Join the band! The playground craze with royal approval

IT IT’S inexpensive and creative — and t there’s not a flat screen in sight. No wonder parents are actually encouraging the biggest children’s craze fo for years. Mums and dads more accustomed to shelling out on bits of useless plastic (remember Go-Gos and Moshi Monsters?) M and Xbox games, are more than happy to pay 99p or so for a bag of 300 little bands that last ages and develop their little darlings’ imagination.

And children are not only making bracelets from the bands but little animals, decorative flowers, tiaras, skipping ropes and sandals.

‘I’ve been buying toys and crafts for years and I’ve never seen a trend like this. It’s quite insane and our Kids Zone sales have trebled in recent weeks,’ says Andrea Bennett, buying director of discount chain The Works, which sells a variety of craft supplies.

‘We are ordering millions of loom bands and sets every week.’

The craze has even crossed genders and ages — the Duchess of Cambridge (pictured), David Beckham and Harry Styles have all been spotted wearing the bracelets recently. They are the brainchild of American Cheong Choon Ng, who launched his company Rainbow Looms last year. Its kits include the bands and a loom on which to weave, and there are instructional videos on rainbowloom.

c o m. But t he l ooms aren’t necessary — children can use their fingers instead.

With new varieties — scented, glow in the dark and colour-changing — on their way, expect this trend to be around for a long time to come.