Clockwork 101, from Djeco

OK, so your child is not going to learn to repair your watch by using this toy, but you can still get a warm glow from the fact that he can see the fundamentals of clockwork in action. Meanwhile, he's probably just enjoying watching the happy-faced animals going round.

Seriously speaking, bright colours and chunky wooden shapes make this a winner. It's another hit from good old Djeco.