There are a huge number of craft sets on the market today, and it is very good to see that this market is thriving. All too often it is easy to see toys which are ready made, and require no assembly, and no effort. But children love to stick and glue and make things, whether simply making a spaceship out of an old toilet roll insert, a washing up bottle and a sheet of paper, or whether more complex items such as clay models, decorations or jewellery. It is easy to forget just how satisfying it can be for a child to design and create a product which was achieved through their own effort, dedication and skill.

The range of craft kits varies tremendously, from the early sets available for toddlers and young infants, right through to kits that teenagers will find relevant and fascinating. For the younger child, kits will usually include coloured paper, possibly sticky paper or stickers, and glue. These kits will not usually need anything to be cut out, and will be based on colour and collage. This allows them to have tremendous fun, whilst still managing to enjoy a sense of personal achievement.

It is important for a child, of any age, to be able to feel the sense of satisfaction that comes with completing a craft project themselves, and having a product which they can admire, and which can be admired by others, helps them to feel that they have achieved something worthwhile, and that they are recognised by others as having achieved it too. Recognition of a job done well is something we all feel is helpful, even as adults. Ad a child it is highly important that they be given praise for these sorts of tasks, and what better way of being able to give such praise than admiring the end product - perhaps even displaying it, or wearing it?

As children become older, more skilled, more independent and more inquisitive, so do the craft kits available grow, and the wide range available today is staggering. In fact, there are more craft kits sold today, and across a wider range of skills, than there have ever been. There are kits for girls which allow them to design and make their own jewellery, and kits which appeal more to boys which allow them to design and make anything from model cars that fit their own design, to electric circuits and even robots. Some of these kits have a defined end product, which it will be necessary to follow instructions in order to achieve, and others simply provide a range of tools and base materials, along with examples and suggestions.

Of course, some of these kits will focus on particular areas which will require a fair degree of practice, and in some cases it is even possible that this sparks a lifelong interest in craft work, or a particular field within it, and it can also be the case that these kits can be shared by other members of the family, providing something which is absorbing and fascinating, and which can provide experiences and successes which can be shared by other people. This helps children to feel that what they are doing has great value, and will help to increase feelings of self worth and success.