Smaller presents that your kids love and play with longer than the Christmas holidays

[Coldcafeeveryday]

My kids are 7 (DD) and 4 (DS) years old. I'd like to buy some smaller/cheaper presents for them that they will continue to play with for longer than the Christmas holidays. They love animals, make believe/dress up, crafts and preferably something that would encourage them to play together.

Can anyone recommend something tried and tested for say less than £20?

Lego.
A box from their Classic range (yellow boxes).

What about a role play set, eg doctors, vets etc. would they enjoy that together?

I've a 7 year old and a 3 year old who are generally ok at playing together - usually football, Playmobil or running around the house with foam swords (I don't recommend this one, but it is the most successful).

Playdoh is always a hit and frequently reduced.

DS1 spent hours, for years, with a cheap bag of plastic soldiers.

playdough
magnetic tiles
play food
dressing up sets
board games
lego
puzzles
bubble machine
easel

My kids both love these Papo mini figures. They have several different types (fairytale, knights, pirates, animals etc) so you can choose a box based on their preferences.
If they already have magnet tiles, Duplo/Lego or craft supplies then they spend ages making castles or places for them to explore.
We took them on holiday and they spent ages playing with them (they’re great because they easily fit in a handbag).

My 4 year old is starting to enjoy simple board games. I highly recommend Race to the treasure (or any of the other ‘Peaceable Kingdom’ games), Candyland, or Lion in my way.
He also likes kids Uno and Dobble (they both come in loads of different themes e.g. dinosaurs, animals, popular TV shows etc).
They’re all games that they could easily play together.

If you don’t have magnet tiles already then they’re our most played with toy. Magnet tiles these are a bit over budget but it’s a really good sized set (if they don’t have enough then they can’t actually build anything) and they’re good quality (some cheaper brands are pretty flimsy).

Deffo board games

we got ticket to ride for our 4 year old

and monopoly junior - we play both regularly

My daughters are 6 and 9yo - I'd say our most played with thing is a doctors set. It started off as a little wooden set which has evolved over the years - the most played with things are the REAL things - bandages, pipettes, syringes, funnels, measuring cups, rubber gloves etc.

It would be very cheap to get a plastic case (ours is a bit like a tackle box) and fill it with real things.

Ticket to ride says 8yrs + so is the game actually easy enough to play for a 4yr old or are you doing a lot of hand holding throughout?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B09NNLJP8F?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

This game is amazing. We still play it now and ny sons 10!

School role play set

Sorry we have the junior version she was able to pick it up pretty well after a few times playing :)

Good handheld torches ,lanterns and lights.my older two are teenagers and still make dens regularly and use all three plus for camping holidays, was worth getting good ones

glow in the dark star stickers
space themed books

I got mine a cheap CD player each and some cheap second hand CDs I thought they might like. Now at weekends we go to the charity shops and look for CDs they want to try.
I think that’s been the best small present I’ve got them.

Sound effect machine

Yes! This! My daughter had a little foldaway one and she still has it somewhere (even though she’s now at uni!). Definitely the most played with toy of all.

PlayMobil. If you look on Vinted and eBay you can get whole sets in really good condition for less than £20.

Wizard outfits plus some cauldrons for making kitchen potions (generally involving a combo of vinegar, baking soda and food colouring)

I think it's a bit of a lottery!

DD has had lots of toys she's been uninterested in when she's opened them but then weeks or months later suddenly started to play with them all the time.

£20 in current prices really wont go far. Even the smallest lego kits and cheaper board games are heading upwards of this now.

Board games
Craft materials
Diamond art
Den building kit

A bit of an aside, many years ago mine played for hours with plastic farm animals. We slowly added fences and 'ponds' and collected dried grasses for hay. I found anything that triggered imaginative play was good and beat watching something with a battery hands down.

Maileg mice are the biggest hit with our daughters who are a similar age. The individual ones are under £20, they pair really well with magnatiles because they have magnets in their hands if you have them already.

This. The sets are all compatible with each other. DS got into it at 5, and still plays with it at nearly 10.

It‘s supplemented with Kapla blocks and those magnetic Minecraft-style cubes to build anything the Playmobils are missing for a game. Lego would work, too.

They must be.

However, the age is more for a guide of who can play it independently I always feel.