christmas presents!

[alieh]

I just chuck all of the Playmobil in Ikea Trofast bins. I don't even attempt to keep different sets together and accept that tiny bits go into the hoover each time! Sometimes time can be killed by trying to find all the pirate bits together, all the knight bits, etc.

Arts and crafts, we have a chest/tambour cabinet that has lots of shelves close together inside which has evolved as an arts and crafts area and is perfect. In our next house we're hoping to reclaim it for adult use as it is quite a nice piece. At that point I'll probably use the Trofast again with a mix of shelves and bins.

[Inkmaiden]

What about a marble run?

Or geomag?

Both provide endless combinations and permutations, but obviously not ideal if there are any smaller siblings who like to put small objects in their mouths.

[enjoy]

Hot wheels and tracks.

Knights, dragons and even some animals from Schleich.

They are hugley expensive but sturdy and my son (7)

plays in different voices with them.

And story CDs, he loves listening to them.

But niw l need ideas, as we already have all that ;-))

[nunheadmum]

Are marble runs any good or do you spend ages setting them up for the kids to run a couple of marbles down them and then move on? Can a 5 year old build them?

[bumpy]

Our very near 4 year old was given a marble run about a year ago and LOVES it. Will play with it for ages BUT at his age cannot build it 'properly' by himself

[bluesuperted]

My 3yo played with a friend's marble run at the weekend and also loved it. Played on his own then asked for some construction help, then on own again. Definitely brilliant toy for his age group and tempted to buy for playing during baby's naps as she will eat the marbles!

[yeknomyeknom]

I like this snurk astronaut bedding https://www.snurkbeddengoed.nl/astronaut?size=851. Also the Dino-hopper on amazon. Stompeez slippers are good fun. The ukayed wiggle car (amazon) is great value.

[snowboarder]

I'm embarrassed to say we have SO many of these toys already....castle...kitchen...marble run...board games...lego...duplo....playmobile...jigsaws...the list goes on! I have been on an endless quest to find 'the' toy that actually stimulates and grips eldest boy for more than a week or two. He is always totally captivated by other boys toys at their houses - mostly versions of what we have already... It's kind of reassuring to hear that it's a reasonably common phenomena though.

I think we're going to go for lego/duplo for both this year and I really need to make more time to direct and play with them. The other thing that doesn't help is that my two fight constantly over toys...it's very wearing!

(Oh - as something NOT to buy - last year my eldest (then 3.5) got a beginner scalectrix set - after loving one at a friends house - one of the great non played with things in the playroom - not able to make it by himself and absolutely too rough with it!)

[snowboarder]

Oh - one recommendation for younger children - we bought our youngest one of these mini balance bikes last year (he was 1.5 but would have managed on it younger - they really are q small) and he has really loved it - http://www.smythstoys.com/ride-ons-97sc/bunzi-balance-bike-blue-127888itm.aspx?gclid=CKHQ7NW54LoCFdPItAodhHQAmA

[Lochie]

Hi SB my eldest is 4 and can barely sit still for 5 mins! My mum is getting him a geomag set this year. I haven't ever seen it in action but it does look quite good on the blurb on Amazon.

I also got him a light up globe from John Lewis for his bday which does fuel the odd question about planet earth. Can you tell I am veering toward the more educational gifts!?! We really have so much STUFF I feel that the rule for letting anymore toys in the house are that it has to be small or educational!

Have you looked on GLTC? They have lovely stuff there? What about a wigwam so they can make a den? Or I love this: http://www.gltc.co.uk/vw-camper-van-pop-up-tent/play-tents-and-wigwams/gltc/fcp-product/10002595 (clearly breaking my small and educational rule!)

[Lochie]

Also quite a lot of fun stuff here:

http://www.sciencemuseumshop.co.uk/children#items-/children/_all

[nunheadmum]

I find that some of the stuff we bought when they were young (e.g. it said 3+ so we thought it'd work!), they're coming back to now (age 5 & 7) - particularly the building stuff like Lego etc that they're better able to think around now. So maybe a little bit to refresh something that you already have?

[Anna M]

Our four year old was given a marble run for his birthday - or was it last christmas - and all the adults who come to the house play with it as well and are worried about setting it up so all the routes make sense. But he loves to set it up and build it and then experiment with the marbles to see where they go when you put them in different parts of the run. He doesn't play with it entirely independently but he loves helping (and directing) building it. His two-year old brother loves putting marbles in it too and 'testing' the runs as we build them. I have to say it's the single most played with item by adults and children in our household. It's quite a big one with stairs and wheels and all kinds of things.

[sanity girl]

Can anyone with a marble run post a link to a good one? I'm guessing Amazon would be a good place to look? Cheers! Liking the light up globe suggestion too!

[bumpy]

Starter pack and build from there?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Marbutopia-Marble-Starter-Helter-Skelter/dp/B000KDS6PS/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1384347294&sr=8-9&keywords=marble+run

[sanity girl]

Thanks bumpy!

[Knomester]

alieh - I found this dragon and now nothing else comes close... http://www.amazon.co.uk/Playmobil-4838-Giant-Dragon-Fire/dp/B001RHAF28/ref=sr_1_1?s=kids&ie=UTF8&qid=1384349592&sr=1-1&keywords=playmobil+dragon+led+fire

Thanks for the tips on playmobil figures, I'll start hunting.

Loving the marble run idea. We'd looked at one for last birthday but decided to keep presents small and few. Is Marbutopia a good sturdy brand to go for (for a 3.2yo who loves dismantling things as much as he does building them)?

[snowboarder]

We have that dragon!! He's pretty cool - apart from my son has cruelly removed his wings....!!

Marble run is good - we do end up with LOADS of marbles under the sofa however - destroying it seems as much (more?) fun than building it...:-/

[alieh]

This is the dragon we have: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Playmobil-3327-Red-Dragon/dp/B0002HZO70

I think I get more excited about Playmobil than my kids!

[Inkmaiden]

We have this one, although an older version- http://www.elc.co.uk/Marble-Madness-Game/125723,default,pd.html.

A few pieces can be a bit stiff to put together and you definitely need to use some proper marbles rather than the light plastic ones that come with it, but it is the no.1 toy of choice when friends come to play.

[SR]

There was a thread a few (might have been quite a few) months ago about a toy - not meccano or lego but a build type toy. Can anyone remember what it was?

I will definitely find something on this site - http://www.brightminds.co.uk/

[lenster]

I spent ages looking for that thread a few weeks ago. Think it was for Polydrons? Didn't keep link to thread though.

[SR]

lenster you are brilliant! - http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?29,1078961,1092629#msg-1092629

thank you

[Inkmaiden]

snowboarder, do you think your boys would enjoy a puppet theatre? Might encourage some self-directed play together- younger could make up stories, the older could direct? Then performed for you? http://www.gltc.co.uk/doorway-puppet-theatre//gltc/fcp-product/10000001260?kpid=10000001260&gclid=CPmbmYrs4roCFRMctAodwnoAcA

[bee74]

I have a very similar policy to alieh so my son has asked father Xmas for the walking talking dinosaur after coveting alieh's one for a year and I luckily found one in Sainsburys. Then he is getting a new bike from us because he needs a bigger one. Plus I go to car boots and buy little things like cars or animals... And place them in jars as advent calendar. Finally, there are always some books and crafty/arty things from grandparents which I choose (!). But I love Playmobil and debating whether to give the little one the camper van it bought rapt a car boot about 2 years ago! She will be two on 21st Dec...

Btw there are so many presents not because we are very generous but because they both have birthdays so close to Christams.