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Having fun with your toddler does not mean you have to break the bank. Each of the following five activities all cost less than the price of a drink or snack – and the memories will last a lot longer! Because they use simple materials, they are also more imaginative than expensive toys and games.

BOX TOWER – Take any boxes you can find around the home and play Jenga with them. Toddlers love the tension and excitement of wondering which box will topple the tower. After this, you can put the boxes back, matching the inner bag of cereal to its box for example.

WATER ACTIVITIES – toddlers love any game involving water. Even better is washing up. Fill a bowl of warm water – outside if the weather is good enough – and let your toddler get soaked! The important thing is to only wash a few plastic items like a play tea set. Don’t fret if they are still dirty at the end.

WHERE’S THE TIMER? – hide an ordinary kitchen timer that ticks loudly enough to be heard. Now let your mini detective search for it. Important: Don’t to make the hiding place too challenging – accompany the child if you think he might get cross doing this activity. For younger toddlers, conceal the timer in the same room, and make it somewhere highly visible.

TODDLER I-SPY – Take from 3 – 8 magazine pictures (depending on the child’s age) of things in your area – a dog, a tree, a car, etc. Now take a walk together, looking for each item. Having the focus of the photos helps keep up the interest and stops that predictable cry of ‘Want to go home’ or pleas of ‘Carry!’

MAGNIFYING GLASS HUNT – take a magnifying glass and go outside. Now have a look at at all the small things that are easy to miss: bugs, worms etc. Older toddlers can practise saying the words, and those under two will still gain from you saying what each creature or plant is.

The author is the founder of Toddler Ideas and a mother of two. Visit this website for 1001 ideas and tips. Get your no-cost guide to solving toddler problems today