In a recent survey I asked you, our readers, if you would like help choosing toys. The response was overwhelming so here is the first instalment. Unexpectedly, given that we sold so many wooden toys, by far the most requested review was… Magnetic tiles Over the years, we have had many different magnetic tiles in […]
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Once upon a time we sold toys. They were happy days. But our first love was play. Play in all its forms: structured and unstructured, independent and co-operative. Following the success of our courses, Get Set Five and A Year With My Child, we decided it was time for a change of focus. People loved
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Close your eyes. Now imagine a ‘classic’ children’s toy, something educational, something iconic. There’s a good chance the toy you imagined was a set of stacking rings. These conical towers of concentric rings are perhaps the quintessential toy. Stacking toys have been a cornerstone in children’s playrooms for generations, fascinating young minds with their simple
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Does your child have a corner all to herself where she can go and write? She may only be a toddler whose mark-making consists of little more than a few horizontal sweeps of a chunky crayon. Or she may be a confident seven-year-old, writing stories and and cards, joining letters with confidence and precision. It
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Does your child love to play in the dirt? If so, a mud kitchen might be the perfect addition to your outdoor space. A mud kitchen is an outdoor play station that allows children to engage with nature while fostering creativity, learning, and motor skills. This guide will walk you through the process of making
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Setting goals, winning and losing, taking turns, counting, and sharing are just some of the great skills a board game can encourage. And making your own game, as well as playing it, means double the fun. Creating a personalised board game is an excellent way to bond with your preschooler while fostering their creativity and
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The enclosing schema is a cognitive pattern that is commonly observed in young children’s play. It involves creating an enclosed space or structure using objects or materials, such as building a fort out of pillows and blankets or using blocks to create a castle. This schema reflects the child’s desire to create a sense of
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Children find water play endlessly fascinating and will happily spend hours experimenting with the materials. Which slope works best? What happens if you add mud to the water? What about stones? To build your own ‘water-park’, start with a length of guttering and a jug of water. Later on, you can add further lengths of guttering, drainpipes,
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Make tissue paper stained glass in any shape you like, but the natural symmetry of a butterfly is helpful for problem solving and mathematics. Children exploring their positioning schema can really get behind the challenge of creating wings that mirror each other perfectly. And there’s plenty to learn in terms of colour, size, language, using scissors and
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Most of us has our own way of making a paper airplane, usually passed down from a parent or grandparent. Some of us make pointy jet-style aircraft, others fashion planes with snubby noses and wider wings. Some plummet headfirst to the ground, others seem to float more gracefully. The permutations are literally manifold. This makes