The best £1.45 I've spent in a long long time

[dilemma456]

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I found myself sat at our coffee table brushing pony manes & tails and then realised DD had gone to bed over half an hour ago

A tea set.

My dd is 6 and still plays for hours with a tiny ceramic tea set we bought years ago.

Think of all the tea parties those ponies can have!

My dd is a charity shop fiend too. She recently found about 5 of the old style Polly Pockets (ones from way back when, before they were big and magnetic- 2 of them were even ones that I had myself [am old emoticon])
She loves them and I was looking to try and find her some more for christmas, but they are stupidly expensive on ebay. She always finds My Little Ponies as well. Polly Pockets a bit of a pain if there are younger siblings though- dd has to keep them in her room so ds doesn't swallow any of it

my 4 year old loves barbies (always bought at boot fairs) she has a vivid imagination and always going to balls/parties etc. PI's bought her the whole disney princess et for her birhday and the otehr day my Auntie and I spent over an hour dressing them in the corretc clothes and doing their hair

Tea set (can get small ceramic ones on poundland) both the dd's play with this

Toy till (used to set up cafe/shops)

DS fell in love with a plastic pirates telescope that was on the toy stall at a school Xmas fayre last year.

It cost us 20p and he played with it solidly until it fell apart a few months later.

IME its always the cheap, second hand stuff taht they play with the most. The expensive brand new gifts hardly get a look in.

How cute!

Agree with all these suggestions. My dd is 7½ and still plays tea parties, cafes etc. She wants a till for Christmas.

When your dd is older playing schools is another favourite which will keep them amused for ages.

Woolies doctor's set (Chad Valley): unbelievably robust and still used 8 years later!

We got a big toys castle in a 'bring ad buy' at our surestart centre... for 20p!!

The kids play with it everyday.

Makes me wonder why i buy new stuff at christmas... and so much of it

Ds fell in love with a huge Shrek in the charity shop yesterday (a soft toy one). Shrek accompanied ds at tea, toothbrushing, bedtime, was brought downstairs this morning, had breakfast and has now gone off to Granny's house.

He did cost £4.99 which I thought was extortionate but couldn't really argue with the volunteers at Marie Curie.

Toy food to go along with the tea set. I bought a big tub from our NCT sale for about £1, but even new it is fairly cheap.

Dd (4) makes lots of plated meals and wanders about like a waitress.

Our neighbour gave DD a little 'Littlest Pet Shop' thingy that her DD had outgrown, and put in the charity bag.... DD LOVES it- plays with it for ages- it has been an umbrella and a suitcase as well as the pet shop it actually is.
I think it's because in true pfb stylee she doesn't really have any plastic toys, certainly not in pink!

She also plays with her tea set for HOURS, particuarly when combined with play food.

mini barbie & car was 30p in save the children. barbie was still wired in so guess unplayed with. DD was 18 mo when got it & it has been played with daily in the past 6 months. DD does take the clothes off & then demand I put them back on. She also has some small muppets which were Macdonalds freebies that we got for 29p each in another charity shop. They are just the right size to go on trips with barbie.

I am a major charity shop fiend. I particularly always check out the oddments box which is usually stuff from 10-50p. Found various random cars, tractors, kids meal toys, tools, little people, animals etc who have been separated from their sets. DD doesnt seem to care. I did have to hold myself back recently as just didnt have the room for the huge bag containing enormous megabloks palace set for £2.50.

With my dd 3 any towel/blanket / sheet and a doll !
Keep tripping up over them all over the house!
She even asked santa for new blankets for xmas!

Kaleidoscope.
And BTW I want one!!

DS (18 months) is in love with a Girls Aloud music player that came with a Happy Meal.

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