4yr old DS 'I don't like playing' what to buy for Christmas?

[whizzbangbang]

My ds will have just turned 4 at Christmas and I just don't know what to get him. He has a lot of the usual boy stuff ie. brio railway, pirate ship, cars, lego etc and really doesn't play with it much. If I suggest he plays he says he doesn't like playing. He'd rather spend his time, charging about, playing in the garden, drawing with his sisters, playing some imaginary game with sisters, cbeebies website or tv. He does like sciency sort of stuff, but at 4 I haven't seen anything age appropriate. I just don't know what to get him. He's getting a bike for his birthday. Any ideas?

dressing up clothes? Pirate outfit, sword, masks, that kind of thing?

Power Rangers outfit, my DS adores his red one and so we have got the white one for Xmas so when his friend comes to play they can both run around saving the planet.

We have got loads of dressing up clothes, which he does like - but not a great deal. If I could package a bucket of mud a bucket of water and a spade he'd be happy.

messy stuff - playdoh, paint, easel maybe, baking stuff?

OR - riding/swimming/sports lessons?

You could buy some of the kit to wrap up?

loads of pencils/chalk board? board games

Magic sand ?

have you got a nearby children's farm? get him a season ticket? mine get theirs for Xmas and it's their best pressie.

Science stuff. Ant farms, kitchen experiments, magnifying glass, insect catching things, a real tent & billy cans etc, binoculars, fireman umbrella, raincoat and/or wellies (Letterbox), paint your own bird box, torch, pump rocket, magnetic letters & numbers, sidewalk chalk. Books & DVDs.

My 5yo is similar. Can you tell?

walkie-talkie headsets - wonderful for kids of all ages, these are best of all because you can talk and listen at the same time and don't have to keep saying "over" and pressing the button

(9v batteries expensive, get rechargeables if poss - on offer at Lidl next week I think, I will check)

Lidl next Mon -

charger
rechargeable batts

Thanks for all the suggestions. It's nice to know other boys are like this too.

WBB, my boy is only 2 but is well into his Brio and duplo etc but often it quite often helps if one of us (or loads of us lol!!) gets down on the floor and builds a huge track. This is especially the case when men are around, daddy, grandads etc. He seems to love getting involved and it could be the same for your boy. Sometimes if I get the things out first and start 'playing' it gets him away from cbeebies before he's even realised!!

HTH and really hope I haven't stated the obvious

wbb, you have described my ds also!

Apart from books and board game I am at a loss what to get him (and so are the rest of the family) so will be keeping an eye on the thread...

FF - not stating the obvious, but we do this regularly with him both one to one and with his two sisters, sometimes downstairs, sometimes in his room. He is only interested for a short period of time ie. two mins. I'm not too concerned, it's his personality - he wants to be out and about climbling up things, not shuffling cars and trains about. it just becomes difficult when buying presents. If he were an only child it wouldn't be too bad, but you know what children are like for comparing who got what for christmas.