All in order

THREADING PATTERNS

Wooden beads (NES Arnold, 4.99, tel: 0845 120 45 25) - a 500g bag of wooden beads in assorted shapes and colours ideal for sorting and threading.

Sequencing beads (GLS, 21.70, tel: 020 8805 8333) - a box of 120 colourful wooden beads in different shapes and four threading laces with extra long tags.

Laces and threaders (GLS, 10.45) - Children can thread as many things as they want to with this pack of 20 threaders and 20 thick laces, which are 78cm long.

String-a-lings (GLS, 23.45) - For the advanced threaders and patterners in your setting, this set of 550 plastic pieces in a sorting tray with lid will provide lots of creative opportunities.

Rainbow pegs (GLS, 9.95) - a tub of 60 oversized pegs in different colours, with hexagonal tops, which enables them to be stacked together or threaded.

CREATING PEG OR BLOCK PATTERNS

Pattern blocks (Philip & Tacey, 19.95, tel: 01264 332171) - a bucket of 250 wooden blocks in assorted colours and shapes. The blocks can be used to make interesting combinations and are useful for resourcing table-top pattern-making activities.

Mammoth table and floor tiles (Philip & Tacey, 8.95) - a set of 96 large laminated card tiles that are different colours on each side and are ideal for groups of children creating a large floor pattern.

Mosaicolour (NES Arnold, 22.95, tel: 0845 120 45 25) - a set of 320 pegs and a large transparent pegboard for children to use to make their own patterns. Extra pairs of pegboards can be bought separately.

Rondino (Galt, 134.95, tel: 08451 20 30 05) - This set of 172 soft, rounded bricks enables children to create quite complex constructions using pattern to highlight different features of a building.

MAKING PATTERNS WITH SAND

'Geometric' sand rolling tubes (Galt, 14.95) - three plastic rollers that children can use to create lines, waves and zig-zag lines in the sand tray.

'Graphic' sand rolling tubes (Galt, 21.95) - three differently patterned sand rollers that give children the opportunity to create patterns in the sand tray. Children can then add objects such as shells and stones to extend the design.

Deluxe Sahara Accessories (Galt, 19.95) - a set of eight pieces of wooden equipment made for use in the sand tray. The set includes brushes, scrapers, a pattern-rake, a spiky ball and a sand pencil.

Coloured sand (Philip & Tacey, 10.10) - eight shakers containing different coloured sand. Use them to make sand patterns by sprinkling on a pre-glued surface.

PRINTING PATTERNS

Wooden printing blocks (Galt, 16.95) - a set of three wooden assorted shaped blocks with easy to hold chunky handles. Practitioners can extend the printing possibilities of the blocks by covering them in different fabrics such as hessian or bubble wrap.

Three patterned rollers (Galt, 3.99) - Encourage children to use these sponge rollers individually to print some dramatic patterns or overlay print to develop the pattern.

Giant washable ink pads (Galt, 19.95) - a pack of six different coloured ink pads. For paint free printing, these large ink pads are big enough to cover apples, leaves and even child-sized hands. The added bonus with these pads is that the ink is washable and so can be removed easily from both hands and clothes.

Special effects modelling tools (Galt, 9.99) - Use these three wooden textured rolling pins to print some unusual patterns and paint effects.

BOOKS

Picture books with wonderful patterned illustrations include:

Elmer by David McKee (Red Fox, 4.99). Others in the series include Elmer's Bath and Look, There's Elmer (Red Fox, 4.99 each), and Elmer's Colours (Andersen Press, 3.99).

Granny's Quilt by Penny Ives (Picture Puffins, 4.99) - Granny tells the stories that lie behind the patches of material on her quilt, with each piece taken from outfits that she wore over the years.

My Mum and Dad Make Me Laugh by Nick Sharratt (Walker Books, 4.99) - a favourite with children and the perfect book to include in a project on pattern. In the story, Mum adores spots, Dad loves stripes, but their son prefers plain grey. All of the illustrations are smothered in spots and stripes.

Quilt by Ann Jonas (Walker Books, 4.99) - relates a child's fantasy based on the patterns on her quilt.

The Patchwork Quilt written by Valerie Flournoy and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney (Puffin Picture Story Books, 5.99) - Tanya finds her grandmother surrounded by pieces of material and so they embark on making a quilt together.

A book that explores symmetry is Make a bigger puddle, make a smaller worm by Marion Walter (BEAM, 7.50), which includes a mirror with which to explore reflection and shape.

* BEST BUY *

READER OFFER

We have 10 Mosaicolour (NES Arnold, 22.95) to give away to Nursery World readers. Send your name and address on the back of a postcard or envelope, marked 'Mosaicolour', to the address on page 3. Winners will be the first ten names drawn on 13 February.

* BEST BUY *

READER OFFER

We have ten sets of Deluxe Sahara Accessories (Galt, 19.95) to give away to Nursery World readers. Send your name and address on the back of a postcard or envelope, marked 'Sahara accessories', to the address on page. Winners will be the first ten names drawn on 13 February.

* BEST BUY *

READER OFFER

We have ten copies of Elmer by David McKee (Red Fox, 4.99) to give away to Nursery World readers. Send your name and address on the back of a postcard or envelope, marked 'Elmer', to the address on page 3. Winners will be the first ten names drawn on 13 February.