What to buy 2 and a half year old DD

[SquedgieBeckenheim]

DD will be 2 and a half at Christmas. I try to spread the Christmas shopping out over the 2nd half of the year. I'm stumped as to what to get her! I did think about a dolls house, but not sure if she's still a bit young. Last year we got her a rocking horse which she loves.
She not really into many toys, loves art stuff and books or outdoor toys. Obviously Christmas isnt a good time for outdoor toys! She does play with her doll and cars indoors.
Any ideas gratefully received!

A kitchen. IKEA does a cracking wooden one as well as lots of accessories. We got DD2 it for her 3rd birthday as DD1's plastic ELC kitchen was broken and too big. Both love the new one. You'll end up playing cafes for hours!

Dd will be just over 2 at Christmas we have put away some toot toot playsets inc the house. A Little People princess palace we got half price in Argos and a baby doll set cot high chair etc.

We had been thinking of an easel but went for a small magna doodle and an aqua draw.

Thanks for the ideas.
I think she'd love a kitchen, but are they not rather large? Don't think we have space for one!
Dolls cot/highchair could work.
She barely plays with the 1 toot toot set she has!
She already has an easel and aqua doodle!

My dd is 2 and a half, very similar to yours, last year I got her the Melissa and Doug fold and Go Dollshouse and some Sylvanians to go in it (it comes with a couple of bendy wooden figures and some wooden furniture) and she loves it and plays with it all the time, all the bits are chunky and easy for her little hands and not so big that it's too fiddly for her yet.

She also loves her dolls pram and baby, mainly taking it for walks.

When we were in a flat, my ds had a little folding wooden hob and some pots in place of a kitchen, might be worth a google.

Other things dd likes - Playdoh, Duplo, her scooter.

Lego dolls house. We bought one for DD1 just before she was 3 and it got loads of use.

DD2 was roughly that age when she got her micro scooter too though I'd say 3 onwards for most kids.

Dressing up stuff?

Duplo? DD is really getting into it at two and a half, and it'll last for years. My parents have still got mine

Scooter ( micro scooters are fab)

IKEA kitchen and accessories. Think it's only about a meter wide and v neutral do not dominating in a space.
Dressing up stuff. I didn't bother with specific character stuff, but am building a dress up box of random tutu-like skirts, hats, sunglasses etc from charity shops/eBay that she can mix and match herself.

Puzzles
Doll stuff - my daughter doesn't especially like dolls but Max the Monkey likes to wear a nappy!
A little rucksack/bag to take out
Paints
Craft bits (ELC have a good selection)
Easel

A wooden train set! (Brio/JL/Ikea etc). DD got hers from Father Christmas at about that age, and it's been played with pretty much every day since then (she's now nearly 4). We have the 120-piece JL set and it's very good value for the amount of stuff in it and how much play it gets. DD still loves making elaborate tracks with it.

Sticklebricks and Duplo also good play value.

My dd got a dolls' house at this age and absolutely loved it. Still plays with it now at 4.5, and will for a while, I imagine. It was a proper vintage one which I renovated, and filled with dolls' house miniatures (the type that say they are not toys), but it's fine, she hasn't broken them or been injured by them or anything (non if it looks any more dangerous to children than any other small toys would be). A thing of beauty is a joy forever! (I always wanted a dolls' house like this, you see).
A toy farm is also a great gift for this age group, I think.

I got a john Lewis wooden kitchen which is tiny, 30cm wide. Super easy to put together. I put it together on my lap on the sofa and it took about 30mins (I started after long lost family started and finished before they got to the meeting up bit).

It might be a bit small as my DD gets older but worst case she plays on her knees.
John Lewis Mini Kitchen

It also can with a couple of pans, two utensils and a small polka dot tea towel

*came not can

Thanks for all the suggestions! Art supplies etc she has a nearly a years supply already!
She also already has a wooden train set and a toy farm.
Think dolls house or a toy kitchen is the way to go.

My DDs favourite toys at that age were a Fisher Price Say Please teaset and a huge Mr and Mrs Potato Head set in a bucket, they were much loved for years.

The large duplo zoo is absolutely wonderful.

A dolls' pushchair would be good if she likes her doll. Also, Asda do some mini dolls' houses which you can carry around, and aren't too expensive if she didn't really play with it.

I've started the Christmas shopping today, DD is 2 and a half and is currently into role play. She has a doll's highchair, crib and pram which she loves. She also spends a lot of time playing with her ELC happy land toys.
Today we got her some wooden pots and pans and food which will go in a kitchen we'll be getting her, dress up clothes and shoes, fireman sam engine, postman pat van and figures, a cash register, some magnetic numbers and letters with a magnetic board, a phonics tablet and some other bits. Most were from Argos as they have a 2 for £15 offer on at the moment!