The article that I have is geared up to older toddlers but it does suggest:
Putting a large piece of paper on the floor and giving your child large pieces of chalk to make marks (supervision required as they will try to eat it!!!)
a bag full of surprises (fill it with anything you like and let them explore)
anything that they can make a noise with ie, wooden spoon and saucepan (not with the evening meal in though I presume!)
Cushions on the floor will keep mine busy for ages, but they love to play with them together.
I have looked at Tracy's first book, Secrets of the Babywhisperer and this is how her paragraph about it goes:
The best playthings are toys that encourage her to put things in and take things out. Of course, she will initially be more proficient at undoing-she'll take everthing out but rarely put anything back. By 10 months to a year, she'll gain the dexterity to put things together and even to clean up her toys from the floor and put them in the toy box. She probably will be able to pick up small objects, too, because her fine motor skills are developing, which enables her to master a pincerlike grasp, using her thumb and index finger. She also likes rolling toys, one that she can pull toward her. And she might also start to develop an attachment for a particular toy, like a stuffed animal or blanket.
Hope this is helpful.
When I am busy and my lo's come to my legs and I need them to play so that I can get food on the table etc, I take them back to the toys and sit next to them a little and play, not with them, just next to them so that I am still encouraging them to play with the toys themselves and when they move away from me, I sidle back to what I was doing. Sometimes they just want company for a bit and when they get back into whatever they were doing they don't need you anymore!!!
Also, don't put too many toys out all at once, one or two things are easier, sometimes we can mesmerise them.