The Toy Finder

When playing with play dough and the toy accessories that come with it, children are learning about shape, texture, dimension and volume – as well as expressing themselves creatively. No wonder it’s such a timeless classic in the world of arts and crafts toys!

Sand equipment ranges are now fairly comprehensive and they span a broad range of price brackets, so before the first truly warm and dry day of spring arrives, it’s worth considering what a child really needs from a sandpit, before committing the funds.

Learning about mathematical concepts such as capacity and measurement can be fun with a few inexpensive preschool water play toys. Valuable lessons can be learned while playing without children even noticing, if parents are willing to combine a few cheapie water toys with lots of vocabulary-rich conversation.

After a long chilly winter when kids had every excuse for preferring to huddle over warm Playstations and cosy Nintendo consoles, the time is right for hunting down the most tempting outdoor toys. But which fresh air toys can match the virtual excitement of nano toys with healthy real-life excitement?

When investigating creative play options for toddlers and young children, parents can get carried away by the myriad colours and options available to them in play systems such as Brio. Inventive construction kits and train sets are, however, important for little ones - particularly in this day and age of techno toys and virtual play environments.