The Best Toys for 4-Year-Olds
This feature is part of Cubby's Gift Edit, our editor-curated collection of gift ideas for every occasion. Need more inspiration? Check out all our guides here.
Being four is great – or at least, it sure seems that way! Four-year-olds can now run, jump, and leap with all the confidence of a gazelle. They are sponges for information, and can rattle off a surprising number of facts about things like ospreys or unicorns, if you give them the chance. Their brains are firing on all cylinders as they work out how to build a dragon’s cave out of a pile of blocks or paint a picture of a sea turtle.
Like our best toys lists for one-year-olds, two-year-olds, and three-year-olds, this guide features toy picks from editors, experts, and fellow parents of four-year-olds, including some toys that their (now older) kids still play with. While we always share toy ideas at a range of price points, for this guide most come in under $20!
What to Look For in Toys for 4-Year-Olds
Open-ended toys that encourage creativity, curiosity, independence, and exploration are a solid bet for the four-year-old set. Also, art supplies. Multiple parents we talked to confirmed this: “My son loves any type of art project so boxes of markers, chalk, stacks of construction paper, kids scissors, stick glue. All of that stuff has been great,” said a fellow AT parent. “[My daughter] will paint anything/everything. Rocks, ceramic, blocks, etc,” said another.
Our Top Pick
Activity boxes from KiwiCo are some of the best, most high-quality yet still affordable gifts for four-year-olds. The company’s Baking and Fractions box and Farmers Market box teach important skills and are super fun to play with.
In this article: Toys Under $20 | Toys $20 – $40 | Toys $40+
Want more great ideas for families with kids? Sign up below for Cubby’s Thursday newsletter or get one weekly text featuring our best meal ideas, editor-approved product recommendations, and all the kid’s room decor ideas you need. We’re also on Instagram and TikTok!
Cubby: A Weekly Newsletter for Families at Home
Whether you need smart solutions or fresh ideas, our editors at Kitchn and Apartment Therapy are here with our best meal plans, organizing and design tips, toy recommendations, and more.