Twelve shapes, three rows of four, each one a thick painted block in its own recess. The first row holds a blue circle, a red star, a yellow trapezium and a dark green rectangle; the second a purple triangle, a green diamond, a red heart and a coral semicircle; the third a yellow hexagon, an orange pentagon, a blue square and an indigo oval.

The list matters because it goes past the basics. Circle, square and triangle are covered by almost every sorter. Trapezium, semicircle, oval, hexagon and pentagon are the shapes that turn up in school worksheets from prep onwards, and this board puts them in a child's hand early.

Look at the pairs on the board. Square and diamond are the same shape turned; circle and oval differ only by stretching; rectangle and trapezium share a flat top and bottom. Asking a child what makes two neighbours different is a lesson no flat picture book can give.

The pieces are chunky, with no knobs, and stand on their edges. That makes them good for tracing: lay the heart on paper, run a crayon round it, and the outline becomes the next drawing.

Against our other shape boards, this sits in the middle. The nine-shape board is simpler and cheaper; the 16-shape geometric board has more, thinner pieces. This one has fewer shapes than that but noticeably thicker blocks and the full set of school shapes.

Order the 12-shape board for Rs. 1,200 with Cash on Delivery anywhere in Pakistan, including Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad. We confirm stock and your delivery charge on WhatsApp first.

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