ON THE ROAD DISCOVERY SUITCASE

A busy board with a handle on it.

Everything a wall-mounted activity board does, twisting, pushing, sliding, opening, folded into a wooden case a toddler can carry themselves. Which means it works in a restaurant, a waiting room or the back of a car, and there are no loose pieces to lose under a seat.

Vehicles, roads and traffic to work through, with mechanisms to turn, slide and open along the way. Each mechanism works differently, so discovering what each one does is the activity itself. All of it is demanding hand work: turning a dial, sliding a catch and opening a flap are three quite different movements, and together they are the direct precursor to buttons, zips and cutlery.

Made in wood with printed illustration rather than moulded plastic, so it stands up to years of handling.

Lilliputiens is a Belgian brand, founded in 1995 and designed by a team largely made up of parents working alongside early-childhood specialists. Tested to EN71 and ASTM standards and screened for AZO dyes, cadmium and phthalates.

A BUSY BOARD THAT CLOSES AND CARRIES - All the twisting, pushing and sliding of a wall-mounted activity board, folded into a case with a handle. It goes in the car and comes out in a restaurant.

TWIST, PUSH, SHAKE, OPEN - Vehicles, roads and traffic to work through, with mechanisms to turn, slide and open along the way. Working out what each mechanism does is the activity itself.

SERIOUS FINE MOTOR WORK - Turning a dial, sliding a catch and opening a flap all demand different hand movements. This is the direct groundwork for buttons, zips and cutlery.

WOOD, NOT PLASTIC - Made in wood with printed illustration, so it looks and sounds considerably better than the usual moulded busy board and stands up to years of handling.

THE ONE YOU TAKE OUT WITH YOU - Self-contained with nothing to lose, which makes it one of the genuinely useful travel toys for this age. Tested to EN71 and ASTM standards and screened for AZO dyes, cadmium and phthalates.

12 months and above

Wood with printed illustration and moving mechanisms