Building toys, such as wooden building sets as tools, help creative thinking and confidence by encouraging your child to try out their own ideas. By four most children can build a tower of 10 or more cubes. Knocking it down is fun too of course. Building boosts fine motor skills, which are great for writing, as well as encouraging your growing child to see "what happens if ...".

Creating imaginative world

With simple blocks or bricks, little people and animal figures, your child can create their own world and enjoy bringing it to life with their powerful imagination. Your child can design and build their own farm, school or shops, or perhaps a fairy or dinosaur world - whatever they choose. Creating characters and giving them voices enables your child to express their experiences of the world.

Playing together

From three, your child will begin to truly play with other children. Cooperating in imaginative play, such as taking a character each, becomes more satisfying and is great for boosting social skills and making friends. Taking turns in a game, sharing a jigsaw or building a marble run or house from blocks together will enable your child to enjoy company and feel great about themselves.

This play idea is great for...
	Fine motor skills help with handwriting and drawing as well as doing up fiddly buttons.
	Social skills Helping your child learn to share, take turns and cooperate means they'll learn to form rewarding friendships more easily.
	Imaginative play Inspiring your child to use their increasingly powerful imagination helps them to make sense of their experiences of the world.