Great toys to buy for Christmas

[cloutiedumpling]

I read the other thread and realised that I'd bought most of the toys listed there, so I thought it'd be nice to have ideas from other mnetters about toys that'd be good to buy for the DCs. Ones that'd be played with every day and would last for years so I don't make any more expensive mistakes!

My first suggestion for other people is the duplo Thomas the Tank train set. We've had it for years and it has had a lot of play but is still in great condition. Also, the pieces are chunky enough that even kids aged 3 or so can put the tracks together without needing adult help.

Lego
playmobil

Ds + games keeps them entertained for hours

DVDs - ditto

iPhone 4 for older teens

I really like imaginext stuff. Hard wearing but still clever in its design.

And books of course

Roald Dahl , other classics

Ds1 loves GUESS WHO and we play that quite often. I got a bonus last year from work and spent the lot on plastic shit for the DCs most of which was binned by February.

Marking place on thread as I need some ideas for this year on a smaller budget!

I don't get Playmobil but people on here rave about it. DS2 got a castle last year which took me fecking hours to set up. It stayed set up for about a day and has remained unplayed with and dismantled in its box since then!

Lego duplo and the small lego. Brio or similar train sets. Oh and I have just discovered 'where's wally' books. Awesome!!

I don't get playmobile either. I'd rather spend my money on lego. I may be wrong though.

Oh yes my ds spends hours playing with his star wars , dr who, Harry potter figures - he's 8

What about the ELC Happyland sets? DD1 has loads of Duplo and was thinking of getting her happyland - good idea or not?

Duplo, lego, brio, sylvanians. Good quality wooden kitchen and cosy coupe car.

I would say no to crappyland :-)

Happyland and Duplo - we have Happyland car track and Duplo train track as well and they are played with together - duplo creations on the Happyland track, Happyland people playing in Duplo castles etc. Then onto little Lego and Playmobil. Wooden train track as well - DH makes a be one every week.

I don't much like happy land either. My dd has some but lego duplo gets played with more.
Dr sues books are another great find.

Lego.

A character they like. My DS got the Octonauts Octopod playset as his main present last year and he's played with it consistently since, in fact he's plaing with it now!

Take along thomas track has been the gift that keeps on giving here. Doesn't need batteries, hard wearing. DS has been adding to his collection for 6 years now (he's 8) and he still loves it and plays with it.

Other ideas: dressing up stuff, books, snakes and ladders, bingo , dominoes (for games and rallies to knock down), ELC marble run.

We've got loads of Happyland, the zoo stuff and funfair and DD who is 15 months has just discovered it so for the last couple of weeks DS1 and DS2 aged 5 and 4 have spent most of the day playing it with her.

Ok then, DD is 2 in 5 weeks. She loves the ikea play kitchen and has some food and play utensils and she likes to make dinner for her toys while I'm making our dinner. She loves her little tikes cosy coupe. She loves baby doll type things though she doesn't have many [she's getting a baby in April, when I am due DC2]. She does like the fisher price noah's ark. Stickle Bricks see more action than duplo [but they hurt like feck when she sneaks one in your slippers]. Aquadoodle seems to hit the spot with her, as well. She loves play doh, she has a big box full of cutters, rolling pins and extruders, she will play for hours [I make my own dough as she loves to mix it up until it's the vile shade of brown]. The little tikes turtle sandpit with a lid is popular. I've de-sanded it and stuck it in the shed for the winter, when DD was little, we used it as a paddling pool as it is quite rigid, she can sit on the side and paddle her feet.

I've got no idea what to get her this year, I have bought her a few books. Of course a week later it's christmas, so I'm trying not to go to overboard. She's got a balance bike coming, but she won't be riding it until the spring as her legs aren't long enough yet. Shall be watching this thread for more ideas.

My SIL splashed out on playmobil/brio for her DD/DS and they just aren't interested. She tends to go a bit overboard though and spends a fortune on them. Also her children never liked anything my DD is into, they are so completely different.

Yes, you cannot go far wrong with Lego and Duplo.
Also agreeing with nice wooden kitchens (boys or girls), dressing up clothes, and toy theatres/puppets.

We're not fans of Playmobil (in many bits very quickly) or Happyland either.

We find the Playmobil vehicles and boats etc much better than the sets like the castle or school etc. The fire engine with the added RC unit has been played with for hours and hours over the past 2 years - with a trailer and a boat, without; on its way to an emergency, or just out doing routine jobs - you name it!

Ds 1 had this for his 7th birthday a few weeks ago and has played with it incessantly! It's a bit annoying but not too bad!

Lego is also good - not necessarily the sets that build a certain object as our ds's don't like thanking those apart so they become a pain to stiore.

The Imaginext space shuttle and all the Imaginext space accessories. Have been played with for 7 years!
Play doh sets still popular in our house after 7 years.
Lego.
My nephew has loved the Octopod playset!

Happy land is great. I think it's good to start with the track and/or road when children are small and add other things as the children become more imaginative.

I work in a reception class and Happy Land is one of the most popular activities.

Love imaginext too.

The Melissa & Doug folding castle is indeed ace :)
Lego and Duplo (bricks and other basics - not huge expensive sets)
Playmobil (not the fecking castle though)
Orchard Toys games & puzzles
Playdoh - yes a nightmare to get out of the carpet but massively popular in our house

Lego and K'Nex are fab construction toys.

My dd plays with her Moshi Monster figures for hours on end.

You can't go wrong with a good, varied dressing up box too.