One of the loveliest things about Button Bag kits is that they each come in a gorgeous little suitcase.

There is plenty to choose from but we plumped for this felt kit in no small part because of the cheese element!

This is perfect for kids of around six-years-old and older who are budding dab hands with a needle and thread, although younger children can certainly get involved. The sharp needle means that adults will need to closely supervise, however.

We found the instructions clear and precise – although the contents speak for themselves: felt circles ready for stitching into the little mice bodies, thread, beads. There is plenty of colour and texture here and the experience feels like good old fashioned craft work.

We have made two of the six possible mice so far but are slowly building up our multi-coloured rodent family.

This cute box comes with three mosaic boards made from card and a selection of brightly coloured squares with sticky backs.

There is an easy-to-follow colour key and the premise is simple – match the stickers to the corresponding squares. Our little tester loved this, not least because of all the glittery tiles and we loved it because she was absorbed for the best part of an hour. The finished mosaics are now up on the nursery walls, too.

This is especially good for families who perhaps don’t have much in the way of green space, but all children will relish the opportunity to have a garden of their very own.

But first, you need to build the farm. This looks like it is going to be a fiddly nightmare achievable by only the most nimble-fingered and patient but actually all the pieces are sturdy and can withstand a bit of cack-handedness.

Younger children can use the (plastic) tool to pop the different parts out of their packaging and older children or parents can match the numbered tabs to holes. This sounds much more complex than it is – the whole process is totally intuitive, takes about half an hour and is deeply satisfying.

You’ll need a tiny bit of earth – or failing that, cotton wool – to put in the little plastic trough along with one of the two seed packets provided.

One of the best things about this kit is that the seeds start to germinate within a matter of days so children won’t grow impatient and lose interest.

Firstly, this is much, much bigger than it looks. It’s nothing less than a platter of treasure for mini magpies.

There are a variety of colours, shapes and finishes on all of the beads, as well as shiny pendants, and threads and elastics to bind all the designs together. There are even little plastic clasps.

With 1,700 beads to play with there’s no chance of running out of materials but, parents be careful when taking off the lid each time as the different compartments are shallow so spillage is likely if enthusiastic little paws try to open it by themselves.

Superhero masks always go down a storm, especially if kids can make their own. We loved this set which is packed into a sleek box that fit easily through our letterbox. It’s personalised and has beautiful doodled packaging that adds to the excitement of getting mail.

Inside are all of the elements needed to create a brilliant mask, complete with glue dots which proved a mess-free alternative to liquid glue. There are felt stickers, and glitter and headbands that attach easily but securely through the pre-made holes in the body of the masks.

Our tester absolutely loved this set not least because of how accessible it was for her to use, therefore very little parental interference needed…

For any youngster who is a sucker for a statement piece or two, a tie dye kit is a must-have.

This one is super simple: seven powder colours in bottles just waiting for water, plastic gloves and bands to tie around garments. We found the instruction booklet really informative, full of hints and tips about how to get the best out of the dyes, and how to create different patterns on your clothes. The language was accessible so older children would have no problem getting through it on their own.

This is such a fun thing to do as a family from the mess (the dye really does go everywhere and it’s potent so you absolutely must work over a sink or on a well-covered surface), the rinsing and the waiting for the patterns to be revealed to the watching of all our clothes hanging out to dry in a kaleidoscope of colours and shapes, none the same.

It goes without saying that tie dying is addictive and soon every white garment in your house will be under threat...

This looks like it’s going to be a fiddly nightmare but in fact, if you lay it all out carefully at the start the experience is dream teamwork – and very therapeutic, too.

There is glue included and everything is clearly labelled so you can’t really get lost.

Once your creature is complete it’s surprisingly compact and sturdy – so no need to worry about it falling apart within minutes of creation.

There is an entire menagerie – including parrots, sharks and even a unicorn – to collect and create.

If the idea of bookbinding seems a little highfalutin for lockdown, think again. This kit allows children to plot, write, design and bind their very own book. It comes with a hole punch, lined paper, plain paper, stickers, covers, stencils and rubber spines and all fits neatly into one compact box.

The joy on our tester’s face once her story – about bats, since you ask – was bound and ready for distribution to her dolls was pretty priceless.

Bookeez is absolutely manageable for children aged seven or eight to get on with alone – which is obviously a total boon, particularly for parents who need half an hour or so to themselves.

This is perfect for children who love a little bit of magic with their colouring in. ColourMazing is essentially a colouring in system that doesn’t allow ink to leak across the lines so the pictures look crisp and neat.

There are six special pens included – our little tester applied the ink out easily and watched as it spread right up to the lines.

But there is more to this than just the colouring, there are a load of engrossing activities to get on with including a theatre show, complete with finger puppets or best of all a bird with fully flapping wings.