Made rather than bought

Made rather than bought. Five kits for small hands, and one that will keep a rainy afternoon busy without a screen in it.

A woodwork set for children has real tools, soft wood and a plan, and by teatime there is a thing to show for it. The thing will be uneven. That is what makes it theirs. More craft kits.

A hammer-and-nail picture board is the oldest craft toy there is: cork, pins, shapes and a small hammer. It is also the loudest, which the giver should know before the parent does. More craft kits.

A large craft box is paper, stickers, glue and a theme in one box, which is a whole afternoon with no trip to the shop halfway through. More craft paper.

A plaster-casting kit is pour, wait, paint. The waiting is the lesson, and the painting is the reward for having learned it. More hobby kits.

And a casting-and-painting owl: one figure, one brush, and a shelf to put it on. Small enough to finish, which is the difference between a kit and a cupboard full of them. More craft kits.

A mandala kit is stencils, colours and a big sheet. It is the calm afternoon, as opposed to the loud one with the hammer. More craft kits.

A set of self-inking stamps needs no pad, and the paper fills up before the ink runs out. Every card in the house gets a stamp on it for a month. More stamps.

And washable markers for the smallest hands: eight colours, a cap that is safe to chew, and ink that comes out of a shirt, which is the part the parents care about. More craft kits.