Birthday present ideas for 4yr old DD - help please

[Sonnet]

I have searched the site but drawn a blank...- My dd2 will be 4 at the end of the month and I am deperate for pressi ideas for her - the trouble with being a DD number 2 is that we have many things dd's of that age like.
Would really like to get her a wooden play house for the garden but DH has vetoed that because of "lack of cash" . She dosn't ask for anything (except a disney princess toothbrush) and I daren't ask her because I'm sure she will ask for a play house....
The market stall in ELC looked good - can anybody vouch for that.
Is a "play kitchen" too young for her (we had a an old one that was thrown away before DD2 realy used it!
Help much appreciated as just spent 2 hours trawling the internet to no avail!

[littlemissbossy]

A play kitchen would be fine, my ds has one and loves it!
Also, a leapfrog leapad is good for a 4 year old, if she hasn't got one

[marialuisa]

My DD is coming up for 4 but doesn't have an older sister's toys to benefit from!

I don't think a play kitchen would be too young personally,DD still plays with hers regularly but others might disagree.

At the moment DD loves Groovy Girls, anything "arty", board games and poetry books. Is there anything your girls already have that you could add to? Sylvanian families or something?

Does she have a pop-up tent thing, I've seen a disney princess castle version? Not quite a wooden playhouse but similar (cheaper!) lines.

[Sonnet]

Thanks LMB and ML - yes we have a disney pop up castle in bedroom...
Leappad might be an idea
We "added" to things at Christmas!! - that is the additional issue, a birthday SO close to Christmas

Any recommendations for a kitchen?

[motherinferior]

My dd1 will be four in a couple of weeks. She's flooded with toys from Christmas so it's arty stuff and clothes for her, I think.

[marialuisa]

How big do you want it and how much do you want to spend?

DD has a smallish wooden one from Pintoys but it was quite pricey. The current ELC version doesn't seem as robust as the old one (old one now available from Argos for about £20 less, made by Berchet). my mum has the old version ELC for dsis and that seems pretty good and quite compact.

[Sonnet]

OOH - didn't know pintoys did one - we have a pintoys farm and a dolls house - fab quality!! - I'll checl out the website
Yes, the ELC ones did seem flimsy which was why I asked....

[Sonnet]

Oh no!
Pimtoys do soem fantastic ones - the website i used said either OUT OF STOCK or not available until March!
I am just doomed...
DH wants to re-organize garden before he commits to wooden play house!!!
I feel like I'm just spending money for the sake of it at the moment....

I so so need some inspiration! - help please

[Sonnet]

bumpity bump - active conversations are moving so fast....
What do your 4 to 5 yr old DD's LOVE!!

[bundle]

dd1's favourite things are; her dressing up clothes (current fave is barbie swan lake outfit from woollies when they were 2 for 1), her angelina ballet tunes cd, plastic bouquets (from pound shop) to throw on stage after her performances (do you see a theme developing here? ) and the trampoline we got for her and dd2 (a "double" tp one, from john lewis, has a handle iykwim). oh and her ballet dvd (firebird, petrushka and scheherezade).

[babster]

Dd1 (nearly 5) loves My Little Pony - the castle is half price in Argos at the moment.

[purpleturtle]

My first thought was a Leappad. Dd (4 in April) had one for Christmas, and so popular is it that ds has just had one for his 2nd birthday to keep the peace. As I write, he's looking at Winnie-the-Pooh on his. Hours and hours of fun, and not much space taken up.

[mum28]

How about a puppet show?.I got DDs one from argos.It was half price.We got it for about a tenner,it was half price.These are good fun.

[frogs]

We were very skint for dd1's 4th birthday, and we put together a princess dressing up kit for her. She had two very grand sparkly bridesmaid dresses that I'd bought 2nd hand, a selection of shiny necklaces acquired from various sources, some bangles, old clip-on earrings etc etc. Hours of fun, for us in putting it together, and for her in playing with it. Lots of the stuff is still on the go six years later, and ds (now 5) has been known to get kitted up in the dresses and come downstairs looking very coy...

[Sonnet]

what a great idea frogs

I "loved" making the puppet theatre for the DD's at Xmas - don't know who has/had the most fun!!

In fact, if I had to think of the best pressi they ever had it would be that ( and it cost me all of 12.52p - without puppets of course!)

Artstuff always goes down well

I think I just feel sad as I know I cannot get her what she really wants so am making too much of it all when she would be happy with another dressing up outfit from wollies (sleeping beauty) and some arty things!

[poppyknot]

Friend of mine for DD 4 'made up' a shop' DH made some basic shelves and then they bought bits and pieces; ELC has scales etc and John Lewis has good bags of fruit etc. YOu can also use your own empty boxes. Maybe for a DD you could add beads, etc

You can add to this on subsequent B'days....

[GreatBigFatHeiferEnid]

My just-turned 5 year old is moving away from the pink, princessy stuff and is now into music in a big way.

But last year and this year her fave presents were: dressing up stuff, my little pony stuff, arty stuff, Hama beads, a bike, barbie skates, a cd player, jewellery and hair stuff, books...I think last year she really wanted a My Little Pony Celebration Castle (which she didnt get ) and a Baby Annabel (which she didnt get either ).

[flashingnose]

Does it have to be a wooden playhouse? Someone is selling a plastic one here

Otherwise, kitchen is a great idea. We got a secondhand one for dd2 (aged 20 months) for Christmas and bought new the pots etc to go with it. DD1 (aged 4) has played with it non-stop .

[Sonnet]

Thanks enid and flashing nose
I love the shop idea and the ELC scales are great!

Flashing nose - was only thinking of a wooden one as it might get more milage ie DD1 who is 8 would love it too and then when older it could turn into a sort of den.
DH has agreed to get them one with his bonus in the summer - he wants to re-organise the garden first and have the spare cash - he says if we get it now it will have no where to go and end up just dumped in the garden rather than part of the garden (his words!) - and we can ill-afford the cash this month!!. A friend has offered us their old plastic playhouse but DH is adament that he wants to "sort" the garden first!! - but thankd=s for finding it anyway, much appreciated!

[Sonnet]

Thanks all of you for your ideas - much apprecaited
Will let you know we we do!!

[frogs]

You can make very good temporary playhouses out of large cardboard boxes -- go to a store selling fridge freezers or similar. You can cut doors and windows in with a Stanley knife, and decorate using leftover bits of paint. If you use gloss or eggshell, the whole structure lasts quite a while. For maximum long life, throw a motorbike tarpaulin over it when weather is bad. Dh last year made a very complicated castle-type structure with towers etc for ds's birthday party, and it lasted all summer.

[Grommit]

4yo might be a bit old for a play kitchen? My dd does not bother with hers now but then she has had it since she was 2. What about a scooter or rollerskates?