...to feel frustrated at the lack of worthwhile and interesting toys for 3 yr old boys?

[MsKalo]

My DS will be three soon and I am constantly on the look out for some toys for him as he is at that - what I think is - funny age where baby toys are no good, but more big boy toys are too old for him! Does this make sense to you ladies?!

I want to find some good toys that he will enjoy playing with, maybe interactive ones, I don't know - just some bloomin' toys suitable for a curious, easily bored 3 yr old boy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


HELP! ANY SUGGESTIONS/LINKS/SUPER FINDS WELCOME!

THANK YOU X

[mapoftheworld]

Oh god theres loads.

Marble run?
Happyland?
Who knows whose nose? (fab game from ELC)
castle and knights?
Farm animals?
Duplo?
Train set?

[Meglet]

Not sure if it helps but DS loves Duplo, just be warned you will probably end up spending ££££ on it, even the second hand stuff costs a few quid.

The ELC have a range of build it toddler 'mecanno' sets which he has had for almost 2 years and it still gets played with.

My DS also likes play-doh, drawing and playing in the garden, he has spades and buckets and happily digs in the mud.

[ForMashGetSmash]

I have a DD who will be three in March...she likes paydoh best...a lod of cutters and her oven...her little friends both boys are 2 and 3 and when they visit they play with her cooker and pans and wooden food for hours.

The little boys also have onee of those garages with cars that whiz down a slopey thing..they adore that.

[LadyLatherOfIndecision]

magnifying glass, prism, balancing scales, telescope/binoculars, tape measure

[nannynick]

I've just been doing Xmas shopping and finding suitable toys for boys, or girls is really hard.

For the 3 year old I nanny, I have resorted to Talking Thomas - as he spotted them in the garden centre and took a liking to them. Also his current interest is dinosaurs - so have got the complete Land Before Time DVD collection. Have also got a small Bouncy Ball... the small things can be the best presents sometimes.

If you are looking for second hand toys - he may love Big Loader. Digger and Truck go around a track collecting small balls. There is also a Thomas the Tank Engine version.

[mamadiva]

I know what you mean I used to get really annoyed about this!

My DS is 4 and his favourite toys are-

Garage, Marble Run, Megabloks, Foam hopscotch puzzle, wheel along suitcase , playdoh and megasketcher.

[pintyblud]

I don't beleive it. There must be hunners of decent toys out there for 3 year olds (boys or girls, I don't see that sex matters).

[BornToFolk]

DS is just 3 and is starting to get into board games. I thought he'd be too young but there was a snakes and ladders type game in his Thomas magazine which he really liked. He got a proper Snakes and Ladders for his birthday and has really liked playing with it (especially when he wins!)

He also got Crazy Chefs which is great, and anther memory card game.

If you ever ask DS what he wants for a present, the answer will always be "car". His garage and cars are his favourite toys.

LadyLather, do you have a magnifying glass? DS was playing with some at a playgroup we went to and I wanted to get him one for Christmas but couldn't find any...

[PosieComeHereMyPreciousParker]

Brio trains?

[LionOnTheFloorInAPoolOfBlood]

Just bought my 1 year old DS a wooden garage, 3 year old DD is merrily playing with it as we speak.

Play kitchens and shops good at this age - can get some nice calculating tills which help them with numbers

Mini Micro scooters & balance bikes are good

Brio-type railway also gets a lot of play (have the cheap IKEA version). And Duplo of course, DD is getting the Toy Story 3 set for Xmas

Walkie talkies and binoculars also on DDs wish list

Both of mine like getting the Aquadraw mat out too

[cockles]

Own sellotape dispenser. Sorted.

[LionOnTheFloorInAPoolOfBlood]

Ha, that reminds me cockles - one of DDs favourite pastimes is playing with a vast box of plasters I got from the poundshop! I was so sick of her hassling me for plasters for every tiny imagined scratch that she got her own box. Her knees now have plasters on more often then not, but she has stopped hassling me . It did require a bit of training on where to put all those little bits of paper, but we've got that sorted now

[pranma]

Wooden train set is best toy ever also running bike,playmobil,Duplo,castle with knights,farm with animals,junior space hopper,wheelbarrow and gardening tools etc etc.

[Tikkabillajive]

Gawd, I'm finding it hard to narrow down the list for my nearly 3 yr old boy!

There are already loads of good ideas on here but hits with my boy (although I honestly don't think his interests differ much from my dd when she was the same age) include:

Likeabike (most treasured and adored possession!)
Ikea kitchen and lots of pans and play food
Duplo
Garage and cars (he likes the Disney ones with faces on)
Dolls house
Playmobil
Wooden railway
Playdough
Dressing up (although he likes the princess dresses/tutus best and ignores the stereotypical boy stuff)
Drawing
Sticker books
Elefun
Small plastic farm and jungle animals (Schleich are the best but any others will do)
Small plastic dinosaurs
Dolls pushchair
Toy Story Woody
Roaring dinosaur head on a stick from Natural History Museum
Popgun
Binoculars
Dynamo cow torch
Disco light
Wheely suitcase

Things we've got or are thinking of for Christmas/birthday include:
Mini Micro scooter
Dinosaur track from ELC
Marble run
Morphibian remote control car
Swimming goggles
Umbrella
Grabber
Ukulele

[Tikkabillajive]

OMG have just realised what a ridiculously long list of toys that is

[pintyblud]

Oh yes, a torch! Great present for 3 year old.

[GoingLoopy]

For indoors Lego (duplo and small lego). Any kind of railway, we have the duplo one but ILs have wooden one (can get one in IKEA) and they love that as well. My younger boys LOVE cars, trucks, diggers, cranes, ds1 wasn't interested. ALso agree kitchen - they all play with that. Farmyard with animals. DS1 loved (and still loves) dressing up dts aren't intersted. Wooden building blocks (we have a cheap version of Kapla). They have also started getting into playmobile - very expensive but if you choose a theme you can get people to buy the smaller packs for presents. Take along Thomas trains (they love adding the carriages).

I wouldn't worry too much about geting things a little bit old for him, he will now grow into the very quickly.

[MsKalo]

thank you all! i didn't mean t sound as if he hasn't got [loads] of things already - i think he is just reallllllllllly fussy and easily bored x