Hand a child a real wheelbarrow and watch the job actually get done. The Stanley Jr. wheelbarrow copies the shape of the one in your shed and scales it down: a 20 litre tray, solid wood handles sized for small hands, a single front wheel and a two leg stand that holds it upright when it is parked.

Load it with soil, mulch, pulled weeds or a pile of pinecones and let them haul their own share while you work the bed beside them. Toysmith grades it for ages 3 and up and says it builds coordination, balance and gross motor skills, though what the child notices is being genuinely useful.

Adult assembly is required and full instructions are included.