There may be no heat waves in northern climes, but there are bound to be nice breezy days when kite flying comes into its own. This is something generations of children have enjoyed, but a colourful kite soaring into the air never loses its appeal, particularly when you are the one holding the string. We have come up with a great selection of kites on page 28. In the same feature we also look at parachutes which are a popular piece of equipment in many nurseries and have the added advantage of being suitable for indoor and outdoor use.
After all the excitement of kites and parachutes it's time for some quieter activities. A selection of small animals, such as those we have chosen on page 18, will stimulate plenty of conversation and creative play. You'll need a constant supply as they are easily lost but, as we discovered, they tend to be easy on the pocket.
We have also opted for a mixture of equipment to promote robust play and quiet times at other stages of development. Your youngest children can get physical with the baby gyms and playmats we have selected (page 14) before they are tucked up for a nap (page 16). For your out-of-school club we have chosen some excellent new outdoor games (page 32) and when the children are exhausted they can flop down with a book on one of their special interests or hobbies (page 31).
And that's not all. Our usual round-up of new resources starts on page 4 and we have pages of reviews of a wide range of products. Turn to page 20 to find out more.
