For 0 - 12 month old's you want something simple like a mirror - if you have a full-length mirror, you can carry your baby and stand in front of it, introducing your child to his or herself. You can ask, "Where's Mummy?" or "Where's Daddy?" You would then point to yourself. After which you would ask them where they are, allowing time for them to point to themselves. If they did, you'd clap. If not you'd point to them yourself. While still in front of the mirror you might want to pull some funny faces and see them smiling and/or laughing.
Maybe you want to lay them on a mat and play peek-a-boo, play with their rattles, soft toys and/or read them books. Some infant books don't even have words, so it's always a good bonding experience and opportunity to expand your imagination and make up stories. Eg. "There was once a princess who..." Make sure the story's a maximum of five minutes long and they aren't too complex. A baby's attention span is very short and they won't be able to understand complex words.
For a 12 - 24 months old you can buy or borrow stackable boxes (take this one for example), duplo, dinosaurs, sandpit, bicycles....
To encourage children to play, put all activities at shoulder high so it's easy for them to access. Provide a variety of activities that they're interested in.
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