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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

what will your 4 year old boy be getting this christmas?

35 replies

omama · 16/08/2014 20:41

DS keeps saying he wants the Lego Chima lion temple for Christmas. The recommended age range for this toy is 8-14 so although he likes playing with the little figures, at 4.4 I feel he is still way too young to really make the most of it.

So in need of alternative ideas for a main pressie - does anyone care to share what their little boy is into / would like this year?

OP posts:
PourquoiTuGachesTaVie · 16/08/2014 20:49

Playmobil castle
Generic Lego (not a set just more bricks to replace those that have gone up the Hoover)
Board games - draughts and guess who
Jigsaws
More wooden track/trains
Play doh dumper truck thingy

I haven't asked him specifically what he wants yet as he will change his mind a million times anyway.

youbethemummylion · 16/08/2014 20:50

DS2 is 4.4 he wants a skateboard, a Power Ranger sword and some Turtles figures. He will be getting the Power Rangers sword and the Turtles figures. He will not be getting a skateboard! With Lego it really depends DS1 used to happily follow the picture instructions and pass the bits so actually DH made most of his models which he proudly displayed in his room so he had the quite complicated kits. DS2 however would want to do it all himself so he wont be getting any Lego he cant do himself

FixItUpChappie · 16/08/2014 20:53

oooh great topic! I'm already thinking about it and ours has a winter b-day too....

I am considering getting mine one of the larger switch and go dinosaurs.

He would be thrilled though to get yet another truck.....he told me in detail yesterday that he would like "a truck that can pull a digger on its flatbed" - when did lean to speak like that?! Grin

I want to get him play mobile, and am sure he'd LOVE it....but I'm worried about our toddler and all those little bits.

FixItUpChappie · 16/08/2014 20:53

oh, mine also really wants a scooter

FixItUpChappie · 16/08/2014 20:56

pourqoui - my son has the playdough recycle truck - it was a big hit and it's used a lot.

PourquoiTuGachesTaVie · 16/08/2014 21:36

That's good to know fixit Smile he's obsessed with bin lorries and has 2 (complete with wheelie bins) which he had played with solidly for a couple of years now, so when I saw the play doh one I thought he might like it.

Re playmobil pieces - all the small parts for all our playmobil is in a separate box as ds is more interested in the actual main item anyway. Standing on small playmobil parts hurts almost as much as Lego. Hmm

WhatWouldTheDoctorDo · 16/08/2014 23:59

DS loves lego chima, but even though he's pretty good at lego building he needs a bit of help with it at age 6. The online lego store has some chima fancy dress stuff though.

I'd second playmobil, generic lego and/or age appropriate sets. Imaginext also quite popular - castle, fire station, batcave etc.

pukkabo · 17/08/2014 07:30

Because I have two younger DC than 4 year old DS I can't really get him toys with smaller parts or things like jigsaws with bits that would end up in mouths or end up getting lost sadly Sad. Maybe next year when youngest is 3 it will be different!

All DS has said he wants is a big dinosaur. He's currently dinosaur obsessed so I'm getting him a big walking, talking dinosaur. Last year I went down the Happyland route for the eldest two but the doors always bloody fall off and I don't actually know where half of the figures are now so utterly pointless. I got a big box of megabloks last year too, they've been played with a handful of times but are scattered in various places throughout the house... Last year was actually a massive fail. I got DS a big wooden garage for his cars that he never touched, a mat for his cars that is now only used when they're all 'building a den' Hmm. A baby born for DD and an Ergo doll carrier, neither were touched.

This year I'm at a bit of a loss. They all love books so I'll definitely get them some more books even though they already have 1000. They'll get the main present that they've all asked for, the 'big present' if you like. I am getting DS two board games to play with DH or I when other one is playing separately with DDs for 1-1 time. I'm thinking of getting DS the leapfrog things to help him learn to read. Then just practical boring gifts of things they need. They got big garden toys for birthdays so don't need them and they don't ask for anything in particular other than that one big present. I'm also worried of a repeat of last year where money is basically wasted. Difficult one this year!

fuzzpig · 17/08/2014 07:39

Could you get him one of the smallest (and cheapest!) chima sets? There seem to be some for under a tenner on amazon. That way it's not going to be a huge waste if he can't do it, and as a smaller set it should be a bit easier.

fuzzpig · 17/08/2014 07:48

As for DS (will be five in a couple of weeks, but quite young for his age) the main gift is shared with his big sister, the playmobil pyramid. He's getting the pirate ship for his birthday.

Also thinking of getting them a cardboard playhouse or similar to colour in, maybe some kind of school or shop play set. Other than that, board games.

GrossMeister · 17/08/2014 07:50

Oh and he will of course be getting some lego :o most likely something vehicle-ish

Original poster
omama · 17/08/2014 08:16

Thanks for all the replies. I wouldnt normally be thinking about it so early but dc2 will be arriving just before christmas so want to be super organised incase she puts in an early appearance! Its so tricky deciding Confused

He's getting a trampoline for his upcoming birthday. He got a balance bike last birthday & is only just getting the hang of it now so he's not ready for a proper bike yet (& isnt really interested either).

His favourite things to play with have always been figure sets. He got quite a bit of playmobil last christmas (emergency vehicles, swimming pool & dinosaur sets). He has tons of generic lego (handed down by dh) plus duplo/megablocks already & during the year we sold a load of his baby toys so he could get the imaginext batcave, which he does play with quite a bit so I guess theres always the option to expand on that.
He also really likes Octonauts so maybe we should look at adding to that too.

Fuzzpig - he already has a lot of the small chima sets - he loves them & did help dh to build them but his attention span is nowhere near long enough to tackle the lion temple. Its been discontinued now too so kinda worried if we don't get it now we won't be able to in future either.Hmm

Only other thought I'd had was a leappad/innotab type thing or a ds which he would love, but I'm still unsure about whether he's too young for that - call me old fashioned but I much prefer seeing kids outside or doing imaginitive play than staring at computers - though I guess its the way the world is going....

Decisions decisions!

OP posts:
GrossMeister · 17/08/2014 09:11

My first post didn't appear for some reason. I'd said DS is getting some books, and bricks (I know that sounds young but he is obsessed with building) and probably some new stuff for his wooden train set like some new bridges.

GrossMeister · 17/08/2014 09:12

FWIW I wouldn't get him an innotab or that kind of thing. I must be old fashioned too Wink

Hanginggardenofboobylon · 17/08/2014 09:16

I bought DS lego when he was just 4 even though he was too young according to the age on the box. Of course he could not build it himself but he could play with it like a play set. He is now nearly five and is becoming more dexterous with repairing things himself. He wants the chima temple for Xmas this year and I think I will get it for him. I figure he will get more years out of it getting it early. I think it would be different if he has a younger sibling who could lose the bits and break it up but as an only he really looks after his lego and plays with it all loads. If you are concerned he is too young perhaps get him some lego city stuff and some of the more simple figures/sets from Chima?

WhatWouldTheDoctorDo · 17/08/2014 11:22

OP, by the time he's old enough to tackle a big chima set I bet there'll be something newer to catch his eye if my 6 year old is anything to go by!Wink

The new lego arctic sets are good, and if he likes his batcave, then the imaginext castle might be worth a look - loads of figures and accessories to go with it.

Fcukfifa · 17/08/2014 18:56

My ds will be 5 in Oct, will probably get him the Disney infinity marvel superhero game thingy (not even sure if that's what it is called!)
He does like computer games Blush He does still do lots of imaginative play with his younger brother who has just got into trains.

Today I have bought him a little lego movie lego pack. I hope he starts to get more into lego so that would be Xmas sorted.

Other than that I haven't a clue

Purplehonesty · 17/08/2014 19:07

I've bought ds the elc tower of doom which is a big wooden castle with drawbridges and towers etc.
Then a huge bag of knights and horses and other stuff.
I hope he likes it - I got it in the sale ages ago so I tucked it away.
He is also having some Spider-Man pjs, t shirts and pants and the Spider-Man DVDs.
He is a nightmare to buy for as he never wants anything and I have to guess
Last year was the playmobil police station and it has been played with every day since (when its not in one million pieces!)

eastmidswarwicknightnanny · 17/08/2014 19:14

Omama if u can get to a boots all the gups were reduced to £4.50 which is amazing as normally £12-16 each we had them all other than a gup b with shark which we were lucky to get this was last weekend. Also got the squid bath thingy reduced to£4 so that's part bday present as he is 4 next Mon.

We also have number 2 arriving end Nov

Xmas will be some playmobil, prob the new octonauts stuff coming out n some Spiderman bits. Usually get some puzzles n games if on offer.

Orchard toys games n puzzles r good. (Easy to play one handed also whilst feeding baby)

Original poster
omama · 17/08/2014 21:16

hanginggarden this is exactly how ds plays with his lego - just as a playset, I guess at least it'll have longevity as the building & rebuilding is something that will come in time. We talked about it some more today & I think we will probably buy it.

whatwouldthedoctordo - yes probably! They soon latch onto something else don't they!

ooh thanks eastmidswarwicknightnanny I'll take a look! He's got a couple of the gups already but there's a couple more he'd really like too.

OP posts:
WhatWouldTheDoctorDo · 17/08/2014 22:26

Omama - what's the new octonauts stuff that's coming out? Could be ideal for DN.

kd73 · 17/08/2014 22:38

Last year we bought the tomica train from Amazon, very reasonably priced and runs with battery operated trains. For any train mad kids, it's been perfect for a 4 year old!

Blueuggboots · 17/08/2014 22:43

I got my DS (3.6) the talking mac from disney cars last Christmas - it was full of disney cars. He has played with it and the cars LOADS.
I also got him the play doh recycle truck and I was a bit Hmm about it - don't work very well spitting the bits out IYSWIM. He got the Dr Drill play doh set which he has played with loads.
His favourite pastime at the moment is scouring the Argos catalogue for toys!!

chanie44 · 18/08/2014 06:19

We haven't decided what to get our 4 year old yet, as we are waiting to see what he likes when he starts school. My ideas:

Scooter - he has a jake and the never land pirates one, but I think he may think it babyish when he starts school.

Lego - I bought a set in asda recently which is a nice starter kit.

Spider-Man - he wants the gloves that shoot webs.

eastmidswarwicknightnanny · 18/08/2014 08:49

Doctor- gup s n gup o are now out n newest ones.