Ideas for a imaginative gift for a nearly 3 yo

[LissyGlitter]

DD will be 3 in March. I'm thinking of buying her some kind of wooden toy that can be lots of things at once - she had a little wooden trolley with bricks (until she broke it recently) that started off as a baby walker when she got it for her first christmas, but then got used as a dolls pram, shopping trolley, bin lorry, taxi, wheelbarrow, basically whatever she felt like doing that day. It was wonderful, and the horrible plastic pink dolls pram never got played with.

I was thinking about getting her a toy shop or kitchen, but it seems daft to restrict her by getting something that can only be one thing, iyswim. So I'm thinking some kind of wooden unit with cupboards, or maybe even some kind of playhouse that could be all sorts, although then we would be getting expensive and we are very skint. Top price we could afford would be maybe £100 if it was really nice and well built and would last her and the new baby a good while, but cheaper would be better. Even another trolley, but made for a bigger child, could be good.

Any ideas where I could find such a thing?

No suggestions I'm afraid except do you go to a Steiner group at all? They only use wooden or natural toys, and with scope for imagination, so maybe ask on here if anyone goes to Steiner/knows anyone? I think they'd probably know the kind of thing you're looking for.

Also I think that if your dd is anything like mine, she won't be restricted by what the manufacturers think their product is for anyway! Our (plastic) kitchen is sometimes a kitchen, sometimes an ice cream van, sometimes the sides of a tent, sometimes a tv etc etc. Nothing can be only one thing for a 3year old.

large cardboard box

I agree with MrsMalcolmTucker, that kids use toys for all sorts of different imaginative purposes - but for a bigger version of the trolley, what about one of these?? I really covet them!

here do lots of lovely wooden toys

what about teh Ikea mini kitchen. It is not really kitcheny and has lots of cupboards etc. I can't see the main bit of the kitchen on eth web page but there is a picture of it through teh link I've [posted.