Gift and Toy Ideas for 4-Year-Old Boys [2023]


Four-year-olds are at a pivotal point for learning and development. Whether you’re looking for something fun or something more educational, these gift and toy ideas for 4-year old boys are sure to make his face light up when he opens them.

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Learning Toys for 4-Year-Old Boys

Wooden Marble Run

This award-winning Wooden Marble Run has been praised for its ability to teach basic STEM principles and even early coding. Each of the different colored blocks has a different function. As he builds a successful marble run, the 4-year old in your life is learning how to piece things together and use problem-solving.

Manufactured by Hape, you can expect the same high-quality construction as their other wooden toys. He’ll be able to play with this for hours, and it’s durable enough to be passed along to a younger sibling or save for the future grandbabies.

Coding Critters

This Toy of the Year Award Winner teaches early coding and interactive pet play. Coding Critters by Learning Resources comes with 23 pieces and a storybook coding adventure that he uses the pieces to act out. As he follows the instructions, he’s learning the basics of inputting codes.

The two cute critters included with this set are named Rumble and Bumble. He can also use the pieces in the playset to feed, pet, and learn more about pet care, too! In addition to learning to code while he uses the storybook, this is a great toy for creative play.

Orboot Interactive Globe

The Orboot Interactive Globe is a toy that works with an app on a phone or tablet. As they go around the globe, they’ll be able to learn about much more than geography and mapping. They’ll also get to learn about cuisines, cultures, inventions, animals, and monuments in other places around the world.

While in the app, he can view things in augmented reality and see 3D images on the globe. There are more than 1000 word facts and over 400 highlights about different places around the world. There’s lots of interaction, as well as storytelling, music, puzzles, challenges, and even quizzes for him to test his knowledge. As an added bonus, this comes with a passport and stamp so he can track his progress as he goes around the globe!

Splashology! Water Lab Science Kit

The Water Lab Science Kit by Learning Resources comes with 19 pieces and seven hands-on experiments they can do. He’ll be able to learn about volume, buoyancy, flow, and so much more with this water science kit. Plus, what kid doesn’t love playing in the water?

He’ll love doing these different experiments. As an added benefit, the kit is full of durable, plastic equipment that he’ll be able to use to re-enact the experiments again and again. There’s also no worry of him ruining the instruction cards since they are attached to each other and made from waterproof materials.

Think & Learn Code-a-Pillar

The Code-a-Pillar by Fisher-Price is a fun, easy way for a 4-year old boy to learn about the basics of coding. This comes with 8 different coding attachments that he connects to the motorized head. Each of the segments is designed to make the Code-a-Pillar go forward, left, right, whichever direction they choose! The Code-a-Pillar even makes sounds while it moves.

In addition to the pieces to build the Code-a-Pillar, this comes with 2 destination targets that the caterpillar can crawl over when it’s going in the right direction. This helps with lots of critical STEM skills, including critical thinking, problem-solving, experimentation, reasoning, sequencing, cause-and-effect, and memory.

Cars, RC Vehicles, and Race Tracks for 4-Year-Old Boys

Hot Wheels Batcave Play Set

This gift brings together Hot Wheels and superheroes, both things that most 4-year old boys love. With the Hot Wheels Batcave Play Set, he can help keep Gotham City safe. He can take the elevator, race up to the Batjet, stop the bad guys, and even put them in jail. It’s great for creative play.

In addition to the Batcave and accessories, this comes with a Batjet, Batcomputer, and even a Batman character car. This is a great gift to buy alongside the Hotwheels Batman Vehicle Pack, especially so he has some bad guys to chase. Otherwise, he can use it with the Hot Wheels cars he already has. It’s also compatible with other Hot Wheels playsets!

Take Apart Construction Vehicles

The Take Apart Construction Vehicles playset by Top Race comes with 44 pieces that can be assembled into three different trucks with working lights and sounds. As an added bonus, the included electric drill turns into an RC remote so he can race his creation around. It also makes it super easy for him to take apart and assemble the pieces into a crane, dump truck, or cement truck.

What 4-year old doesn’t love taking something apart? Their natural curiosity at this age leaves them wanting to figure out how things work! As they put the trucks back together, they’ll be using problem-solving and other critical STEM skills. As an added benefit, they’re using fine motor skills as they handle all the pieces, too!

Pull Back Dinosaur Cars

These Pull Back Dinosaur Cars by Palotix are something a 4-year old boy will love playing with. As he pulls back and releases each vehicle, the dinosaur cars zoom across the floor. He can race them, crash them into each other, and send the dinosaurs chasing after his other toys.

The tops of the dinosaur vehicles are made from soft, but durable plastic so you don’t have to worry about him damaging them if he runs them into the wall (or each other). It’s a gift that a 4-year old who likes dinosaurs would really appreciate.

Construction Race Track

This Construction Race Track by iHaHa comes with 236 pieces, including pieces to build the track, road signs, construction vehicles, trees, and more. There are also supports included that let him easily create hills and bumps in the track. Since it’s flexible, he can fill it with twists, turns, and bumps to his heart’s desire, so it offers a really customizable way to play.

As he builds the track, the 4-year old in your life is working on his fine motor skills. He’ll also be having lots of fun, especially since two of the vehicles are motorized. After you put batteries inside, he can watch them zoom around the track. Several other trucks including a dump truck and excavator are also included, most of them with interactive and moving parts for creative play.

RC Stunt Car

ThisRC Stunt Car has a super-simple remote and is recommended for ages 3 and older, so it’s perfect for a 4-year old boy. It drives over hills and grass with ease and even tumbles down the stairs without getting hurt. With its 360-degree spin and super durable tires, there aren’t a lot of places he can’t play with this.

This comes with two rechargeable batteries for the car, so he can have up to an hour of playtime with a single charge. It also has cool features like working headlights and a top speed of 20 km/h.

LEGO and Building Sets for 4-Year Old Boys

Magnetic Tile Building Blocks

The Magnetic Tile Building Blocks by Jasonwell comes with 108 pieces with different shapes and colors. The magnetic edges stick together, so he can build 2D and 3D shapes and structures. Since this comes with over 100 pieces and they are easy to clean, they make a great toy for a 4-year old boy to play with alone or with a friend.

He’ll love playing with these colorful, geometric shapes and building whatever he can dream up. This is a great playset for STEM learning and it even comes with an idea booklet to get him started!

Brickyard Building Blocks

These Brickyard Building Blocks benefit creativity, fine motor skills, problem-solving, and other STEM skills. This set comes with 101 pieces, so they also make a great gift whether he’s playing alone or with a friend. It also comes with several small hand tools, wheels, nuts and bolts, and different shaped pieces so he can build anything he imagines.

Something nice about this playset is the included guide, which has 42 different designs. They start out easier and get more advanced, so it’s a toy that grows with him, too.

LEGO DUPLO Vehicle Set

The LEGO DUPLO Vehicle Set comes with 26 pieces that can be used to build a dump truck and an excavator. The set also comes with 2 construction figures and safety helmets, a shovel, and a roadwork sign. There are also a few extra blocks that he can lift, load up, and dump using the trucks.

The parts on the trucks really work, including the cabin that rotates on the excavator, the back of the dump truck actually dumping, and the excavator arm being posable. He’ll love playing pretend and acting out different scenarios with this set. As an added benefit, the included instructions are really easy to understand so he’ll be able to take the trucks apart and put them together with ease.

Playstix

The Playstix Building Set by Popular Playthings is a 150 piece set that offers hours of entertainment. The interlocking pieces have grooves that ‘stick’ together when you set them on top of each other, so he can build 3D designs with ease. They are also color-coded, with the different colors representing the length.

Like many of the other building sets we’ve recommended, this is great for developing STEM skills while fostering creativity and problem-solving. The 4-year old boy in your life can build some of the models recommended in the manual to get him started, or he can come up with creations on his own! The possibilities are endless.

Design & Drill Bolt Buddies

This Design & Drill Bolt Buddies Rocket is made by the Educational Insights company. He’ll use a working electric toy drill to build a cute, functional rocket ship. This also comes with an astronaut and puppy that can take off on the ship. It only has six pieces, and 7 bolts, so it’s simple enough that he can build it on his own.

In addition to being great for developing fine motor skills and STEM skills, this is a gift that he can use to pretend. It’s sure to get plenty of use from the average 4-year old boy since there are so many ways to play. He’ll love receiving this building kit as a gift!

Art Gifts for 4-Year-Old Boys

Sticker Suncatchers

The Sticker Suncatchers by Faber-Castell is a great, mess-free activity that encourages him to use his fine motor skills. This set comes with 5 suncatchers and lots of translucent stickers in different sizes and colors. He can layer these over each other to come up with a unique, fun design for each of the included catchers.

The sun catchers in this set are woodland animals, including a bear, rabbit, hedgehog, fox, and owl. As an added benefit, using the stickers doesn’t require any glue or any paint, so this is a fun craft with minimal clean-up.

Clay Turtle Lagoon

The Clay Turtle Lagoon by Creativity for Kids is a great gift for a 4-year old boy. Though it’s recommended for ages 5 and up, a 4-year old should be able to do this pretty easily with a little guidance. Plus, this is made using non-toxic materials so it’s safe for him, too.

The kit comes with everything he needs to put together his own glow-in-the-dark turtle habitat. It comes with plastic outlines in the shape of two turtles and a starfish, so it’s super easy to shape the animals by laying modeling clay over top. Then, he can put them in the habitat container with the printed seascape, rocks, plants, and more. As he builds his turtle habitat, he also has a chance to learn about ocean animal habitats.

LCD Writing Tablet

This LCD Writing Tablet is something that he can draw on again and again. The tablet responds to pressure, so he can use the included stylus, his fingers, or other hard things he has laying around. It results in colorful lines that are the thickness of whatever he uses. Once he’s done drawing, he can press the button to clear it and start all over again.

In addition to being great for drawing, this is helpful for writing and learning. We used these a lot when I homeschooled my boys in 2020 because of Covid, it definitely saved on paper.

Wooden Stacking Blocks

He can use this Wooden Stacking Blocks set from LIKEE to learn more about different shapes as he creates cars, dogs, birds, butterflies, boats, and more. These encourage Montessori learning and early geometrical understanding. They’re also great for encouraging creativity.

This set comes with 36 shape pieces that are of different sizes and colors. It also comes with 60 design cards that challenge him to create the picture on the card. The shapes have corresponding colors, so it’s easy for him to understand what he needs to do. As an added benefit, stacking the shapes is great for exercising fine motor skills and coordination.

Water Doodle Mat

The Water Doodle Mat by Toyk is a great gift because it encourages him to use his fine motor skills and creativity, without making a mess. It comes with lots that he can use to create, including shapes, stencils, and different types of brushes. You can fill the brushes with water and let him create whatever he wants.

As the water dries, the mat becomes clear so he can draw over and over again. As an added benefit, the large mat is big enough that a friend or two can draw, too.

Gifts that Encourage Pretend Play for 4-Year Old Boys

Pet Vet Play Set

The Pet Vet Play Set by Melissa & Doug comes with everything they need to examine and treat pets, including a plush dog and cat that they can use the equipment on. This comes with tools like a syringe, ear scope, “ointments”, cast, stethoscope, and more. It even comes with a double-sided checklist that they can use to help them act out office visits!

He’ll love taking on the role of a veterinarian with this playset. As an added benefit, this familiarizes him with some kinds of medical equipment that the doctor uses. This can make doctor’s visits a little less scary.

LEGO Toy Story Building Set

If the 4-year old boy in your life is a fan of the Toy Story Franchise, the LEGO RV Vacation Kit is something he’ll have hours of fun with. The entire set comes with 178 pieces that he can use to build an RV, park building, and park sign, as well as characters from Toy Story 4. He can use these characters to act out scenes from the movie or create his own adventure.

The RV has a removable roof, toilet, sink, interior, and even a bed. It also comes with Forky and Rex LEGO figures and Jessie and Alien Minifigures. He can also use this with other LEGO sets, so there’s lots of room for creativity! As an added benefit, the included full-color instructions are easy to understand as he pieces everything together.

Metro Railway Set

The Metro Railway Set by Brio comes with 20 pieces, including enough parts to build a small metro and train track. It also comes with a train engine with working lights and sounds, a ticket kiosk, two passenger cars with sliding doors, two passengers, and a metro map. As an added bonus, the batteries are included!

He’ll love having the passengers buy their tickets, get on the train, and go for a ride. If he really loves trains, this is also available with a train track expansion pack and other accessories.

Pony Farm

The Pony Farm playset by PLAYMOBIL is a great way to encourage imaginative play. The set comes with an impressive 194 pieces, including a two-level barn and adjustable fence, a two-level barn, and a drinking pond. It also comes with lots of figures that he can use in and around the barn, including three people, three ponies, two cats, and tons of accessories.

He’ll appreciate that the figures can sit, stand, bend, and turn their heads as they go about life on the pony farm. As he plays, he’ll also be learning more about how to care for horses. This is especially true since the set comes with food and hay for the horses, as well as grooming equipment and things like rakes to take care of the ground.

Gift and Toy Ideas that Encourage Physical Activity for 4-Year-Old Boys

Wobble Board

The Wobble Board is a super unique gift that a 4-year boy will get a lot of use from. When he stands on it, he can rock back and forth. This encourages muscle response through the body and stimulates his sense of balance.

In addition to being used as a rocker board, this can be used as a boat, stepping stone, bridge, race track, slide, and so much more. It’s made from super durable beech wood and birch wood, covered in eco-friendly lacquers. The strength of the wood and its design means it’s able to support up to 485 pounds!

Lean ‘n Glide Scooter

The Lean ‘n Glide Scooter is great for a 4-year old that is still learning balance and coordination. It has three wheels for a little more balance than a traditional scooter but works by the rider leaning side-to-side instead of by turning the wheel. This is better for improving balance and coordination, which makes this a great scooter for a kid that might still be learning to ride a scooter or a bicycle without training wheels.

In addition to offering a fun riding experience, he’ll love that this has wheels that light up as he rides. Parents will appreciate the thick polyurethane wheels and reinforced fiberglass deck, which make this super durable. As an added benefit, this has four different height adjustments so it will grow with him! It’s recommended for kids between 3 and 12.

Hopper

The Hopper by Hedstrom inflates to 15″ round. It’s made from super-thick vinyl that holds air well. Any four-year-old boy will love grabbing onto the handle and hopping around on this ball!

This is a really fun way to encourage him to get some exercise. It comes with an adapter that fits most standard and electric air pumps and it’s super easy to inflate and deflate, so it’s a great gift to take to grandma’s house, the beach, anywhere really!

Strider Balance Bike

The Strider Balance Bike is perfect for a child who hasn’t let learned how to ride. Instead of relying on training wheels, they’ll use their own legs to balance and ride the bike. Even though this doesn’t have pedals, they’ll easily be able to zoom down the sidewalk and through the park.

Since this has an adjustable seat, it’s recommended for kids up to five years of age or with a 20″ inseam. The handlebars are also adjustable, so they can easily focus on their balance and build skills for riding a bike without training wheels. Parents will also appreciate that this is made using a durable steel frame on top of puncture-proof tires, so it’s perfect for the average 4-year old boy who might be a little rough on his toys.

Bean Bag Toss Game

The Bean Bag Toss game by RaboSky is a great outdoor game for picnics, parties, and backyard playtime. It comes with two different boards, including a dinosaur-themed easy-mode board and a more challenging turtle-themed board, as well as six colorful bean bags.

Each of the holes on the board has a different score, so it benefits early math and hand-eye coordination. As an added bonus, the boards are made from fabric stretched over a collapsible frame, so they are super lightweight. Everything fits easily into the included carrying case for extra portability.

Rocket Launcher

The Rocket Launcher by MotoWorx comes with eight foam rocks and a sturdy launching stand with a footpad. He stomps down on the launcher and the planes take off, soaring up to 100 feet through the sky. He also adjusts the angle to change where the rocket launches.

He’ll love setting off rockets with this fun toy. With eight of them included, he’ll have extras if he loses one or they get damaged. While 100 feet is plenty far enough to impress a 4-year old, there’s also less risk of the rockets getting lost since they’ll stay in eyesight. Since these are fairly portable, this is also a great toy to pack up and take to the park.

Bubble Blower

Most kids love bubbles. While this isn’t the prettiest Bubble Blower, it does work really well compared to the designs of bubble machines made colorful for kids. It has an impressive output of 4,800 per minute and blows regardless of wind. There are also two bubble-blowing speeds, so it can operate a little slower if 4,800 bubbles per minute are too fast.

I love that this is a free-standing bubble machine. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about bubble lawnmowers and guns, it’s that eventually kids are going to want to chase the bubbles and they can’t always do that with those. If you set it up on a chair or post outside, it blows tons of bubbles out toward the yard for kids to chase. Any 4-year old boy would have a blast running around in all those bubbles. (It’s a great photo-taking opportunity, too!)

Books, Puzzles, and Games for 4-Year-Old Boys

Floor Puzzles

This Floor Puzzle 2-pack by Melissa & Doug comes with two fun floor puzzles with 48 pieces each. The first puzzle features a dinosaur-packed landscape that is four-foot-long when it is finished. It also comes with a Solar System puzzle, this one featuring the planets and sun (with their names) and being 2′ x 3′ when completed.

The pieces for these floor puzzles are made from extra-thick cardboard, so they’ll withstand being handled by a four-year-old. They also feature super bright colors that won’t fade with time, so they can put the puzzles together over and over again.

Paw Patrol Electronic Reader

This Paw Patrol Electronic Reader by Nickelodeon is an 8-book set perfect for that 4-year old that loves Paw Patrol. On the front cover, he’ll select the story that he is reading. As he reads, he’ll follow along by pressing specific shapes and colors. It also makes cool sound effects throughout the story!

With eight different books included, he’ll be able to go on lots of adventures with the Paw Patrol pups. As an added benefit, this will help him a lot with sight words and early reading. Any gift that helps with education is a plus in our book!

See & Spell Toy

The See & Spell Toy is a great way to help with letter sounds and recognition. It comes with 8 double-sided spelling boards and 64 letters. This is especially helpful for a 4-year old boy who will be going into kindergarten the following year. He’ll already have a jumpstart on early reading!

This is made from the same quality you’d expect from a Melissa & Doug toy. The smooth, wooden pieces are colorful and won’t fade with time. Additionally, each of the spelling boards is accompanied by a picture that helps them understand what’s on the board.

Happy Birthday to You!

The Happy Birthday to You! book by Dr. Seuss is a classic that has been around since 1959. There are lots of sight words in this, as well as lots of nonsensical words that keep the book fun and silly. Dr. Seuss is a great read for young readers and this themed book is perfect for that special four-year-old’s birthday, or for any day really.

As a mom who reads pretty regularly to her kids, I can say that Dr. Seuss is definitely a staple in our collection. In addition to the rhyming words being fun, it makes it a lot easier for kids to remember the rhymes. My boys could even help me out with some of the phrases and words, sometimes, especially after we had read the book a few times.

Guess in 10 Junior

The Guess in 10 Junior game from Skillmatics is recommended for ages 3-6. To play, one player chooses a card that they keep secret. Other players take turns asking as many as 10 questions. Whoever guesses right first gets to collect the card and the first player to 7 cards win. It can be played by 2-6 players and is super compact, so it’s also great to bring along to a friend.

This set comes with 35 different household items that have both the words and a picture on them, so it’s even easy for kids that aren’t reading all the way just yet. It also comes with 10 guider cards, which can be used to help him if he needs a little help thinking of a question. This particular game is for items around the house, but there are also several other sets available including foods we eat, animal kingdom, and community helpers.

Musical Gifts for 4-Year-Old Boys

My First Piano Book

The My First Piano Book makes a great gift for any kid that loves music as most kids do. Inside the book, there’s a real working piano that has numbered keys. As he flips through the pages, he can learn to play 10 different kid’s songs easily. It makes a wonderful introduction to reading music, too, whether he becomes the next Mozart or not!

Any 4-year old will love playing along with this book. He’ll easily be able to play through songs like “The Wheels on the Bus” and “Row Row Row Your Boat”. In addition to playing piano, he can choose from 5 other musical sounds like the saxophone and the harp. There’s even a record function that records up to 50 notes, so he can playback his songs and keep learning.

Percussion Floor Drum

This Percussion Floor Drum by Remo is a great gift for the 4-year old boy in your life. He’ll love beating on the drums with sticks, his hands, or the included mallets. The drum has a professional acoustic sound with an Acousticon shell and a pre-tuned Skyndeep drum head.

He’ll love playing a drum solo or starting a band with friends. The 10-inch floor drum weighs just three pounds, so it’ll be super easy for him to carry around. As an added benefit, it’s super durable so it will withstand some pounding from a 4-year old boy.

Kids Bluetooth Speaker

This kid-friendly Bluetooth Speaker and microphone is perfect for the 4-year old who loves singing. It comes with 24 pre-downloaded songs from the Mother Goose Club and connects via Bluetooth to any compatible device. The speaker can even record and store up to 16 hours of music with 1 GB of built-in memory.

He’ll love carrying around this speaker, especially with the smooth design and convenient carrying handle. It’s lightweight but durable and even comes with a microphone with good sound quality. The speaker also comes with a built-in rechargeable battery and charging cable, so you don’t have to worry about him running through batteries jamming to his favorite tunes. Whether he’s singing or dancing, he’s sure to love this gift.

Rainbow String Ukulele

The Rainbow String Ukulele by Everjoys is another great musical gift for a 4-year old boy. With each of the four strings being a different color, he’ll be able to remember the notes more easily. This also comes with a book of songs that will help him get started!

In addition to the ukulele and carrying case, this bundle comes with a tuner, polishing cloth, spare string, carrying strap, and two picks. The ukulele is 21″ long, so it’s small enough for a 4-year old to hold. It’s also made from a basswood body and fret, as well as a solid wood neck. This makes it durable, which is an important feature in a gift for 4-year old boys.

Decor Gifts for 4-Year-Old Boys

Mini Basketball Hoop

This Mini Basketball Hoop is designed to hang over the back of his door. It uses a wall-mounting system, so it holds durably to the back of his door to withstand play. In addition to the basketball hoop and 12″ x 15″, this also comes with three mini basketballs and a ball pump.

He’ll love shooting some hoops in his room, whether he’s playing with friends or with himself. The balls are not especially hard when inflated, so there’s a low risk of them damaging anything in his room. As an added benefit, throwing the ball is great for hand-eye coordination and some of the other skills he is learning around this time.

Teepee with Lights

This Teepee with Lights is made from 210D polyester and can be wiped clean easy, so it’s great for indoor or outdoor use. Inside, it can give him a private spot in his room to read or play pretend with a friend. He’ll love having his own personal space, especially with the included star lights. The star lights are low-wattage and won’t get hot, so they’re safe for use by kids.

This pop-up teepee is super easy to set up and takedown. It also comes with a convenient carrying case, so it’s super portable. He’ll also love the bright blue and green striped design.

Star Night Light

This Star Night Light by Sunnest makes the perfect nighttime companion for a 4-year old boy who might still be a little scared of the dark. The night light rotates 360 degrees, creating a beautiful, starlit sky that keeps moving around their bedroom at night. It also has 8 different color modes, so he can decide what type of sky he wants to fall asleep watching each night.

Something nice about this lamp is that it has 2 modes of power from battery and USB operation, so there’s no reason he can’t use this every night. Once he outgrows it, the inner cover can be removed and this also functions as a desk lamp. This is a gift that he can get lots of use out of!

Spiderman Bed Set

The Spiderman Bed Set by Jay Franco makes a wonderful gift for a 4-year old boy’s bedroom. The 5-piece set comes with a fitted sheet, flat sheet, two pillowcases, and a reversible microfiber comfortable. Being made from microfiber, the set is super soft so he’ll be comfy when he lays down at night. It also resists fading, which is great because 4-year old boys can be messy and this can be washed without worrying about it fading too much.

He’ll love snuggling up under his new Spiderman Bed Set at night. It’s the perfect way to add some personalization to his nighttime routine, especially if he’s working on transitioning to a big kid bed.

Glow-in-the-Dark Solar System

He’ll love checking out this Glow-in-the-Dark Solar System at night. This comes with a full solar system, including 8 big planets and 5 smaller planets, including Pluto and Eris. It also comes with the sun, moon, 260 stars, 24 shooting stars, and 4 rockets. The stickers recharge with sunlight, so he can enjoy them again and again. Additionally, glow-in-the-dark stickers make his room less scary without having bright lights that might disrupt his sleep cycle at night.

This solar system lets him personalize his room and makes a great learning tool. He’ll be able to better understand that Earth is just one part of a really big solar system. All the planets are labeled, too!

7-in-1 Activity Table

This 7-in-1 Activity Table is a multi-use table that is open inside. It comes with a reversible board to put on top. One side of the board is flat, which is perfect for crafting, school work, and drawing, and the other side is designed to fit Legos, including the 158 Lego pieces that come with this set. It also has four storage boxes that go on the sides of the table, two chairs, and a water plug, so it can be used as a water table or sand table without the board on top.

It’s nice having an extra chair because he can easily play with friends. The height-adjustable table can be raised an additional 4-inches, so it will even grow with him for a longer period of use. If you are looking for a gift that a 4-year old boy will get a lot of use from, this multi-functional table is a great choice.

What to Look for in Gift and Toy Ideas for 4-Year-Old Boys

The average 4-year old is super busy and it might even be hard to keep up. This is because four-year-olds are sponges. They’re developing cognitively, physically, socially, and emotionally and they’re learning to do a lot more. Some of these developmental milestones might help you choose the perfect give for that 4-year old boy in your life.

Cognitive Development

Many four-year-olds are ready to start preschool, which will lay the foundation for all they’ll learn in kindergarten. They may identify letters, colors, numbers, and shapes, especially with practice. They can also do things like talk about what comes next in a story, understand rules to play board games or card games, understand “same” and “different”, understand the concept of time, and even write a little bit.

Educational toys for 4-year old boys make great gifts because they reinforce all those things that he’s already learning. In addition to toys, puzzles, books, and even board games are great for education. As they play, they’re reinforcing what they already know and learning new things, too!

Physical Development

Physically, four-year-old boys are developing both gross motor skills and fine motor skills. Some of the gross motor skills he might exhibit include throwing and bouncing a ball, jumping with two feet, run around and over obstacles, and much more. He should even be able to pedal and steer a bike or tricycle. It’s important to encourage him to use these skills, as it improves his hand-eye coordination and helps him gain more control over his limbs.

The fine motor skills that he is learning at this time are also important. They involve using the smaller muscles in his hand, like the ones he uses when cutting with scissors, eating food, writing, and dressing. Activities that require fine motor development are also very useful during this time. Art sets, puzzles, playing with LEGO, and many other activities make great gifts because they make him use the “pincer grasp” with his thumb and forefinger that strengthens these smaller muscle groups.

Social and Emotional Development

Socially, four-year-olds may be more interested in playing with others than with themselves. While he might still play on his own, he’ll enjoy playing games and with toys with other siblings, friends, and even parents and other relatives, too. This is great because he’ll enjoy gifts that he can use by himself and when playing with others. He might be expressing interest in specific things, and sometimes gifts that help him explore things he is already interested in are a great buy, too.

Four-year-olds are also likely to engage in make-believe play. They might pretend to be other people or act out roles like being a firefighter or chef. This type of pretend play is great for social and emotional development, because as he takes on different roles he is learning empathy and how different people fit into the world. Additionally, toys that encourage him to play pretend with others encourage him to share and cooperate with them, too.