X-mas present for my niece

[puppetmaster]

I don't know what to get my 3 going on 4 year old niece. Hopefully there are some parents that can help me out. What are some popular toys today for children?

[welfareloser]

check out:

www.fisher-price.com

when in doubt, you can't go wrong with anything fisher price makes for her age range.

for a girl... i'd go with a construction toy (as she may not be into vehicle or action figure toys, and even if she is a doll freak, you may pick out a doll that she thinks sucks :P ) search at amazon for geomag, or magnetix - it's great, even uncoordinated 19-month-olds can build with them ... since every piece is magnetic, it's damn near dummy proof. sets range from $10-$80, so you can spend whatever you want.

also cool: zoob (a bit harder to build with)

exo bonz / glo bonz / no bonz / zolo ... these are interchangeable building sets that let you make bugs and animals... lotsa fun.

lego may be a bit advanced, so check with her parents... if she's into legos, there's always something cool in a good price range.

mighty beanz - have yet to meet a kid who didn't think they were cool. a racetrack (there are three to choose from) is around $20, 5-packs are around $6, and there are carrying cases, etc...

and this may be a bit tough for her to navigate on her own (my 4-going-on-5 year old is just now getting the hang of it) but search for a toy called "gearation." brightly colored gears that you can arrange any way you want, each one has a special trick it does (a flipper panel, a bell that dings, eyes that google, etc) you stick them on a magnetic board, turn it on, they spin.

[sizemic1]

If you wanna drive her parents crazy, get her a Sand Art playset, or a Cooking with Mommy baking set :)

[welfareloser]

yeah... man, if you want a list of presents to torture her parents, i can add to that list... basically, anything people have bought my f*%&(#* kids over the last 3 years :heh:

[blueindian]

i always get kids that age in my family "bath tub finger paints". baiscally it's think liquid soaps with dye. really pisses off the parents, and the kids love em.

[welfareloser]

ohhhh, dude, i LOVE those! why would parents get pissed?

yep, there's crayola tub tints, which are tablets that turn the water colors... and then tub crayons, which are soaps that they can draw on the tub walls and themselves with... and then the tub finger paints...

heeeeee... how could a parent get pissed about something that rinses right off and makes a kid WANT to take a bath?!?!?!?

[Jenny]

:stupid: Completely agree with welfareloser!

[Nanotech9]

hey - can this stuff be given to a 2 / 2.5 year old also?

[Jenny]

Absolutely! It's great for any kid that can sit up in the tub. :)

[Mike_N_Ike]

:stupid:

[puppetmaster]

Thanks for the help. I have no problem pissing off my brother. Thats what Uncle's are for.

[welfareloser]

ahhh, in that case:

drums

electric guitar (they make a pink 1/2 size one shaped like a daisy for like $70)

lite-brite (the pieces... will be... EVERYWHERE... forever.)

playdoh (she's too young not to be messy)

stickers

sharpies and really thin drawing paper

fingerpaints, a wobbly easel, and a really small smock

trampoline

anything that takes up an inordinate amount of house space... ball pit (add in how much space the balls take up when thrown out of the pit, and that's a winner!) toy kitchen, plastic indoor tent, little tykes desk...

any toy that blares music when disturbed, or that nags you to push a button if you ignore it

hoooooooeeeeeeeee. you want annoyance, that's just the tip of the iceberg...

[Jeffbx]

hoooooooeeeeeeeee. you want annoyance, that's just the tip of the iceberg...

Don't forget the kids CDs that must be played over & over every time they're in the car:

Radio Disney
Kids Bop
Raffi
etc.

As an added bonus, get a portable CD player so everyone in the house can enjoy them, too! Over and over and over! And over! Someone kill me please!

[welfareloser]

:heh:

i somehow managed to dodge that bullet... my kids only like cool music :D

i've also managed to protect my home as 100% barney-free, and 99% wiggles-free ...

i can live with durn near anything else on constant replay...