Best Christmas presents for 2.5 year old?

[cherrylola]

Every birthday and Xmas so far MN has helped me out here, so I'm back to ask again! DS's grandparents and aunties have started asking what he would like for Christmas. What are the best, most loved, most played with things your 2.5 year old has? His birthday is in the summer so what will take him through from now until he is 3 and onwards? Books suggestions would be good too please. We have a new baby due in the next month or so too so any tips about toys/activities/books which might help there would be great too!!

He loves trains so DP and I are getting him more track and vehicles for his wooden railway.

Thanks wonderful MN hive mind

My DS loves:

• Bruder/Playmobil construction vehicles
• Little Tikes cars/trucks to play with in the garden (we have a police car and a large yellow truck)

Play kitchen (the IKEA one especially is very good)
Playmobil 123 sets
Sticker books
His own dolly and buggy so he can copy

Ikea play kitchen
Pirate Pete gets a new big brother book
Letterland book (phonetics)
Melissa and Douglas reusable sticker scenes (can't think of the exact name but it's on Amazon and is brilliant )

Any Schleich figure. That's what I'd farm out to families. I've bought lots of cheap animal figure by they break, don't stand up properly etc. Schleich quality I'd brilliant.

Happyland sets with figures, second hand is fab they are built to be bashed about.

Schleich figures, not the cheapest but last forever

One of those mega sketcher drawing things, means he can draw whilst sitting next to you with baby and no mess ( so can use in bed also)

Haba building castle blocks

Brio trains/ track

Supply of paper/ card/ pritt stick glue/ crayons/ kids scissors.

New Wellington boots/ raincoat/ hat/ gloves

The hairy ma clary books or Mr men (Mr men great as small in size so handy in bag out etc)

My son is 2.5 - I think the best presents at the moment are books. He's obsessed with the Julia Donaldson books. Particularly
Monkey puzzle
What the lady bird heard
The snail and the whale

He can do them word for word.
Other than that he loves anything that is a car. I mean obsessed with cars! Grandma bought him a bath sponge the other day and you've never seen a kid so interested! So don't spend lots of money - they are easily pleased!

A pop up tent & tunnel are great toys, they can be used inside or out & are great for imaginative play, a small toddler trampoline (a bit of bouncing before bedtime tires them out beatifully. Books I would start with the classics, Bear Hunt, the cat in the Hat(actually all the Dr Seuss books), the Alfie & Annie rose books, The Gruffalo,

Do you have a TK Maxx anywhere near you? A few weeks ago I picked up a really big board book thing for DD. It's a story, folds out to be train tracks and folds up to be an actual train car she can sit in.

And got her those Melissa & Doug stickers mentioned up thread in there too. There's all different themes like underwater, Safari and more I can't remember. I got DD Safari.

Nana is getting her a rocking horse.

A large cardboard box

(This is my kitchen at the moment )

Hi everyone - we're going to pop this over to the Christmas topic.

Some great suggestions here thank you! We have the IKEA kitchen (a big hit for his 2nd bday) and he has his own pram for his face teddy bear and I plan to sew him a simple baby carrier soon. Reusable sticker books are a great idea, he loves sticker books but I'm pretty sick of finding stickers hat have lost their stickiness all over the floor!

I'll check out the animal figures too they sound good and yes more happy land is on the list!

It might be a bit too far away to wait but does anyone have any tips for warm and snugly but waterproof boots for a toddler boy? Wellies are great but he does get very cold feet in them even with thick socks. Decent boots might be a good grandparent gift perhaps.

I'll check out TKMax too, good tip!

These are great winter boots, there's also others on the same website

www.littletrekkers.co.uk/shop/index.php/flypage/17056/584a444b33769ac67a81f5b64ec08f30

Yy to pop up tent - the ikea one is good.
Aso by this age my two were interested in basic games - the orchard toy ones are brilliant (should have bloody shares in that company) - spotty dog, incy wincey and red dog all good for this age. Also their jigsaws are fab.

Oh, and doctors kit and toolbox both were winners with mine.

Sports direct are good for waterproof walking boots

We are going to get DD keepsake ornaments each year so that she has already has a set of Christmas decorations when she's old enough to move out. That might be a nice idea so they he'll have a few timeless gifts he'll always hang onto.

I got DD some fantastic snow boots from decathlon last year. They kept her feet toastie warm for a week in the snowy Alps and they weren't expensive at all

Duplo is very popular here. DS got a starter kit box when he was two and it has been added to on subsequent Xmasses/birthdays.

Playmobil trucks and diggers are great as they are pretty indestructible.

Tool kits/garden tools etc. An uncle gave DS a fabulous Little Tikes lawn mower, which has enabled me to get a fair amount of gardening done whilst he runs around 'mowing' the lawn. He also loves his little wheelbarrow.

My just turned 3yo has Playmobil recycling truck, tractor, and excavator. You can remove the tiny bits if you need to. He's had them since he was 2. The recycling truck is particularly good.