Aren't playsilks just pieces of material? Well, yes. They are also so much more!

Sarah Lee, the creator of Sarah's Silks, first started dying squares of silk when her oldest son was a child, in an attempt to support his imaginative play. He would say, "Mum, I am a turtle today. I need some green to wear!" Or, "I need some wings to fly today, blue ones!"

You only have to place a playsilk in the hands of a child to appreciate the versatility of these wonderful open ended toys. We've seen them used as rivers, superhero capes, butterfly wings, soup in a bowl, magic carpets, curtains for a puppet show, doll carriers, blankets, gift wrap, flags, drapes and so much more. It is not surprising that parents tell us time and time again that playsilks are some of the most reached for items in their children's playroom.

Playsilks are open ended toys, and by definition can be anything and everything your child imagines them to be. For this reason, it would be impossible for us to come up with a comprehensive list of activities or ways to play with playsilks.

To give you a real starting point, we invited Jess (@learnandbloom), one of our valued customers, to share how she and her children use playsilks day to day. From peek a boo with a newborn, right through to dress up capes for her older kids, Jess has seen it all.

We've put together her full collection of ideas and quotes in a dedicated companion piece, How to Play with Playsilks: The Ultimate Sarah's Silks Play Guide, covering infant play, sensory play, small world play and storytelling, role play, dressing up, and active outdoor play. It's well worth a read if you're after some fresh inspiration.

Sarah's Silks recommends hand washing with mild dish soap or shampoo, then hanging to dry, and ironing on medium heat if you want to restore the shine. Little ones enjoy the tactile experience of wet silk washing, and hang drying their playsilks is a nice chore to include them in.