36 Best Toys and Top Gifts for a 4-Year-Old Boy
Find a unique present for your little guy among these kid-tested educational toys and books.
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When a kid turns 4, he's eager to try his hand at problem-solving and experimenting. He might use his old toys in wild new ways but is also ready for new playthings that hold his growing attention span. Four-year-olds are ready to question the world around them, says Rebecca Parlakian, M.A., E.D., a parenting expert from Zero to Three, an organization that focuses on kid development during the early years.
"The best gifts at this age include construction toys that allow them to build and problem-solve — think about plastic interlocking blocks, gear toys, domino runs, magnet tiles and other similar choices," Parlakian says. "If your child already has blocks, consider expanding the set. Pretend play props, like costumes, encourage role-playing. With more control over their fine motor skills, art supplies can also be a big hit. And finally, simple board games and activities like dominoes and memory cards are also fun for preschoolers."
The Good Housekeeping Institute has tested toys in all of these categories and more, looking for ones that are safe to use, will stand up to rough play and — most importantly — won't annoy parents. We've handed toys over to real 4-year-olds for the true test, making sure they are ones kids will go back to again and again. Many of these are what you might call typical boy toys, featuring vehicles, Marvel superheroes and construction. But either boys or girls could enjoy all the toys on this list.
The clever secret to this R/C is its big, soft wheels: They're mighty enough to roll over uneven terrain inside or outside, but they're squishy enough not to damage floors, furniture or walls. If the car hits an object and turns upside down, it just keeps going! In toy testing, parents enjoyed playing with this as much as the kids did. Ages 4+
Combining the cute squishiness of Squishmallows with a 4-year-old boy's favorite character, this special 10-inch HugMees plush will be his new best friend and protector. Ages 3+
VTech Bluey Bluey's Keytar
Everyone loves Bluey, and this unique instrument appears in the animated series. "We had to immediately stream the Bluey episode that featured the keytar," a parent told us. Kids can jam out to the show's theme song or nine other melodies, or they can make their own music. The keytar can sound like any of ten different instruments and make silly sound effects. Requires 2 AA batteries. Ages 3 to 6
RELATED: What to Get a Kid Who Loves Bluey
GeoSafari Jr. Talking Microscope
Kids who are curious about science, nature and the world around can learn real biology facts about plants and animals with this talking microscope. It comes with more than 60 images on its slide, which easily stores inside the microscope. There are also different modes of play, including Fact Mode for learning and Quiz Mode to see if they've absorbed the knowledge. If they're really into STEM, you can also get them the new GeoSafari Jr. Talking Telescope. Ages 4+
LEGO City Construction Trucks and Wrecking Ball Crane
Bye, super-simple Duplos. A 4-year-old is ready for a LEGO City set, though it's also possible that a 4-year-old will need some grown-up guidance to build these cool construction vehicles. "Upon seeing the toy my son couldn't wait to open it up," a dad told us. "He was quite proud after building the wrecking ball, though he needed a little assistance." The set makes a dump truck, wrecking-ball crane and a transporter that can carry either of them to the job site, plus four minifigures and accessories. Ages 4+
Candlewick 'Go and Get with Rex'
Good Housekeeping Institute kid testers were delighted with this one, which involves characters playing a game where they have to "go and get" objects that start with different letters — a good way to help preschoolers practice their ABCs. Ages 3–7
Here's a real "wow" gift for not a lot of money. It comes with 13 feet of plastic track, a motorized Thomas the Tank engine plus two train cars, Carly The Crane, a bridge and more. It's earned raves from Walmart reviewers, many of whom buy it for a 4-year-old. Requires 2 AAA batteries. Ages 3+
Tester kids flipped out for this outer-space set from the popular brand Magna-Tiles. "My kid loved the spaceman and the shuttle. He also said he loved that he could build his own space station," a mom told us. The 32 magnetic pieces all fit back into the shuttle for storage, a feature our tester parents loved. Ages 3+
RELATED: Magna-Tile Alternatives to Build Out Your Collection
Good Housekeeping experts were impressed at the long life of this scooter, which can start out as a ride-on for younger ones (or younger siblings) and then adjust in height until the kids are big. But our tester children focused on something else: The light-up wheels! It comes in a bevy of colors. Holds up to 100 lbs. Ages 3+
RELATED: The Best Scooters for Kids
Learning Resources Gears! Gears! Gears!
A physics lesson has never been so much fun as it is with this 100-piece set of plastic gears that fit together. Your child can build however he wants and then turn a crank piece to see which direction the different pieces spin. It's perfect for his newfound dexterity, curiosity and fine motor skills. Ages 3+
Testers really put this one through its paces, sending it over obstacles indoors and out, on all kinds of terrain. When the results came in, it had perfect scores across the board. “People were jealous of its ability to go over rocks and through water," one tester said. Ages 4+
Play-Doh Pizza Delivery Scooter
It's an indoor ride-on, it's a Play-Doh set, it's a lot of fun packed into a wow-worthy playset. Kids are encouraged to create pizzas out of Plah-Doh and then deliver them — a pretend cell phone is included so he can tell you, "I'm here!" There are plastic molds for making ice cream or a sweet drink, too, if his customers are in the mood for something sweet. Ages 3 to 5
Design & Drill Bolt Buddies Rocket
This one fosters both imaginative play and motor skills: Kids use a toy, battery-operated drill to build and disassemble these playsets, getting a feel for how to take things apart and put them back together again. There are lots of different playsets, including a recycling truck, a race car, a fire truck, a police motorcycle, a helicopter and a tractor for a barn set. Each one comes with two "buddies" who also act as screwdrivers. Ages 3+
Melissa & Doug Sticker Wow!
Little kids have trouble peeling off and applying regular stickers, but with this new stamper a 4-year-old can just stamp stickers right into the included activity book. Our testers found it easy and fun for their kids, and particularly great for travel or keeping a preschooler busy on an outing. When the stamper runs out, you can buy refills. “I like that this is mess-free. I don’t have to worry about markers or paint," a parent told us. "I also like that there is a holder for the stamper on the pad.”
Sing-Along Numberblock Five
If it's all high-fives for Numberblock Five, then this is the plush for your Numberblocks fan. It has 12 songs and phrases that reinforce the concept of the number five, and kids can activate it with a touch of the hand. And yet, the body is still soft like a plush. Parent testers reported that this became a "popular daily toy." And it gets a 4-year-old looking toward their next big birthday! Ages 3+
Melissa & Doug Fire Chief Costume
Playing pretend is a big part of 4-year-old life. We've seen kids leap into imaginary adventures in this Pretend Fire Fighter Outfit that comes with a helmet, fire extinguisher and a bullhorn with sound effects. The brand also makes a veterinarian costume with a little dog and an astronaut costume with gloves. Ages 3 to 6
Hot Wheels City Ultra Shark Car Wash
It's all the fun of going to the car wash in a two-and-a-half-foot-long Hot Wheels play set that's ready to spark imaginative play. The coolest feature is that after you add warm water, running the included vehicle through the shark changes its color and design. The color changes back when kids tilt the shark back, tap its tail and dump the car into a cold plunge. There's a car wash, too, and none of it needs batteries, just a little water. Ages 3+
RELATED: Best Car Toys for Kids of Every Age
Cubebot starts as a cube and then unfolds to be a robot — and then can fold back up again. The elastic that holds the wooden pieces together makes him bendable and poseable. Ages 4+
Kids build everything in this downhill race set, from the path to the cars to the checkered finishing line. Then, they can send the vehicles zooming down the track, learning about gravity and magnetism along the way. Parent testers say this toy appealed to the whole family, and siblings and adults alike loved competing in head-to-head races. Ages 3+
RELATED: Best Magnetic Toys
Kids' Toy Golf Set
Fore! He'll have to work on his control and focus to hit the golf ball on this set, and then he'll get all his energy out chasing the balls to put them back in the feeder again. It comes with 15 golf balls, along with three club heads (a left driver, a right driver and a putter). Ages 3+
Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; previously, she wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her toy-collecting husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found helping out her team at bar trivia or posting about movies on Twitter and Bluesky.
Jessica (she/her) is a freelance writer with several decades of experience writing lifestyle content and evaluating home and parenting products. A mom of two teens and two cats, her previous work can be seen in American Baby and Parents.
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