christmas ideas for ds3 he only likes cars

[pleasehelpmeoutx]

Hi I’m probably posting this in the wrong place but I just need some ideas because Im honestly stuck for what to get ds3 this year he literally ONLY likes cars and I mean proper obsessed ones not even the fancy sets just the little matchbox ones he lines them up all day and if I try get him something different he just isn’t interested at all

Hes nearly 4 in January and I just dont want to get him loads of the exact same thing again but whenever I try anything new he screams or throws it and I feel like such a rubbish mum because I see all these people getting their toddlers educational toys or whatever and mine just wants the same cars he already has about a hundred of

We dont have loads of space either with the baby stuff everywhere so I cant get anything massive and also he breaks things really quickly so I need something sturdy
What can I get him thats still car related but not just more tiny cars please because Im honestly clueless this year and Im trying to be organised x

What about some of the hot wheels tracks etc for him to play with his cars on?

Maybe a toy parking garage? They have different levels and ramps. At least it would keep them all in one space. Worth a google.

Does he have something like a road layout map to drive them around?

does he have active toys - ‘things on wheels’ ie scooter, bike. And other things for playing/being active out of doors?

I'd go with some kids of ramp or garage as main present, allong with more cars. Does he wheel the cars around or just line up?

Maybe lean into the car theam so he can explore different things, which the safty/familiarity of his interest.

Car magnets for the fridge
Car stickers he can line up/ park on paper
Paint your own car moneybox
Car colouring sets
Tickets to car show/ Automobile museum

(Not what you asked. Feel free to ignore. Probably just being 3. But
Obsessed and lining up.
Has ASD ever been on the horizon?)

He does have a few little tracks but he just kinda throws them about tbh the only thing he really does is push the cars back and forward or line them all up in a big line across the living room which drives dp mad because he stands on them all the time

A garage might work actually but I worry he’ll just climb on it he climbs on EVERYTHING honestly he broke the last ramp we had because he tried to sit on it like it was a slide

He’s not got a road mat no, I might look for one if they dont take up too much room because our living room is tiny and full of ds7 and ds3s toys as it is

He doesnt use scooters or anything yet hes not great at balancing but he likes being pushed round on his little ride on car thing we’ve had since he was a baby

And no I havent had ASD brought up officially or anything the only times its been mentioned is by nursery saying he likes routine and gets very upset if stuff changes but thats it and he’s only 3 so I dont know if its just him being him x

I've been racking my brains and remember dgs who was also obsessed with lining up his cars loved his little wooden trike because it had a sort of boot with a lid. He would spend ages putting his cars in then pushing it around, not riding, emptying his cars out, lining them up etc. Hours of fun!

When my eldest was around that age he loved cars - I bought a piece of fabric that was printed like a road map, but could fold up nice and small to be tidied.

Also we had something like this - you can stack it or set out the boxes separately and they all tidy away into each other - https://bargainmax.co.uk/products/lelin-wooden-stacking-cubes-vehicles?&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=22272015061&utm_adgroup=&utm_term=&utm_content=&device=m&matchtype=&network=x&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22268079359&gbraid=0AAAAADpx2-zwYft4c-2nS967zia5i2BgJ&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_aLkkvmykQMV6Y9QBh03wwbvEAQYAiABEgLfb_D_BwE

I would definitely try buying other things but in a car theme - so colouring books (or water painting books are very good at that age) that have cars, books about cars. I bought a load of car stickers and put them on his bubble bath and then he was pleased with that.

My younger son is autistic and honestly some of what you say sounds very familiar. If he is autistic then early intervention and early knowledge of what he needs can be really really beneficial. Diagnosis often takes a couple of years. So I know this isn’t what you asked, but I would definitely ask nursery if they think ASD is likely and if they can refer him for assessment, it’s better to check and find out for sure.

Would he maybe like road tape to make his own routes to drive? There's a parking space tape here too

https://amzn.eu/d/4oquR8i

From one mother of a car obsessed boy to another, you can diversify with track and parking trucks and car mats but what he really wants is to just get him more cars. Mine is 15 now, still cars and racing obsessed and has his own racing kart but his bedroom floor is a permanent racetrack and we have more Hotwheels than can count.
He's grown up fine and is very social and outgoing. He just has his obsession which he'll never grow out of.

One year his main Christmas present was all the Disney Cars I could find, wrapped in a shoebox with tissue paper and a big bow. Best present ever.

Does he have a Little Tikes car? Or a car transporter to put the cars on (or store them in?)

Has he seen the Cars movies yet?

I had a couple of boys in my class who were car obsessed. They would honestly stand there, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and just fire cars down a ramp. The only thing that ever got their interest was a new car!

The one other thing I got them playing with was block play. They would take short breaks from the trajectory schema to build new ramps to fire them down! That evolved to garages etc, but the play was still mostly about holding the best car.

To be honest if he likes the cars just get him a bunch of them.
(He's too young to understand the concept of money so won't be annoyed that you haven't spent loads).
You can get Hot Wheels colouring books and things and I saw some Hot Wheels pyjamas in Primark yesterday.

https://amzn.eu/d/2Yl5twR

https://jackies-kids.uk/products/speedbox

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/4386945435/?ref=share_ios_native_control

varoous storage solutions (that would involve lining them up neatly to put away!?)

A pack of car shaped jelly or marshmallow?
Stickers with cars
You can make a coloring calendar with pictures of cars and that would be both useful and entertaining
Road layout map is an amazing suggestion if he doesn't have one yet!
There are also arts and crafts kits like coloring sets and you can find the one(s) with cars

If he likes cars to this extent then it sounds as though it may be a little more than the Trajectory Schema. If Nursery are also noticing that he’s not quite in step with his peers have they suggested seeing your HV or asking if their SENCO can assess him?

I think it would be useful to do this simple progress checker anyway.

As for Christmas, a car shaped bath bomb, a book about cars, more cars and maybe a car themed item of clothing?