, then tell him to do it again by himself. Ask him to recall the names of the shapes, tell your child that the square is made up of square lines and talk about the square’s corners. Children can form circles and squares using cooked, coloured spaghetti.

A playground classic for children of every generation, skipping games are active, fun and require little more than some rope or elastic, and a lively imagination. Here, author, Katie Hewett remembers the skipping games of her childhood:(Skipping was

Ingredients1 cup of plain flourHalf a cup of salt2 teaspoons cream of tartar1 cup of water Optional:1 teaspoon food colouring 1 teaspoon vanilla essenceMethod:Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl and transfer to a medium, heavy based saucepan.Slowly cook the mixtur...

.Set the sceneA favourite story, TV programme or cartoon character can provide the ideal catalyst for budding dramatists. Alternatively, try introducing your children to a famous painting and get them to re-enact the story that might lie behind it.Get musical

The Rakkiddo Shoe Wheel is the coolest way to store your child’s shoes, holding up to 20 pairs. It makes finding shoes a breeze,and putting them away child’s play. Available in pink or blue or white. £58 from Tszuji.co.uk

In the April issue of Junior, out on March 2, we feature some brilliant crafty ideas from Homemade Home by Sania Pell (CICO, £16.99). For full instructions, be sure to pick up your copy of Junior. Print out this template to 4x its size and use

Tooth fairy box, £45We may have found a solution to the sometimes tricky task of buying meaningful, timeless gifts for children. Silver Magpie is a British silverware brand specialising in gorgeous gifts for children boasting a wide variety

Rabbits In The Snow by Natalie Russell (Macmillan, £10.99) from 12 monthsWhen six fluffy rabbits play in the snow, they discover a world of opposites. Rose Rabbit skates fast, while Grey Rabbit is slow, Honey Rabbit has a full basket, while Rust

costs from £883 per person including flights. A new child-friendly narrowboat is available on the South Oxford canal. Sleeping up to four adults and four children, it comes with its own playroom, with DVD player, boardgames and play tables, plus a

with someone whose idea of play is similar to their own.Ages 5–7Children increasingly see playmates as potential friends and are more able to play collaboratively. The give-and-take involved in play is a major milestone for both boys and girls.Ages 8–11At