Present ideas for 5yr old (hard to please) boy

[pinkbluepinkblue]

He likes superheros, lego, football so obviously some starting points there. But, what I really want to find (& never have with ds so far!) is something that he really engages in & spends hours playing with. He isn't into play Mobil type stuff, not very into matchbox cars etc either.

Ideally something he can play with/do on his own rather than always needing an adult to play with him.

Ideas? Cost not important for now - can be main present kind of prices, or stocking fillers - just give me some ideas please!!!!!

Geo mag,mobilo, magic set,kid wood, hex bugs, remote control cars, marble run.

Those magna tiles look great but expensive! Are they worth it?

are these 'Play Mags' the same thing or is there a specific brand called Magna Tiles?

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Playmags-Magnetic-Construction-Tiles-Building-Magna-System-Fun-Kids-Cars-Train-/251443759201?pt=UK_Construction_Toys_Kits&var=&hash=item3a8b374861#shpCntId

I keep googling. have also found magformers - one review said the magnets are stronger/better on magformers. what are the magnets like on manga tiles? are they strong enough so that towers etc don't fall down? Help me berri!!

www.amazon.co.uk/Cambridge-Brainbox-Primary-Electronics-Kit/dp/B001MJ7DB2

My 5 year old loves the above set. he plays for ages just creating circuits-this sounds hard but he quickly figured out you attach the crocodile clips to the bulb and a complete circuit will make it light up etc. Really straightforward but once they realise they can do that then there is lots of fun to be had making different circuits, making the fan go etc.
I was a present I I thought he'd barely glance at but he absolutely loves it.

he also loves the batcave and the ninja truck. the ninjas and batman often help each other out!

is he arty? Something like an easel with whiteboard pens etc.

www.amazon.co.uk/Magna-Tiles-Translucent-Colors-100-pieces/dp/B000CBSNRY

The reviews here are good. I hadn't heard of it. I am quite tempted myself now!

DS spends ages playing with his switch go dinos - the smaller ones are better as they are more maneuverable.

Magnatiles definitely worth the expense, most played with toy here (dc 6 and almost 9). We have added sets over the past three years so have over 400 now, would go with a set of 100 to start with.

Regarding the differences between magnatiles and magformers, I have read somewhere that magformers have stronger magnets and so can be picked up/moved. This means that they are good for building vehicles for example. Magnatiles, on the other hand, are described as being better for building architectural structures (our dc build castles, tall towers, houses, hexbug mazes, etc etc). We only have magnatiles, but are very happy with them and towers occasionally falling down is not a problem really. Also, dc tend to discover after a while how to build more stable structures, so it's part of the fun!

As for playmags, they are a different brand to magnatiles and I don't know how they compare. I don't remember seeing them a few years back when we got our first magnatiles, so I would imagine they are some form of copy?

Eek sorry pinkblue we had visitors this weekend and I couldn't get the time to get back online!

But sorry, yes, magnatiles are their own thing. I've never seen the other magnet brands in person but I did a lot of googling before I bought them and apparently they are stronger and you can build much stronger structures etc.

I know they are pricey but I think they are def worth it. When we got them, I asked a few relatives to all go in together to spread the cost. I've never seem them on sale or anything anywhere either, I think the price is pretty much set.

I'd also recommend the 100 set to start with, as the 40 set is probably not big enough to get them interested in building big things!

I am very very tempted, DP is baulking at the £99 price tag however so think I will have to go with a smaller quantity to begin with

Came on to mention Magnatiles, but see that became the topic of page 2! Was recommended them by a friend with similar aged kids who played with them constantly. My two, DD almost 5 and DS 7 have had them for a year and they are regularly used by both (and DH!). We have the 100 set, and I'm thinking of adding some more this xmas. They can play well with 100, but it's the kind of thing that you can't really have enough of. I did read that the Playmags are compatible with the Magnatiles, so may get a set of them as they are a bit cheaper. We got our first set from US Amazon (5 stars and 800+ reviews) as was loads cheaper when DH was travelling there.

Those of you that have them do you think the 48 piece set would be an okay size to start with?

I'm sure 48 pieces is a good set to start with, although the play value definitely expands the more you get.

By the way, I found some sites comparing (the cheaper) playmags and magnatiles:

myconsumerboard.hubpages.com/hub/magnetic-tiles-for-kids

windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?471388-OMG-Magnatiles-are-like-crack!

Zoobs?

Really useful links about the magna tiles. Thanks!