Present for 3.5yr old

[2jamsandwiches]

Help!
I always get presents for children older than my own wrong, and I need advice!
I want to get something for a boy who is about 3.5, quite sensitive, not wild about running around, not into/encouraged into 'themed' stuff.
What did your 3.5 year olds like?

Have been thinking:

• Some kind of game, perhaps for outdoors?
• Books (what specifically?)

Oh, and it needs to be widely available/orderable online as I need it by the weekend. And not too big as has to be taken by hand on public transport with lots of other stuff!

Please! Help!

[Iklboo]

DS loves The Noisy Noisy Boo book (about monsters that make great funny sounds) - Amazon book

Harry & his bucketful of dinosaurs books

Supersoaker waterpistol (thanks DH)

[Amiable]

how about some craft -type things? Some coloured paper, stickers, glitter pens, sequins etc - may have to be a bit thoughtful if the parents are very houseproud, ie no loose glitter!

Tesco's (and surely other shops too!) do stickers which seem to be aimed at boys - airplanes, cars etc (please no posts about the boy/girl thing - my DD loves them too!)

DD is 3.5, so I KNOW they love them at this age!

[mrshedgehog]

ELC were doing tiger feet stilts - although might be too big they are light to carry. You could try other outdoor sports like egg and spoon race. My 3.5 year old and friends are all into dressing up at the moment - so doctors kit/outfit or fireman/police man,try ELC or Toys R us.

[NellieTheEllie]

Sticker books always seem to go down well with children around this age.
Waterstones have an offer on them at the moment, or try The Book People.
The Usbourne ones are great as they are story books that you can read and they put stickers on as you go along.
like this

[scaredofthegarden]

My just 4 year old is mad about the Usborne young puzzle books. Puzzle farm, puzzle school etc We have about ten of them and he'll do them over and over agains. Amazon do them. Bookpeople also do a similar type thing "planet of terror, castle of fear etc" in a pack of five for about a tenner.

Does require an adult to sit down with him and do them but have resulted in hours of fun at our house.

Kerplunk was also a hit and the Cranium hulabaloo game.

[2jamsandwiches]

oh, a waterpistol is a great idea!
The Usborne books look lovely too, but his family is v stretched just now, and something that they have to sit down and do with him for ages, not involving younger children, would probably be hard.
Any other ideas? baby woken up so I'm going shopping v shortly!

[scaredofthegarden]

duplo, mobilo, sticklebricks - building stuff basically

elc do something called big builder which is like a junior meccano set (quite big box though)

There's a matching memory game called red dog blue dog which is available in John lewis. v small box.

my 4 and 2 year old play the cranium hulabalooo game together very happily.