Sarah's Silks Circus Wand

The wand is shimmery 100 percent mulberry silk printed with circus performers and animals, topped with a turquoise wooden bead. The illustrations are by Phoebe Wahl. Light and flowing, the silk trails through the air as children wave it, which makes it feel like a real performer's prop.

Children wave the wand in the wind, twirl it while dancing and use it to perform pretend magic tricks. The trailing silk follows every movement, adding flourish to a circus act or fairy scene. Because it is soft and open ended, it fits into whatever story a child is telling that day.

The wand is soft silk finished with a smooth wooden bead rather than any hard or sharp parts, so it moves gently even during lively dancing. Supervise very young children with the bead as you would any small toy part, and it becomes a favourite for movement and music play.

It rounds out a circus outfit alongside a matching hat, tunic or cape, and it also suits fairy, magician and performer play on its own. Families who keep a silk collection find the wand adds motion to any costume, giving children something to wave as they parade or put on a show.

Spot clean the silk with a damp cloth, or hand wash gently in cool water with mild soap and let it air dry. Keep the wooden bead out of prolonged water so it stays smooth. Stored in the dress up basket, the wand stays ready for the next dance or magic trick.

The circus performers and animals printed on the silk were illustrated by artist Phoebe Wahl, the same style found across the matching circus collection. Her artwork gives the wand a warm, storybook feel, so it doubles as a pretty piece to display when it is not being waved through the air.