What do your 4 year olds play with?

[sweets]

I am minding 2 four year olds at the mo, they used to play really well together, well still do i suppose but i think they are getting fed up of my toys! my toys are kept upstairs and i bring different ones done regularly and they often choose what they want but lately seem to be getting fed up of them quickly! I was wondering if they are too babyish for them, they are duplo, wooden train set, wooden bricks, happystreet, small dolls house, garage and cars to name a few. i have asked them what they play with at home and they say similar sort of things to mine.
i could do with investing in a few toys but want to get the right things.
Any advice or suggestions welcome please.... They are 1 boy and 1 girl.
thanks

[miss mopple]

geomag
lego
dinosaurs (have the elc set with the track)
thomas set
playmobil
dolls
arts and crafts
anything messy in the tuff spot
fabric bag
puppets

thats their faves off the top of my head, but Im sure theres more.

[avril]

Mine love the kitchen and play food, their imagination runs wild:
Shopping for pic nics, parties, etc...
The kitchen becomes a rocket, spaceship, car

we talk about healthy food with the play food, lay out a pic nic blanket and pretend with teddy bears etc...

[Mouse]

What about activities that allow them more chance to explore? A box/tray of clean soil with little objects hidden in it and spoons to dig & magnifying glasses to look at what they find. Junk modelling with boxes, kitchen roll tubes, tooth paste boxes, lids etc. If you don't want a gluey mess let them use masking tape to stick things together.

As for toys, how about proper lego, PlayMobil (more grown up than Happy Street), board games (snakes & ladders) or card games (snap, pairs)

Have you got access to a toy library? You could take them along & let them chose a toy each.

[Tatjana]

My sons love playing 'shops' and 'restaurants', so anything food related for the latter, for 'shops' their imaginations run riot!

xx
PS Maybe we shop and eat out too much, lol!

[loocyloo]

my 4 yr old is heavily into craft of all types!

she also loves going on bug hunts/looking at insect books/making insects/being a bug etc etc!

doll/baby roleplay (& dressing up)

playmobil

snakes & ladders, guess who, connect 4, kerplunk, pairs

xxx

[sweets]

We do do a lot of imaginative play and crafts, but its the sit down toys they seem to get bored of! I am going to try and get some playmobil i think but it so expensive, even the stuff on e-bay goes for a lot!

[Lady Haha]

Get em a Wii!!!! Only joking:rolleyes:

Playmobil is expensive but I like to think of it as an investment that can be sold on again one day!!! They never seem to tire of Playmobil! The house (small one!)and the farm are good ones that get played with alot! The noahs ark and pirate ship gather dust, so save your pennies there! And lot of dressing up clothes! My lot seem to spend less and less time just sitting playing with toys and more and more time making up roles for each other and playing 'super dog' etc!

[Daddy Day Care]

My 4 year old daughter is mad on jigsaws, sits there all day doing them, shes upto 50 pieces now and does them with ease so think i'll have to invest in some more.

When shes not doing jigsaws and art and craft related things.

Gareth
xx

[emler]

My 4 year old loves dressing up, dolls & prams, arts & crafts, lego, jigsaws & board games to name a few.

[Mouse]

This website has good prices on a couple of the playmobil toys

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