Determined to prove itself a theatre that has something for everyone, the Oxford Playhouse this week offered a production for children as young as six - and I'm talking months not years. Every day since Monday (with more shows today and tomorrow) the children's theatre company Oily Cart has been staging its colourful entertainment Baby Balloon for groups of ten tinies at a time, with their mums, dads or minders. Curious to see how it went down, I attended the first performance.

We gathered ("Play Doh, anyone?") in the theatre's upstairs bar, before ascending a further flight of stairs to the Top Room where the show was presented. Making themselves comfortable on a large mat (we observers sat on beanbags behind), the young audience found itself confronted by a large rounded cylinder of white material inflated by an electric airpump. To adult eyes it looked like a hot-air balloon preparing for ascent, or a parachute that had just landed.

Through a hole at one end emerged a pair of performers in stylised romper suits, who danced and tumbled, played with coloured balloons, and proffered others to the audience. Later came distribution of small balloons with rattles inside, fun and games involving a hand-held camera which relayed images of the audience on to the surface of another balloon and an invitation into the big balloon where segments of oranges were peeled and eaten. Atmospheric music (by Max Reinhardt) was supplied by two keyboard players, one of whom also played saxophone and harmonica.

All this was greeted by interest, even wonder, by the audience. Only one little lad seemed rather frightened by the whole business, especially when the big balloon suddenly lit up in various colours at the touch of a hand - an early taste of the magic (and menace) of theatre. Well done to writer and director Tim Webb, performers Keiko Hewitt-Teale, Anthea Lewis and Finn Peters, and all others involved.