4 year old who isn’t fussed about characters!

[Abouttimemum]

I know we’re a long way off still but I’m trying to get organised!

I have a 4 year old in reception (5 in a few months) and he doesn’t know what he’d like to ask Santa for. He doesn’t play with cars, characters or anything like that. The only thing he ever wants is marble runs and we basically have them coming out of our ears 😂
he only plays with them, board games and sometimes Lego.

When I ask school parents it’s always the same: Spider-Man, Batman, cars, turtles, Toy Story etc. he couldn’t care less about any of that.

Any ideas? 😭

Books, Lego, different board games?

My boys (bit older) like these types of games; ThinkFun etc.:

Smart Games - Walk the Dog, Puzzle Game with 80 Challenges, 7+ Years https://amzn.eu/d/iSbpaxT

Magnetic tiles?
Does he like crafty things?

Air-Dry Clay, a model and paint set or those diamond art sets?

Science kits or growing crystals etc

A pass to somewhere like legoland, or a day ticket or trip instead?

Get one of those vending machines from Typo (loads on Vinted too) and put in tickets for a cinema trip, or bowling, sweets etc and mini Lego figures ?

My son loves the magnetic tiles!!

Like a pp said, Smart Games / Think Fun do really good games. DS really likes Rush Hour and Red Riding Hood in particular.

Torch projectors ie from National Geographic or Science Museum ones
Scooter / bike
Legoland tickets
Outdoor adventurer kit
Stomp Rocket
Books / sticker books
Torch
More Lego
Outdoor toys like Swingball, sand pit, archery set for young kids, sand & water table

A teepee or den.
Space related stuff
Geo mags
Knex
Domino rally
Vtech camera camcorder type thing

You're very lucky if they don't want character crap! Craft stuff is a good investment.

Scooter?
Other model making / craft kits (Hobbycraft)
Kinex building stuff

My similarly aged niece has asked for Gravitrax Junior for Christmas - the My Planet starter set.

I’ve been looking at some of the Learning Resources bits too - they have coding toys for 4+ which look fun, I’ve been looking at the Coding Critters and the Space Rover.

They have so many great looking toys for kids who like science / engineering / building etc.

https://www.learningresources.co.uk/

My boys have always been into things like:

Marble runs
Hotwheels
Making ramps
Lego Motorbike Stunt things
Gravitrax

Scooters
Projectors
Jenga
Glow in the dark racetrack

We got the Magnatiles when they were 5 and there are so many things you can do with them. Garages for Hot Wheels, build them up and smash 'em down, they stick to wall corners and you can build them up next to a window and it makes wonderful colours with the sun....

A bit pricey but a great investment toy.

Thanks everyone! This is really amazing and some wonderful ideas, I’ll be on Google this eve.

He’s creative and does like to build and craft, play board games with us and actually really loves space too so loads to go on here.

Much appreciated

Hex bug nano plus playground. My 4 year old adores them, and they seem to be irresistible to her friends.

Ds2 was like this when he was little.
His favourite things were the Rush Hour game (ordinary version, not the junior one) and he had some of the expansion packs over the years.

He also loved some of the Smart Puzzle IQ games - the little one player ones were very handy for taking out travelling or if we were going out somewhere.

I've just spotted the Genius Square is currently half price at Hobbycraft (£9) which is a similar sort of thing.

He also became obsessed with the Beano at about 8 so a weekly subscription was a present that he loved until he was about 14. In fact he hated reading anything that was non- Beano related until then, when he switched to reading maths books (he still hates anything fiction!).

Another thing he loves is his Rubix cube - he's mastered the normal one but he also has a 5x5 and a 7x7 which take much longer!

Minecraft is also something he he has become very keen on - his older brother likes all sorts of games online whereas ds2 loves Minecraft and some of the ones that are puzzle based ( think there was a prison based one - but the logic problem version rather than any that are character based or have any actual people in!)

Some other options because of his love for marble runs…

uggestions based on his love of marble runs…

As well as these…

Alternatively does he have any battery operated train tracks like Thomas? I know he’s not interested in characters but my son also loved marble runs but his obsession was trains - he would build amazing tracks and then watch his trains going around for hours. I think it’s something to do with a circuit, or track, and the rhythmic sound of either a marble or a train.

You can get off brand Lego marble runs.

The best present my 4 year old ever got was the Yoto mini. He’s 7 now and has listened to it every day since. He loves all the Enid blyton books, roald Dahl and recently got one about famous footballs and absolutely loves it. Keeps telling us about messi facts. He didn’t ask for it from Santa despite all my hints and got it as a surprise. He couldn’t love it more. Turns out Santa knew best!

I was going to suggest the Yoto mini - you beat me to it!

they are fantastic.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Authentic-Basswood-Standard-Building-Educational/dp/B071Y6JY88/ref=asc_df_B071Y6JY88/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309877365819&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3891794346844501422&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007407&hvtargid=pla-562206506862&psc=1

Brio
Playmobil
Gegomags
Board games

Thank you! We actually ordered him some hand held puzzles as in the image last night so good suggestions!

My 4 yo will be getting a couple of Orchard toys games, ticket to ride junior, guess who and dobble.

Already have uno, monopoly junior, snakes and ladders, pop up pirate, frustration, mouse trap, DSS was in either reception or Yr 1 when we got him bugs in a kitchen (horrendous game but he lives it). All loved by DSS and now by DS

He us also getting lego and books

He actually does have loads of Thomas tracks that his grandad bought him but he doesn’t want to build the tracks. So we build it then he sticks the trains on and buggers off to do something else 😂 he does like them going round and round though, you’re right.

He has a lot of these too already and does love them.