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There is something particularly appealing about a toy that combines the excitement of opening a surprise with an activity children can actually get involved in. Rather than simply revealing a collectable and placing it on a shelf, Creamy Deco gives children the chance to decorate, personalise and use what they have created.

The range now includes the Creamy Deco Baby Activity Case alongside the individual Creamy Deco Baby Series 1 and Series 2 Bag Clip Assortment. Both are aimed at children aged six and over, but they offer slightly different ways to enjoy the same colourful, highly decorative world. For children who love miniature collectables, charms, craft kits and anything they can attach to a school bag, this is likely to have plenty of appeal.

What is Creamy Deco?

Creamy Deco is part collectable toy and part creative activity. Children use colourful decoration cream, small charms and sprinkles to customise a little baby figure or a selection of accessories. The cream has the appearance of piped icing, giving the finished pieces a playful, heavily decorated look, although it is, of course, a craft material and not edible.

The process is deliberately simple. Children squeeze on the decoration cream, position their chosen embellishments and then leave the finished design to set. There is no single correct way to decorate each piece, which means children can follow the examples for inspiration or create something entirely different.

This open-ended element is important. Many craft kits involve copying one finished design, while Creamy Deco leaves much more room for individual choices. Selecting colours, arranging tiny decorations and deciding when a creation is finished all give children ownership of the result.

What is inside the Creamy Deco Baby Activity Case?

The Creamy Deco Baby Activity Case is the larger option in the range and contains enough pieces for several different makes. Children can decorate hair clips, keychains, acrylic shapes and their own special-edition Creamy Deco Baby.

Inside the case are three decoration tubes with three nozzles, tweezers, clay and foil decorations, seven charms, three keychains, three acrylic shapes and three hair clips. It also includes the special-edition baby, a heart-shaped holder and instructions. The case itself measures approximately 26.8cm by 17cm by 12.7cm and provides somewhere to organise the small tools, charms and unfinished pieces.

That storage is more useful than it might initially sound. Small craft accessories have a habit of spreading across tables, disappearing into drawers or becoming mixed up with other sets. Keeping the materials together makes it easier to bring the activity out on a rainy afternoon and pack it away again without hunting for missing parts.

At the time of writing, the Activity Case is listed at £9.99 at Smyths Toys, although prices and availability can change. For the number of accessories included, it could work well as a birthday or Christmas gift, or as an activity to bring out during a playdate or a quieter weekend at home.

Creamy Deco Baby Series 1 & 2 Bag Clip Assortment

The Creamy Deco Baby Series 1 Bag Clip Assortment offers the surprise element of a blind box. There are 12 different babies to collect, including the rare Glitzy Baby, and the character inside is not revealed until the pack is opened.

Each set contains one mystery baby with the materials needed to customise it. The baby can be placed on its heart-shaped stand while the decoration cream, sprinkles and charms are added. Once the design has set, the keychain clip allows it to be attached to a bag, backpack, pencil case or set of keys.

The individual sets are a smaller introduction to Creamy Deco and could make a useful pocket-money purchase, stocking filler or party gift. They are currently listed by Smyths at £4.99, reduced from £6.99, but it is worth checking the product page for the latest price.

As with any blind-box range, children may open a duplicate if they collect more than one. The creative part makes that slightly less disappointing than it can be with a standard collectable, as two identical babies can still be decorated in completely different ways. Swapping figures with friends may also become part of the fun, although it is sensible to agree expectations before buying if a child is determined to find one particular character.

More than a quick unboxing

The surprise reveal will probably be the first attraction for many children, but the activity continues after the packaging has been opened. Using the nozzles, tweezers and miniature decorations calls for patience, concentration and hand-eye coordination. Children also have to make small creative decisions as they work, from choosing a colour combination to deciding where each charm should sit.

It is the sort of detailed activity that may suit children who enjoy decorating cakes, making jewellery, customising stationery or arranging tiny collections. The finished accessories give the craft a purpose beyond the activity itself. A hair clip can be worn, a keychain can be added to a bag and the baby can become part of a collection or imaginative game.

Parents will want to allow enough time for the decorating cream to set before the finished pieces are handled or attached to anything. Covering the work surface and keeping a small tray nearby for loose charms should also make the activity easier to manage. The range contains very small parts and is intended for children aged six and over, so it needs to be kept away from younger siblings.

Which Creamy Deco set should you choose?

The individual Series 1 bag clip is likely to suit a child who enjoys the mystery of blind boxes or wants to try Creamy Deco for the first time. It provides one contained project and a finished collectable that can travel with them.

The Activity Case makes more sense for a child who is especially interested in the creative side. There are more surfaces to decorate, a wider selection of accessories and a case to keep everything together. It also includes a special-edition baby, so the collectable element is still part of the experience.

Used together, the two products complement each other well. The Activity Case creates a base collection of tools and accessories, while the individual packs add new mystery babies to decorate. Children can keep each design different rather than feeling that the aim is simply to own all 12.

Creamy Deco taps into several things children already enjoy: surprise toys, tiny collectables, decorative crafts and personalising their belongings. What gives it more staying power than a straightforward blind box is that opening the pack is only the beginning. The child still has something to make, choices to make about it and a finished creation they can genuinely call their own.