Santa’s lead reindeer nods his head and raises tail in a Christmas greeting when you press the little lever in the base. Leave your model natural or paint it. A little red for his nose maybe. This small automata will delight small people.

Beginner’s Timberkits are ideal if you are just starting out in the world of automata, these wooden mechanical model kits are fun and easily achievable.

Automata kits are ingenious and fascinating combinations of wooden parts and mechanical linkages. Supplied as a kit of parts with assembly diagrams and glue; building each model is an education in itself and the end result wonderfully entertaining. The kits are a joy to make for all ages from 9 to 90 years; younger children can get involved with adult help.

All the wooden parts come from sustainable forestry and are fully machined with no further need for specialist tools. Made in the UK.

Finished model dimensions: Width: 50mm, Height: 130mm, Depth: 100mm.