Present ideas for nearly 4 yo boy

[HappyAsEyeAm]

I need to think outside the box. DS is very lucky as he has loads of toys - his favourite is a wooden train set, which we bought second hand, and he has everything imaginable for that. I am finding Playmobil and lego too old for him at the moment (and although he still loves happyland and Duplo, we already have loads of this from ebay). DS has everything from ELC I think that is within the age group recommendation for him, and I would like to venture away from ELC onto things that everyone else I know hasn't got! Under £50, please, as they are suggestions for me to give to family members.

Since he has so many toys how about suggesting a trip somewhere to family members (e.g. cinema or soft play etc.)

v-tech camera is down to £30 in ASDA.
bike
scooter
remote control car
play doh
puzzles

Story CDs (my 4 year old DS1 is very into listening to these - esp ones interspersed with music)

CD player - either a kids one or a basic easy to use adult one

Books

Board games

Second the puzzles and play dough ideas

My DS1 loves Trio atm - it's a bit like Lego except you can play with what you make - the blocks click together and stay together. It is more basic than big kid lego but smaller blocks than Duplo - the key though is that you can run about with the "toy" you have made before pulling it apart and making something new. You can get sets from 5.99 up to about 35 pounds I think.

DS1 also wants a drum, a remote control car (but experience shows these are almost always a disappointment as they break) and a remote control dinosaur ...

We are getting DS a few boxes of wooden meccano.
He already plays a lot with the small amount we have.

ds2 (4 in feb) is obsessed with diggers and rubbish trucks.... has already got about 20 but has asked for yet more for xmas, he spends ages playing 'recycling', go figure

Camera is another good idea - either a kids one (but the quality tends not to be good enough to be worth making prints) or a basic but carefully chosen for ease of use adult one - both my older kids have been fine using basic point and shoot adult cameras from about 3.5 - 4 yo and they love using them.

My DS is just turned 4 and adores Lego and Playmobil - we'd be lost without it.

Junior Monopoly is a favourite here, as well as a toy electric guitar and a keyboard.

Does your DS have wooden roads that link in with his train set? Bigjigs have started doing this (available on Amazon and elsewhere). DS (3 1/2) is getting a starter set to go with his train set this Christmas.

Marble run? I'm on my phone so can't link, but I got a decent one from an eBay shop for about £18.99 - if you search for marble run super you'd find it.

I know you said that you find Lego/playmobil a bit old still but how about some of the Lego buckets aimed at 4 year olds? DS also has some playmobil sets that are quite manageable for his age (dolphin basin, children's zoo).

Cash register plus wooden play food/drinks for playing 'cafes'.

Might be worth searching bigjigs/Melissa and doug toys on Amazon/Play for a bit inspiration or have a look on GLYC then buy things cheaper elsewhere for some other elc alternatives.

GLTC not GLYC!

ds2 is 4 the week before Christmas, I think I posted something similar!

Someone suggested Imaginext which looks really good, he's getting playmobil from one set of Grandparents and a small casio keyboard from other
For his birthday he has some craft things, lego, he already has scooter and has just gone from balance bike to pedal bike so he's getting a new helmet

He loves his brothers leapfrog tag and books, I'd second digital camera too, ds loves dressing up and accessories (watch and braclets) cuddly toys - my Mum and Dad bought my boys Jofli Bear a couple of years ago, he's brilliant and fits all the bear factory clothes

oh someone suggested hexbugs - I'm tempted as they love their zhu zhu hamsters

Thanks so much for the ideas - just what I was after.

I have taken inspiration from the story CDs, woodn road links for the train set (DS will really enjoy that), Trio (never heard of this before, but I like the idea very much) and I will take a look at hexbugs. A marble run would be something he'd like too.

He already has a scooter and a bike (bike was a presents from my parents last Christmas and he has never been on it), loads of art and craft stuff, plenty of puzzles and Orchard Toys games, a CD player, some Imaginext (I am not a huge fan tbh as DS has barely looked at it) and some Playmobil (the swimming pool and paddling pool set is superb for his age if anyone else is looking for an idea), till etc.

I am going to keep the wooden meccano, junior monoploy and camera ideas for next Christmas as I think its something he'd get more out of then.

And I love Jolfi bear!!

WhatWouldLeoDo, In relation to the bigjigs road set that links in with the wooden rail track, what pieces do you use to actually link it in with the rail track please? Should I buy a level crossing, and do you need any particular size/shape road bits to slope up to and down from the level crossing?

Or am I making this too complicated?!

Why has he never been on his bike Happy ? Sorry of topic there! But it is one of the most used things my older 2 (6 and 4) own, and they have both pretty much outgrown their current ones and next size up is this years' main present, which they know and are very excited about (despite the 2 year age gap they are almost the same height - and girl - boy - so 4 yo doesn't get 6 yo's cast offs in general!).

If he can't ride a bike yet have you thought about a running bike? They are absolutely the best thing ever (well maybe not, but they are a splendid thing). My 4 yo grabbed his sister's running bike when she switched to her first "real" bike (and he also had a pedal tractor), then one day when he was only 2 and 9 months he just picked up her pedal bike - no stabilizers - and just rode off down the drive! Took me a minute to pick my jaw off the floor and give him a huge round of applause, but running bikes give them the balance and steering skills - you never have to teach them to ride a bike. Of course if you live in central London opportunities to practice may have to be sought out so it might not happen all on its own like it did where we live in the -arse end of nowhere- countryside :)!

Another present idea there though!

Running bike might be better known as a balance bike actually, sorry if I used the wrong term... (Its a Laufrad where we live... every kid gets one for their 2nd birthday and rides a regular bike before they turn 4; you never see stabilizers, they are redundant so haven't caught on).

off not of... tired...

HappyAsEyeAm - we've bought one of the bigjigs road level crossings to link it in but bridges to go over train tracks would work as would passing road under train bridges. We've not set up the roads yet (as for Christmas) but I've been happy with bigjigs rail products we've bought previously that fit fine with brio etc. If you do a search of 'bigjigs road and rail' on Amazon it should lead you to a big set which shows how the road and rail could connect.

Oh, if you buy the bigjigs road level crossing it had connecting bits that you can attach bigjigs road to - you can remove the slopes to connect the roads. Does that make sense (possibly over-explaining!)

5moreminutes - he is happiest on his scooter, and won't turn down his scotter in favour of anything else! He's also quite timid and definitely not very sporty, so I'm not surprised that he isn't ahead of the game in terms of wanting to ride a bike. A balance bike is a good idea though - maybe a sugestion for his birthday.

Leo - I am with it on the road and rail thing now! Thanks for the suggestion, its a really good one. I will definitely be getting the road level crossing and some road track and maybe some traffic lights and whatnot.