Ideas for 3 1/2 year old dd

[goshme]

Please help! Am racking my brains on this one, she has an older sister & so has most things passed down to her which she accepts as the norm! I feel so sorry for her as she says there is nothing she wants, I would really love to surprise her with something extra special!

At that age my dd loved Sylvanian families, they do some lovely houses and family collections.

My 3 yr old dd wants a bloody 'Baby Alive'. Have you seen them? They are hideous. Not sure if she will get one or not.

She also likes the look of Barbie's horse Tawny. She will be getting that.

'Sylvanian families' have been a big hit, along with 'Littlest Pet Shop' stuff and 'Puppy in My Pocket'.

She's also a massive 'Dora' fan but most of that stuff is overpriced rubbish. But isn't that what Christmas is all about?

My DD is getting a Megabocks Magnistix thing as her main present with lots of little bit added pieces as well.

Sylvanian families are awfully expensive! A family of 4 animals (2 of which are really small) can cost up to £15. So imagine the cost of a house etc.

Barbie and horrid baby dolls are banned in our house (for as long as I can make it so). Beside just before Christmas I;ll have a real baby for her to play with

I am lucky as DD is in to Thomas the Tank Engine and trains at the moment

With regards to Dora stuff have a look on e-bay as there is some great imported stuff at reasonable prices. And in ToysRUs there is also a Dora stable set if your DD is in to horses. I think Dora is great DD has learned several Spanish words - including 'vaminos' when she wants her lunch

she sounds lovely, goshme, so non-material!

does she like little sparkly things, a jewellery box with rings and necklaces, special notebooks and gel pens? A pop-up princess tent? A scooter?

it doesn't have to be pricy to be extra special.

What is available now that wasn't around when your older DD was that age? how about fur-real animals and other animatronics? A leap-pad with Dora books?

something non-girly like a kit for growing ladybirds?

Thanks every-one for your ideas! They've given me some good starting points! One one we've never had is a leap pad, are they a good buy?

My DD got the baby leappad, which is really nice etc. BUt all she liked to do was turn it on and off again as she liked hearing it say goodbye.

Now she is 3 she plays with it more - but it's the baby version. I dont think we'd get her the more advanced version unless I had the chance to see her use one before hand and measure her enjoyment.

My dd who is also 3.5 had a my first leap pad for last Xmas and it passed right over her head. But now she uses it a lot and can do a lot of the games independently. We are getting her some more books for it this year.
Other than that she's getting a wooden dolls house, toysrus have one for £100 which includes all the furniture and dolls so am going scouting for that tomorrow.
bfb

bigfatbump - woolies have a large Chad Valley wooden dolls house with all the furniture and people reduced from £80 to £39!!!!!! I cant do links but have a look on the Woolies site!

My mum and dad are getting my 3.5 yo dd a desk and chair. She is so into 'writing' and sticking etc etc (and riping up bits of paper) that we have so many bits and bobs all over the house. It's a princess one so quite expensive.

We're getting her a M&P pram as she really wants one, magic maize, dora pottery set and loadsof bit s and pieces - mostly all bought in the jan sales!!!
Grreat Granny has also bought her her that monstrous princess Alexa so dd will prob spend all of Xmas gazing at the monstrosity telling her she is so beautiful!
Hope that's given you some ideas!

Your dd sounds the opposite of mine - she wants everything she sees!! DS (4.5) on the other hand said he is happy to wait and see what santa brings him as he's always got it right so far! Awww...

These ideas are all fab - think I'll be nicking more than just one . Does anyone have the fifi forget me not deluxe cottage and if so do you rate it? DD is fifi mad.

yes ds got it for his third birthday and soon went off it htough

Is it not any good or did he just not like it?

DD has been going on about that sodding princess doll.

Oh, and spiderman toys... she ain't your typical 3.5 yr old

Oh, DD got the fifi thing last Christmas, and she sat playing with it today, so it seems to be still loved.

Cheers Firebird - kids toys are so difficult, you never know whether it's a one minute wonder!!!

Both my 5 yr old and 3 yr dd have the ff house and still play with it lots.
Some great ideas for my dd 3 who also gets lots of stuff from her older sister, thankyou .

Mandyboo
Thanks for the tip. I had seen that dolls house but dh has her heart set on one of those big Georgian ones, although I did try my luck in Woolies she wasn't having it. The problem stemmed from the house we are buying - when we viewed it the lady selling spent ages in what will be her edroom playing with her daughters dolls house with dd to let us have a decent look round, so she thinks her new bedroom comes with one of those now.
However, the happy news is that I went to buy the toysrus dolls house today and it was half price, so got the big fancy Georgian house and all the rooms for £50! Well happy now.

Mine's getting a dressing table and sparklies to play dress up.

She's a very girly girl who likes to play dress up and 'bride'.

I don't know where she got playing bride, but she did so I let her run w/it.

she says, 'I'm going to marry Michael', but she doesn't know any Michaels.

She must have heard it on TV.

DD is getting the Woolies dolls house ( currently undergoing a Lawrence Llewllyn - Bowen type make over !!)masses of "crafty" stuff - paint your own teaset, plates, piggy - bank, Charlie and Lola dvd and books, New p.j's ( Lola) for Christmas eve and Grandma is getting her some Barbie trash she has her heart set on ( DD that is not Grandma - although !!)

But it's her birthday on the 9th of Jan so holding back on some stuff 'til then

Then at Easter she's getting her "big" present - garden playhouse, swing and slide as she misses out with Christmas and birthday so close together !!

I've just ordered the new fairy wonderland set from elc for DD who is the same age - I've seen it in the shop and it's lovely. Even better, someone here had posted a discount code (PARTY) and I got 20% off.

my 4yo and 2 yo are getting:

mini tramp similar to ELC one ( more a therapy tool for dd1 than a toy iyswim), slippery slide for the garden, wooden sink and stove, garden set - wheelbarrow, gardening tools etc, books, stocking fillers.

dd2's birthday is coming up and she is getting a doll set - as they fight over dd1's doll's things - contains doll, pram, carrier, nappy bag, rocker, high chair, car seat.

I have 2yo and 4yo boys - some of the things we are giving them include a drum kit, a keyboard/microphone, gardening bag with tools in it and some daff/crocus bulbs to plant, flower press, new melamine plate/bowl sets, tin clockwork miniature train set, big package of art/crafty materials each, big parcel of books each, wave sound drum, doctor's set, giant floor puzzles, magnetic letters/numbers....various other little things I can't remember. We are also giving them a mini-fridge between them which we will put drinks and snacks in each day for them to help themselves

I bloody love buying Christmas presents

Hi,
www.getgifting.com is a free service for gift ideas.
This christmas you can be ready with gift ideas for all your kids.
Please note it is not a gift shop,it is not a store at all, just people answering questions about gifts.
Try it.

expat if you are still around where are you getting the dressing table from? I am getting one for DD for Christmas. I really love one in John Lewis but it is a tad pricey. OTOH it is a proper wooden piece of furniture (could also be used as a desk) rather than a bit of plastic.