I wonder who first thought about tying two planks to the bottom of the feet to go wooshing down a snowy hill. Was it for fun or necessity?

Today, skiing is a popular sport. Anyone can enjoy this winter pastime. There are gentle slopes and steep slopes. All you need is a pair of skis, dress warmly and take that daring first slide.

I always say you can’t have a top without a bottom, so here is the bottom of the girl scarecrow hat. Now the hat will stay snuggly on your pet's head.

Here's a fun, customisable fridge magnet for your pet!
On a slightly more serious note, all sorts of gadgets and devices are powered these days using magnets made from rare earth metals. These metals are being utilised increasingly in very high-tech systems and their success brings a boost to the economy. Rare earth magnets are made from the elements neodymium, iron and boron and so are known as NdFeB magnets. NdFeB magnets are the strongest magnets you can get (except for superconducting magnets). Rare earth metals are now utilised to improve the efficiency and performance of numerous technologies, including the magnetic technologies that power hybrid and electric vehicles, aircraft controls, loudspeakers, mobile phones, wind turbines, loudspeakers, factory automation equipment and robots! Rare earth metals have enabled the miniaturisation of all of these systems, making smaller, more compact components.

One of the most versatile of the shapes, I can be almost anything you want - a full stop, a ball to play with, a berry, a coloured light, part of an eye... the list is endless!

Simple, classic and elegant, I work as a frame for artwork, a colour mask, or a mount within an outer frame.

Simple, classic and elegant, I work as a frame for artwork, a colour mask, or a mount within an outer frame.

I'm a heart - what's not to love? Obviously I'm essential for your Valentine scenes, but there's so much more to me than that. You need me to play cards, for instance. Turn me upside down and add a vertical line to make the spade, and make the diamond by overlapping two of me, one upside down. The only suit I can't make is the club. Clever, eh?

When you need to draw the line, I'm always ready to assist. Use me on my own or with my friends as part of a border or more complicated structure; very few shapes are more versatile than I am.

When you need to draw the line, I'm always ready to assist. Use me on my own or with my friends as part of a border or more complicated structure; very few shapes are more versatile than I am.

I am happy to join my shape friends. I am an oval, a slightly squashed version of a circle. I don’t roll well, but I make great cat eyes. You can use me to create eggs or holes in the ground, be careful you don’t fall in. I am also great as a plate; you can decorate me around the edges or the middle and place yummy treats on me. Play with me, and pair me with other shapes to make your art slides fun and unique.

I am happy to join my shape friends. I am an oval, a slightly squashed version of a circle. I don’t roll well, but I make great cat eyes. You can use me to create eggs or holes in the ground, be careful you don’t fall in. I am also great as a plate; you can decorate me around the edges or the middle and place yummy treats on me. Play with me, and pair me with other shapes to make your art slides fun and unique.

I am happy to join my shape friends. I am an oval, a slightly squashed version of a circle. I don’t roll well, but I make great cat eyes. You can use me to create eggs or holes in the ground, be careful you don’t fall in. I am also great as a plate; you can decorate me around the edges or the middle and place yummy treats on me. Play with me, and pair me with other shapes to make your art slides fun and unique.

I am jumping in to join my shape friends. Don’t I look terrific? I am a pentagon, and I have five sides and five corners. Your pets can have so much fun fitting me together to form unusual art. A single pentagon looks like the silhouette of a barn or house. Put a few of me together, and I make good paving stones or wall decorations. Play around with me and see what new animals or fun buildings you can create.

I am jumping in to join my shape friends. Don’t I look terrific? I am a pentagon, and I have five sides and five corners. Your pets can have so much fun fitting me together to form unusual art. A single pentagon looks like the silhouette of a barn or house. Put a few of me together, and I make good paving stones or wall decorations. Play around with me and see what new animals or fun buildings you can create.

I am jumping in to join my shape friends. Don’t I look terrific? I am a pentagon, and I have five sides and five corners. Your pets can have so much fun fitting me together to form unusual art. A single pentagon looks like the silhouette of a barn or house. Put a few of me together, and I make good paving stones or wall decorations. Play around with me and see what new animals or fun buildings you can create.

We have puzzle shapes, but I have come to join in the fun as they were a bit lonely with no connecting puzzle pieces to join up with. Now you can finish a whole puzzle. When you are done having fun joining me up with my pals, you and your pets can decide on what picture should be on me if you want a picture.

We have puzzle shapes, but I have come to join in the fun as they were a bit lonely with no connecting puzzle pieces to join up with. Now you can finish a whole puzzle. When you are done having fun joining me up with my pals, you and your pets can decide on what picture should be on me if you want a picture.

We have puzzle shapes, but I have come to join in the fun as they were a bit lonely with no connecting puzzle pieces to join up with. Now you can finish a whole puzzle. When you are done having fun joining me up with my pals, you and your pets can decide on what picture should be on me if you want a picture.

You can, of course, also use any of the plain coloured backgrounds as a rectangle, but I still have my place; my proportions are different. I'm somewhere between the background rectangle and the square. Because, you know, not all rectangles are equal.

Yes, I'm a square, but I'm not as square as you might think! I'm actually very cool and some even call me hot. You see, some of my colours are 'cool' (green, blue and purple) and some are 'hot' (red, orange, and yellow). I am definitely the hippest square you have ever seen!