The Best Toys For 4-Year-Old Boys To Engage These Busy Preschoolers

For under $60, you might not think this scooter would last through the stress that most outdoor toddler toys endure. But the Hurtle makes it easy for toddlers to learn to ride, as the scooter can be used with or without the seat, and it teaches balance by using a lean-to-turn feature instead of handlebars, making it easier to transition to a bigger-kid scooter later on. Reviewers note that it’s a good value and it lasts. The “lights work great, seat is sturdy…it’s very durable and will not get banged up,” one parent writes.

The Guardian bike is a bigger investment for sure. But this sturdy, long-lasting bike will grow with your kid over time. Guardian has a sizing system that uses either your child’s age, inseam or height to help you choose the best option. Its bikes are lightweight, at just 17.5 pounds for a 16-inch set of wheels, and has a simple, single-lever breaking system. The bike also has large tires for on and off-road riding, making for a safe and easy transition from a balance bike.

Giving a 4-year-old boy the chance to live out his fantasy of operating an excavator in his sandbox at only $40 sounds like a dream scenario for both parent and child. With a sturdy and lightweight build, this excavator allows kids to dig up sand in the sandbox or out on a beach day. It’s an ideal outdoor toy that gets kids outside and off screens and, according to parents, and it can even be used for imaginary play indoors given how lightweight and mobile it is.

Most 4-year-olds have a lot of energy, and this is an excellent tool for helping them wiggle some of it out, especially on days when you’re stuck inside. Kids can balance on the board sitting or standing, and the suction cups pop, making it a fun sensory experience. The rocking and constant change in direction while kids play with this toy provides a lot of vestibular input, which can help some kids calm and soothe themselves.

For those rainy days when your kids can’t go outside, this mat comes with stencils and fun shapes to trace. The mat is activated by water, so there are no paints or inks to stain their clothes or your furniture, and kids have the option to color with the included markers (dip them in water to use on the mat) or “paint” with wet fingers.

This Kidkraft easel gives little ones an art creation station with both a dry-erase board and chalkboard sides, along with a paper roll for drawing. With large ledges for storing supplies, “It holds all art supplies in one place,” one parent says. This easel makes organizing and cleanup easier for both parents and kids.

This sensory bin is one of my favorite toys to break out on a rainy day. It includes space rocks, tongs (great for developing fine motor skills), glow-in-the-dark stars, a scoop, an astronaut, an alien, and various toys that can be planets, asteroids, rockets or anything else 4-year-olds can imagine. It’s helpful for sparking imaginative play, and it provides kids with everything they need to lose themselves in a pretend world.

If your refrigerator has become cluttered with art projects and drawings, you’ll appreciate this craft that’s more than decorative when it’s completed. Each wooden craft kit in this set of two includes paint, stickers, glue and wheels for kids to assemble. After they’re done creating their masterpiece, they can actually play with the vehicles.

Little rubber dino babies hide inside a dozen clay dinosaur eggs, so your 4-year-old can experience the excitement of digging them out. Getting their hands dirty is half the fun, plus kids get a chance to find a toy they can play with later. Each egg (and baby dino) also comes with a card that explains what that animal was like and when it lived. The kit includes brushes and a little mallet, giving kids multiple ways of cleaning and opening each egg.

Give your kids the chance to create their own Rube Goldberg machine with over 130 different pieces to make any and all kinds of marble-moving creations. If your little one can’t get enough and wants more, expansion sets are available. The Marble Run also comes with an app with instructions and building suggestions to give parents and kids some creative help if needed. 

This set gives kids the chance to be both mechanics and construction workers—because building the vehicles is half the fun for many curious 4-year-old boys. Construct and then deconstruct vehicles ranging from a dump truck, cement truck and a front-end loader with a plastic, battery-powered, easy-to-use screwdriver. The toy set comes with a bag, too, so you can bring these out to the backyard or the grandparent’s house.

We have various magnetic tile sets in our home, and this is definitely a favorite, especially for 4-year-olds. The tracks are simple to assemble, and the battery-operated cars zip up, down and around. They’re compatible with other magnetic tile sets, so you can incorporate the track into all kinds of creations. I’ve found that it helps my 4-year-old develop problem solving and engineering skills to figure out how to form a working track.

A more advanced LEGO Duplo set, this train comes with includes a crane, track, boat and more. It has over 105 pieces for kids to build. One mom of a 4-year-old mentioned that her son enjoyed LEGO Duplo sets because he could build them on his own, whereas he needed help to build traditional LEGO sets.

Sturdy and well-built with high quality pieces—and under $15—parents’ wallets and sanity will appreciate this puzzle toy. Around age 4, kids will often start learning their letters and may even be interested in spelling, making this puzzle a good way to entertain them while also teaching useful skills.

Bingo with a twist. This board game builds language and matching skills while also giving kids a chance to play with parents, grandparents or other friends. It’s a popular learning game in preschools, too. One user noted that she was “able to play with a 2-year old, 6-year old and 8-year old,” meaning this game can grow with a kid as they get older, and it gives them a chance to teach their younger siblings or friends how to play.

Hurry Up Chicken Butt is a new take on traditional hot potato from Exploding Kittens. It requires players to complete fun and silly actions quickly before the timer goes off. This is ideal for high-energy kids, and it’s a fun way to bond with the family.

These pattern blocks help kids develop spatial reasoning and even introduce early geometry concepts. Kids use the wooden shapes to match the patterns provided. It’s fun for kids to put the pieces together to create a picture, and you can use the shapes to practice other skills as well such as sorting and counting.

In this board game, everybody works together to gather the feelings that have disappeared. It’s a cooperative game with a soft color palette, so it’s calmer and less stimulating than most competitive games. It’s a good tool for helping kids learn how to work together for a shared goal.

With Little Passports, kids can learn about different places around the world without having to leave home. Each box introduces them to a new place or experience through play, games, activities, puzzles and fun facts. They can also keep track of their adventures with a world map and stickers to put on their Little Passports suitcase. This kit is at the top of our list of the best subscription boxes for kids.

What kid isn’t excited by a classic volcano experiment? This kit makes it easy to set up, and in addition to erupting a volcano, they can create dinosaur fossils, slime and more. There are ten experiments total, and it also comes with a guide to help walk kids through the experiments. 

Toniebox is a screen-free toy that allows kids to listen to songs, stories and educational content by placing a Tonie character on top of the box. My kids get a lot of use out of their Toniebox on long car trips, in waiting rooms and in any situation where they’re stuck sitting for an extended period of time. You can buy as many Tonies as you want, so this toy can grow with your child as their interests change.

This introductory coding set is a screen-free toy that teaches kids how to program a robot. It includes fun challenges for kids to complete, and they can create their own codes as well. Early introduction to coding can help kids develop problem-solving skills while having fun.