I have literally no clue what to get my nearly-6yo DS

[Amateurseamstress]

What do other boys his age like to play with?

DS is utterly obsessed with monopoly ATM but he will be on to a new obsession by Christmas hopefully. Before monopoly it was chess, before chess it was Top Trumps. I would like to inspire him towards something that he'd love, but that has a bit more common currency with his classmates.

He does some imaginative play but has no interest in cars, trains or dressing up so playdates can be a bit tricky!

Sounds like he likes board games so pictionary, jenga, twister?

My nearly 6 year old will has these on the list (his list and mine)

Lego
Meccano
Lots of books esp science, factual and poetry
Marvel bedding and posters
Marble maze
Minecraft stuff
CDs
Science experiments
Magic tricks
Football boots and gloves
Wetsuit
Fishing kit

There is no obvious big present as he has a bike, scooter, games console etc

If he likes boardgames, then I will suggest what I believe to be one of the most brilliant toys on the market - the Lego board games.

The child has to build the game board before they play, the box it comes in is big enough to house the completed game (so you don't have to build the board fresh every times), the game itself is quite fun, and if you lose bits you can just replace it with a bit of lego, because lego. When they are thoroughly bored of the game, you are left with ...a box of lego. There is no downside.

Another nice thing is that after you have played it the stated way a few times, your kid can develop the game board and rules into something else - the instructions actively encourage this.

There's some very simple, small ones, but your DS sounds like he's get on better with the biggest board games they make.

I have a six year old who doesn't fit the mould too. Spiderman, Ben 10, Sylanders and things like that are apparently the in things for 6 or so year old boys. And Lego, in a huge way. And minecraft. But mine isn't remontely into any of them.

What about games like Connect 4, Guess Who, Operation etc?

Other ideas - hexbugs, a marble run, any of the science experiments kits, a magic set, meccano?

Ds (5) loves games and he is having Star Wars battle of hoth Lego game for christmas.

We also have these games already which he loves:

Jurassic wars dice game
Dobble
Lost valley of the dinosaurs (had to get second hand off eBay)
Dino hunt dice game
Lego city alarm game

He's having a few more games for christmas, including the Lego Star Wars one and catan jr.
He's having books too.

He does play with toys but not that many of them - as you can see from my list he's inteterested in Star Wars and dinosaurs but tbh he has enough toy related things of both of those.

We're also getting him a bug collecting and identifying kit and was wondering about the snap circuits jr as he's interested in electricity and how things work. Might your ds like that?

Books wise Robert sabuda does some truly amazing pop up books on lots of subjects so look him up if you don't have any of his books.

Star Wars hasbro have released a new line of toys which are like the little army men but based on Star Wars characters. You can line them up and then fire vehicles into your opponant's side. Might he like those? Ds loves his.

It's tricky I appreciate, my ds has had loads of toys over the years and has played with very few. He has specifically asked for board games and books this year which will in all likelihood get the most use anyway.

Is he joining Beavers? Mine is getting his Beaver uniform, then cap, camp blanket etc as stocking fillers.

Sabuda link for dino book but he does lots of others too:

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/0744586909/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?qid=1412596972&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX110_SY165

Jurassic wars dice game - we've played this for hours and hours and hours. It's great!

www.dicemaestro.com/dinosaur-game/jurassic-wars.asp

Star Wars command set (can get other bigger / smaller sets too)

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00HX8QRFO/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1412597096&sr=8-1&pi=SX200_QL40

You lot are brilliant! Thank you for all these ideas.

He does love board games, but he ends up playing them against himself a lot of the time as his big sister is bored of sodding monopoly more interested in reading and although DH or I play with him every day, it tends to be only at bedtime. So we will get one or two, but non-game ideas are particularly useful. The electric circuits, sabuda books and lego game sound like out and out winners but I will have a good google of all your suggestions.

Is he too young for meccano? His maths is good for his age but his fingers aren't.

We have a basic marble run but it doesn't do that much, and it's rarely played with. Are the more complex ones worth the money?

I have an almost 6yo DS too and I started making a list last night of possible pressies and ended up with a list as long as my arm!

Here are some of the things I thought of...
Star Wars lego
Lego
Lego Star Wars watch (he spotted it in John Lewis the other day and hasn't stopped going on about it since!)
Darth Vader outfit (notice a theme yet?!)
Lego movie dvd
Hex bug nano habitat
Football top
Science set
Spirograph
Flags of the world book
Hot water bottle
Books
Operation

But he's not getting all of these!

My DS has that Sabuda dino book...it is awesome! He loves it and it's a beautiful book too. A definite winner!

My 5 year old is getting a globe, with both the earth and, at night, constellations on it, mainly so we can explain where countries are when he hears them mentioned in books / on TV.

Oh, and Tesco do an own brand version of Operation, with Frankenstein's monster in it. DS had it as a birthday present and he loves it.

If he likes games and plays alone have you tried Solitaire.
Lego games they are fab.
Scrabble.
Telescope
Spy stuff pens binoculars ( a real hit with my DS when he was 6)

This is a good game to play alone - quite tricky and addictive!

www.amazon.co.uk/Learning-Resources-Camelot-Junior-Game/dp/B0012CQFX6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412600279&sr=8-1&keywords=Camelot+jr

And also rush hour jr

www.amazon.co.uk/Rush-Hour-Junior-Puzzle-Game/dp/B00004WJSN/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412600225&sr=8-1&keywords=Rush+hour+jr

[Add Star Wars command game and Jurassic Wars dice game to list]

This is also great, like noughts and crosses but you can swallow each other's pieces. It's expensive at full price, I got it half price which is good value because it's a wooden game and really well made.

www.amazon.co.uk/Blue-Orange-GOBBG-Gobblet-Gobblers/dp/B00IM8BIVM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1412600410&sr=8-2&keywords=Gobblet+gobblers

Only takes a few minutes to play and involves some strategy.

Agree with electric circuits and lego games. I'd also recommend the mastermind board game.

Also the Smart Games IQ Puzzle Brainteaser Game might make a good stocking filler?

Agree with electric circuits and lego games. I'd also recommend the mastermind board game.

Also the Smart Games IQ Puzzle Brainteaser Game might make a good stocking filler?

Queenof do you actualy know my DS?! The one thing I have bought him so far is Mastermind

Thank you for the extra ideas everyone

Does he have a big map of the world? Massive hit last birthday with my DS.

He has access to a globe, CCW. His favourite country is Russia. Glad your DS loves his map.

Ds will be 5.7 at Christmas. His main present from 'Santa' is a bit of a specific one: a trials motorbike and gear, so probably not much use.

He's also getting a kiddizoom watch from 'us', a telescope from my parents and a power rangers costume from my sister.

He'll get a stocking from Santa too which will have things like: boxers and socks, kinder eggs, sweets, hair gel etc plus one small toy.

Ds likes labyrinth, forbidden desert and forbidden island games. All involve some strategy as well as luck. He also loved a real drs kit with working stethoscope, bandages etc - although that is his fall back career at the moment if the boy band doesn't work out!

Oooh where did you get the dr's kit from? Ds would love that.

Thanks for starting this seamstress because your DS sounds very like mine (although he is coming up seven) and I have got some good board game ideas from this thread!

I was thinking of getting mine as a small present one of those gaming dice with 20 sides (d20?) because he loves dice and maths. He also loves those Fighting Fantasy gamebooks where you roll dice to fight monsters, which have the advantage they can play them by themselves once they can read well enough, but they can be quite gory/ scary. There are also Famous Five gamebooks where you roll dice (but not to fight monsters alas) but they seem to be out of print - you have to get them second hand and double check they actually come with the dice and other paraphenalia as just the book is useless.