What to buy a 2 + 4 year old?

[Duv]

I'm looking for ideas of a smallish gift for a 2 year old and 4 year old boy (brothers).

I'm a bit clueless about what kids at this age play with as I have a much younger baby. I want to get something that won't be annoying clutter for the parents, and something around the £10ish mark.

So far I've come up with pretend play items (like play food) as being good for 2 year olds? Although I feel like that's also good for a 4 year old. I'm confused because I don't want to get something that the 4 yr old thinks is babyish. I also thought of Duplo but is that too young for a 4 year old? Also I hear art stuff is good, but what art stuff?

Basically do you have ideas of small gifts that would be good and what would you give the 2 year old and what would you give the 4 year old, because I really struggle to distinguish between what's a 4 year olds toy and a 2 year olds - I guess they cross over a bit?

I pop to the works and grab whatever cheap, plastic crap they have on sale for my nieces and nephews.

Sounds awful but they have so many toys already. I don't want to spend a ton on something really fancy that their parents then feel pressure to keep nice and parade around all the time. Plus the cheap plastic shite tends to go down well!

Another question: when a family has a younger child in the household is it a no no to get the older child something not suitable for the younger one? For example is it ok to give a 4 year old Lego that could be a choking hazard for the 2 year old? I don't know if that's really annoying for parents, or they will just be used to keeping their eldest's unsuitable toys away from the youngest?

Parents will be used to it, keeping smaller part toys away, and the 2yo will grow into them before the older one outgrows them.

I have a just 4yo and a 18mo.

They both love cars. Pull-back speedy cars, micromachines, tractors, anything with wheels, transformers, monster trucks.

I tailor it to the child whose birthday/present it is - it's their day, not the other sibling's

I have two boys, slightly further apart in age, (5 + 1). They get lots of nice things. Age appropriate books are good, or something like a duplo set for the little one, and a lego set for the bigger one is nice. My boys are different in terms of interests eg one likes dinosaurs, the other likes cars. I also really appreciate it when people buy them pyjamas, socks etc and they do like to receive these things (although as a child I didn't!).

Duplo is good I think, my DDs were still playing with it when they were older than 4.

Also maybe playdoh?

Ps if this is for Christmas, you can get some good ideas and bargains via the Christmas threads

Depends how much you like their parents. If you don't like them all that much you can get all sorts of noisy stuff.

Seriously, I too used to get my friends' kids cheap plastic crap that their parents wouldn't buy them because it's a waste of money (but fun in the moment). Their parents and close family will already have bought all sorts of things that are 'good' for children of their particular age. Go for the supermarket 'pester' stuff.