Something that I remember vividly from my childhood was playing with a group of toys we called Little People. They were literally little people that had fixed clothing and sometimes removable hats, and they did everything that real people do. Well now, since I have started looking at toys again, I have discovered that they are available for purchase in learning stores and more recently also on Amazon.
They are German toys, that were discovered my by parents and older siblings when they lived in Germany at preschool age, and boy did my childhood benefit from that! They are the best thing to practice your imagination skills with. Now even more so because there are so many more scenes and setting available.
Check out the official US Playmobil website, and see what all is available, and then check out the prices on Amazon, definitely worth a gander. (They are also available at various stores like the Learning Center).
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_t?url=search-alias%3Dtoys-and-games&field-keywords=playmobil&x=0&y=0&tag=creatmadne-20
Oh, and what excites me is that when we were in the store the other day, there were some Playmobil toys for ages 1 1/2+. I do not have to wait until age 3 or older for my kid! Woohoo!! 
