I Spy
You know this classic game from family road trips, but have you tried it in other places such as the grocery store? Give your child things she can see from the grocery cart. Can you find something blue? Can you find something you like to eat with cheese? As you walk the aisles, your child will have fun looking at and thinking up silly ways to solve your challenge. This game works well in just about any situation that calls for a boredom buster, such as waiting for an oil change or in the doctor's office.

Hide & Seek
You don't need to crawl under the bed skirt to play this seeking game. Simply find a coin or other small item and hide it in one of your child's pockets while pretending to hide it in each pocket. Then ask your child to search every pocket to find it. Boys' clothing can be covered with a variety of pocket styles, providing plenty of places to tuck a coin.

Play with Your Food
Pack a new, clean shoelace and a plastic food storage container with O-shape cereal. Tie a knot in the shoestring on one end and let your child thread the center of the cereal with the shoelace. In addition to working on those fine motor skills, it makes for a yummy snack. When your child is done, tie it up to wear as a necklace.

Be a Human Doll
When you have nothing but the clothes on your back, here's how you can use them to keep your toddler entertained. Little ones love to practice fastening and unfastening. Let them do this with the clothing they're wearing or the items you might have on. Your child can button your coat or practice zipping and unzipping his jacket. Our clothing is full of fasteners: Consider snaps, hook-and-loop tape, shoelaces, belt buckles, and more.

Build a Secret Stash
If running errands and sitting in waiting rooms seem to be getting the best of your child, it's time to pull together a bag of fun items that you keep in the trunk for just such an occasion. Gather crayons, stickers, paper, and books that are used only in the car and on rare occasions. That way the stash is always new and fun for your child. Pop-up books are favorites for toddlers.

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