As a childminder and a mother of 4, I feel that I have tried and tested this item to the maximum. We received it as a gift and after unwrapping it we were initially stumped. What does it do we thought?

The answer came from the giver, or her daughter, to be precise.

You can hold it up, tip it up and then tip it upside down. The beads cascade down either quickly or slowly depending on the angle you hold the tube. The noises it makes depends on the angle held too. The colour effect is pretty and you can use this to discuss the names of the colours, use language such as fast and slow, up and down, shake etc. You can talk about closing your eyes, imagine you are out in the rain, what can you hear?

It is interactive if you do the interacting. Don't expect it to talk to you or suggest activities just enjoy it and experiment, watch the children play with it and take a mental note of their comments for next time.

It is actually available in at least 2 sizes, so that is probably why it is recommended for many age groups. I have witnessed adults play with it for 20 minutes or more before they look up and ask "what's this then?"

for a baby or a young toddler you can roll it along the floor gently and it will stimulate the child to look and listen.

I once had a child with special needs who didn't seem to react to hardly any toy. He was mesmerised and played with it for over half an hour. Like most things, it is only as good as the person who is using it. If you have a lot of imagination you can use it to its best potential.

Best advice is PLAY AND LEARN.