Why Crafty Parents go to Crafty Kids

Since becoming a parent, I am a lot more familiar with children's TV shows than I'd like to be. There's the Tweenies, with their big coloured heads; Bits and Bobs, the insane pompoms that trundle round the country in what looks like a Dyson vacuum cleaner; and The Shiny Show, the quiz programme for toddlers - not only can I tell you the names of all the characters, but I can sing the theme tunes, too.

Now I find out that the puppets populating these programmes are all the work of one woman, Sally Preisig. What's more, she has set up her own company, which sells craft kits. The idea is that you receive absolutely everything you need to make a simple toy or puppet, even down to the paintbrushes and glue. You can buy single kits, or a massive party kit like the one depicted above, which allows all your guests to go home with their own toys.

So, if your child is a fan of the Tweenies, you can really impress her with a kit. And if you can't stand Bits and Bobs, you can get a kind of revenge by making your own mutant pompoms. And then feeding them to the dog.