Playmais

This has to be the ultimate toy for creative, imaginative play. It is so versatile, it can be adapted to appeal to a range of age groups - younger children will enjoy sticking them to pieces of paper to make pictures or patterns (an adult just needs to draw little squares on the paper to show where to stick them) whereas older children will love the challenge of making the 3d models. You can copy the ideas on the box or on internet or just let your imagination run free !

It is a totally natural product - made from cornstarch and water, and
coloured with food colouring - so it is environmentally-friendly, biodegradable and totally harmless if your child or dog decides to eat it !

All you need is a little bit of water to stick the blocks together and there is even a little sticking sponge-mat to make this easier. They can be cut, squished, shaped, held together with toothpicks for the more complicated designs ... It's like an easy version of lego and a clean alternative to glueing.

You do tend to end up with brightly coloured fingers as little bits of Playmais stick to your damp hands as you work, but this washes off very easily with just plain water. If it gets on your clothes, it washes out at 30° according to the manufacturers - I can vouch for the fact that it washes out of jeans with no special treatment !

Once they're stuck, they're stuck forever - unless you've used the window-art option in which case you just need lots of water to wash them off the glass ! I was worried about the elaborate models falling apart once they dried out but they don't, they hold their shape perfectly.

The possibilities really are endless, which is presumably why kids love them so much. Grab a big boxful on a rainy Saturday and you'll wonder where the afternoon went ! It's great for kids of all ages - and for mums too because there is no mess to clear up afterwards !

star rating : 5/5

Available from John Lewis

RRP : starting at £6.95 for a medium pack up to £20ish for an XL pack with book