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.

Osmo Little Genius Starter Kit for iPad or Fire Tablet

($60 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

($8-16.95, GAP)
If your kid can’t stop asking about the 2024 eclipse, this may be the coolest gift they get this year.

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

($15.99 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

($46, Hanna Andersson)
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

($187 and up, 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!