Homemade building blocks

OK, they probably can only be built into a tower. But that's tricky enough for a young toddler, and is actually one of those development goals your health visitor will be watching for.

Use any sturdy screw-lid container or pot, so long as it has a flat top and bottom, obviously, otherwise they won't be stackable. If the pot is transparent, fill with something visually interesting. Beads, buttons, ribbons, a Duplo man, a roll of pretty paper, a dried flower…whatever you have. If the contents are potentially fatal to your twisty-fingered child, stick the lid on forever by squirting glue into the threads before screwing it on tight. Another good idea is to part-fill with water, and add a squeeze of Fairy liquid. Shaking it will cause chortle-inducing froth that slowly settles. Or add food colouring and glitter, for a snow-globe effect. For opaque containers, part-fill with objects that rattle, such as dried chickpeas, rice, and so on. (The Body Shop body butter/scrub containers are good for these, and come in unusual colours, and stack well too.) You could put fun stickers on the lids.