Activity packs for children

are something I mentioned a little while back. One of the regular readers of this blog sent me a message asking me to say something more about them.
The first thing to say is that they should be "fun". The second thing to say is that they should be "age appropriate".
Those things are surely obvious. 
After that there are things that I regard as essential. Yes, the child(ren) in question might already have such things around the house but the activity pack needs to contain them.
(1) sellotape on a roll attached to a holder where you can satisfyingly tear "just a little bit" or "a really big bit" off when you need it.
(2) envelopes - because you need to be able to put things in them
(3) paper and card of various shapes and sizes (save the off cuts all year)
(4) things to put on the paper - mostly "stickers" but sticky backed felt and glitter foam and foam pieces are all useful
(5) things to write with - depending on age pencils, crayons, felt pens, a biro or two
(6) something to rub out "mistakes" i.e. an eraser
(7) a sharpener for the inevitable breakages
(8) a cheap model kit, finger puppet kit or something similar if you can find one
(9) a colouring book - for older children find one that has additional activities
I add food - small packets of sultanas and a snack size pack of reduced sugar jelly dinosaurs went into the last packs along with savoury biscuts and (confession) a chocolate frog.
And this time there were "high bouncing" balls and a spiral back notebook each. I put all of them into a reusable nylon shopping bag - each a different colour.
I gathered the things together over the year as I saw things at reduced prices. Everything I bought was safe for even the four year old to use. 
Expensive? No - and at twice the price the peace, quiet and sheer pleasure of watching the kittens at work would have been worth every cent.