LESS than six months ago a Kidderminster mum-of-three was toying with the idea of setting up her own business and now, after a lot of help from her two-year-old twins, Kate and Grace - she has made self-employment look like child's play.

Beverley Philpotts's business, When I Grow Up, sells traditional wooden toys such as trains, dolls houses and rocking horses and is very much a family concern.

Her eight-year-old daughter, Ellie, chooses lines for five to ten-year-olds, such as craft cases and musical instruments like recorders and tambourines, while the entrepreneurial 36-year-old's toddlers play test lines for younger children.

That is not to mention the role Mrs Philpotts's father, Ted Smith, of Snowdon Close, Kidderminster, has played in the initiative.

The retired driving instructor not only inspired his daughter's choice of business - impressing her friends with the hand-made rocking horses and doll's cribs he made for his grandchildren - he also continues to make items for the new company.

"I set the business up in the first couple of weeks in March because I felt there was a big gap in the market for traditional wooden and educational toys for children, which were reasonably priced," Mrs Philpotts explained.

"My dad makes certain items for me when there is a demand - like rocking horses and dolls' cribs - and then I buy in other things.

"He wouldn't want to do it as a job, much as I've tried to persuade him."

She added: "Quite a few of the toys actually come from the Far East but they're all made to British safety standards.

"Then Kate and Grace test the toys out for me because I think if they can stand their rough and tumble then they can stand anything."

Mrs Philpotts, who also does party plans and pays the organisers' commission in toys, added: "I go to mother and toddler groups and playgroups, schools and nurseries across Worcestershire and set up stalls there. I let the children test the toys out and have a play with them while their parents watch."

The Comberton Avenue resident added she was in the process of setting up a website and hoped to branch out into mail order.

"At first I didn't know what response the business was going to get," said the former sales manager, "because I thought it was a good idea but I didn't know exactly what would happen but it's been really successful."

She added she and her twins had visited 20 schools and playgroups so far. For more information on When I Grow Up, call Mrs Philpotts on 01562 745816.