Can I ask for a list of what you brought your 2 and 4 year olds this year

[HoHoHolyMackerel]

Successful christmas here largely due to the christmas bargain thread!! But I'm already wondering what's next...im not sure I have the balance quite right, and I want to try and make savings where I can through the year as ds 1 will be 4 in October and DS 2 2 straight away in the new year (not 1 yet, I know!!) I'm expecting DS1 to want lego, he has none yet, just duplo, but does play with it at the childminders. I have my eye on three medium sets (300 piece ones) which are currently half price (5+year ones) to get him off to a start. I have already (yes I know) picked up two very small mini 4+ sets for his bday. Is this too much? I don't want him to be overwhelmed.
He will likely get a bike for his main present in October.
Can I ask what you brought and what was a hit?
Obviously I cannot predict what he may ask father christmas for!

Gosh yes, a 300 piece is far too big for a 4yr old! My 11yr old has been heavily in to Lego since she about 6, she now wants to work for Lego and is currently doing the Diagon Alley set which is 16+ and 5500 pieces. I'd certainly get the 4+ sets though, my 4yr old got a Toy Story one, but couldn't do it all on his own. He also got books, a Dr's set, accessories for his wooden train set, a Nerf gun, and wooden animals for his collection. He does really like his Duplo though, I think there's more play with that than Lego as it's so small. Maybe you could get a big general box, rather than a specific set, as his play won't then be limited and you can see if he's dextrous enough for the smaller pieces? Asda usually have them very well priced around sale times.

I think I'd just go for books for the 2yr old at the moment, and wait until nearer the time to see what he's interested in. One of mine started obsessing over dinosaurs at that age, so we started a Schleich collection that is still added to now and he's nearly 7.

My DD is 3, biggest hits:

Marble run
Melissa and Doug felt pizza
Build a garden
Paw patrol busy book
Washamals

She also still loves all her happyland stuff that we've built up mainly second hand over the years - I recommend the space rocket as a good starter as it works as a complete set, and she loves pressing the countdown button then running round the room with for take off

I have DD4 and DDnearly2 so basically the same ages as your children. Their biggest hits this Christmas have been the leapfrog ice cream stand, a chalkboard easel and some wooden toy food (the melissa and doug pizza set, a birthday cake from aldi and the salad set from argos). We've actually been surprised by how much they both play with the same things in different ways. Our just 4 year old plays with things 'properly and our nearly 2 year old just copies her sister!

Big hits for DD (26 months) were play food and kitchen accessories - toaster, coffee machine and washing machine, Happyland, Bing play sets and a scooter.

My 4 year old has been thrilled with a new bike, playmobil, sylvanians etc. Her male friends seemed to get lego/marble runs

My 2 year old has had endless matchbox cars, a epic new garage with a ramp, my first scaletrix, duplo and lots of books.

My dd is 4.5 and a few big hits this year have been, typically the smaller stuff..

• natural history museum projector torch (she got the dinosaur one)
• a onsie, her sister has a matching one
• you choose book
• plan toys vet set

My other dd has just turned 2 her favourite gifts have been a child rens trampoline and a doll, doll accessories set, doll changing bag and doll high chair - she just loves all things dolly

My 2 year old has enjoyed duplo, toy till, new dolly, play dough and an aqua doodle lately.

DS2 was 2 this year.

Best presents were

VTech toot toot fire station
Melissa & Doug car transporter with magnetic crane arm
Magnifying glass
Little Tykes bath toy (this one

Ds(4) received an animagic puppy which walks and barks (he LOVED that), sea monkeys, playdough, Lego, jellycat bunny, slush puppy machine and lots of craft bits - smelly pens, drawing pads, stickers etc

Definitely stick to a Lego Classic and the 4+ range for a 4 year old. My 5 year old finds anything more complex too tedious and still needs some support with the 4+ kits. He builds quite sophisticated things from his generic Lego, but it’s a whole other ball game building from instructions!

My 2 year old loved the boot shaking lama from Tesco and it was only £10 best £10 ever

I would agree with @Equimum. My eldest has only been able to follow a kit with instructions reasonably independently since around age 5.5-6. A big box of mixed bricks and small, simple kits like Lego Juniors are best at 4.

My soon to be 3 year old has played with the following the most

• Melissa and Doug vet set (plays with this multiple times a day)
• Galt floor puzzle some of the pieces are cut outs of diggers etc
• playmobil police car
• a fireman's outfit with extinguisher and megaphone
• imaginext figures and play sets

For my Godson (2 and 10 months) I got him:
Lego classic box and lego city (5 year+ smaller sets)
A selection of paperback books like Harry and Dinosaurs
Jigsaw puzzles for 3 year +
Playmobil plane/helicopter

When my DS was 4 (currently 5) the biggest hits were:
Lego (lego city and small technic sets)
Marble run
Jigsaw puzzles
Remote control stunt racer
Brio builder set

When DS was 2 the favourites were:
Wooden train set
Large ball track
Magformer or similar magnetic building tiles
Grimms rainbow
Wooden building blocks
Kinetic sand
Children's tools including garden tools

Re Lego, my DS started building classic set before he was 3, hence the choice when he was 4. My godson is similar and got into the classic sets now he has them. Neither boys particularly liked lego duplo but the classic boxes were a huge hit. So I guess it depends on the child.