Getting ready, the way they've watched you do it
Children at three and four study what the adults around them do, then rehearse it. A morning routine, a night out, a Saturday wedding: it all gets acted out with whatever is within reach. This set from Djeco gives them wooden versions of the real thing, so the pretend play is clearly in their hands, not a borrowed handbag from the bathroom drawer.
The set includes a lipstick, a perfume bottle, a nail varnish, a powder compact and a make-up palette. The shapes look like the real products, but there is nothing inside to spill, smear or stain. That keeps the focus on the sequence: pick up, dab, spritz, check the mirror.
Small pieces, big hand work
Holding a slim lipstick between thumb and fingers, tilting a small perfume bottle, dabbing a palette: each is a short, repeatable movement that builds the finger control children need before they can hold a pencil. They practise grip and wrist movement without anyone calling it practice.
Expect the play to grow with them. At three, it is mostly copying: lipstick on, perfume on, done. By five, you'll hear a story around it, such as a salon with a waiting list, a theatre dressing room or a parent running late for work. Siblings and friends slide in easily, because each person can take a role (client, make-up artist, receptionist) and the pieces are small enough to share.
Practical notes
Play is quiet, with no batteries or screens to manage. It suits floor play, a play table or a car trip. Recommended for children 3 years and over. Because the pieces are small, keep the set away from younger siblings.