Stick with it

A simple roll of masking tape can provide hours of fun. Use it on carpet or hard flooring if you're inside, or decking if you're outside (it doesn't stick so well to paving or grass), for the following activities...

1. Mark out a masking tape roadway for toy vehicles, with crossroads, car parks, helicopter landing pads - whatever takes the children's fancy. If they're enthusiastic, extend your road network all over the house.

2. Make a grid for a giant board game, big enough for the children to be the game pieces.

3. Mark out squares for a game of hopscotch.

4. Create a target for a game of bowls or bean-bag toss (soft toys make good substitute bean-bags!)

5. Make a zig-zag 'balance beam' to walk along.

6. Tape start and finish lines for a standing long-jump competition, remote control car race or ping-ping ball blowing race.

7. Criss-cross the tape across an empty door frame to play the sticky spider's web game. Each child takes it in turns to be the 'spider' using craft pom-poms or even tiny soft toys as 'flies'. How many flies can they trap in the web?