Cool things for 4 year olds

The 25 Best Gifts for 4-Year-Olds of 2022

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1. Gifts
2. Gifts for Babies and Kids

By

Kelly Glass and Wirecutter Staff

Updated October 24, 2022

UpdatedOct 2022

Updates

Many 4-year-olds are learning to master their environments—and to negotiate boundaries, push limits, and question everything. Some of the best gifts for 4-year-olds engage their endless curiosity, rapidly developing physical skills, and desire to understand everything around them.

Early STEM toys—those that help develop skills related to science, technology, engineering, and math—allow preschoolers to experiment with the strength, size, and shape of objects, and to explore cause and effect (hopefully without breaking too many things). Along with classic wooden blocks, building toys that feature magnets, gears, curves, and wheels allow 4-year-olds to problem-solve independently.

Jena Olson, who was the president of the STEM educational nonprofit Kid Spark Education at the time of our interview, emphasizes other, lesser-known skills that STEM toys can help preschoolers develop: “Children learn language and cooperation,” she said. “They refine their physical skills, including fine motor skills, as they push and pull pieces apart.” Gifts that encourage art and creativity, as well as games and movement toys that allow for silly and energetic play, are also great choices for kids of this age. (You may have noticed that STEAM—which adds an emphasis on the arts to STEM’s existing focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—has been picking up, ahem, steam over recent years.)

We relied on the advice of Olson and Ann Kienzle of Play toys in Chicago, as well as that of parents and other caregivers on our staff, to identify memorable and engaging gifts for 4-year-olds. Many gifts for kids are appropriate for a range of ages. If you’re looking for more kids gift ideas, check out our guides to the best gifts for 1-year-olds, 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds, 5-year-olds, 6-year-olds, 7-year-olds, 8-year-olds, 9-year-olds, and 10-year-olds, as well as crowd-pleasing stocking stuffers for kids. We also have guides to gifts for tweens and teens. (Just remember, since kids develop at different rates, all age recommendations should be taken with a grain of salt.) And please share your own best ideas in the comments below.

Under $20

A bouncy seat

The Waliki Hopper offers joyful bouncing for kids who have energy to spare—and it doubles as a comfy seat for those who like or need to wiggle and rock even when they’re sitting still. For my oldest son, who has autism spectrum disorder and sensory processing disorder, the Waliki Hopper served as a sensory-friendly seat for story time and more, allowing him to rock and bounce to stay alert and focused well into his middle-school years. Constructed of thick rubber, the Hopper is more durable than a yoga ball, which is typically made from vinyl; our Hopper has withstood years of indoor and outdoor use. A hand pump is included. The Hopper comes in six colors as well as plush-covered versions, and there are four sizes (the 18-inch Hopper is best for 4-year-olds).

—Kelly Glass

Dino rescue

Four years old is around the age when many kids can really listen to, understand, and follow simple game instructions, said Keewa Nurullah, owner of the Chicago children’s shop Kido. To play Dinosaur Escape, players roll the die to reveal either a number or a volcano. The former moves the player’s dinosaur in any direction on the board, while the latter adds one piece to the five-piece volcano at the board’s center. As young dinosaur experts know, volcanoes are bad news for dinos. The object of the game is to get the dinosaurs to safety without completing the volcano—or being run back to the start by a T. rex token.

—Kelly Glass

Cold comfort

My aunt is an elementary school teacher, and she always manages to find the gifts that delight my kids the most, like this pretend ice cream maker. The Play-Doh Kitchen Creations Drizzy Ice Cream Playset lets my children live out their sundae fantasies—from lemon ice cream with gummy worms to a rainbow unicorn concoction with sprinkles. They push the Play-Doh through a lever to create creamy swirls, while the 31 molds on the contraption’s side produce faux candies, sprinkles, cherries, gummy bears, and other toppings. Squirting the alarmingly realistic strawberry and chocolate drizzle—pretend syrup goo—from the squeeze bottles is especially fun. (Don’t worry—it’s all washable.) Tulip-shaped serving cups are included, along with two spoons and a pair of recipe cards. The set also comes with six containers of Play-Do. It’s gotten so much use, though, that we’ve purchased replacements (any Play-Doh will do, but we’ve noticed that the fresher stuff works best). I’ll admit that this machine is a little clunky—it’s about the size of my forearm—so I stash it (along with all the accouterments) in a bin between sessions. But considering what a crowd-pleaser this has been, it more than earns its keep.

—Lara Rabinovitch

What a charade

When you have a wide range of ages to entertain, nothing beats a good old-fashioned round of Charades. Granted, you don’t need anything more than your imagination (and a willing audience) to play Charades, but Pressman Charades for Kids definitely helps get the game off the ground. The set comes with an hourglass timer, an optional die (for selecting which clue to act out), and 150 cards. Each card has three levels of clues to choose from: The easiest is represented by just an image (like a cat or a bee), so there’s no reading required, and the other two get increasingly difficult (eating spaghetti; hanging a picture).

—Caitlin Giddings

Classics for reading aloud and learning to read

Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad have amused generations of early readers—and their parents—with the silly and profound nature of their enduring friendship (you can find all four of the original Frog and Toad stories, with Lobel’s beautifully expressive illustrations, in Frog and Toad Storybook Favorites). We can all recognize a little of ourselves in the anxious, innocent, and tantrum-prone Toad or the patient, cheerful, and always-reasonable Frog (or both!). Although they offer some useful life lessons, the stories are never didactic: Their appeal lies in the joy these opposites find in simple acts such as gardening, sledding, and doing kind things for each other—as well as in the ridiculous things that Toad does all on his own. The Lobel-narrated audio collection is as beloved in our household as the books, and someday I’ll find the time to knit absolutely perfect, little stuffed versions of my favorite amphibian friends with the Frog & Cast Frog and Toad Pattern Download.

—Winnie Yang

A goofy game

Go Away Monster is a silly, lightly competitive game that offers just the right challenge level for many preschoolers. Players have individual game boards showing a bedroom scene, and each person takes a turn by reaching into a bag filled with cardboard pieces, selecting (by feel; no peeking!) either a bedroom item—a bed, a lamp, a teddy bear, or a picture for the wall—or a friendly-looking monster. The goal is to add all of the bedroom pieces to your game board without selecting a monster. But if you do grab one, you should say, “Go away, monster!” and fling it away. The game challenges 4-year-olds to recognize and remember shapes by touch and to make choices about which pieces they need. And since the game doesn’t end until everyone completes their bedroom, no one really loses. Go Away Monster is a pick in our guide to the best board games for kids, where we also recommend the slightly more challenging Max (the Cat) for the same age group. (In that cooperative board game, players work together to help a bird, a mouse, and a squirrel escape the prowling advances of a hungry cat named—you guessed it—Max.)

—Courtney Schley

A better board game for beginners

As a huge board-game geek, I’ve spent the past three years impatiently waiting for my now-preschooler to age into games that involve even a modicum of strategy—versus, say, feverishly smashing a lever to make a hippo eat marbles. My First Castle Panic is the first game we’ve played together that suggests there’s hope on the horizon. The concept is fairly basic: You simply draw and trade cards with shapes on them (no reading required), and then play them to stop the monsters from encroaching on the castle. But it involves communication, cooperation, planning, and even some fantasy role-playing, when we really get into it. It’s much more engaging and re-playable for all ages than other games we’ve tried that are aimed at kids under 5. Perhaps we’ll launch that family D&D campaign together sooner than I thought.

—Caitlin Giddings

Matchy-matchy fun

Simple, inexpensive, and endlessly replayable, this set of Mudpuppy Dominoes is a welcome take on the classic matching game, designed specifically for toddlers and preschoolers. The dominoes themselves are made of card stock—so you can’t set them up and knock ’em down or craft the beginnings of a Rube Goldberg device. But they’re made from recycled materials and are big and sturdy enough to be gripped by little hands. Playing with them doesn’t require any reading: On one side of each card, there are differing numbers of dots, so kids can practice their counting; on the other side, there are just pictures that can be easily paired up. The themes include unicorns, wildlife, and outer space. We’re a dino family.

—Caitlin Giddings

Bingo with a zing

My son begged me to get Zingo after he played several fun-filled rounds of it at his preschool. As with its predecessor, Bingo, the object of Zingo is to be the first player to fill your row or board—only in this game, the victor shrieks “Zingo!” with competitive zeal. Instead of numbers, the boxes on the laminated boards feature illustrations, like a tree, a cake, or a heart, along with the corresponding word in a bold, easy-to-read font. (My son’s preschool teachers loved how Zingo helped build vocabulary and focus along with a whirlwind of excitement. ) Three years later, this game is still in rotation in our home, with my daughter, 4, joining in the fun. She and her brother, now 7, take turns pulling chips from the dispenser and calling out the images. My husband and I often play too, because it’s tough to resist the high drama and thrill of winning.

—Lara Rabinovitch

$20 to $50

Curvy creations

The Zoob BuilderZ kit is a building toy featuring connectable pieces with ball joints that kids can snap into U-shaped brackets. (We recommend Zoob sets in our guide to learning toys and STEM toys we love.) Instead of building static structures with traditional blocks or Duplo kits, this Zoob set allows 4-year-olds to experiment with hinges and joints, building open-ended creations with curves and bends that they can move, flex, and spin. There are Zoob kits for building robots or other projects, too. Per the box, the Zoob kit is recommended for kids ages 6 and up, though we’ve seen younger kids gravitate to it the most. The pieces fall between Duplo and Lego in size, and they require some manual dexterity and strength to snap together.

—Courtney Schley

Magnetic make-believe

Like a sturdier version of paper dolls, Petit Collage’s adorable magnetic animals come with over 35 mix-and-match costume changes. Young kids can use their imaginations to invent new jobs and identities for the included bear and fox. It’s a particularly convenient toy for long car rides, thanks to its magnetic box, which pulls double duty as a backdrop for the dress-up fun and a container for all of the small pieces. Once dressed, each animal can be displayed on a wooden stand to fully flaunt their new looks. Petit Collage also offers a selection of detailed play scenes, including outer space and a tree-house party.

—Caitlin Giddings

To the moon

If your 4-year-old is into dress-up, make-believe, and all things space, this simple yet sturdy astronaut costume offers ample opportunities for imaginative play. The main suit is made of hefty material and has a front zipper and an adjustable belt buckle. Festooned with official-looking stickers, it comes with its own accessories, namely a NASA cap and a little backpack that can store the costume when it’s out of commission. The best part? Its durability. Several members of the Wirecutter staff can attest that the suit will survive years of space-themed playtime.

—Caira Blackwell

For eagle-eyed kiddos

The world of legendary children’s illustrator Richard Scarry is crammed with industrious animal characters attending to the many particulars of their busy lives, so it’s the perfect setting for a gamified version of Where’s Waldo? To play Busytown Eye Found It!, players work together to move their characters though Busytown, searching for images in Scarry’s signature elaborate pastiches. The goal is to reach the blanket at the other end of the board before pigs swoop in and consume the picnic spread. (All the participants must reach safety as a group, so you win or lose together as a team—which helps foster camaraderie and minimize meltdowns.) You’ll notice right away that the board itself is huge—6 feet long once unfurled from its box. The jumbo size is great for toddlers crawling around to hunt for pictures, but it can be arduous for grownups when the board is on the floor. I’ve found this is a particular joy for kids ages 2 to 5 to play. And it introduces them to all the basic skills and concepts of board gaming: flicking a spinner, counting spaces, drawing cards, watching a timer, making decisions, working together, and yes, sometimes even losing to a horde of hungry pigs. (Note: While kids as young as 2 can handle the action, the small game pieces can be a choking hazard.)

—Caitlin Giddings

Tea for four

My daughter loves a good tea party (humans and stuffed animals are all invited). But when she started drinking out of the cheap, paint-chipped plastic set my sweet mother-in-law bought at a garage sale, I had to step in with an upgrade. The Green Toys Tea Set, made in the US from recycled plastic, meets FDA food-contact standards, so you can feel comfortable putting cakes on the plates and sipping from the adorable cups. The service for four comes in two color schemes (blue, red, and yellow; pink, purple, yellow, green, and blue) and is dishwasher safe, though I just give it a quick hand wash after use. In our house, a tea party is really just an excuse to drink sugar dissolved in water. The sugar bowl, oddly enough, has holes in the bottom that let the saccharine crystals fall onto the table. We quick-fixed that by adding a napkin liner before filling the bowl (and our bellies) with the sweet stuff.

—Annemarie Conte

Turrets and arches

My son got these cool castle-motif building blocks as a gift years ago. They came with instructions for building one fairly elaborate castle, which he enjoyed making. But after a week or two, the wooden blocks were added to our generic block basket. From then on, he just incorporated them into his other block creations. We now have three other kids who are old enough to build with these blocks, and this set has proved to be a well-loved, long-lasting toy in our house.

—Doug Mahoney

A super friend

Researchers are beginning to study the social-emotional benefits of doll play for young children, but boys have often been overlooked by doll designers. Psychotherapist Laurel Wider developed the superhero-themed Wonder Crew buddies to address this gap. The soft-bodied buddies are available in four combinations of skin tones, hair styles, and eye colors, and will appeal to any child who loves exciting play and wants a friend to cuddle and care for. Each doll comes outfitted with a superhero cape and mask—with a matching, real-kid-size version—aimed at inspiring imaginative play related to friendship, adventure, and empathy.

—Julie Kim

Rainbows in their room

Many 4-year-olds are mesmerized by the magic of rainbows. The Kikkerland RainbowMaker is a happy little contraption that uses a solar panel to power a colorful geared motor, which rotates a hanging Swarovski crystal and sends rainbows swooping across your room. You simply attach the RainbowMaker to a window (it affixes via suction cup, so there’s no need to worry about sticky residue) that gets some direct sunlight, and then wait for the optics to work their magic. It’s particularly fun when you forget the Rainbow Maker is there until the sun reaches just the right angle and sets it into motion. My niece calls this “rainbow time,” and she enjoys chasing the colors across the room and seeing them slide over different objects.

—Erin Price

Great gears

The Learning Resources Gears! Gears! Gears! building set is basically what you’d guess: a big box of colored gears that snap together with axles and extenders to create complex, movable structures. The challenge is figuring out how to align and order the gears so they’ll all turn in unison and not get jammed up. As preschoolers experiment with building spinning, whirring, gear-driven structures, they’re actually starting to understand the basics of complex machines. These gears have long been a pick in our guide to learning toys and STEM toys we love, and they’re a favorite among the kids of several parents on our staff.

The Lakeshore Turn & Learn Magnetic Gears set includes magnetized gears that you can attach to the fridge. You can’t build complex structures like you can with Gears! Gears! Gears!, but this set is still an engaging way for little kids to experiment with mechanics (the pieces are also a bit larger, which may be easier for some little kids to handle). My 3-year-old son loves to align the colorful, interlocking pieces on our refrigerator and figure out how he can make them all spin. A bonus: The magnets themselves are really strong and will keep all of your child’s refrigerator-worthy artworks firmly in place.

—Courtney Schley

An approachable intro to coding

Calling this a “coding toy” feels like a bit of a stretch—it’s essentially a jigsaw puzzle that forms a track that a cute, battery-operated narwhal automatically follows. However, the toy does encourage preschoolers to plan, count, and problem-solve in sequential order, as they reconfigure the pieces of the track to send the narwhal on simple missions (which match the story from a short activity book). My 3-year-old enjoyed those exercises only briefly and then moved on to the real fun: building and rebuilding the track to send the poor, persistent narwhal on an endless, tangled loop.

—Caitlin Giddings

Over $50

A monthly craft-box subscription

KiwiCo Koala Crate (about $70 for a three-month subscription at the time of publication)

The KiwiCo Koala Crate is our favorite subscription box for preschool-age kids. We tested five such subscriptions for this age group and liked this one the best for its thoughtful design, appealing themes, and fun, unique, and age-appropriate projects. KiwiCo, the company that makes Koala Crate, develops its projects with input from educators and child-development experts. Although children’s individual skills vary, many 4-year-olds will be able to complete some or all of each month’s projects independently, giving them a sense of accomplishment—and providing a reliable arsenal of rainy-day activities. Each box comes with instructions (including directions for the “grown-up assistant”), as well as all the materials to make two or three different craft projects. Theses projects challenge kids to explore skills like stitching, gluing, and arranging pieces. I tested these subscriptions when my daughter was 4, and she loved the projects we tried: dyeing a tote bag with tissue paper and water, sewing and stuffing a felt rainbow, and making a tissue-paper campfire. Every project is organized around a theme, such as reptiles, ocean animals, or doctor visits.

—Jackie Reeve

A wild ride

I was extremely skeptical about this unusual-looking contraption after my son received it as a gift when he was about 4. But over several years of use, the Cyclone—which you “pedal” with your arms, somewhat like you would a racing wheelchair—became one of my kids’ favorite outdoor toys, and it held up well to miles of rough rolling. From age 4 or 5, my older son was an ace on the Cyclone, speeding it down the sidewalk to a local park and performing spins and skids for littler kids once there. They tended to line up to give it a whirl, and I found that some kids as young as 3 can learn to maneuver the Cyclone in the dizzying circles that no doubt inspired its name.

—Kalee Thompson

Marble madness

My sisters and I played marbles as kids, shooting our balls across the finish line to see who could knock the most marbles out of the circle. Shooting marbles lost its novelty eventually, and we outgrew the game. Marble runs like Marble Genius Marble Run Extreme introduce new energy to a childhood classic. This 300-piece set includes funnels, spinning wheels, tubes that snap together easily on three large bases, and parts that are translucent, allowing kids to see the marbles move from the top to the bottom and through all the spins and twists. In addition to giving kids the creative challenge of constructing a track—and the fun of watching the marbles spin and clatter through the turns—marble runs let kids observe the effects of gravity, speed, and direction. “Adults can help kids make predictions about how fast the marble will move and where it will go,” said Jena Olson, president of Kid Spark Education at the time of our interview.

The set comes with over 100 glass marbles, but it also accommodates the standard-size marbles you might already have. Some 4-year-olds may need adult help to get the hang of building the marble run, but it’s pretty irresistible even for grown-ups. (Note: The marbles in this set could pose a choking hazard for younger children.)

—Kelly Glass

An excellent easel

My son received the KidKraft Storage Easel from his grandparents for Christmas when he was 4. He’s serious about his artwork, and he would be happy to paint every day. But setting up for—and cleaning up after—a painting session on the kitchen table can be a bit of a project. I like that the KidKraft easel comes with an attached roll of art paper and built-in storage bins underneath that can be used to hold paints, brushes, and other supplies (three paint cups are also included). Though this easel requires assembly, it’s sturdier and has more features than less-expensive easels we’ve used in the past. And since we keep it in the kitchen and see it all the time, I appreciate the glossy, dark-wood finish.

Wirecutter kids have also created countless masterpieces with simpler wooden easels made by Melissa & Doug and IKEA. The cheap rolls of craft paper you can buy at IKEA or local art-supply stores should work with any of them. And if your kid goes through a ton of paint, you’ll save money in the long run by stocking up on bigger bottles of washable tempera, rather than buying tiny individual cups of paint from Crayola and the like.

—Kalee Thompson

Magnificent magnets

“If there is one constant of what preschool-age children are interested in, it may be magnets,” said John Dimit III, owner of the toy-and-game store Dr. G’s BrainWorks in Champaign, Illinois. Colorful Magna-Tiles, a pick in our guide to learning toys and STEM toys we love, combine the mesmerizing snap-together magic of magnets with open-ended block play. When my son was 4, castles were his go-to. Now 5, he’s always coming up with new creations, such as a robot or an oven to bake his toy cupcakes in. Classic Magna-Tiles include a variety of basic shapes. We also like Magna-Qubix, a 29-piece set of three-dimensional pyramids, prisms, and cubes. My son uses the Magna-Qubix to add more detail to his structures, and he’s working on making dinosaurs using the small pyramids and cube shapes.

—Kelly Glass

A family membership to a zoo or nature center

A family membership to a zoo or a nature center makes a great gift for families with preschool-age kids. Like many kids, my younger son was obsessed with animals when he was about 4. When we lived in Los Angeles, we had a membership to the LA Zoo (and once made a pilgrimage to the famous San Diego Zoo). When we moved to rural New Hampshire, we found a very different type of animal experience at the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center, where a lovely wooded footpath winds through exhibits that hold local native animals (many of them rescued after an injury). I like how smaller, local nature centers like this one can give kids a deeper knowledge of the creatures and ecosystems they encounter every day near their own homes. And similar to many of the best zoos, animal parks, and nature centers, Squam Lakes also has plenty of room—including fun outdoor play areas—for kids to run and use up energy.

—Kalee Thompson

We love finding gifts that are unusual, thoughtful, and well vetted. See even more gift ideas we recommend.

—Additional reporting by Julie Kim

This article was edited by Ellen Lee, Ingela Ratledge Amundson, Courtney Schley, and Kalee Thompson.

About your guides

Kelly Glass

Kelly Glass is a writer and editor whose interests focus on the intersections of parenting and health. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, HelloGiggles, What to Expect, Livestrong, and more.

Wirecutter Staff

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  Everyone loves music, so we researched and tested the best headphones, speakers, and audio gear to give as gifts.

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49 Of The Best Toys And Gifts For 4-Year-Olds 2022

We hope you love the products we recommend! All of them were independently selected by our editors. Some may have been sent as samples, but all opinions and reviews are our own. Just so you know, BuzzFeed may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page if you decide to shop from them. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.

4. A medium-size Lego creative brick box bursting with 484 pieces (in 35 different colors) for starting (or adding to) any Lego collection. Basic building ideas and instructions are including but this one's all about imagination and constructing their own creations. 

Lego

Includes windows 🪟, eyes 👀, 18 tires/wheel rims 🛞, a 3” x 6” green baseplate 🟩, and more!

Promising review: "My son has a couple sets of Lego but this one is the winner as he uses his imagination to build so many cool things! My son is 4 years old and can follow the instructions, but lately he has been building things using his one imagination (which I find amazing as he can be very creative). He has been into Ninjago and he constructed a ship to play with his Ninjago mini figures. He's built so many nice things using only his head and that's why this set my favorite one!!!" —carolinerezende11

Get it from Lego for $34.99.

7. A glow-in-the-dark fort building kit to flex their future architect muscles by building huts, igloos, rockets, tunnels, and any other not-so-secret hiding spots.

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "My 4 year old grandson loves these. He can easily manipulate the parts putting together and taking apart. He is always making something with his. He loves that they glow in the dark." –Tracey R. Pierce

Get it from Amazon for $31.99+ (available in two styles). 

17. A giant bubble wands kit because what is a 4-year-old going to say? "No, ginormous bubbles don't really do it for me." As if!

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "So easy to set up. This would be perfect to take traveling if you're planning on camping or renting a house, because it is so compact. My son and his cousins are aged 4 and under and they had a blast with this" –VAcosta23

Get it from Amazon for $14.95+ (available in five styles).

29. A Lite-Brite set that's retro in spirit but bigger and brighter than the original. It's equipped with even more templates and pegs, so they can keep on designing to their heart's content! Heck, you might even want to get in on the action, too.

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "The mixed reviews scared me, but I couldn't be happier with it. My 4-year-old can push the pegs in with no help at all. The Lite-Brite came with four paper designs. I even bought a 12 pack of extra designs and fit just fine. The holes lined right up with the designs. It is battery-operated, which is nice for travel. The pegs come with a storage case that connects to either side of the Lite-Brite for righty or lefty. The light can stay on, blink, or light up randomly like Christmas lights. I'm glad I bought it, such an improvement on the old one I had as a kid." —Monica Chiarappi (Morann)

Get it from Amazon for $12.99.

32. A set of planetary sidewalk chalk, each layered with different colors to represent cores, so your future astronaut can learn more about the solar system. A little blue dot for Earth, a littler orange dot for Mars, and an even littler ~purple~ dot for Pluto, because that non-planet could use some pizzazz.

Crate&kids

Promising review: "Got this as a gift for my friend's daughter, as she loves outer space. She LOVED it! Such bright, vibrant colors." –KaliJamie23

Get the set from Crate&kids for $43.

33. A 144-piece Lego "Mickey & Friends Fire Truck & Station" that's a snap for smaller hands to put together as they continue their building block journey, this time with some of their favorite Disney characters.

Comes with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Pluto (appearing for the first time ever in a Lego sets) figures! 

Promising review: "Love Legos and Mickey Mouse so this is a great combination for a toy! Easy to assemble with the easy directions so it's age appropriate for a wide age group. Lego still provides solid pieces for creative fun. Great set and it just shows one is never too old to play with Legos!"  —Sandra Lynn

Get it from Lego for $39.99.

34. A rechargeable karaoke microphone boasting four voice effects, 30 classic songs from yesteryear, plus the ability to connect via Bluetooth because, let's be honest, all they really want to sing is their favorite

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "My cousin informed us that this karaoke microphone was THE favorite gift for their 4-year-old, beating out everything that Santa brought. The 11-year-old loves it, too! Mom and Dad did complain that I didn't add in earphones and Advil because they used it so much!" –Betty Jo

Get it from Amazon for $29. 99 (available in six colors). 

38. An adorable Skip Hop unicorn backpack that'll make their I-don't-want-to-get-on-the-school-bus temper tantrums so much more ✨magical✨!

www.amazon.com

You can even snag a matching lunchbox, too!

Promising review: "This is the perfect size for my 4-year-old to use for preschool! It's adorable, and has just the right amount of space." –Paws

Get it from Amazon for $13.99+ (available in three sizes and 10 other critter varieties).

48. A super cool dinosaur pillowcase for a playful paleontologist to scribble some jurassic buddies to life and then promptly hit the hay, because it's

Uncommon Goods

The pillowcase comes with 10 washable fabric pens.

Promising review: "I bought this for my nephew who loves dinosaurs. It was a huge hit. He opened it at night and spent the next day filling out the whole pillowcase. The markers are vibrant and good quality." –Carolyn

Get it from Uncommon Goods for $20.

49. And a 3D-printed moon lamp, AKA, the coolest nightlight ever. Your little one will be lulled to sleep each night by its warm, ambient glow (or by trying to find faces, footprints, or any other details on its realistic surface). 

www.amazon.com, www.amazon.com

Promising review: "My 4 year old granddaughter is very much in love with the moon and now with her moon nightlight. It looks lovely on her nightstand. It had a choice of a bright white glow or a yellow glow." –gina

Get it from Amazon for $16.99+ (available in four sizes).

The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.

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What to give a child 4-5-6 years old (boy, girl) | Games for children, didactic materials to borrow from a child's garden, porches and roses

27 July, 2016

Let’s first determine what is typical for babies at this age in order to better understand their needs.

Features of the development of children aged 4-6:

1. This is the age of why-cheeks. Questions, reflections, thoughtfulness, search for answers and solutions.
2. The communication skill is actively developing. Here the first friendship is established, small groups of friends, joint games, common interests appear.
3. Role-playing games are the basis for the development of communication and fantasy. “Daughters-Mothers”, “Rescue Cars”, “Hospital”, “Princess and Her Girlfriends”, “Brave Knights”, “Soldiers Rush to Battle” - this is how you can figuratively name the games that are born in children at this age.
4. Development of constructive thinking. Babies have ideas in their heads and they actively try to implement them from available materials. The easiest way to do this is with the help of the constructor, which is at hand.
5. High level of development of fine motor skills, allows you to do many things that were previously inaccessible. For example, draw what you have in mind, write words, glue, cut with scissors. Previously, the child also tried, but often he didn’t get exactly what he had in mind. Now the child is very happy that he is doing beautifully and is fond of this business.
6. Perseverance appears. Of course, not always and everyone is the same, but still the level of attention and concentration increases.
7. The child has a large vocabulary, even if he does not speak very well.
8. Movement and the child are inseparable. He moves a lot, his movements become more precise and he has very good control over his body. During this period, many children master the bicycle, roller skates, scooter, football, gymnastic exercises and dance moves.
9. The child feels old enough to help his parents, and he is very pleased when this is encouraged.
10. And yes, the most important thing: a fairy tale is real for him, close and very necessary!

And now we draw conclusions about what kind of toys a child of 4-6 years old needs:

1. Things that help to make discoveries, find answers to their questions, deepen the child's knowledge.

First of all, of course, books: children's encyclopedias, books on a certain rather narrow topic with pictures that help to understand the essence of the subject (phenomenon) being discussed. For example, a book about dinosaurs, a book about marine life, a book about space, a book about plants, etc. But it should not be too abstruse, without an abundance of text and light in weight so that the baby can flip through it on their own.

Secondly, themed games (DJECO, for example) and items for independent research: sets of thematic cards, maps of the world and individual countries, a globe, a magnifying glass, the simplest sets of a young chemist, a camera, a kaleidoscope, a flashlight.

2. Toys inspired by cartoons and other trends. Since the child is actively learning to make friends, he will most likely want to have the same toys as his friends. This is not always the case, but it happens. And if the hobbies of friends do not contradict your educational principles, then it is better to buy toys that will help the baby play with others together and on an equal footing. In our case, this was the case with the Paulie Robocar craze and we bought a set of rescue cars with which the children played both at home and in the kindergarten until this craze passed. However, in no case would I buy a Monster High doll for my daughters, since toys from this series are in sharp contrast to our principles of education.

3. Thematic sets of toys are a very welcome gift at this age. Doll House, Garage with Cars and Car Workshop, Carpenter's Toy Tools, Doctor/Barber Set, Treehouse and Fairy Figures, Garbage Truck with Waste Bins, Pirate Ship, Castle with Princesses, Formula 1 Race Track, Figures people of different professions, cuisine, thematic worlds, children's railway, constructor track for cars.

4. Constructors. At this age, there is no way without them. The only rule for constructors: you need to enter them from simple to complex. That is, you can’t immediately buy a huge Lego set if the child didn’t have a smaller set before. From this amount, he will be confused and feel not very confident.

Building sets that 4-6 year olds will love:

Large Lego Duplo sets, Lego Classic sets and Lego themed sets (Friends, City, etc.) that fit the age or slightly for growth.

Magformers . I already wrote about this constructor. It is very cool, kids play with it all the time.

Wooden constructor “Town” . This is a classic that will live forever. It is better if it is colored and with various details in shape. As much as we would not like eco-minimalism, children still love and choose bright colors :)

Needle building kit “Bristle Blocks”. What complex funny figures you can create from it, just a feast for the eyes and massage for fingers;)

Zoob is a construction set that looks like joints. It is good to make various robots and other creatures out of it.

Gear set. Mmmmm, how interesting it is to rearrange and scroll them!

Wooden and plastic mosaics. Develop fine motor skills, creative, imaginative and logical thinking.

As a variation of mosaics - plastic tube-beads “HamaBeads” , from which a drawing is made according to the mosaic principle, and then with the help of an iron it is heated through a special film and the drawing becomes solid.

Constructor pipe for water or balls. This is a fascinating sight not only for a child, but also for an adult. Such a constructor will give you more than one hour of joint games.

The game "Jenga", in which a tower is first built of bricks, and then you need to very carefully pull one brick out of the tower so that the structure does not fall.

Jewelry making kits for girls, eg “Battat B. Pop-Arty”. The feature of this set is that the beads do not need to be strung on a thread, but they have special fasteners, with the help of which the beads cling to one another. The set keeps my girls busy for a long time. And what decorations are obtained from these bright beads!

We also include all kinds of puzzles (from 30 to 100 pieces). The complexity of puzzles depends not so much on age, but on the experience of the child in collecting them. The same rule applies here as with constructors: from simple to complex. If for the first time, then we take it easier, and if the child is an expert in collecting puzzles, then you can safely take more than 100 parts. 9

creative tasks, children's creative notebooks, books and games with stickers, soap bubbles with various accessories for blowing, and of course, various options for children's furniture for creativity.

6. Simple board games, games with letters, words.

7. Sports equipment for active play: balls, roller skates, bicycles, bike runs, scooters, children's bowling alleys, masks, swimming fins, accessories for dancing and gymnastics.

8. Equipment for mother's assistant. Kitchen apron to help mom cook, kids cooking utensils, kids recipe book, baking molds, kids cleaning kit (broom and dustpan, dusting mitt, fluffy whisk for dusting, water pail), garden supplies , own plant that needs to be looked after, personal bed or container for growing plants, watering can.

9. Costumes and attributes of fairy-tale characters (crown, magic wand, magic hat, dinosaur tail, fairy wings), pendants and home decor with fairy-tale characters, soft toys they will be small in size so that it is convenient to take them with you), unicorns, superheroes, kings and queens, shining stars for the ceiling, a “Starry Sky” projector lamp, a lava lamp and similar cute and “magical” things.

Most likely, I remembered only a small part of the toys that can be presented to a child of 4-6 years old, but it seems to me that I managed to describe how a child lives at this age. And yes, I completely forgot to write that this is the very age when the first serious hobbies and hobbies appear, so it will always be more pleasant for a child to receive a gift that matches his hobby. And it's not scary that he already has 35 horses, the 36th will not be superfluous;)

If you liked this article, share it with your friends on social networks. I'll tell you from personal experience - it will make their life much easier!

And in order to regularly receive useful materials and ideas for activities with children, feel free to subscribe to the news of the blog “Grow smart!”

I wish you to easily choose gifts for children and always, always please them!

This article was published by Grow clever in section 4-5 years old, 5-6 years old, Mom's Notes

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Children's clothing from Europe for newborns and toddlers up to a year: the KIDY. eu online store offers fashionable models, from elite to simply beautiful and high-quality, as well as excellent conditions for their purchase! Ordering and buying clothes for newborns and toddlers from 0 to 4 years old in the KIDY.eu online store is the right decision!

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Since 1991. Stylish clothing for newborns and toddlers up to 4 years. Designer prints, fashion trends, top quality. Made in Poland.

Since 1994. Quality clothes for newborns and babies up to 1 year. Organic cotton, bamboo, merino wool. Made in Lithuania.

Since 2002. Clothing for newborns and toddlers up to 2 years of organic cotton. Sets for newborns from 9 items. Made in EU.

Design products designed to develop the motor skills of young children and the correct and harmonious development. Made in Poland and Spain.

Author's collections of bedding and accessories for strollers and car seats. Designer prints, top quality. Made in Poland.

Since 2006. Design company from Sweden. Fashionable and functional winter stroller bags, transforming overalls, pacifiers, toys.

Since 1990. Design company from Belgium. Beautiful, practical and multi-functional things for the convenience of the baby and mother.

Eco Bamboo diapers and wet wipes Bambyo. Natural cosmetics for children. Made in the Netherlands.

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Clothes for newborns from Europe from 0 to 3 months, clothes for babies up to 1 year and from 6 months to 4 years. Go to the store!

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Does a newborn need clothes?

Previously, only diapers and undershirts were used for newborns, but now the first clothes are put on the baby already in the maternity hospital. Therefore, the choice is yours. Some mothers still use the old swaddling technique, as many newborns sleep more soundly when their movements are restricted. Others, on the contrary, give complete freedom to the legs and arms, putting the kids in bodysuits, sliders or slips from the very first days. Our baby clothes for newborns will suit both.

How to determine the size of clothes for a newborn baby?

Nowadays, the opportunity to buy clothes for newborns in the online store is gaining more and more popularity. Therefore, the question of how to determine the size of clothes for a newborn is becoming more and more relevant. The European clothing sizes used on our website correspond to the height of the baby and come in 6 cm increments starting from size 38. That is, 38, 44, 50, 56, 62, 68, 74 ... That is, if your baby’s height, for example, 52 cm, then you need the nearest 56 clothing size.

How to choose the size of clothes for newborns?

The smallest size is 38, designed for premature babies up to 38 cm tall. Next is size 44, which is also designed for premature babies. Size 50 is designed for small newborns up to 50 cm. If the fetus is not large, then the maternity hospital buys size 56 clothes, which is suitable for up to about 1 month. Size 62 is for up to 3 months, 68 for up to six months, 74 for up to 9 months, 80 for up to a year. And so on. Children's clothing from Europe 122 sizes - the maximum in our online store and corresponds to the age of up to 7 years.

Where to buy clothes for newborns?

Of course, in our online clothing store from Europe for babies and toddlers KIDY.eu. Our baby clothes are available in all sizes from 38 (for premature babies) to 122 (7 years old). And, of course, everything is safe, high-quality and stylish.

How to choose clothes for a newborn?

All clothes for babies and children up to 7 years old presented on our website are of high quality and are made by European manufacturers. Therefore, all you need is to choose your favorite model and the right size.

Does a newborn need clothes in the hospital?

This question should be answered by your doctor, as each maternity hospital has its own rules.

How to choose clothes for a newborn in the hospital?

If you have a first child, then it is better to choose clothes in the maternity hospital that will be as easy to put on and take off as possible, as well as in which changing a diaper will not be a problem. This is a wrap body like a kimono or a slip with a front closure (so you don't have to wear it over your head).

How often should a newborn be changed at home?

Of course, the clothes of a newborn, as well as an older child, need to be changed as they get dirty. But up to 6 months, this should be done at least once a day. And clothes for children under one year old should be changed at least once every 2 days. So make sure you have enough of everything, because with a newborn in your arms, there may not be time for daily laundry. Well, our products for newborns will always help you.

Do I need to wash new clothes for newborns?

New clothes for newborns must be washed. After all, before the clothes for babies ordered in the online store get to you, they go through many stages - they end up in dozens of hands and are stored in warehouses. And even with the most careful and accurate production and storage, there is a possibility of microbial contamination. Also, clothes for newborns are recommended to be ironed after washing.

How and with what to wash clothes for newborns?

To wash clothes for the little ones it is necessary to use special detergents, without chlorine and phosphates. You can buy such products for newborns on our website - they are eco-friendly and hypoallergenic. It is best to wash in a manual or delicate mode. Mom's clothes are also recommended to be washed using similar means.

What clothes to buy for a newborn in summer?

Clothes for newborns in summer are bloomers, bodysuits with short sleeves, sandals and caps. Don't forget about light muslin diapers, which will be useful to you both as a light evening coverlet and as protection from the sun and insects.

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