1. Body painting  Buy a selection of bathtime body paints, then hop in the tub to paint designs on each body part, naming the body parts and the things you are drawing as you go... bees on their knees, a sweet on their feet and so on. 2. Put on a puppet show  If you don’t have pu...

1. DJ and disco Give your child the run of the CDs for the day and have her put together a playlist for a disco. Ask her to make decorations and name the event, then set a time when she will play DJ (with Dad’s help) while you take to the dance floor. If your child is too young t...

for the promise of five minute’s peace – Sleeping Lions.4. Toddler tacticsChildren under two aren't always cooperative when it comes to sitting down for tea, so have a few simple activities close at hand, such as trolleys of building blocks, dolls’ pushchairs or a

Pretty printed fabric in juicy bright shades provides an eye-catching area for baby to practice tummy time and other developmental play. The mat surface is quilted for extra softness and the multiple fabric textures and interactive activities make

Nature Adventures by Mick Manning and Brita Granström (£7.99, Frances Lincoln)A finely detailed guide to the natural life that can be found in various habitats from town to country. The evocative illustrations and comprehensive listings of various flora and fauna make this an abs...

Slip and slideSo easy to do and guaranteed many laughs. Go to your local hardware store and get a heavy-duty plastic tarpaulin that folds out lengthwise. Find a small grassy hill and stake the tarpaulin down on both corners at both ends. Pour on some water from a bucket, ready fo...

1. Children can bring the beauty of a winter snow flurry indoors minus the slushy carpets by making a pretty homemade snowglobe. Take an old, cleaned jam jar and remove the top, then trim a piece of cork to the width of a pound coin and superglue it to the underside of the lid. F...

Plant a sunflowerIf you want a row or two of towering sunflowers in your garden come the end of summer, you have to plan in advance. Fill a flowerpot with compost soil and sow two or three seeds about 1cm deep. Keep the pots in a sunny spot on a windowsill and water regularly. Wh...

1. Write your name or funny messages in the sand with shells2. Decorate sand-pies and sandcastles with different shaped shells3. Have a rock-pool ramble  Learn about the food chain of this natural aquarium so your child understands how it works: look at the different seaweeds, th...

1. Make your coppers shine  Collect up a handful of copper coins, then set up five glasses on the kitchen bench and put at least one coin in each glass to test out ‘cleaning solutions’ that are ‘rumoured’ to magically shine your copper coins. Your child can choose any ‘magic solu...