I remember fondly as a child receiving my first box of 'fuzzy felt'. I had no idea what it was to begin with - just a plain green board with some material glued on to it, and then all these odd shapes. Squares, triangles, circles, lines - and all in a variety of colours - green, blue, yellow, peach. It looked interesting- but exactly what was I supposed to do with it? Then I was shown something truly astonishing. Whichever doting adult it was giving me this gift, took a couple of shapes from the box and laid them on the board. So far, so good - I could make patterns. Then a magic trick was performed - the board was lifted up, and the shapes stayed fixed to it! Imagine the surprise at seeing them cling as though my magic. But then, the magic grew stronger, because with just a couple more shapes added, a person appeared on the board. A single person of no particular gender caught in midstride walking through an endless sea of green.

And so the story began, with the addition of animals, roads, houses, hills, sunshine and flowers. A world of simple coloured shapes leapt from the box and onto the green board, clinging to their canvas as though clinging top the life that was represented in this world of shapes. If you yourself have ever been given a box of fuzzy felt, this will all sound very familiar I am sure, and may take you back wistfully to those happy simple days.

I was astonished recently to discover that fuzzy felt is still around. With so many delightfully advanced and interactive toys available, with computers able to help children create fabulously rich worlds, I was amazed to see that something as simple as a few basic shapes cut out from felt and placed onto a cardboard sheet covered in similar material was so popular with children today. I was surprised, and pleased, because I think that fizzy felt is one of those all time classic toys that has been around for several generations, and continues to delight children with its very simplicity.

I was also quite surprised to see that it was being advertised as educational - and I considered that possibly learning about shapes and symbols could be classed as a learning opportunity - but then noticed the huge range of felt packs available. There seems to be barely a cartoon character not represented in fuzzy felt, and with several boxes allowing children to create scenes which are themselves educational. These include, for example, road safety, with crossing, cars, people and signs. The true learning opportunity of course is on collaboration and discussion with a parent or other adult supervisor, who can talk about the shapes, the scenes and the related themes.

I think, however, that I was most pleased to see that the original shapes are also still available. Who could otherwise possibly imagine that an oval, a circle and four long rectangles could become a human, existing in a world constructed entirely of basic shapes. To a degree, it helps children to visualise the world as though comprised of these simple shapes, and breaks down complicated ideas and images into basic components. Sometimes we need to remember, with all the complicated toys and gadgets available for children, it's important to take time occasionally to simplify everything. There is a time for complicated things, and a time to keep it simple. The backdrop to a child's world is vibrant and stimulating and complicated. Here's to green cardboard backdrops.