Toys/games that kids play with for hours

[normaleggy]

Which toys or games do your kids play with for hours on end? I have 2 dc (dd5 & ds4) and I want to get them a few joint presents to go under the tree that they can share and will hopefully get good use out of.

I am already getting some lego and a marble run, any other ideas? DS already has brio trains that he loves so would also like a similar idea for dd too.

Thanks in advance..

I feel bad-my Ds (5) doesn't really play with 'toys' (never has) other than his wrestling figures.He likes drawing a lot and would happily play on electronic games (education city,apps on my phone,wii,Xbox etc- but obviously these are limited) or watch the likes of total wipeout/wrestling all day if I let him but otherwise with his toys I have to encourage him to play with them.For example today with his friend round I got out he marble run and he was getting in to playing with that but only for a limited time. Dd (2) on the other hand loves her dolls,happy land,playdoh and puzzles,play food/kitchen,dolls house and drawing.

DD 6 loves lego friends, sylvanians and polly pockets (the tiny ones). Also card dress-up books )lots in the works)

Ps3.

Zhu Zhu pets.

Wax tablet.

Den building set.

Cardboard boxes.

DD plays with samll figurs for hours, she has a box that has a load of different characters from the disney films, a few random McDonalds smurfs, playmobil people, mini lalaloopsy's etc ad she amuses herself for hours, she usually brings in her schleich dinosaurs and some happyland people too!

My 2 dds (3 and 6) love Hexbugs. They spend ages setting up track and watching them scuttle around.
The battle bridge set is currently half price at Toys R Us (£14.99). This is a good set for a joint present as it comes with 2 bugs.
Buy extra batteries though - you can packs of 10 cheap from Amazon

m.toysrus.co.uk/Toys-R-Us/Toys/Action-Figures-and-Playsets/Hexbug-Nano-Bridge-Battle-Set/0086212?searchPosition=

A range of Schleich animals/birds, a barn, some fencing and some trees.

DS1 has loads of these animals, which have cost a fortune, but the cost has been massively spread out as he spends his pocket money on them, has had some of them in an advent calendar, etc. I think the smaller ones are just as good as the larger ones.

He is 5.8 and plays rainforests, safari, farm, zoo etc for ages. Then all the animals go to school. Then they go on a class outing. Then on holiday. Then he makes a river out of whatever he can find and they start to drown and need rescuing. Etc ...

I would 100% recommend them.

A box of dominoes - mine built with them and used them to make parking spaces etc as well as actually playing dominoes

how about a castle? we had one a bit like this...
www.wonderlandmodels.com/products/le-toy-van-emerald-castle/

ds played with his for ages with boys and girls - we had some of the schleich figures and its been passed on through a few kids now- would recommend a wood one - we got off ebay in the first place as they last...

and meant people could get him figures/weapons etc for gifts - playmobil/lego/toy soldiers/teddy bears all took part in the great adventures we also used cardboard boxes for other castles..... so they could go visiting (by train of course the brio sneaked in too...)

Lego,playmobil and Sylvanian Families

Lego friends, design a friend and good old craft supplies.

My under 5s are devoted to...

pens, paper and boxes - drawing, sticking, cutting
play kitchen with wooden velcro food (Melissa & Doug), tea set, pots & pans.
Happyland
Duplo/lego
Sylvanian Families
Disney Princess figurines
Cars and trucks of every description
Trampoline
water & sand table
watering cans and bucket and spades
books - fiction and non-fiction
Usbourne sticker books
Doctor's medical kit
play piano (warning the 'concerts' are endless...)
soft toys for imaginary play.
playdoh
stamp sets
beads
jigsaws and puzzles
orchard games and other games
dress ups
hobby horse
ride on
scooters

Actually they play with all their toys all the time! They don't really play with traditional dolls. My youngest boy does occassionally but I would say that's the least played with toy. The dolls house is also used for storage as they make their own houses for the bookcase or boxes.

We only have one tiny thing of Playmobil which they do enjoy so I think I'm going for more of that for Christmas.