by Deborah Shelton

1. Yarn: Use yarn to outline streets for toy cars. Roads can be as straight or as winding as you'd like.

2. Pinecones: "Plant" these trees along the edges of a street or in a park area.

3. Cardboard Tubes: Form toll bridges and tunnels with these easy-to-find tubes.

4. Tin Foil: Create lakes and rivers with flat pieces of tin foil.

5. Cardboard Boxes: Make buildings such as schools, banks and churches from small cardboard boxes.

6. Magazine Cut-Outs: Glue pictures from magazines onto small cardboard boxes to represent the type of buildings in the town. For example, glue a picture of a store or school onto a box.

7. Thread Spools: Set these in a park area, to use as tables.

8. Cotton Balls: Turn your town into a winter wonderland with fluffy puffs of cotton.

9. Popsicle Sticks: Great materials for building fences and bridges.

10. Kitchen Scale: Bring into play a small kitchen scale to use as a weigh station for the cars.

About the Author

Deborah Shelton is a mother, freelance writer, and author of the brand new book, "The Five Minute Parent: Fun & Fast Activities for You and Your Little Ones." Visit Deborah's website for more family-friendly ideas, and a free email newsletter. Visit FiveMinuteParent.com.