The Early Learning Centre's Happyland play-people are wonderful.

They are sturdy little people - well able to withstand being thrown about, stood on, chewed and so on.

They are very portable - there is usually a Happyland person or two in my handbag, to be brought out for my children to play with at fraught or bored moments!

They encourage imagination - it is lovely to hear my three year old playing with the HAppyland people - the conversations they have with each other can be very enlightening.

They get used with all sorts of other toys too - Fireman Sam rescues them from the 'burning' doll's house quite a lot.

This particular set consists of six little people. They are from France, Scotland, America, Spain, India, and Japan. I think the children just like the funny costumes, but we have also talked about how people in different countries do things differently, dress differently, eat differently etc.