Cool gifts for 4-year-olds are so much fun for us to find — and buy! — because at this age, kids are truly playing with toys and games for longer than a few seconds. A 4-year-old is great at independent play, they’re past the put-everything-in-your-mouth stage (yay!), and they’re a lot more sure on their feet. Kids might even be interested in the same activities, interests, and games that adults are interested in too — good news for those of us who were never that big on tummy time. That means so many gift ideas!

So here are some of the best gifts for 4-year-olds, carefully curated from the zillions of options out there. And don’t forget to check our guides to the best gifts for 3-year-olds and best gifts for 5-year-olds — the perfect gift may be over there, too.

Above: LEGO Disney Minifig Set

Be sure to see our full list of the coolest birthday gifts for kids by age

The best gifts for 4-year-olds

Some purchases may help support our work at no additional cost to you.
Each item has been independently selected by our editorial team

A Beautiful Modern Wooden Dollhouse

($169.99 on sale 25% off, Tiny Land)
Now that they’re old enough not to put those tiny pieces in their mouths, this gorgeous dollhouse is the most classic 4-year-old birthday gift for a special kid. They’ll play with for years, then pass it down to siblings and lucky cousins. Or — they’ll keep it forever.

Cool bedding for their big-kid bed

($199 for quilt, Crate & Kids)
Animals, space, sports, rainbows…whatever helps them stay in bed until morning.

This Sweet Elsa “Frozen” Sparkle Accessories Kit

($45, Super Smalls)
The sister sheroes of Frozen are enchanting a new generation and the Super Smalls x Disney collab offers this wonderful Disney Frozen Elsa Icy Sparkle Accessories Kit for kids 4 and up. The faux jewelry set includes twinkling snowflake clip-on earrings, sparkling bracelets, and a snowflake ring that can be worn any season at all.

Osmo Little Genius Starter Kit for iPad or Fire Tablet

($51 on sale at Amazon)

One of our absolute favorite gifts hails from Osmo, one of the first companies to understand that STEM-loving kids could take what’s fun about on-screen tablet play, and bring all the learning offline. This starter set helps kids up to about 5 develop creativity, imagination, empathy, and measurable skills like phonics, letter recognition, spatial reasoning, and early drawing ability.

A cool kids’ tee that supports their interests

($11-12.99 on sale, GAP)
If your kid can’t stop asking about the 2024 eclipse, this may be the coolest gift they get this year. And so affordable! Also see themes like tech, gaming, dinosaurs, skateboarding, music, and lots of sports.

A book that celebrates what makes them special

($12-15 at Amazon, Target, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org)
As kids get a bit older, they start to notice the ways in which they’re different from friends and siblings. A thoughtful picture book that helps them understand that these differences are what make us special can go a long way in starting important conversations. See more options at our post on 8 wonderful children’s books about neurodiversity.

By the way, a gift like this goes beautifully with the LEGO DUPLO Town set of buildable people with big emotions, seen in the collage above. ($49.95, Amazon)

Tiny Dolls That Give Back in a Big Way

($44, cuddle+kind with discounts for 2 or more)
We’ve been celebrating the beautiful handmade gifts and the incredible generosity of this shop for so long for good reason. Each handmade doll — from unicorns, mermaids, forest creatures and spectacled bunnies, to their new tiny dolls — donates 10 meals to a child in need. For a limited time, they’re on sale, and each pair donates a full 30 meals.

Pokémon LCD Watch

($6.80 on sale, Target)
He’s back! And, he’s teaching kids how to tell time!

Tabletop Drawing Roll and Dispenser

($17.99 on sale at Amazon)
One of the best gifts for a 4-year-old? Preschoolers can’t have too many crafting kits and art supplies, and this from Melissa & Doug is such a cool way to set up a coloring station for a budding young artist. Easy clean-up and great price too.

Rainbow Sparkle Watercolor Gel Crayons

($15.89 at Amazon)

Don’t forget new art supplies for 4-year-olds gifts, with or without the paper. These sparkly gel crayons in the colors of the rainbow “magically” change when water is added with a paintbrush.

100-Pack of LEGO Disney Minifigures

($50 at Amazon)

From Robin Hood to Coco and Baymax. Whoa. That is some gift. (Also seen at very top)

The coolest Bluey pajamas set

($52, Hanna Andersson; prices and styles may vary)
There isn’t a 4-year-old we know who isn’t totally obsessed with Australia’s Bluey. While the PJ set is a gift they’ll love, the matching pairs for parents or big siblings are kind of awesome too.

Zwilling Kid-Safe Chef’s Knife and Activity Set

($19.95 at Sur La Table)
Don’t panic! Little kids want to be big helpers, and you can teach them how to be a safe sous-chef with this high-quality chef’s knife from Zwilling made just for smaller hands 3 and up. The Twinny comes nicely packaged to include recipes, instructions, and coloring activities.

Magnetic Travel Play Sets

($12-18.98, Amazon)

We love this new magnetic play set from Mudpuppy that’s perfect for long road trips or just some screen-free play. Check out other themes, too.

Animal slippers for kids

($15 at the Smithsonian Shop)

Keep their feet warm with these adorable animal slippers which also will help them figure out the right foot. Fantastic price and 100% of the proceeds support the Smithsonian Institution’s programs and exhibits.

Swedish Wall Wooden Climbing Set

($79 on sale — 50% off for a limited time! — Goodevas Kids)
This best-selling Etsy maker gets raves for their Montessori-style modular climbing sets. This one can be customized to include rings, a trapeze, a drawing table — kind of amazing, and a great way to help them get all that preschooler energy out!