Present idea for DS4 who likes "girly" things

[firefire]

He shows very little interest in his Lego etc. Loves playing with my nieces dolls, unicorns, ponies etc etc.

I don't want to buy him a toy blatantly aimed at girls cause he'll just nag for more. But I do want him to love his present if that makes sense.

Any suggestions please?

It's ok, I've cracked it. Build-a-bear, he'll love that.

Has anyone bought them online and built at home? Thanks

Why wouldn’t you buy him something he loves for his Christmas?
Unless he needs a vagina to play with something, it is NOT a girls toy. And anyone saying anything should be asked does it require a vagina to play with it. This is why we have this gender nonsense in the world because people don’t feel able to just enjoy activities without labelling them as girly or boyish.
My son at four got my little ponies for his birthday as well as a set of golf clubs. He enjoyed them both.
It’s sad you are not buying something he’d love because he might want more of them... that’s horrible.

No, I'm not horrible. I just don't need a house full of dolls. Before I know it I'll have spent a fortune on crappy LOL dolls. Ffs. He will love his presents and has not asked for anything, I just meant I was stuck for ideas that were suitable. If I actually bought him a baby Annabelle or the like he'd look at me like I was mad.

Anyway, as you can see I've solved my issue. Not sure why I'm explaining myself to you

And as for blaming me for "gender nonsense", don't be silly.

I've said he can "enjoy those activities". But I do not want to start buying dolls for him. He'd find that bizarre. I've obviously worded my first post wrong but I've asked that this be taken down.

I don't need bashing for wanting to get my son something pretty that he'll love that does not have girls all over the packaging.

My son liked playing with a teaset when he was little and my mum bought him one, he loved it!

He is now 39 and a big hairy bloke and laughs at what he used to like as a kid (he also liked hanging washing out, mum had a little washing line he could put wet cloths on). However, he did turn out to be a very good cook I'm happy to say and manages his laundry quite well (even if he does hang the duvet cover over his curtain pole)!

My old dad used to play with his younger sisters' dolls and was unashamed to say so, why not?

There are some nice kids' tea sets about, I can't remember the name of the designer which I bought for someone else's child years ago - yes, got it, Kath Kidson. The one my mum bought for her grandson was made of quite thick china.

Vacuum cleaner was another thing, he liked mine and we had to play 'Ghostbusters' with it but I bought one for a friend's little boy who was similarly obsessed; whenever they visited, he went into my cupboard and got the vacuum out. I bought him one in Argos and he loved it!

Thanks for those ideas, he's got a tea set and the cooking things. Unfortunately for me shows little interest in hoovering!

I should make it clear he hasn't asked for a doll and wouldn't want one. My first post was worded wrong.

He loves bright colours and lovely textures etc as well as role playing. Most of these toys are aimed at girls in their marketing, hence the "girly" in my post.

If I bought him a doll he would say "I'm not a girl" and look at me incredulous. But I mentioned dolls as I've seen him enjoying my nieces.

I'm not worried, just wanted ideas.

Both my sons (13 year age gap) had toy hoovers.

I’m a bit that they’re considered a girl’s toy!

I am too with hoovers. Their dad hoovers as much as I do.

But ds isn't bothered about them. I just meant something bright and colourful and pretty that he could play with.

He's getting a colourful build a bear with accessories and playdoh

Melissa and Doug horse stable set www.argos.co.uk/product/4256946
Playmobil Country Horse Show
John Crane Dolls house www.craftedfromwood.co.uk/wooden-dolls-houses-c-2_17/john-crane-pintoy-woodlands-dolls-house-review-p-83.html?zenid=oq9qktnjnpt3kauad0288qe3n1

My 6 year olds favourite things currently are a blue spotted all tea set, and a humongous stuffed shark from Ikea. So it say build a bear should be successful. Never bought one tho.

That ice cream parlour playdoh looks great. I think I’d have been tempted to nibble it, as a child though.

I once tipped a sachet of bubblegum scented bath salts into my mouth...

My DD and her classmates in nursery (boys and girls) are learning about flowers at the moment.

I have bought her 'build a bouquet' for Xmas. It is made by green toys and is made from recycled plastics. She is going to love it, but I bet the boys in her class would love it too. Comes in the typical girly colours, but really the colours are just representative of flowers anyway (pinks and purples).

And I agree with the previous poster above. Toys should be for all kids to play with- adults are responsible for making sure that their child's choice of toy is accepted as normal and not ridiculed because it is for a certain 'gender'.

Btw, I agree with you about LOL Dolls. They are horrid looking things...have you ever seen a baby in a boob tube and knee high boots?!

my little boy has a kitchen and a shop plus play food , a till , coffee maker ECT all wooden and nice to look at. Try the website babipur they have gorgeous , colourful wooden toys and all unisex. They aren't dolls like the kind you might be thinking of but little wooden people and small world play stuff my son has lots and loves it. If he likes role play they have lovley vet and doctor sets. Then loads of bright woofen puzzles and blocks

Sounds like my DS! At four he got a Baby Annabelle, a sunshine carebear and some paw patrol toys. He loves Lala Loopsy toys as well.

Thanks Sleephead I'll take a look

@JoggerBottom I agree that no child should be ridiculed for playing with a toy. I never would. He is allowed to play with any toys he likes.

But I do not want any more plastic tat if I can help it.

The poster you're agreeing with says I'm horrible, am helping to create "gender nonsense" and that I'm sad and horrible for not buying my son something he would love.

This whole post was about getting him something he'll love. I just didn't explain well in the first post that he would not want his own doll.

He does have a kitchen, tea set, supermarket and till etc that have been suggestions. I'm not against him playing with any particular toy but I'd rather not buy a load of plastic rubbish that he hasn't even asked for.

Penguin Thanks, a carebear might go down even better than build a bear!

The build a bouquet looks good. DS isn't in to flowers but I'm going to get that for my niece. Thanks

No. The poster above did not say you are sad and horrible. Don’t be ridiculous and over-dramatic. It is very unnerving that you talk of gendered toys. I feel very sorry for children who do not have the freedom to play how they want.

I think it is quite telling that, at 4, he would perceive dolls as being just for girls and think you were mad for buying him one. I have 2 boys who would not have known that, or had that reaction.

One of them had a baby boy doll who was not packaged in a "girly" way, and also a pushchair (not girly), cradle (antique- not girly), and some other bits for pretending about babies. It is possible to get non-plastic, non-cutesy dolls, for both boys and girls, if that is what you want.

I actually thing a dolls' pushchair or pram is a good toy- you can use it for your build a bear too.

OP I think it's a very fare question and you should ignore some responses. We know what you mean by girl toys although we all (i expect) are pushig on those definitions.

Elsa bag, tea set is good idea, maybe a bike/scooter you can put some embellishments on like ribbons, puzzles of anything, etc.

My ds2 loves dolls as much as bikes and he often has tea parties with dd4, dinos, babies (who he feeds!) And bikes. I love it

Would he like this Playmobil house?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Dolls-Houses/Playmobil-5167-Along-Modern-Dolls/B0077QT4VG/ref=mpssa111

It's not pink but bright colours. I was considering it for my ds as it's a bit more gender neutral?

My DS loved all the littlest pet shop stuff (are they even around still) and sillvanians (although he would insist on defrocking them so I bought them on eBay unclothed!)

Why dont you get him to write a christmas list and see what he wants? He might want a doll, you never know. He also might want a fire engine. You dont have to buy everything he writes down (i asked for a dog for a fair few years in a row and one never arrived!) But you can gage the type of thing he wouod like a bit better.
Build a bear is a good idea but i feel like the entire point of build a bear is the child gets to build the bear. Youre better off buying a bear in an outfot and saving a bit of cash

Unicycle don't feel sorry for my kids. Not sure how you've deduced they can't play with what they want. I'm not being ridiculous.

Clara its not "telling" at all that he thinks toys are for girls at his age. At his age he is at school, with other kids and their opinions. Every advert for certain toys be it on tv or in shops is aimed towards its market audience. Dolls are targeted generally towards girls.

He has eyes, he sees the same marketing everyone else does and makes his assumptions from that. Normal enough I should imagine.

Yes, it probably is normal enough for him if he has a mother reinforcing this nonsense.