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Toys for 3.5 yo boy?

6 replies

shapes1 · 17/09/2021 20:00

He's autistic and doesn't say an awful lot. He loves being outside and sometimes he listens to books. He loves just creating tunnels etc with the sofa cushions. He loves building towers with duplo. He has a train table. Anything else I can do as I worry he's bored with all that? Don't want to give him an iPad

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OP posts:
Hotpot33 · 17/09/2021 21:23

Things we got for my son with similar interests:

(Over lockdown so we were desperate to entertain him)

Outside:
Jungle gym with swing and slide
Play house
Trampoline
Water table
Sandpit
Mud kitchen
Alphabet jigsaw foam mats
Numbered hope scotch foam mat
Giant bubbles
Grow your own garden (only slightly interested in that this year - ages 4.5)

In doors:
Stickle bricks
Magna tiles
Building blocks
Lego
Train sets
Jigsaws based on his favorite TV show at the time
Bubble machines

To be honest we bought him so much stuff because he needed entertaining. If he was happy building dens in the living room my husband would have been in his element.

We needed to focus on his proprioception sensory needs and also his desire for order (hence the building blocks and jigsaws)

shapes1 · 17/09/2021 22:02

We have a castle and slide outside and a water table. I'm thinking we need to invest more in building toys so he has duplicates so maybe stickler bricks like u say

OP posts:
shapes1 · 17/09/2021 22:04

Duplo not duplicates lol

We have a bubble machine too

OP posts:
Hotpot33 · 20/09/2021 21:00

Look into magna tiles too...can build loads with them xxx

Jannt86 · 21/09/2021 15:31

My 3.5YO has a small box of lego classic which she loves. If you trust him not to eat it you could progress to this. There's some brilliant lego rollercoasters etc that you can buy too which I bet he'd lovw. Is it brio trains he has? If so you could fill a lifetime's worth of gifts with additions to this collection. Tbh with my own I'm trying to stick with lego' dolls and sylvanian families as her 'core' toys as I genuinely think she is much more engaged and creative with her play if she doesn't have a million different toys distracting her if that makes sense. What about jigsaws too? I LOVE the orchard toys ones. We also have a shape puzzle toy which my LO loves which you can find on this link www.amazon.co.uk/Tangram-Montessori-Toddlers-Stacking-Educational/dp/B08FHTSB2F/ref=asc_df_B08FHTSB2F/?hvlocphy=1006674&linkCode=df0&hvptwo&psc=1&hvnetw=g&hvadid=463072851119&hvpone&hvlocint&hvpos&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl&hvqmt&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&hvtargid=pla-978746805084&hvrand=1155040539458715747 Very cheap but so effective and different levels of challenge so will keep them amused for years. Good luck x

GenericUsername101 · 22/09/2021 03:57

If he's keen on building you could get him some Mobilo, it's really good for open ended creativity, my 3yo and 4yo both love it.

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