We love Hape toys - their colourful designs and hard-wearing wooden creations are traditional and perfect for youngsters, and they strike a clever balance - making learning fun.
Here's our pick of the best...
Discovery Box brings new enjoyable challenges with every turn. The cube shaped fun box comes with a wire bead maze, mirror, colour wheel, spinning face and abacus.
The toy will help develop counting skills, hand-eye coordination and colour and shape recognition, and is the ideal learning aid for little folks aged from two years. And when playtime is over, there is no mess to gather together and put away. Good for youngsters then, but also for hard-worked parents!
Get it here
The Double Bubble is perfect for ankle-biters aged six months and up, encouraging them to problem solve while enjoying themselves.
The Double Bubble is twice the fun and twice the learning as young minds to zig, zag and zoom around the beads and wire maze.
The solid wooden base is perfect to secure to most surfaces too, with four suction cups making for safe play.
Get it here
Hape's Wonderful Beech Blocks are a perfect example of colour burst, and provide hours of play-time.
There are endless combinations to be made as youngsters get creative, stacking and block rockin'.
The Beech Blocks are suitable for those aged 12 months or over.
'We believe children do not play to learn; children learn because they play,' Hape say.
Building blocks for fun, and for life.
Get it here
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But away from the wooden toys, Strictly Briks get clever with the plastic!
Strictly Briks make 'em, and little folks stack 'em high.
Our Brik Tower is made up of 12 baseplates and 80 stackers, allowing creative youngsters to reach new heights with their creative learning.
These quick assembly pieces mean that building structure that stand out from the rest is a synch - from tower to castle, the choice is with those holding the briks.
Strictly Briks aren't affiliated or endorsed by Lego, but they will work alongside your existing pieces, and SB's are affordable too.
Built to last...until playtime is over.
Get it: here
