Best Lego set for a 4yo...

[purplewerepidj]

Argh, it's all my fault!! DNephew came to visit in the summer holidays and has taken a liking to my Lego (carefully saved from when I was a child and dug out so i could play with it again to amuse him)

He's asked for some for Christmas, because obviously mine lives at my house. However, mine is all 20 something years old and was bought for me.

He particularly liked my pirate island (with tree, parrot, working canon and shark), is there anything like that available nowadays? I'm worried about the consequences for my bank account if I'm allowed on the Lego site without supervision...

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What's your budget?

There is a pirate series, great pirate boat but it's about £80

My 4yo ds has just discovered lego too. For xmas gparents are getting him just the basic starter set! This way hes got all the basic bits to start off with and can add to it bit by bit!
We got the little sets from the sun last week and built them and tbh i think they're just a bit to fiddlely and not quite durable enough for small hands.
They broke, ds cried, i got sick of putting the bloody things back together, and bits got lost!!
Basic box is the way to go to start with!

I like the Lego creator series as they're normally three things in one.

www.amazon.co.uk/LEGO-Creator-5770-Lighthouse-Island/dp/B004OT2QLO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1319056874&sr=8-1

www.amazon.co.uk/LEGO-Creator-5766-Log-Cabin/dp/B0042HOTXQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=kids&ie=UTF8&qid=1319056916&sr=1-1

pirates

Ooh, pirate boat I have the little island with a rowing boat, raft, tree, treasure chest etc. I'd love a big boat!

I'm kind of hoping someone will get me the Beetle/Camper for my birthday (30 next month) but I very much doubt it'll actually happen

I think he probably will get a boring starter bucket this year then i can be more imaginative and convince DP to spend more money in the future I was hoping there'd be something a bit more interesting/themed than "just" a bucket of bricks - he's not quite there with the "make it up as you go along" style of playing

Ds son loves building strange towers and calling them helicopters , i think it must encourage their imagination!

Ooh, i've emailed the pirate link to DP, Viva - perfect but probably too expensive

I'm sure I got a whole police station with light-and-sound police car for about £40 when I was younger

I'm desperate for the t1 camper van. I already have the motorhome, the big Harry potter castle, the Xmas village set and a big creator house.

I've got the current Lego catalogue by me and has a fab pirate boat, The Black Pearl for £85 but can't find it on their website.

Ive just had a look at the pirate link!!
Stuff the boring starter box!! Get the boat!!!!

I do like this one though and it might be more suitable for an only just 4yo? (I don't have any experience of kids that young, hence the need for advice on here!)

There is a small pirate themed set with some instructions & ideas which was about £8 if I remember correctly (tho bought a year or so ago). Makes a little ship, shark & treasure chest & has 1 minifigure. Was a little add on to DS1's basic bricks but has been well played with by DS2 (3.5yr) who has discovered Lego in the last week or so! He likes more imaginative play than DS1 (who is more into the star wars sets & following instructions than being creative).
Have fun choosing a set anyway

Viva what shows are you doing next year and please will you bring the lego? I'll babysit in return

Electric, that sounds awesome - I could get him several of those! Where do I look to find links?

Does he like lightening McQueen?

www.sainsburys.co.uk/sol/shop/toys_and_games/cars2/122074788_lego_cars_2_ultimate_build_lightning_mcqueen.html?hnav=4294904799

sainsburys have a half price toy sale next Thursday but stuff goes very fast, especially Lego.

Sorry am no good at links on my phone. But sure they r on Lego site under the basic bricks section. They do a castle 1 too. Pirate one is set number 6192, I kept the box for the pictures so the kids (and me!) could remember what it made

The Lego pirate building set has been discontinued so now more expensive. Lego sets become collectable as they become rarer.

www.amazon.co.uk/LEGO®-6192-Pirate-Building-Set/dp/B001CQRS1K

Don't worry, electricgem - I'm grateful for all help! I just don't want to get sucked into googling it myself because I'll just buy everything, then DP will shout at me for spending several hundred pounds on Lego when there's a gas bill to pay

Looks like I'll have to talk DP into that ship fast then, Viva, while it's still under £30!

He's surprisingly not into the Cars films particularly - I think it's because he has regular access to my Bug, our T3 and his mum's Ghia! He insisted on watching Ghostbusters every night he stayed last time though and i didn't realise how much bad language there is in that film til too late

God please don't get a 4 year old a complicated fiddly small lego kit. The parents will hate you.

Either go for a basic bucket as you said - or even duplo.

We have that lego pirate set and even my meticulous 6 yr old got fed up before the end.

(Now 7yr old) DS1 got lots for his birthday but 4.5 yr old DS2 would never finish one of those models and neither do any of the other 4-5 yr olds I know.

[stands back and waits for all the parents of G&T children to tell me how their DC were making those kind of models in their cot]

Oops sorry, just saw that it is now only castle, car, town, or construction sets for £8 ish. I should have checked that b4 typing
Some good starter sets tho and having a minifigure is a plus . . .
I'm just gutted that DS1 built his last star wars set without me. I was so looking forward to helping/taking over

No flames from me!!

He's already got a bit fed up of the big Duplo-type stuff we got him last year. SIL has pretty much said he's ready for Lego, especially as he enjoyed mine so much. He's coming for half term, so I'll try and do a proper assessment of what he's actually capable of doing for himself (instead of me helping him) and buy him something appropriate!

He's been doing 100+ piece jigsaws reliably since last Christmas, which is why Lego seemed like a suitable extension - plus it'll develop his imagination...

The book people have a Lego ideas ooh for £5 so you could get him that a bucket of bricks.

My 4yo nephew would do those lego sets ok with some parental help. But that's what I love about Lego, doing it together. Though I guess if the parents aren't into Lego then they won't find it fun.

He sounds like he'll love a starter set. My youngest loves the mini figs and changing their hair etc. Hope your nephew (&you too!) have fun with his gift

That's the other worry - DNiece is 6 and has autism, so takes a lot of attention. Therefore I need something he'll enjoy without constant input from SIL

Purple did you ever have the Pirate boat (the smaller one) ? We have sevearl of the pirate sets and instructions but not for the boat