Best Kid Stuff For Creation and Play

I just ran across a list I composed a couple of years ago and decided to post it. What follows is my own "Best of" list regarding what children most enjoy occupying themselves with. Early on, it became apparent that most toys go obsolete within minutes or hours, and still we (as a society) throw our money at them, stare at them gathering dust, and then send them to the landfills. We don't need much to fully enjoy our development, and this list happily serves ages 1-100.

Here it is:
boxes (add tape for hours more fun)
balls
natural fiber scarves
blocks
marbles and marble mazes
dolls
paper, pens, crayons, colored pencils, paints and brushes
clay (as in the kind that dries -- I run from modeling clay)
bird seed in a large flat bucket (my favorite gift for the 3 and under crowd)
vehicles

Short list, huh? Countless variations, but my experience has pointed to keeping it simple. Please post a comment to add your own favorites. Hope it's helpful for an upcoming birthday party!