~ Obstacle Course - use whatever you have around - sometimes I use material placemats for jumping step-stones, small tables to crawl under, plastic bins to climb over, couch cushions or portacot mattress to roll over, string / shoelace to walk along or jump over, toys to weave in and out of, bucket and balls to throw in it, etc.

~ Reuse book dust-covers - Book dustcovers don't last long around young children - I recently removed one, cut out all the character pictures from the front (when my daughter wasn't looking) - then laminated them and stuck magnets on the reverse so she can play with them on the wall in her room that we undercoated with Resene's magnetic paint. (I always keep any advertising magnets (and those stuck to mini calenders etc) to cut up for crafts like this)..

~ Hut / Cubby - We often make indoor huts with blankets, portacot mattresses, etc. Be careful when using chairs as walls as they can fall over. It is also great to include any toy house-parts you might have (eg letter boxes - or make one out of a box then deliver home-made mail to it). Torches or toys that light up are great for playing with in huts.

~ Balls in box - Aunty Suzie came up with this great one - for babies who are just learning to sit, place plastic balls or soft balls into a box or icecream container in front of them. They enjoy trying to catch the balls.

~ Washing Basket Play - Another thing for babies just learning to sit - cushion a washing basket with blankets (especially where the baby will lean back against), and place baby inside it with some toys. They will be able to sit without falling over, and their toys can't escape away from them.

~ Housework - This one may sound silly, but my daughter loves to help with dusting (sometimes with a duster, other times with a sock on her hand). She also likes washing things so when it is fine I can send her outside with a water spray bottle or a bowl of soapy water, and a nailbrush or cloth and her plastic chairs, table or toys and let her have fun. She also sometimes helps to fold washing - her job is to sort things into piles of 'whose clothes are whose - and to fold flannels, and at just less than three she is even trained to fold socks now and is so proud of herself!.

~ Bubbles - of course there are the bubble wands and bubble guns and things which are great for toddlers (or to blow to entertain babies), but another option is to make a pile of bubbles in your bathroom handbasin with flowing soap or dishwashing liquid (running the water fast into it and swishing your hand a lot) - then scoop out the bubbles with your hand into a plastic container (try to not get water just the bubbles) - then give the container to your little one to play with the bubbles - it doesn't even really make a mess if played with indoors..

~ Beads / Pasta necklace - Buying a set of cheap plastic beads and strings can be a great investment - they can be used for necklaces, bracelets, keyrings, or just to make patterns on the floor (faces/animals). For smaller toddlers, try helping them to thread pasta onto string or shoelaces - I find Penne is easiest. I'm sure 'Dad' loved his Father's Day pasta necklace that matched Anna's one!

~ Make-Up Picture - Other than decorating their own face, another way to let kids play with toy makeup is to draw a plain face on paper, and let them apply the makeup to the picture. Just be sure to supervise and clean their hands afterwards so you don't end up with blue makeup on the couch like we did!