Mirrors are an exciting and magical exploratory resource for nursery and Foundation Stage children. They reflect the most interesting thing in their lives - themselves, in a way that is familiar and yet different. Mirrors with convex and concave surfaces, as well as unevenly textured ones, offer other dimensions for the exploration of how light, shadow, time and space affect the way in which we see the world.
COMBI MIRROR - CONVEX/CONCAVE 
REFLECTIONS ON LEARNING
AGE: 3+
PRICE: £12.99
CONTACT: 01732 225850, www.reflectionsonlearning.co.uk
Round mirror with a curved surface made of tough acrylic.
Tested by Carrie Bennett, childminder, Basingstoke
'The mirror surface was good quality, making the reflections sharp and easy to focus on. Having both sides reflective added enormously to the children's exploration. When they looked in one side they saw themselves upside down; when they looked up close, the image flipped over and they appeared very large. The edge was bound in rubbery foam so that even very young children wouldn't hurt themselves. It was robustly made from thick plastic and large enough for small groups of children to play with. Objects from within the play area were used to throw differing effects on to the mirrored surface and all seemed to thrill the small group of twoto three-year-olds. Outdoors, the mirror was used to look at the clouds in the sky and how its reflections had changed due to the drizzly rain that morning. They looked at numerous plants with it, paying close attention to how odd the trees looked through the concave surface. It appears quite expensive, but I think the longevity of the product warrants the price.'
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SOFTIE MIRROR EXPLORATORY 
REFLECTIONS ON LEARNING
AGE: 3+
PRICE: £54.99
CONTACT: 01732 225850, www.reflectionsonlearning.co.uk
The parallel sides of the mirror, made from rigid foam, reflect images backwards and forwards to infinity. Can be folded flat when not in use. Warning: EVA foam products are not suitable for use by children under three years old without supervision
Tested by Orchard Barns Kindergarten, Colchester
'This small-scale exploratory mirror is ideal for children to use in imaginative play, to create small environments or to look closely at manmade or natural objects. The children enjoyed using the resource. They used it as an adult-initiated activity initially, with the adult interaction based on communication of what can you see, how does it look, which mirror can you see this in, what does it look like in that mirror? Conversation involved mathematical language of shape and space and communication for thinking. The resource was then left for the children to use spontaneously. It's a fantastic resource that can be used across all age groups. For this reason it's good value for money.'
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JUMBO MIRROR 
MINDSTRETCHERS
AGE: 3+
PRICE: £51
CONTACT: 01764 664409, www.mindstretchers.co.uk
A shatterproof mirror, 610mm in diameter, that can be manually bent to reveal convex and concave images.
Tested by Barton Primary School, Torquay
'We changed the shape of the mirror from convex to concave and discussed questions like, if the mirror changes us, do we change? It was propped up in the classroom for a session for the children to just look and talk about it. We looked at it outside under the trees, and on other occasions the children just transported the mirror around. It was also a very useful teacher aide because when positioned in certain ways, it gave you a complete view of the whole classroom.
'Within minutes of the children having their own control over the mirror, they managed to get the black rubber rim surround off the mirror and were wrapping it around each other. It's interesting that it can be concave and convex, but you need nerves of steel when bending it because you think it might snap, even though it doesn't, and you need to be quite strong to actually change the shape in any way other than bending the mirror. I would consider buying it, but it is quite expensive and it would not be a priority.'
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MIRROR FRAMES 
TTS GROUP
AGE: 0+
PRICE: £29.95
CONTACT: 0800 318686, www.tts-group.co.uk
Three different types of mirror - convex, concave and a multi-circle - that can be wall mounted or handheld.
Tested by Bolsover Infant and Nursery School, Chesterfield
'This is a wonderful resource to encourage all children to respond and explore at a wide range of levels. The mirrors were put on a low display board with other sensory items for the children to touch, shake and feel. This gave them the opportunity to explore their own face and those of others, and how their features changed with the convex and concave forms. The mirror with several small circles was especially interesting, as the children used language such as more, lots, how many, and counted the faces they could see. The language this develops is crucial to the children's ability to describe similarities and differences, likes and dislikes and a whole range of descriptive adjectives for what they can see.
'The only negative is that there is only one hook at the back and they kept being pulled off the wall by eager hands. If the fixings were corrected, this would be good value for money.'
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DINOSAUR MIRRORS 
TTS GROUP
PRICE: £59.95
AGE: 0+
CONTACT: 0800 318686, www.tts-group.co.uk
Pack of three assorted giant dinosaur mirrors manufactured from a tough, safe plastic for outdoor or indoor use. All edges rounded for safety with pre-drilled holes (fixings not included). Sizes: 82x54cm, 46x97cm and 70x80cm
Tested by Gaer Infant and Nursery School, South Wales
'These mirrors are a stimulating and explorative outside and inside resource. The dinosaur shapes encouraged conversation and dialogue about dinosaurs - for example, names, size, shape, differences. One child was captivated and returned to the mirror several times pulling faces, sticking his tongue out and pulling his cheeks into different faces. This was encouraged, as it helped the child construct his own image and identity. Another placed a shell by the mirror and looked at it from different angles. I placed a puppet nearby and some children played and interacted with it as they watched it in the mirror. The children began a conversation about dinosaurs. It opened up dialogue about which was the biggest dinosaur and the fiercer. Comments included, "I know about dinosaurs. This one's a pointasourus!" and "That one's got more teeth". For the price, we would have expected the fixings to be included, but we would consider buying them. They are inclusive and will cater for all age ranges.'
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BABY MATS MIRRORS 
WESCO
AGE: 0+
PRICE: £83.30
CONTACT: 0115 989 976
A soft mat with integrated mirrors and two humps for babies to climb on.
Tested by Happy Child Nursery, Shepherd's Bush, London
'We placed the mats in the babies' soft play area. The mat is like a big cushion with Velcro on the back to stick it to the floor or wall. The babies enjoyed crawling over the humps, rolling on the mat and peering into the two circular mirrors. They were curious to explore their reflections in the mirrors, but they had to put their face up very close in order to see anything because the mirrors were positioned inside the grove of the hump and they were not flat. The toddlers were curious to see their hands and faces in the mirrors, but were more interested in using the mat as a track for cars. By the end of the week the plastic mirrors were full of scratches and there were many smears that were difficult to clean. We would not consider buying this product as its uses are too limited and it is expensive.'
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BEST BUY
Animal Mirrors
Mirrors in the shape of farmyard animals are a favourite to hang on the nursery wall. A perfect farmyard scene - pig, duck, sheep, chicken and bunny - can be bought from Mungai Mirrors from £22.95. The acrylic mirrors, which contain coloured acrylic pieces for parts of the body, are shatterproof and lightweight. Available in two sizes, 15cm (approx) and 30cm (approx). Visit www.mungaimirrors.co.uk or call 01207 521677.
STAR RATING
***** EXCELLENT
**** VERY GOOD
*** GOOD
**SATISFACTORY
* LESS THAN SATISFACTORY
All prices are exclusive of VAT and post/packaging
