviously want to impress as it's for an interview 🤣
I've got a tuff tray so open to unique tuff tray ideas or any others....
Thanks in advance

Chat got says

That sounds exciting, Harriet! For a 10-minute activity with 2+ year olds where you want to really stand out, you’ll want something that’s:

1. Engaging and hands-on
2. Simple to understand
3. Open-ended enough for different developmental stages
4. Visually or sensory appealing
5. Shows off your understanding of early years learning (communication, fine/gross motor skills, creativity, etc.)

Here are a few unique but practical ideas—most of which work brilliantly in a tuff tray:

1. “Rainbow Soup” – Colour Mixing and Water Play

Set up:
Tuff tray with bowls of coloured water (natural dyes or food colouring), ladles, spoons, whisks, small pots, petals, herbs, sliced citrus, etc.
Children do: Scoop, pour, mix, and create their own ‘soups’.
Why it impresses: It’s open-ended, multi-sensory, encourages language (“What’s in your soup?”), and shows understanding of schema play (transporting, pouring).
Extension: Talk about colours, smells, textures, or add natural items (lavender, mint, lemon) for sensory appeal.

2. “Mini Construction Site” – Heuristic Play + Small World

Set up:
Tuff tray with oats or crushed cereal as “sand”, diggers, scoops, small rocks, wooden blocks, and trays for sorting.
Children do: Scoop, pour, fill, build mini towers, role-play with diggers.
Why it impresses: Great for fine motor skills, schemas (enclosure, trajectory, transporting), and small world play. Simple materials but big impact.

3. “Feed the Monster” – Fine Motor + Communication

Set up:
Cardboard boxes made into silly monsters with cut-out mouths, plus tongs/spoons and a tray of “monster food” (pom-poms, pasta, foam shapes).
Children do: Feed the monsters, name the food, sort by colour or shape.
Why it impresses: Great for fine motor skills, can build in number/colour recognition, imaginative language, turn-taking, and social interaction.

4. “Texture Safari” – Sensory Exploration with Natural Materials

Set up:
Tuff tray divided into areas with different textures (grass, bark, sand, cotton wool, foil, sponges, lentils, etc.) + animal figures or themed items.
Children do: Explore and describe textures, create habitats, or find hidden animals.
Why it impresses: Encourages vocabulary (“bumpy,” “soft,” “scratchy”), sensory exploration, and imaginative play.

5. “Sticky Wall” (alternative if not using the tuff tray)

Set up:
A standing surface (like a room divider or easel) covered in sticky-back plastic (sticky side facing out). Provide loose parts (feathers, fabric, paper shapes, natural materials).
Children do: Stick and re-stick items to make a collage or pattern.
Why it impresses: Creative, mess-free, promotes fine motor skills, and easy to extend or link to seasonal themes.

Tips for your delivery:

• Bring a clear intro and wrap-up. Even just saying “We’re going to explore… Shall we start?” and “That was so fun – what did you enjoy the most?” shows confidence.
• Use names where possible. Even if you only learn one or two on the spot, it shows warmth and personal connection.
• Narrate play. E.g., “You’re giving the monster some purple food! I wonder if it’s his favourite…”
• Leave behind a mini printout of your activity plan and its learning links—they might keep it with your application.

Want help picking between two of these or creating a little script/plan sheet for your favourite one?

A friend of mine had to do this ! It was for age 3+ though she kept it very simple read the hungry caterpillar and had a table set up with all of the fruits he ate for the children to try as she read the story and they loved it !

Surely you need a childcare qualification to be applying for a job that involves creating and leading activities in a preschool?

Did she say she didn’t have one?

Well, both level 2 and level 3 qualifications include not only suitable activities, but also the developmental theory behind them.

Yes but it's an assistant rather than the one who is solely in charge and organising activities but I suppose it's part of the interview process. As mentioned, I already said I know plenty of activities but wanted to see if anyone had any ideas that were a little different to what I've got already. I already have a level 4 children, young people and families qualification but it isn't in early years so I will be studying my early years alongside.. thanks for your concern though 😊

Thank you for everyone else's helpful responses. Really appreciate it xx

Good luck I hope it goes well