Christmas 2010 -- boys

[MontrealMum]

We started with the Playmobil 1.2.3 when DS was around 1 IIRC, and introduced some of the "regular" Playmobil when he was around 2. I was careful to choose sets that were mostly large pieces (like boats) and I hid many of the small parts. He got a lot of the regular Playmobil for this past b-day because as he got closer to 3 I realized that he's OK to be around small parts now. His favorites so far are boats (for the tub), and anything involving wheels. He has the dollhouse too which is nice for toting along to granny's. He does a lot of mixing and matching of vehicles from different brands/sets and spends a lot of time building "garages" for the I have the car wash stashed away for Xmas.

[Momof3Labs]

When did your boys start getting interested in playmobil? DS isn't yet, but then again, he hasn't been exposed to it. I just put the playmobil take along doll house on his amazon list. Every time we go to one of his female friends' houses he loves playing with their doll houses, so I think it might be a good present.

I thought that DS2 would love Playmobil (he loved rearranging things in the dollhouse I had growing up, and loved playing with Little People) but we've had it almost a year and he's pretty neutral towards it. Given its price tag, I'd start modest and see how it goes over, adding more for his birthday if it is a hit.

[brittone2]

I honestly don't know what to get my two older boys. I feel like they have so much, "stuff." Maybe we will just go to Kalahari or something instead as a family. We are drowning in LEGO, THEY want more, but we don't NEED anymore, all of our LEGO bins are overflowing.

For DS3, I'm just going to re-gift some of DS1 an DS2's outgrown toys for him.

This is all too familiar LOL!

DS2 is getting regifted toys this year. I did pick him up a giant plastic monstrosity in the form of the FP learning home (from CL, like new w/ all parts). He'll be getting a regifted haba walker wagon and then some stocking stuff.

DS1 seems to really like educational type toys right now. My ILs just gave him a microscope (used from an auction or something). He really enjoys it. I just picked up some slides to go with it when we placed our HSing order for the year. Might expand on that theme although I feel slightly guilty buying him homeschooley stuff for Christmas. I don't think he minds though.

I'd rather add to existing toys than start new themes at this point.

I've considered something like a subscription to an audio magazine like boomerang but that doesn't have the wow factor on Christmas morning.

If we could find a house I would buy them hammock chairs for reading or something like that for a finished basement.

[brittone2]

with respect to Playmobil, DS1 was 4-4.5 before he got into it. He wasn't into much imaginative play with figures, etc. until then. DD jumped right into playing along with him at 18 months (we had to watch tiny pieces obviously!). I think she kind of helped enhance his interest in it because she was really into imaginative play like that from early on.

DS1 is 6.5 and still loves PM. I don't know how many more little parts I can deal with though LOL.

[wimama]

Any recommendations for an educational hand held system for a 3 year old?

We are consindering asking my DS grandparents to buy him a Leap Frog Explorer for Christmas. They look even better than the Leapster.

When did your boys start getting interested in playmobil? DS isn't yet, but then again, he hasn't been exposed to it. I just put the playmobil take along doll house on his amazon list. Every time we go to one of his female friends' houses he loves playing with their doll houses, so I think it might be a good present.

We bought our DS the Pirate Advent calendar and Skull Island Take-along pirate set last year when he was 3 1/2.

He liked it but wasn't so good about not taking off around the house with the little pieces. He was all about carting his toys all around the house for a while and the pirates have lots of little accessories. So, we instituted a rule that it had to be plaid with at the kitchen table. And eventually, when we were doing renovations around the playroom area and we put the pirates up on a shelf for a while.

We just brought the Pirate stuff back out like a month ago and he love the Playmobil stuff now. I told him he needs to keep it on his train table to play with the toys, so he doesn't loose the tiny little pieces. If he could do that then Mommy & Daddy would tell Santa it was OK to bring the Playmobil school he wants. He is 4 1/2 now and he has been super good about keeping the Playmobil pieces together and on his train table now. I also explained to him mommy would vacuum up any pieces left on the floors or couches.

I think the previous posters suggestion of starting him with some more basic Playmobil sets and not giving him any little pieces is a great idea. I kind of wish we would have started with some vehicles or boats and some bigger pieces. I think the Take-Along House and Barn both look like good starter pieces. Most of the accessories look a little bigger in those sets.

Those pirates just have lots of little things little tiny gold coins and belt clips and such. I wish I would have taken the holding off on the tiny accessories approach, but he has grown into the sets over the last year. And, my DS wasn't really a typical 3 year old, we always joked about him being a pack rat and part Hobo. He was always carting toys from one place to another in some sort of container.

[AlbrightRC]

Any recommendations for an educational hand held system for a 3 year old?

Have you seen the v-tech mobigo? We put this on our son's christmas list even tho he'll be 2 1/2 and its rated for age 3+

[willow33]

We are getting each of our boys an outside toy since we are also drowning in legos, etc...

DS (5.5) is getting this Razor Rip-Rider 360 ride on
http://www.amazon.com/Razor-Rip-Ride...5348796&sr=1-3

DS (7.5) will get the Razor PowerWing Caster Scooter
http://www.amazon.com/Razor-PowerWin...348876&sr=1-10

And relatives will buy them a Wii game each

[alirebco]

Playmobil fire trucks
Scooter
Wikki sticks
Automoblox
Plan Toys train set

[Tnstrainor]

I don't know what to get my DS who will be 4 at the end of October. So I don't know what to get him for his birthday either but I was thinking Bruins tickets since he loves hockey. I will be watching this for other ideas.

[kboyle]

Charlie is getting:
either Lego Hogwarts castle OR Hogwarts express & the Burrow (he really wants the burrow)

Max is getting:
ipod touch that I got for free from keybank

ernie is getting:
possibly the little people wheelies thing that Jeanna posted http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?...at=lp_wheelies if MIL doesn't get it. my kids HATE LP, but LOVE all the ramp sets since it fits the hot wheels monster trucks, lol. we have 2 sets that have gotten so much play in the past 7 yrs!

or the Racin Ramps Garage http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?...cat=lpplaysets

and a some Cars hot wheels

they are all getting headphones
they are all getting iTunes gift cards (by xmas they will all have an ipod touch)
possibly a DS game for charlie & max
either Epic Mickey or Mario Galaxy 2 for the Wii for the boys...(it's actually for me, but i'm not telling dh that, lol)

we are going to the PHilippines for xmas and the flight is about 16 hrs total...we have MANY MANY electronics to last those hours that aren't filled with reading, sleeping, eating, crying, grumbling, whining, lol.