One of my favorite things to do with my lil one is play around in the kitchen. While music plays, I cook dinner and she entertains herself with all sorts of "toys" and cooking utensils. At her level, everything in our kitchen is kid friendly. She can play with pots, pans, strainers, plastic containers, etc. But one thing I have found that she really loves and is a great distraction and learning tool, are the Hefty Zoo Pals plates.

While the plates are very useful for dining purposes (they have three distinct sections, which is always nice for those picky eaters who don't like their foods to touch), they mainly serve as toys for my lil one. She mixes and matches the plates and tosses them with ease. Plus, they are great to have on hand when entertaining other children at the house – disposable makes my life easier on occasion. And if you order in bulk, it's a steal – 200 plates for $24.