Paddling pools are self-contained puddles of water, which are especially good for cooling down on hot days in the garden. They are designed specifically with children in mind, although it is not unheard of for adults to be seen lying in them on a Sunday afternoon while the kids have been banished to the sand pit.

Paddling pools come in a variety of shapes and sizes but are invariably made of a thin plastic material. They can be inflatable, have a metal frame or have rigid* plastic sides.

A canny observation can be made about paddling pools is that no matter where you put them, even if it's on concrete, they attract small blades of grass and leaves that float on the surface of the water.

Despite their name, paddling pools are rarely used for paddling, and paddling pool activity is not just confined to that one area. In fact, they affect the environment beyond in the following ways:

• As you can water the lawn with them.

• They make an area of dead yellow grass in the lawn all summer.

• Children get wet in them after which they run around screaming, annoying the neighbours.

• Are good for wasting water during a drought or hose pipe ban.

A paddling pool is a worthy investment, if only for the potential of earning money on the many home-video shows that grace our television screens. Nothing is funnier than a fat dad tripping and falling face first into a paddling pool.