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.

Sarah's Silks remains a family-owned company that takes real care of the people behind every silk. The silk is produced on family farms where silkworms are hand fed pesticide free mulberry leaves, then woven, dyed and sewn by longtime partner factories - many of the workers women who do the weaving, dyeing, sewing and ironing from home - in a village near Suzhou, China, a city with a centuries old silk making tradition. These partners are paid an above average wage, provided with quality working conditions, and given incentives such as supplemental health insurance for them and their families, helping sustain both the craft and the community behind it.

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.

Silk is a natural, delicate fabric, and part of its magic is that it's naturally resistant to dirt and odours - thanks to its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties, your playsilks won't need washing all that often.

When it is time for a wash, hand wash gently with a mild detergent designed for silk, or simply use cool water, then drip dry.

Wet silk is only around 80% as strong as dry silk, so take care not to wring, spin or agitate it while damp - just let it drip dry naturally. Little ones enjoy the tactile experience of wet silk washing, and hang drying their playsilks is a nice chore to include them in.