Boys alternative to a doll house?

NYCNika
NYCNika Posts: 611 Member
in Chit-Chat
Something that encourages role play and imagination for a 3 year old. I don't want to get him a girls doll house, but why are these things so gender based?

I am looking for an awesome gift for my son's birthday. He has 1,000 cars, a bike, a scooter, art center, legos that he likes to dump all over the living room.... I'm out of ideas.
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Replies

  • HiKaren
    HiKaren Posts: 1,306 Member
    Get him a musical instrument. :smile:
  • farniente8
    farniente8 Posts: 30 Member
    I loved the Duplo block sets- more gender neutral an encourages motor skills and role play. We had a lot of different sets.
  • HiKaren
    HiKaren Posts: 1,306 Member
    What was wrong again with the doll house??
  • Nimnyn
    Nimnyn Posts: 69 Member
    Dress up costumes? My cousins had a big trunk full of them when i was a kid, and we all had a lot of fun pretending we were different people. My Aunt put all the old halloween costumes in there and some cool props.
  • carrieo888
    carrieo888 Posts: 233 Member
    When my boys were small, my dad built a table that had a 3" raised edge and a bottom made of whiteboard material. The boys could draw a race track, or train tracks, or whatever on the table, then build with blocks/legos/woooden train set.... Hours of fun, and all the stuff stayed on the table.
  • Blacklance36
    Blacklance36 Posts: 755 Member
    Get him a man cave :)
  • mammamaurer
    mammamaurer Posts: 418 Member
    get him a wooden castle, with dragons and knights, and GI joe ....

    also
    bacon:flowerforyou:
  • ElliottTN
    ElliottTN Posts: 1,614 Member
    They make Lego sets for that age.
  • bkyoun
    bkyoun Posts: 371 Member
    Little people farm / barn set
  • LurveTheDoctor
    LurveTheDoctor Posts: 303
    What was wrong again with the doll house??

    This. Let your kids play with what they want. My son plays with dolls and his favorite show is my little pony
  • Nikoruo
    Nikoruo Posts: 771 Member
    These things are gender biased because society places them that way and so do you if you'd deny him that. Honestly for my kids I would bring them to the store and just watch what they play with and then go back another time to buy what he seemed to like most. If my child played with barbies I would let him, if my girl played with 'boys toys' she could too.
  • rannc
    rannc Posts: 13 Member
    Growing up, my sister and I this toy car garage: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ixsqswNXKiI/UUCVBLXtsuI/AAAAAAAAApc/IXxOlLYtF28/s320/Fisher+price+garage.jpg

    We were both female and were raised by only a Dad so we had all sort of "girl" and "boy" toys. So that's always an idea. You can also buy toy castles, I think Melissa and Doug has a castle and a farm that is more geared towards boys. We also loved legos, the regular kind but I'm not sure when we started playing with them--4 or 5?
  • ChaslovesBrian
    ChaslovesBrian Posts: 13 Member
    http://www.squidoo.com/dollhouses-for-boys

    Really awesome castle houses, submarine house, rocket house, etc. Very cool. I would totally buy these for my nephew!
  • _noob_
    _noob_ Posts: 3,306 Member
    Role Playing? I started with Dragon Warrior.
  • Rage_Phish
    Rage_Phish Posts: 1,507 Member
    What was wrong again with the doll house??

    This. Let your kids play with what they want. My son plays with dolls and his favorite show is my little pony

    future brony
  • Rage_Phish
    Rage_Phish Posts: 1,507 Member
    race track sets for hot wheels were awesome, legos, gi joes (basically dolls), art supplies, building toys
  • andrewj87
    andrewj87 Posts: 74
    A boy's version of a doll house? why not a Batcave!

    http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=a9_sc_1?rh=i:aps,k:batcave&keywords=batcave&ie=UTF8&qid=1381354912
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    they make pretty easy kits use a little glue and maybe some nails. I bet he would love a boy doll house and you can decorate that any way. he can use his army men, gi joes, super heros for the dolls and just have fun playing. Little boys love to play with things that emulate their home environments.

    And there is nothing wrong with a little boy who loves doll houses or playing with barbies. My little brother would play Barbie with my for hours and he is as male as they come.
  • RMcCrosky
    RMcCrosky Posts: 1 Member
    KidKraft® Everyday Heroes Wooden Police & Fire Playset

    http://www.amazon.com/KidKraft-Everyday-Heroes-Play-Set/dp/B0045O75AU
  • lilacinfinity
    lilacinfinity Posts: 283 Member
    Trains?

    Almost all 3yo boys here have a Thomas set (or two or ten LOL)

    Also seconding things like castles instead of a traditional dollhouse

    Do you have a yard? What about a sandpit and sand toys?
  • Eastern_Echo23
    Eastern_Echo23 Posts: 198 Member
    micro machines, toy train sets, legos, hot wheels
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    What was wrong again with the doll house??

    This. Let your kids play with what they want. My son plays with dolls and his favorite show is my little pony

    An amazing number of teenage and young boys are into My Little Pony. They call themselves 'Bronies".

    http://jezebel.com/5827591/the-unlikely-origins-of-the-brony-or-dudes-who-like-my-little-pony
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
    Fisher Price Little People sets. http://www.fisher-price.com/en_US/brands/littlepeople/

    When I was little, I had the circus train, castle and garage. They were awesome.
  • aquarabbit
    aquarabbit Posts: 1,622 Member
    Legos? They have buildings.
  • SpecialKitty7
    SpecialKitty7 Posts: 678 Member
    Dress up costumes? My cousins had a big trunk full of them when i was a kid, and we all had a lot of fun pretending we were different people. My Aunt put all the old halloween costumes in there and some cool props.

    this was my nephew's favorite toy ever. we'd pick up stuff at garage sales, goodwill, the dollar store, etc. sometimes he'd mix them up and make his own superhero outfits. batman ears, superman cape and knights armor.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    http://www.squidoo.com/dollhouses-for-boys

    Really awesome castle houses, submarine house, rocket house, etc. Very cool. I would totally buy these for my nephew!

    Wow, so cool!
  • peacefulsong
    peacefulsong Posts: 223 Member
    Does he want a dollhouse? If so, just get him a dollhouse. The boy/girl toy divide is ridiculous and if you don't want to get him one just because it's a 'girl toy' then you're only perpetuating it. I remember one of my male cousins playing with dolls when he was little; my favorite toys were matchbox cars when I was little, it really doesn't matter.
  • kyleekay10
    kyleekay10 Posts: 1,812 Member
    They make Lego sets for that age.

    ^ This would be good.
  • Madame_Goldbricker
    Madame_Goldbricker Posts: 1,625 Member
    Scalextric http://www.scalextric.com/shop/sets/

    Meccano http://www.scalextric.com/shop/sets/

    Fire station

    my first carpenter kit

    http://www.fatbraintoys.com/toys/toys_by_ages/boys/top_picks_3.cfm Apparently all the lastest top picks for 3yr old boys
  • Pixi_Rex
    Pixi_Rex Posts: 1,676 Member
    Legos or duplos... they can build and have the little men for their buildings. My brothers loved them... they also used to use my barbie dream house (that I never used) for their GI Joes .

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