TOP SHOP: Museum of Childhood online store

NOT ONLY IS THE V&A’s Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green one of London’s best-kept secret kid-friendly venues - it’s also free! - but its online shop (launched last year in addition to the museum’s ‘real-life’ shop) is full of inspirational goodies for children aged 10 and under. Oh, and nostalgic adults too.

There are exclusive designs by the likes of design hero Clifford Richards (see our profile of Clifford here) including his lion and robot print drinking cups with in-built curly-wurly straws, and his cardboard fairy wings (the museum has taken his illustrations on as their own graphic identity, and frequent commissions will follow); and all-time-classic toys including tiddly-wink sets and modelling balloons; plus techno-freak kits such as rubber band powered planes for older kids. All of it is affordable and stuff you would actually want to buy. 80% of the shop’s sales come from purchases under £10 - intended as pocket money purchases.

The V&A’s buyer Sarah Sevier says the style of the shop reflects the content of the museum itself, and there are offerings from ‘Around the World’, ‘Adult Collectibles’ and ‘Make and Create’. All in all, however, says Sevier, “the product offer should be a lot of fun. That’s the idea!”

Our favourites? The Clifford Richards notebooks, (right) £2. The paper bag puppets kit (above left), £7 and the rocket-shaped cardboard play house, £29.50.

PS, while you’re there, have a peek at the rest of the V&A shop offerings. There are frequent exclusive products coinciding with V&A exhibitions - such as Marcel Wanders’ Delftware limited editions.