Word Play by DK £2.49.Who won the Junior Design Awards 2012 Best Educational App?

1. TouchPlaying with sand is a great way for young children to refine their hand-eye coordination as it is a highly sensory material, with a changeable texture. Encourage your toddler to grab, scoop, sift and dig through sand, adding water or using

Go 50-piece World Animals PuzzleDimensions: H50 x W76cm; £14.95 from Kidestore. Visit www.kidestore.co.uk

1. Jump and hop  Make two circles with two pieces of string – a big circle with a longer piece and a small circle with the shorter piece. Then show your child how to jump up and down inside the bigger circle, then do the same for the small circle

1 Dress up Create a dress-up box. A doctor, a dragon or Darth Vader… pretending to be something or someone else will let your child’s imagination run riot.2 Stimulate sensesYour child will love exploring different textures and scents. Gather leaves

this not only cute and convenient but an excellent early education tool. Skip Hop Alpahabet Zoo Activity Gym £67, by Bibs and StuffFind out... Why Bibs and Stuff's innovative backpack won our Best New-To-Market product categoryPlus Discover why playing with toys

child with her school reading book, but limit this to just a few minutes so it does not become a battle ground.2) Play Knock, Knock. The child reads, but knocks on the table for you to read a difficult word. Sometimes you find that they remember the word

to be the Jamie Oliver of the history world," he says. "I'm on a crusade."Starting at 1066 (naturally), Hastings' game is fun, even addictive, to play. Players have to guess which card is in their opponent's hand, either by looking at the picture or solving

or seven glasses filled with different levels of water to make the scale, play around with sound. Ask your child which is the highest – and the lowest – sound.More parent skills from Junior:Helping your child to accept a new babyYour child's charitable

Dressing-up clothes took off in the 19th century and are still adored by children, parents and educators everywhere, especially because it is a sure-fire way to spark creativity and encourage imagination through role play. The average dressing