What does your 3-4yr old like?

[Lindsay27]

Call me crazy, but I'm starting to think about Christmas.  Mostly because I'm due with #2 at the beginning of December so I don't want to be stressed about Christmas stuff with a newborn, so I'm making a (vain) attempt to get it sorted now.

I am just at a loss of what to get for DS!  He will be 3yrs 8 months.  My only idea thus far is lego.  He currently has Duplo but he's ready to move onto the real-deal stuff.  Half the problem is because DH's parents are divorced and each re-married, he has 3 sets of grandparents and is the first grand-baby for all of them, so he really is spoiled by them (this is a huge point of contention for my DH).  The kid has everything    Train table, play kitchen, all the trucks and hot wheels you can imagine, an outside playhouse, sandbox, puzzles, blocks, books, a tent etc. 

I'm at a loss.  The things he currently plays with most are his Duplo, hot wheels, and construction vehicles.  He is absolutely getting more into imaginative play.  I do worry though about keeping him busy when I'm on maternity leave (he will be home with me 3 days a week) and I can see him getting bored with his trucks, and I will need things to keep him occupied all winter.  There are some great library programs here that I am hoping to utilize, as well as put him back in swimming lessons.

What did your 3-4 year old enjoy the most?

[cath~]

Painting, sticking crafts, easel,

Dressing up outfit?

If he already has heaps of toys, what about something more practical:
- some "kit" for activities he likes, like a new swimming towel/bag, noodle, goggles, toys to dive for...
- new bag
- paying for an activity eg a trip out (theatre, zoo, attraction...) or a course of lessons eg swimming
- bedroom accessories - night light? rug?
- wash bag
- umbrella
- cooking apron and utensils
- child's gardening set

Does he have any non-fiction books?  What about a child's atlas, book about the human body, space, history, oceans... Something like that could last quite a while.

Board games

[~*Nicole*~]

Dress up outfits. My DS likes superheros but would love fireman, police officer, construction worker, vet, doctor, etc. Anything like that for role playing games. Art stuff? Another area that my DS is a bit behind in but others love: craft materials, scissors, glue, markers, crayons, playdough and things to cut and mold the dough.

DS also loved getting wall decals and posters to decorate his own room with. He even liked getting new clothes.

[lily_layne]

DD loves her play kitchen and uses it tons. The kitchen itself is very simple - wood with a cupboard and an oven and since but she has a lot of play food and some appliances. My nephews and my friend's boys love it too. It's the first thing they go for in our house. She has a toy blender that is very popular! Second most used item (with the boys too) is the doll stroller. DD and my 3 yo nephew get into brawls over it.

[creations]

How about things for transforming the outside play house into other role play games such as:
- grocery shop (cash till, shopping baskets, play food)
- sweet shop (mine was given a sweet shop with weighing scales and play money, I extended it with a shop sign for the door, pretend sweets (dry pasta etc), little paper bags, price tags, toy mobile phones for home delivery orders, he used a little trike with trailer for deliveries) the sweet shop play was a huge hit at almost 4yo and still is, also friends love it
- post office (date and number stampers, ink pad, stickers, play stamps and tax discs, play airmail papers, play cheque book, lots of papers, pens, highlighters, envelopes and cards to write on, post box, postman outfit and bag)

Hamma beads
sticker books
mosaic stickers
musical instrument (ukulele maybe? ocarina is good for small hands)
dot to dot book
bike (mine got his for his 4th birthday - what a hit!  started out with the pedals off as a balance bike. He's now got pedals on and rides without stabilizers 4.5yo)
jigsaws
board games (busy town, junior monopoly, frustration, connect 4)

[lily_layne]

A balance bike is a great idea. DD loves hers.

[weaver]

Bike, scooter, stickers and colouring, cutting paper, jigsaws, play kitchen, books of all sorts, painting, blocks and lego. Train set. Gardening. Her wooden trolley. 

Also nice but not toys are child sized cultery, nice bowls and cups.  I bought what are probably espresso cups as child-sized mugs for Christmas, one each for the LOs and they loved them! New PJs, slippers.

[Mel_bhs2010]

My son is younger but we always do a Christmas eve box (jammies and the night before Christmas book) a few presents he needs like clothes or bed clothes, maybe a toy, and then have the "big" present be an experience. Last year we gave my son an experience for his birthday and it turned out great, we all had a good time and he loved being showered with attention.

I might suggest a gift card for build a bear to open for Christmas, and then make a huge day of going and eating lunch out and maybe also see a movie or something. We're gonna do the local hands on museum, maybe you can find something like that