This little Treetop Swing is an appealing way to keep your baby (six months and above) happy and contained while you get on with a little gardening or get the washing on the line. In hot dry climes (so, not here in the UK, then) it might even be a nice preamble to a nap.

As we all know, there are some kids who just like worms, mud, and anything yukky. In that case, why not make a virtue of it, and get them elbow-deep in a little composting? The process should teach them skills for life, and get them ahead in their biology classes at the same time.

Recycleworks makes these 'Waste Buster' worm farms especially for kids, promising to convert kitchen waste into rich compost. The big difference between this and a standard wormery is that while adults may wish to keep the worms firmly out of sight and out of mind, this one has an (optional) window so your kids can see them at work.

Once the compost emerges, of course, you have another rich area for your children to get involved in: gardening. At this rate, one simple purchase could turn into a very good investment indeed.

In the highly competitive world of children's parties, anything that's a little bit different is looked on with admiration.

I'm joking of course, but who can deny a certain jadedness with the same old party games, snacks and favours, once you've been to six or seven samey events?

Here is a new twist on Pass the Parcel: the Whimsical Wonderball. It's a bundle of crepe-paper streamers, with fifteen small toys tucked in between the layers. Once it's all unwrapped, there are metres and metres of brightly coloured paper to play with. What kid wouldn't enjoy that?

Actually, hardcore Peanuts fans will know that Schroeder's toy piano is a lot lower-slung and, in fact, a grand rather than an upright. But its presence in the cartoon is a sign, at least, that the mass-produced toy piano has been around a good half a century, if not more.

This version is in fact from Vilac, and the retailer promises that it sounds 'almost like the real thing'. With only eleven white keys, that's quite a statement, but it'd be worth a go for those wishing to encourage early musicianship.

With a mother standing 5'10", and a father of over 6 feet, it seems likely that my daughter is going to be quite a tall adult herself. I can't say that I've sailed through life entirely untroubled by my height, so it was nice to come across a picture-book promoting acceptance of all sizes, large and small.

Mr Big is the story of a massive gorilla, whose size frightens most people away, until he finds that he can express himself through the medium of music. Hearing the sounds he makes, without knowing who is producing them, his neighbours take him to their hearts.

There's a deep message there, for those who want or need it. But otherwise, there's plenty to admire in the fantastic jazz-style illustrations of Ed Vere.

Just one small side-note: the colour palette, while fabulously redolent of the jazz age it is playfully trying to reconstruct, is not quite so groovy when you're trying to read by a dim bedside light: black type tends to merge with the dark backgrounds on some pages. It's a small quibble, though, and it's definitely worth buying the book even if it means you read it with all the lights on.