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boilermakermom
07-18-2011, 03:51 PM
DD's birthday is next month, and I am starting to get the 'what does DD want' questions.....I have a few things, but not many...

What am I missing? What are some other good toys/items your 3 or 4 year olds enjoy? (Since her birthday is in the summer, I tend to 'hide' some of her gifts until winter. We are so busy in the summer, she doesn't realize.)

DD loves anything art related - coloring, painting, etc. She also loves Lego Dupolos. I bought two sets at a garage sale, and it came with a lap desk/table. Maybe a bigger building surface?

I have a water table, and possibly an American Girl Bitty Baby on the list so far. I have thought about Magnetiles, or the moasic art stickers.

The grandparents aren't fans of smaller gifts, so bigger items work for them.

brittone2
07-18-2011, 03:55 PM
Magnatiles
FP Loving Family dollhouse
Playmobil (YMMV. This age is kind of early I suppose but DD has looooved PM from an early age, and enjoys playing with DS1)
DD still plays with DS1's trains
Dolls (Maclaren doll stroller, cradle, doll sized Ergo)
Art supplies
crafts
at 3 she really enjoyed dressup; by 4 she was doing less of this but will still do it.
Doctor kit

SnuggleBuggles
07-18-2011, 04:01 PM
Ds2 loves:
Magnatiles
Imaginext
Megabloks
Little People
balls

Beth

boolady
07-18-2011, 04:15 PM
FP Loving Family dollhouse
DD still plays with DS1's trains
Dolls (Maclaren doll stroller, cradle, doll sized Ergo)
Art supplies
crafts
at 3 she really enjoyed dressup; by 4 she was doing less of this but will still do it.
Doctor kit

:yeahthat: plus:
cooking/kitchen toys (DD is constantly making her babies salagna (lasagna:)) and cookies and borrowing my cookbooks to "follow the recipes"

scooter

outdoor sports toys-- tee and ball set, soccer equipment

Littlest Pet Shop

unit blocks


I would also tell you if you're looking for a bigger gift from your in-laws that DD absolutely adores this house and magnetic doll set my BFF, her godmother, got her for her birthday. I don't know how much your ILs want to spend...amazon's showing it's about $90, but I know my BFF got it for DD at Costco last year when holiday gifts were out for around $50.

http://www.amazon.com/Shure-130-Magnetic-Wooden-Pieces/dp/B004BFVBRG

maiaann
07-18-2011, 04:19 PM
DD2 is 4. Her favorites over the past year include:

Barbie
Littlest Pet Shop/My Little Pony
Disney movies
Polly Pocket (I hate Polly, however - too many little, cheap, plastic pieces)
She loves our water table, even though I bought it as a 1st b-day present for DD3.
Coloring
She has an American Girl Bitty Baby and she loves her, but Bitty Baby doesn't get a whole lot of play.
Dress up

brittone2
07-18-2011, 04:25 PM
Yeah, I should have added outdoor stuff as DD loves her scooter and bike. She spends a lot of time riding her bike.

ahrimie
07-18-2011, 04:44 PM
Magnatiles, dress up, drawing/painting. But mostly, she just plays with odds and ends around the house and pretends. She's constantly putting smaller toys in bags, buckets, purses and pretends they are this or that.

TwinFoxes
07-18-2011, 04:55 PM
Their scooters (Radio Flyer my first scooter, awesome because they fold, and have a wide foot board) are #1. Their trikes are very popular, and they also like their Howdy Cows. Outside toys are big for them now! Left over from Christmas: Aquadoodle, and school bus playhouse are still going strong. Coloring supplies, books and puzzles are perennial faves. ETA: also from Christmas, their train set.

Big miss: Leapsters (from a relative. The girls have my old iPhones, the Leapsters just aren't as engaging).

Oh, they like their cameras too. Vtech I think.

SoloMelody
07-18-2011, 06:04 PM
DD just turned 3 loves

puzzles
dress up
tracing (the child is crazy, she willl trace A-Z for 2 hours a t a time...)

she loves the ipad :bag: on it she loves
more tracing, puzzles, matching games and angry birds

and recently figured out how to get onto netflix and play barney... :sigh:

stillplayswithbarbies
07-18-2011, 10:39 PM
Magnatiles. At least two sets of the 100 pieces.

pinay
07-19-2011, 02:00 AM
DD is 4 and currently loves:

Disney princesses & Barbies
Barbie house, car, horse, and any other accessory/add on she can find
plasma car
Legos
board games (Hungry Hippos, Zingo are two favorites although I guess neither are really on boards!)

goldenpig
07-19-2011, 03:26 AM
Soon to be 4 year old DD's favorites:
Dress-up clothes (esp princess stuff)
Educo kitchen and play food and grocery cart
Doctor kit
Dolls/stuffed animals and doll care items including stroller
Easy reader books
Markers, cut and paste books, mosaic stickers
Zingo
Earth Ball
Magnatiles
Unit blocks
Duplo
Play silks
Puppets
Fold and Go mini-trampoline with handlebar
Naturally Playful Big Slide
Skuut bike
Schwinn Roadster tricycle

Yes our house is overrun with toys! :bag
And her birthday is coming up too so there'll be even more to add!
But most of the younger toys DS is playing with (and she even plays with still too), so I can't get rid of them yet.

janine
07-19-2011, 01:06 PM
Magnatiles, dress up, drawing/painting. But mostly, she just plays with odds and ends around the house and pretends. She's constantly putting smaller toys in bags, buckets, purses and pretends they are this or that.

Mine is almost 3 and this is her - there are plastic bags full of little toys inside of other toys, and bulging toy purses everywhere.
I guess in short she loves anything involving role play. So her baby stroller, toy cars/houses/play kitchen and animals get a lot of use.

ciw
07-19-2011, 01:25 PM
DS is three. Most of his favorites have been mentioned: puzzles, magnatiles, trains, board games like Memory and Zingo, and kitchen stuff.

One that I haven't seen mentioned -- Richard Scary's Busytown game. We play that over, and over and over..... I think this will probably be my go-to gift for this age group.

He also likes the Do-A-Dot markers and books (great gift b/c they're a little pricey for markers so I think a lot parents don't buy them) and the Aqua Doodle. He still loves the Play doh Fun Factory too.

Another hit: Leapfrog's Scribble and Write. But that doesn't receive nearly the love that the other items do.

swissair81
07-21-2011, 10:58 AM
I have a 4 yo DD and an almost 3 yo DS.

She plays with:
dress up
Polly Pocket
arts & crafts bucket
color wonder markers
ride on toys
richard scarry games
play food/kitchen stuff
dolls
magnatiles
anything princess
hexabits

He plays with:
Big Little Tikes trucks from ebay
anything car/truck/train/construction vehicle
magnatiles
geotrax
tinker toys
bristle blocks
puzzles
books

They both love ipad games.

elephantmeg
07-21-2011, 11:59 AM
DD is 3, she loves:
-play kitchen and M+D food sets (pizza, cupcakes, magnetic lid condiments) and we also have a plan foods cutting food-she also loves the apron and hotmats
-dolls, doll crib, high chair, stroller. She was eying a baby care center thing in a catolog this am (bathtub etc)
-just getting into barbies etc at 3.5
-just getting into the magnetic dolls (M+D wooden "paper" doll things
-we have a FB first doll house that gets some play but not a ton
-kids' camera
-littlest petshop stuff

HIU8
07-21-2011, 12:29 PM
4 yr old DD loves:

drawing and painting
leapster
dollhouse
barbie dolls (not the newer with the skanky clothes)
bitty twin
bike riding (new bike, helmet etc...)
zhu zhu pets (yes, DD loves these annoying things)
games (connect 4, monopoly jr)
the preschool book for handwriting without tears (my DD is really into this)
books

lowrioh
07-21-2011, 12:30 PM
Magnatiles
FP Loving Family dollhouse
Playmobil (YMMV. This age is kind of early I suppose but DD has looooved PM from an early age, and enjoys playing with DS1)
DD still plays with DS1's trains
Dolls (Maclaren doll stroller, cradle, doll sized Ergo)
Art supplies
crafts
at 3 she really enjoyed dressup; by 4 she was doing less of this but will still do it.
Doctor kit

:yeahthat:

DD1 is about to turn three and this is her exactly. She LOVES those foam stickers.
How about a Learning Tower for a big gift?

chozen
07-21-2011, 12:58 PM
4 yr old DD loves:

drawing and painting
leapster
dollhouse
barbie dolls (not the newer with the skanky clothes)
bitty twin
bike riding (new bike, helmet etc...)
zhu zhu pets (yes, DD loves these annoying things)
games (connect 4, monopoly jr)
the preschool book for handwriting without tears (my DD is really into this)
books

which one is a good one to start with for a 3 1/2 yr. old. i went to barnes and noble website , im not sure which one is best to start with?

LMPC
07-21-2011, 01:25 PM
Mine is almost 3 and this is her - there are plastic bags full of little toys inside of other toys, and bulging toy purses everywhere.


Yep, this is going on at my house every day! She's always pretending that she's "packing to go on vacation!"

wellyes
07-21-2011, 01:29 PM
DD has been very into her carpet that looks like a roadway recently. We have an emergency themed one so it has a fire station, police station,etc. She doesn't play with cars, but she pretends a lot. She says we should pet the kitty on it, talks about the people in the pictures, or asks if I want to go to the hospital to visit Madeline. It's like an imagination-scape for her.