If you have a four-year-old in your life, you've probably noticed that they're starting to become their own little person. They're expressing themselves with words, following rules (when they feel like it), and beginning to read with you.
The longer attention span is great for exploring, learning new things, and enjoying imaginative play. If you are looking for the perfect gift to celebrate this milestone, here are the best birthday gifts that your preschooler will surely love!
What makes an awesome birthday gift for a four-year-old
● Encourages natural curiosity
● Requires active engagement
● Sparks imagination
● Provides the opportunity for creative expression
● Will be enjoyed for years to come
Whatever you choose, make sure it is something that your child will enjoy and that will help them to continue learning and growing.
Must have toys for a four-year-old birthday
As a mom of an energetic four-year-old boy, here are my top picks of fun VTech® toys. All of these toys kept my preschooler entertained for hours. And for the best part, I had a great time bonding with my child while we play with these toys together.
This 145-piece color-coded building set includes a spinning Ferris wheel, a swirling cone that plays a musical light show, thrilling ramps, fast tracks, extreme launchers, and bases that all easily connect together.
Compete with family and friends using the exciting launchers and non-stop Ferris wheel to keep the marbles in motion and bring them back to the beginning. You can also combine with other VTech® Marble Rush™ sets (sold separately) to create an extreme playset.
More builds are available at vtechkids.com/marblerush
The set includes an easy-to-follow guide. There were three different levels - beginner to advanced. My preschool was not able to build the track independently yet, but we had so much fun building it together.
An added bonus is that there is a book of stickers included. Your child can help decorate the pieces with the stickers and watch the building set come to life!
When construction is complete, we dropped the ten marbles into action and watched them race down the ramps and swirls we just built.
Why we love this toy
This is a great toy to teach your child how to follow instructions. The process of connecting bridges and ramps, it helps them think strategically and improve their STEM skills. Also, there are endless play possibilities and are perfect for parent-child bonding.
Upgrade your four-year-old’s photography skills with the KidiZoom® PrintCam™
You can preview photos with the 2.4” color screen and print regular or panoramic photos in black and white right away (the camera includes a paper roll that prints up to 80 images). This kid-friendly camera takes videos too.
Flip up the lens to take selfies or let your child’s creativity loose by adding stickers, filters, and borders to any image or video. Browse 110+ templates and activities including small greeting cards, printable games, and more.
Although there are video games on this camera, my son loves to take selfies and print them out so he can color. When the paper’s gone, you can get the KidiZoom® PrintCam™ Paper Refill Pack (sold separately) for three more paper rolls and two rolls of adhesive paper to turn photos into stickers.
Backing up the full-color photos and videos is easy. Just plug in the included USB to the computer and we get to view my son’s masterpieces on the big screen!
Why we love this camera
This camera is a hit for my four-year-old. He’s been taking it wherever we go. It's a great way for him to learn how to use a camera and be creative. I love that the camera includes parental controls to set daily time and printing limits or to turn off games. There’s also a microSD card slot to increase storage up to 32GB with a memory card (not included).
Stomp into the cool, crazy world of prehistoric creatures that turn into vehicles with the VTech® Switch & Go®Velociraptor Jet! This Velociraptor starts as a ferocious dino and turns into a propeller disc-launching Jet. With speed and power on its side, this raptor features animated dino eyes, fire-breathing light effects and dinosaur sounds. Pit the Velociraptor Jet against the other VTech® Switch & Go® dinos for a fearsome match-up. Additional VTech® Switch & Go® dinosaurs are sold separately.
Why we love this toy
This Velociraptor Jet has everything my four-year-old son wishes for. It’s a dinosaur and transforms easily into a sleek jet with propeller discs. He loves to invite his own dinosaur toys with this Velociraptor Jet for some serious pretend play.
This cool DX3™ smartwatch features dual cameras for pictures, selfies, and videos along with one- and two-player games, daily reminders, and more.
A few of our favorite features include:
● The light on the watch doubles as a camera flash and flashlight
● Create custom clockfaces from our own photos or swipe through 50+ animated faces
● Set Daily Reminders to help kids stay on track, and switch to School mode when it’s time to limit the DX3™ to a watch only
● Play single-player games like Monster Catcher and find 80+ invisible creatures
● Upcycle the top of the package and use it as a watch storage case
Your preschooler can also pair up with a friend who has a DX3™ to share preset messages or play games together. More games and camera effects can be downloaded from Learning Lodge®
Why we love this watch:
This cool kid's smartwatch is age-appropriate, stylish, and splash-proof. It’s an amazing toy to introduce kiddos to electronics. There are movement games such as Racing Run, Crazy Dance, and Funky Jump. The DX3™ has been keeping my four-year-old entertained for hours and I love it that we no longer need to bring extra toys when we go out.
This interactive desk features five activity pages filled with engaging content including letters, numbers, music, colors and more. The fold-down writing pad and light-up display encourage kids to practice writing by tracing letters, numbers and shapes with a stylus.
And better yet, the desk transforms into an easel and chalkboard with plenty of storage space for art supplies. Continue the play with expansion packs that each focus on a specific curriculum like nursery rhymes, reading skills, animals and numbers. Kids can also play with the touchscreen toy phone or listen to more than 20 melodies on the music player.
Why we love this desk
This is the ultimate toy to learn language skills for a four-year-old. My son is beginning to learn how to write the alphabet and this desk makes learning the ABCs fun and easy. There are different activity pages to explore and my son loves to engage with them to learn new words & sounds. The desk is very sturdy and has storage compartments to store school supplies.
Final Thoughts
Celebrating your preschooler’s 4th birthday is a joyous occasion, and finding the perfect gift is an important part of the celebration. Thanks for VTech® offering a variety of toys that make the perfect gifts for four-year-olds. You can be sure that you’re giving your child a gift that will help them continue learning and growing.
Holly Ng has 2 young kiddos and the creator behind SoCal Mommy Life – a lifestyle blog about motherhood, kid-friendly recipes, and family adventures in SoCal (Southern California). Holly loves inspiring other moms to celebrate motherhood and raise kids to the fullest potential they can be.