Toddlers and young children love to play games and make things. Not only is this good for their mind but it's fun for you as a parent. There are so many things you can do things you have in your home right now. You won't have to go to the store and make a purchase. Here are a few suggestions.

1. Boys

Boys love to race cars, so building things for them is pretty easy to do. For example, if they have you can take a cereal box that's empty and create a tunnel. To do this, you'll need to take the plastic out of the box and open both ends up. Another thing you can do is seal both ends and cut a hole in the center that goes all the way through. You can also create ramps with cereal boxes. Use DVD cases as the ramps and race the cars going up and down the ramp on the box.

Match box cars are the perfect size to go through a paper towel or toilet paper roll. These make great tunnels. If your son has larger cars they can be used for obstacles to go over like monster trucks.

2. Girls

Girls like to play dress up, play princess games, and have tea parties. These are all things you can do with things in your home. Dress up is one of the easiest things to do because you already have clothes she can use. Allowing her to put on your clothes and shoes is good, but it's a good idea for you to set out the clothes she can use. It would be terrible if she got makeup on your dry clean only silk formal gown.

You can let your daughter put on her own makeup or you can do it for her. Remember you have nothing to be embarrassed about because people understand what they're looking at when they see a child like this. You also have to remember that you won't be going anywhere. Make sure you show her where each thing goes and give her perfume to put on as well. She deserves the whole effect.

Tea parties are easy as well. You don't necessarily have to use the good china and it's OK if you don't have a teapot. Make the best with what you have and she'll love it. You can use real tea and cookies or you can pretend, but she might like it if you join in the tea party with her and use the real thing.

Make believe is fun for a toddler or young child and it's even better when the parent participates in the activities. Using things in your home will save you money, a trip to the store, and will keep your children occupied for hours.

Corrie Petersen runs a successful Virtual Assistant business and she's the owner of http://WAHM-Articles.com. She is married and has a teenager and a tween. She loves spending time with her family. Catch up with everything she has going on when you go to http://peekintomylifeasasportsmom.com to read her mommy blog.