Here are some suggestions for things you can do with macaroni and other varieties of pasta shapes available today1.

Take some macaroni and a bit of string. Paint the macaroni with brightly coloured paints and then thread the string through them. Tie a knot in the end and you have a rather attractive necklace. Other variations include the macaroni bracelet if the piece of string isn't long enough.

Many a day was spent in primary school making pictures out of macaroni. Put some glue on the pasta shapes and just stick them to a piece of paper in an interesting way. Different pasta shapes give the picture different textures.

Get an old picture frame, glue some pasta shapes to it and then paint with bright colours. This is the perfect way to display those pasta pictures.

Using pasta shapes and pipe cleaners, it is possible to make many different objects, such as furniture for a doll's house.

1. Take a whole packet of dry macaroni and thread each piece on to a piece of string which is long enough to be dragged on the floor behind you.
2. Allow enough string at one end to loop it round your wrist and tie a knot to secure it.
3. Tie a triple knot at the opposite end to ensure that the macaroni doesn't fall off.
4. Paint the macaroni in bright colours.
5. Place your wrist through the loop.

Jenga is a game involving the strategic placement of wood blocks in a tower. The objective of the game is to stack the blocks as high as possible without the Jenga 'tower' toppling over. The player whose block topples the tower loses.

For the pasta version, pick out the straighter pieces and stack them in groups of three on top of each other.

If you don't have to hand any lentils or split peas, macaroni pasta is a great alternative stuffing for toy felt animals or bean-bags.

This one's really cool. Get two washed, empty yoghurt pots. Quarter-fill each with macaroni pieces and tape the pots together, rim to rim. You now have a homemade percussion instrument - maraca madness is all yours.

A single piece of macaroni, sitting in the middle of the floor.