Gift ideas for 4yo boy

[mama*pisces]

For Christmas...we've decided to give each of our kids 1 book and 1 toy each, and 1(maybe 2) toys that they can both play with. I have a few ideas for dd(who will be 16 months), but I'm undecided about ds. Is there a toy/building set that your very active 4 yo boy absolutely loves and plays with every day?

I know he would love a marble run, but I kinda want to wait another year to get him one, as he is not great at picking up after himself and I would worry about dd getting a hold of the marbles. I was thinking maybe Connectagons, but I don't think they would hold his interest very long, and I can see the pieces ending up everywhere. I'm still open to considering other building sets though, but my mom is getting them a set of 100 blocks as one of their joint gifts, and I was also considering Magneatos...so Idk if getting him another building set would be overdoing it?

TIA!

[swampangel]

I think the building sets are a great idea. I agree with you about the marbe run. We had one and while they are fun, pieces of it end up everywhere and they are made pretty cheaply.

Another idea is playmobil. Does he like doing puppet plays/imaginative play with dolls? My youngest ds has been in a Waldorf preschool so little plays with small dolls and animals has been a favorite activity of his. My other ds didn't go to a Waldorf school so it was never really something he saw modeled but I think he would have liked it, too. They have some really fun sets and I think they are for 4 and up.

Good luck with it!

[leighi123]

I got my 3yr old a Quadrilla marble run - which is more expensive but its a lot better quality.

Im making him a mat to use it on, its a big round mat with a cord that goes through a casing around the outside edge. When he is done playing, you just pull the rope and all the little pieces stay in the bag without much effort. I plan on hanging a hook on the wall to hang it on when its not being used.

[chattyprincess]

All the little boys around here are really hot on the imaginext toys. They seem really well made and involve countless hours of play!

[Ornery]

Personally, I think MagnaTiles are much cooler than Connectagons and my ds plays with them on his own for quite a long period of time whereas he only plays with his Connectagons for short periods of time. He builds a ton of stuff with the MagnaTiles.

Legos and Imaginext are hot items here as well.

[mrskingred]

My 4yo plays with his brio construction every day. He builds all sorts of things, uses the hammer and other tools, makes "boomers" and fantastical machines.

DS: Ama, mire, mire!
Me: What is it?
DS: It's an all-terrain helicopter, see, its got 6 wheels, the rotor spins and the hook for pulling.

[MAMom]

Originally Posted by Ornery

Personally, I think MagnaTiles are much cooler than Connectagons and my ds plays with them on his own for quite a long period of time whereas he only plays with his Connectagons for short periods of time. He builds a ton of stuff with the MagnaTiles.

I second the MagnaTiles. They are used everyday in our house by my 7.5 y.o. DS & 4.5 y.o. DD. They are pricey, but were worth it for us.