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View Full Version : rainy day toy bundles for 4-6 year olds?



jumpinjen
09-01-2011, 08:50 PM
hi guys,

i know it's just after Christmas and they should all be happy with what they had but I'm finding that nothing i have really engages their attention at the moment.... I had a look on ebay tonight for bundles of toys and thought maybe a happy land set or a polly pocket set..... all my toys are wooden mainly and the littler ones love them but the older ones spend a lot of time bickering and not really playing and i'm struggling to get them to just 'be' happily without constant attention.... craft doesn't hit the mark at the minute, jigsaws do but very time intensive with one five year old and then two year olds get no attention, i can't be everywhere! Soooo

Any other suggestions of what you have boxed up that gets pulled out as a 'rainy day temptation'??

I would appreciate your help.... i'm even going to spend my birthday money on this! how sad!

jen x

The Juggler
09-01-2011, 09:05 PM
for this age groups boardgames or card games like uno or snap:thumbsup: or good old junk modelling??

crazyhazy
09-01-2011, 09:13 PM
I find play doh and any sort of craft activity goes down well with my older ones, as do the orchard toy games, we have tummy ache and incy winsy spider and both of my own girls 2y and 4y play them as well as my 9y old mindee.

rickysmiths
09-01-2011, 11:47 PM
for this age groups boardgames or card games like uno or snap:thumbsup: or good old junk modelling??

I was just going to say the same thing!

Vickster
10-01-2011, 02:21 PM
My 4-5 year olds love role play, so lots of dressing up, a pop up tent, sleeping bag, sheets to make dens, torches, push chairs teddies, pretend food. It is also worth finding out what they are doing at achool. They are doing alien week at our school so I have a large box and some silver foil for them to make a spaceship with for when they come round on Thursday. Friday they drew pictures of aliens to take to school today. Play doh is also a hit. Can you borrow a small world school from the toy library they love playing schools.

AnnieM
10-01-2011, 05:22 PM
Mine that are almost almost 7, love Cranium kadoo and lots of the orchard toys board games, the bus stop one, magic cauldron and what a performance are current favourites. :thumbsup:

jumpinjen
10-01-2011, 06:46 PM
thanks for all your replies..... I have packed away a lot of the role play stuff for after school as they begin a game but the one then constantly switches roles in a bid ( i think) to be 'top dog' all the time, the others then say no eventually and she throws a strop and won't play then, so completely killing it dead.... and the noise is unbelievable, despite constant reminders to speak rather than shout at each other......

board games can't be played unless i am there constantly as the same child cheats and then the others get upset, and if they point out that she is cheating then the throws a strop and won't play, but then the others don't want to play.....

i'm tearing my hair out.... she is a disruptive child (subversive... nothing OTT aggressive) and I was really hoping to get some things that would entice them to play separately as they can't seem to get along playing together.... they require waaaaay more supervision than the two year olds and that's just ridiculous..... i'm searching for ways of breaking the cycle and keeping them entertained separately if you see what i mean?

That's why I asked about toy suggestions....

any ideas??

Jen x

AnnieM
10-01-2011, 07:13 PM
How about bead threading, making jewellery? I think the happyland may be a little young, how about playmobil or lego/duplo?

Vickster
10-01-2011, 08:41 PM
Playmobil? Loads on ebay. I borrow this from the toy library. Sylvanian families.

jumpinjen
10-01-2011, 09:08 PM
thanks guys.. will have a look

loocyloo
10-01-2011, 09:41 PM
How about bead threading, making jewellery? I think the happyland may be a little young, how about playmobil or lego/duplo?

i had an 8, 7 & 5 yr old all happily playing with the fisher price little people tonight! they make up all sorts of stories!

i have loads of playmobil, but i worry about the little bits with LO around!
everyone loves the duplo! ( again, i have lego, but the older ones play more with the duplo! )

jumpinjen
10-01-2011, 10:15 PM
Just spent ages on ebay and very amused by the vast range of playmobil sets on offer, have had a watch ona few and will see.... saving some of my activities for afterschool tomorrow, thinking maybe set her as 'helper' to one of the 2 year olds and see if that floats her boat.... I hate being underdog to an five year old.... I turned 30 today for goodness sake!!

Jen x

berkschick
10-01-2011, 11:11 PM
Dolls, Sylvannian families, lego, magnetix, board games, hamma beads, stickle bricks, happyland, thats mainly what my 5 and 6 year old play with.

samb
10-01-2011, 11:20 PM
Happy Birthday Jen!

My 5 year old dd loves all the little toys like - Littlest Pet Shop, Teeny little families, polly pockets, sylvanian families, lego, dolls and accessories, meccano, kid k-nex, kitchen and accessories and Zhu Zhu pets. The nearly 5 year old I mind loves Barbies and anything under the sea. Maybe you could do an activity using catalogues (like the argos book) and get her to rip/cut out things she thinks people like and stick them on sheets - 1 for her, 1 for other mindees/siblings/friends/cousins - whoever she is ineterested in? It would give her an activity to do that is easy enough for her to do on her own and you might see the sort of things that make her tick too?

jumpinjen
11-01-2011, 08:07 AM
Happy Birthday Jen!

My 5 year old dd loves all the little toys like - Littlest Pet Shop, Teeny little families, polly pockets, sylvanian families, lego, dolls and accessories, meccano, kid k-nex, kitchen and accessories and Zhu Zhu pets. The nearly 5 year old I mind loves Barbies and anything under the sea. Maybe you could do an activity using catalogues (like the argos book) and get her to rip/cut out things she thinks people like and stick them on sheets - 1 for her, 1 for other mindees/siblings/friends/cousins - whoever she is ineterested in? It would give her an activity to do that is easy enough for her to do on her own and you might see the sort of things that make her tick too?

That's a good idea thanks...... I will try it, have to get a catalogue first though!! My girls are only just coming up that age and I'm not up to speed with the toys they get into!!

thanks, Jen x

justdaz
11-01-2011, 11:06 AM
Hi Jen,

Polly pockets entertain mine for ages!

daria

Chell
11-01-2011, 01:51 PM
We have a huge box of Duplo. I sometimes ask the older children to play with that as it means all ages can join in.

What about Hama beads? There is a discount code for www.playmerrily.co.uk on the forum. Mine prefer the small boards to make their own designs.

Colouring pictures? You can get lots to print free online. I print them to match the interests of the chidlren. For example I have a 9yr old who likes WWF wrestling. I also print some linked to recent events/days such as rememberence day, Christmas, Diwali, etc.

The Juggler
11-01-2011, 02:03 PM
thanks for all your replies..... I have packed away a lot of the role play stuff for after school as they begin a game but the one then constantly switches roles in a bid ( i think) to be 'top dog' all the time, the others then say no eventually and she throws a strop and won't play then, so completely killing it dead.... and the noise is unbelievable, despite constant reminders to speak rather than shout at each other......

board games can't be played unless i am there constantly as the same child cheats and then the others get upset, and if they point out that she is cheating then the throws a strop and won't play, but then the others don't want to play.....

i'm tearing my hair out.... she is a disruptive child (subversive... nothing OTT aggressive) and I was really hoping to get some things that would entice them to play separately as they can't seem to get along playing together.... they require waaaaay more supervision than the two year olds and that's just ridiculous..... i'm searching for ways of breaking the cycle and keeping them entertained separately if you see what i mean?

That's why I asked about toy suggestions....

any ideas??

Jen x

hon if this one child is causing the problem then I would take them out of the game that everyone else is playing nicely and sit them playign with something else.

I have to say I have to play the boardgames with my children too at this age.