I was reminded today simply to look around the house and find items that can become a game for a one-year-old, no newfangled toys or complicated set-up required. And boy did Veronika and I come up with a lot to do!

First up, I pulled out an old art favorite: scribbling on cardboard with jumbo crayons. This is the easiest art project ever for budding artists.

Then we found fun gadgets around the house; in particular, I’ve learned that toddlers like old-fashioned phones and anything that looks like a remote!

Or pass a roll of duct tape back and forth. Veronika loved rolling it.

Or thread pipe cleaners into the bottom of a colander. I thought this might be a bit ambitious at her age, but to my delight Veronika very intently worked at it and loved getting the pipe cleaner right in a hole. She had quite the knack for it!

And when all else fails, empty water bottles are fantastic fun to crinkle.

Next we tested if she was ready for stickers. This fine pincer motion was a bit advanced, but she loved watching me transfer stickers from sticker sheet to cardboard, and gave it a few tries.

She seemed a bit flustered that she couldn’t pull them back up again, though!

For still more simple fun around the house, don’t forget household chores. She helped me water plants…

(and the Christmas tree)

And then turned the watering can into a toy.

Babies also love to wipe up surfaces.

To cap it all off, we turned clean-up into a game. “My turn, your turn,” I said, as we tossed Duplo back into a box.

She was so proud!

What gadgets do you turn into toys at home? Please share in the comments!