25 of the best toys for 4 year olds for 2024

She adds: "At 4, your child's pretend play is getting more and more complex. As well as being a way to try on different roles, like doctor or astronaut or teacher or rock star, make-believe play – with playsets and child-size replicas of household objects – is also a way to act out emotions and explore feelings."

Finally it's a time when your child's finger dexterity and hand-eye coordination is much improved which means: "they can do more complex puzzles and art or craft activities, and play with toys that have smaller parts."

So, with all that in mind, whether you're looking for something imaginative, educational, or just plain fun, here's the best toys for 4 year olds.

Best toys for 4 year olds at a glance

Best interactive toys for 4 year olds

• Great for repeated surprises: L.O.L Surprise Magic Flyers, £25
• Great for train lovers: Thomas & Friends Talking Cranky Delivery Train Set, £44.99
• Great for fairy adventures: My Fairy Garden Blossom Balloon, £9
• Great for nurturing skills: Curlimals Flutter Wonder Bella Bear, £22.30
• Great portable playset: Polly Pocket Pollyville Resort Roll Away Playset, £48

Best educational toys for 4 year olds

• Great for an early intro to coding: Learning Resources Space Rover, £55.14
• Great for logical thinking: Kid K'NEX Oodles of Pals, £41.54
• Great for early maths skills: Spotty Sausage Dogs, £10.97

Best role play toys for 4 year olds

• Great for wow-factor: Barbie Dreamhouse Playset, £169
  
• Great for details: Sylvanian Families Baby Mermaid Castle, £55
• Great for sea role play: Gabby’s Dollhouse Cat Friend Ship, £34.99
• Great for superhero role play: Marvel’s Spidey and His Amazing Friends Flip and Jet, £15
• Great for TV show role play: Octonauts Above and Beyond Octoray Playset, £29.99
• Great for astronaut role play: Great Little Trading Co. Wooden Space Toy, £48
• Great for doctor role play: Barbie Fast Cast Clinic, £49.99
• Great for musician role play: Paw Patrol My First Guitar Paw Patrol, £19.99
• Great for firefighter role play: Hape Fire Station, £72.73
• Great for hospitality role play: Casdon Morphy Richards kitchen set, £23.07

Best skills-based toys for 4 year olds

• Great for real cooking: Casdon Kenwood Mixer, £22.48
• Great for gymnastics: Baby Born Sister Play & Style, £44.99
• Great for fine-finger skills: Play-Doh Kitchen Creations Ultimate Ice Cream Truck Playset, £99.99
• Great for dexterity: Fuzzikins Homemakers Family Home, £18.99

Best budget toys for 4 year olds

• Great budget buy: Galt Velvet Picture Animals, £2.99
• Great for learning how things grow: WWF Wild Scenes Tiger's Hang Out, £9.99
• Great for learning about pets: Animigos World of Nature Guinea Pig, £10.46

Jump to:

• Best interactive toys for 4 year olds
• Best educational toys for 4 year olds
• Best role play toys for 4 year olds
• Best skills-based toys for 4 year olds
• Best budget toys for 4 year olds

What are the best toys for 4 year olds?

Additional reporting and product selection by Gill Crawshaw

Best interactive toys for 4 year olds

1. L.O.L Surprise Magic Flyers, £25

– Great for repeated surprises

Available at: Amazon, Argos and The Entertainer

Age suitability: 4+ | Best for age: 4| Size: 10.16cm x 20.32cm x 22.86cm | Batteries: 3 x Lithium Polymer batteries (included) | Awards: Bronze – Best Doll, MadeForMums Toy Awards 2023

The L.O.L. Surprise Magic Flyer is a fairy doll that will fly out of its case and spin up in the air by itself. Each L.O.L Surprise Magic Flyer comes in (reusable) bottle-shaped packaging. To activate the unboxing sequence, you child taps the logo, the bottle then shakes, rocks, and lights up before opening to reveal a L.O.L Surprise Doll that flies out of the packaging. The flight is then hand guided, meaning when your child holds their hand underneath the feet of the Magic Flyer the doll goes higher into the air. The doll will land by itself once finished, and it can be put back into the bottle to be "unboxed" as many times as you like.

I really like the way it flies because it flies really high and it’s really cool to watch. It’s really exciting to see how it hatches out the heart and it starts shaking before it starts flying out with its wings.

2. Thomas & Friends Talking Cranky Delivery Train Set, £44.99

– Great for train lovers

Available at: Very, Amazon and John Lewis

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 3 | Size: 69.3cm x 132.7cm x 50.5cm | Batteries: None| Awards: Gold – Best Interactive Toy £40 and over, MadeForMums Toy Awards 2023

Bring Brendam Docks to life with this Thomas & Friends motorised train and track set that includes songs, railway sounds, and real character phrases from the Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go! series. The set includes 14.5 feet of track which Thomas can travel around, whileCranky the Crane can spin 360 degrees and help to load and unload cargo. In a move that will delight all fans of the show, the characters recognise and talk to each other on the tracks. There are also 325+ songs, sounds and phrases to soundtrack kids’ imaginative play.

My favourite part is Cranky, because he can pick up things with his claw. I want to keep playing with it and get another train track to make it bigger. I want to collect all the trains. It's my favourite toy.

3. My Fairy Garden Blossom Balloon, £9

– Great for fairy adventures

Available at: Bargain Max

Age suitability: 4+ | Best for age: 4+ | Size: L6cm x W30cm x H27cm | Batteries: None

A cross between a playset and activity kit, this little fairy garden features a fairy figure, spinning flowers and a hanging balloon with a petal canopy that folds up to reveal a pet dragon for your fairy. It also comes with coriander seeds that you can plant in the bowl (no compost included), a mini watering can and an activity book that includes a bird spotting guide and instructions for building a wind chime. It is all quite plastic but the manufacturer does pledge to plant a tree for every 5 sets purchased. And we do love the herb-growing element.

I love the idea of a really good playset that also teaches your child to love and care for plants. It's colourful, interactive and my daughter absolutely loves it – though it was a little tricky to assemble.

4. Curlimals Flutter Wonders Bella Bear, £22.30

– Great for interactive cuddles

Available at: Argos and Amazon

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 4+ | Size: 10cm x 20cm x 16.5cm | Batteries: 3 x AAA batteries (included) | Awards: Silver – Best interactive toy under £40, MadeForMums Toy Awards 2023

Pat the head, stroke the nose or tickle the tummy of Curlimals Flutter Wonders Bella Bear and its fluttering wings will glow with different coloured lights. Bella Bear is a soft, cuddly interactive toy who sings, talks, and laughs with its owner once activated. Bella has over 100 lights, sounds, and movement (although one of our testers said her child had struggled to unlock the whole range). The bear’s wings flutter to express how they are feeling. There is also a magical hidden sequence unique to each character for your child to discover.

It's like the cutest thing ever! This bear is going to be my pet forever and ever. It's so, so nice because it says, 'I love you!'

5. Polly Pocket Pollyville Resort Roll Away Playset, £48

– Great portable playset

Available at: Very, Argos and The Entertainer

Age suitability: 4+ | Best for age: 4+ | Size: H35.5cm x W28cm x D18cm | Batteries: None | Awards: Gold - Best playset under £70, MadeForMums Toy Awards 2023

The case-shaped playset opens to reveal a miniature world which holds a 3-story hotel with an elevator, an arcade, a spiral slide, and speedbumps that activate playset features. Included are four dolls, a vehicle and 25 accessories, all in tiny form. There’s also an extendable handle on the exterior of the case, meaning you can take the playset with you around the house and on the go. The Pollyville Resort Roll Away also doubles as a storage unit for Polly compacts.

Polly Pocket is one of her top toy brands and she plays with my collection from 30 years ago, so it's really special, for us both, for her to be building her own collection and enjoying toys that were so dear to me as a child.

Best educational toys for 4 year olds

6. Learning Resources Space Rover Deluxe Coding Activity Set, £55.14

– Great for an early intro to coding

Available at: Amazon

Age suitability: 4+ | Best for age: 4 | Size: ‎24.99cm x 24.51cm x 8.51cm | Batteries: Yes (not included) | Awards: Bronze – Best Science/STEM toy or kit, MadeForMums Toy Awards 2023

Looking for an out-of-this-world coding adventure? This is a screen-free set where young coders-in-training build their own maze, plot a coding path with cards, then send their rover out to grab magnetic space rocks, avoid rough terrain, and return safely back to base. The set comes with 20+ coding challenges and STEM activities for kids, outlined in a mission handbook that also contains space facts.

This toy is exciting, interactive (without screens) and excellent quality. The ability to create an endless number of unique tracks for the rover means that it will be played with for several years.

7. Kid K'NEX Oodles of Pals, £41.54

– Great for logical thinking

Available at: Amazon

Age: 3+ | Best for age: 4+ | Size: Varies (different pieces) | Batteries: None

This construction set has 116 brightly coloured pieces from which you can make over 60 different creatures and vehicles. It includes spinning wheels, tractor scoops, big feet, googly eyes and curly tails and comes with a picture guide. The chunky pieces click together really easily and our child tester Arthur, 4 (pictured above), had a lot of fun creating "funny animals with googly eyes and horns".

8. Spotty Sausage Dogs, £10.97

– Great for early maths skills

Available at: Amazon and Orchard Toys

Age: 4+ | Best for age: 4+ | Size: L5cm x W19cm x H14cm (box) | Batteries: None

Who can build the sausage dog with the most spots on its tummy? This counting game comes with 40 sausage-dog cards, a spinner, 7 coloured discs and instructions. It's a fun game that's good for maths and matching skills and you can play it again (and again). We like that it has 2 different endings: 1 slightly more complicated than the other – and involving some additional colour-matching.

Best role play toys for 4 year olds

9. Barbie Dreamhouse Playset, £169

— Great for wow factor

Available at: Amazon, Very and Argos

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 3+ | Size: L157cm x W70.1cm x H114.3xm | Batteries: 3 x AA (not included) | Awards: Editor's Choice, MadeForMums Toy Awards 2023

Host the ultimate Barbie pool party with the iconic deluxe Barbie Dreamhouse. Discover an incredibly spacious floorplan with 3 levels, 10 different play areas, integrated lights and sounds, a working lift, a 3-storey spiral slide and over 75 accessories and customisable spaces. It’s not just Barbie that gets to have all of the fun — there’s a puppy figure included with plenty of pet-friendly features such as a doggie door, pet elevator and pet slide and pool.

I've never seen my daughter so excited for a new toy and it really is a Dream House. She has been playing with it every day since it arrived. It offers endless opportunities and hours of imaginative play so overall I personally think it is an amazing playset.

10. Sylvanian Families Baby Mermaid Castle, £54.99

— Great for details

Available at: Argos and Smyths Toys

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 3+ | Size: L18cm x W32.5cm x H37cm | Batteries: None | Awards: Editor's Choice, MadeForMums Toy Awards 2023

This enchanting pastel amusement park will inspire hours of undersea-themed fun. There are plenty of interactive features to discover and play with, including 12 ocean-themed attractions. There’s a marine merry-go-round, jellyfish swings, ocean café, dream ship and much more. It comes with 3 Sylvanian Families babies wearing special mermaid-themed outfits and has space for over 50 figures. You can put the figures in the rides and have fun exploring the amusement park or put them in the ‘mermaid swim holder’ to make it look like they’re swimming.

There’s lots of bits that go round and round which is really fun and goes fast if you want it to. It’s so pretty, I will play with it lots and lots forever.

11. Gabby’s Dollhouse Cat Friend Ship, £34.99

– Great for sea role play

Available at: Amazon, Argos and The Entertainer

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 4+ | Size: L47.3cm x W16.5cm x H29.8cm | Batteries: 3 x AAA (not included) | Awards: Editor's Choice, MadeForMums Toy Awards 2023

For fans of Gabby's Dollhouse, this latest addition to the range takes Gabby and her cats out onto the ocean for a sea adventure. The cruise ship comes with 18 pieces, including a pool with a smoothie bar and a photobooth. It also comes with Gabby and MerCat figures, and there's also one extra Dollhouse Delivery accessory to open – just like Gabby does at the beginning of the show.

Freya was so excited to open and play with this and wasn't disappointed. She especially loved the colour changing pool and the portholes which can be turned to show different times of day so she could put the characters to bed.

12. Marvel’s Spidey and His Amazing Friends Flip and Jet, £15

– Great for superhero role play

Available at: Amazon

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 4+ | Size: L17cm x W9cm x H9cm | Batteries: None

Flipping easily from a car into a jet and back again, this Spidey-themed vehicle has a super cool rotating cockpit where Spidey can spin around, and wheels that turn smoothly on the floor. It’s robust and well-made – and a decent price for a licensed Marvel toy.

I love it 1000 percent! It flies and it turns into a car! I can flip it round and round and round for superhero fun and Spiderman spins round in the car. I would play with this every day forever.

13. Octonauts Above and Beyond Octoray Playset, £29.99

– Great for TV show role play

Available at: Amazon and Argos

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 4+ | Size: L14cm x W52cm x H39cm (in HQ mode) | Batteries: 3 x AAA (included)

This sturdy playset on wheels transforms from the Octoray jet transporter (pictured above, right) into a big Octonauts HQ (pictured with our child tester Ethan, 4, above left) with a drop-down ramp, working lift, lights and sounds. It comes with Captain Barnacle, a detachable Mini-Ray for him to fly off in on his adventures, 3 creature figures (Chinese Sturgeon, Giant Salamander and Panda) and a mission card.

I think this toy has a vast amount of play potential. My little boy was so excited when it arrived and then he played with it all day, even carrying it up to his bedroom when it was time for sleep! It inspires such open-ended imaginative play.

14. Great Little Trading Co Wooden Space Toy, £48

– Great for astronaut role play

Available at: Great Little Trading Company

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 4+ | Size: 28cm diameter (earth); 23cm diameter (moon) | Batteries: None

This space-themed playset has 20 wooden pieces, including a chunky rocket, a rotating launch pad, a satellite, a loading arm, a moon buggy, a fuel pump, 4 astronaut play figures and 2 sturdy circular play bases, 1 representing the moon and 1 representing the earth. The loading arm has little magnets that allow it to pick up the cargo blocks and the astronauts also have little magnets so they stay in the rocket.

I didn't think this toy would keep my daughter occupied for long but I was wrong! She makes up such a variety of games with it.

15. Barbie Fast Cast Clinic Playset, £85.99

– Great for doctor role play

Available at: The Entertainer

Age suitability: 4+ | Best for age: 4+ | Size: Varies (several components) | Batteries: None

Barbie turns doctor in this medical-themed playset with 4 play areas (a medical station, exam table, X-ray machine and gift shop). There are moulds into which you put play dough to make 'plaster' casts for Barbie's patients, plus it comes with over 30 accessories, including stickers for decorating the casts, a face mask, a stethoscope, a hospital bed and crutches, as well as a white-coated brunette Barbie doll.

Zehra was amazed when she saw she could cast with the dough, and 'treat' patients with broken legs or arms. It's very original and such fun to play with, and will definitely stand the test of time. The crutches are brilliant!

16. Paw Patrol My First Guitar Paw Patrol, £19.99

– Great for musician role play

Available at: Very and Argos

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 4+ | Size: L52cm x W17cm x H5cm | Batteries: None

This fun and lightweight guitar is perfect for your budding musician. Made from plastic and with six nylon strings, it's easy to hold and play and can help your child take their first steps into the world of music. Ideal for both encouraging pretend play and improving dexterity, it also comes with an introductory guide to help them learn the basics of tuning and chords. Plus, it has a colourful design featuring your favourite members of the Paw Patrol: Chase, Marshall and Skye.

The guitar is really well made, it is sturdy enough for rough housing toddler who likes to pretend she is in a rock band jumping around! The strings are thick enough it doesn’t feel they would snap easily, again great for toddler use.

17. Hape Fire Station, £72.73

– Great for firefighter role play

Available at: Amazon and Toy Street

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 4+ | Size: L30cm x W60cm x H48cm | Batteries: 2 x AAA (not included)

Budding firefighters will love this wooden fire station, which boasts a rooftop helipad, helicopter, fire engine, furniture, fireman's pole, bell, light and a pullstring to open the doors and launch the engine from the garage. It comes with a firefighter figure and other accessories, including a little rescue dog.

There are so many features and details in this set that even after 3 days of having it, Niko hasn’t spotted them all yet! His favourite thing is definitely the alarm and lights on the roof. It’s a brilliant playset.

18. Casdon Morphy Richards Kitchen Set, £23.07

– Great for hospitality role play

Available at: Amazon and Argos

Age: 3+ | Best for age: 4+ | Size: Varies | Batteries: None

Who needs a toy kitchen? This bright red mini set includes a coffee maker, a kettle, a toaster, cutlery, crockery and play food, and sets a child up brilliantly for hours of food-prep, food-serving and food-eating role play. It's neat and bright and has been around for ages (we first tested it back in 2017) but is still a great buy: the toaster actually pops up and you can fill the coffee maker (with water) and pour out from the pot.

Best skills-based toys for 4 year olds

19. Casdon Kenwood Mixer, £24.99

– Great for real cooking

Available at: Amazon

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 4+ | Size: L26cm x W15.5cm x H19.5 | Batteries: 2 x AA (not included)

Baking is always a hit with kids, and this mini version of the iconic Kenwood mixer has a real mixing action for realistic play and even bona fide baking. It also comes with a ‘K’ beater, whisk and spatula. The battery-operated motor has 2 speeds (it can also be operated by hand using a lever) and the mixer arm also lifts up like on the real thing.

It's just like a grown-up cake mixer.

20. Baby Born Sister Play & Style, £59.99

– Great for gymnastics

Available at: John Lewis

Age suitability: 4+ | Best for age: 4+ | Size: 43cm | Batteries: None| Awards: Bronze – Best Doll, MadeForMums Toy Awards 2023

With seven lifelike functions and a posable head and body, you can practise yoga or even gymnastics alongside the Baby Born Sister Play & Style, as perfectly demonstrated by child tester Luna, 5, (pictured). Designed as a big sister to Baby Born dolls, this colourful 43cm doll has a soft touch vinyl body that can stand independently. You can also bend its arms, elbows, legs, and knees, meaning the doll can join your child in their chosen play activity, be it fashion styling or sports.

The quality of the toy is great, and you can tell it is well made. The ability to bend the dolls arms and legs is a great feature, she’s gone from standing up and learning to walk to attempting a 'bridge' in an acrobatics class.

21. Play-Doh Kitchen Creations Ultimate Ice Cream Truck, £99.99

– Great for fine-finger skills

Available at: John Lewis

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 4+ | Size: L20cm x W62cm x H95cm | Batteries: 2 x AA (not included)

This truck doesn't actually roll along, but it is absolutely stuffed with features and accessories for squishing, scooping, moulding and serving up all manner of Play-Doh ice cream creations. There's a musical soft-serve machine, a scooping station, a little cash register with a bell and – genius touch – a little rim on the countertop into which you can use to sweep (brush included) Play-Doh bits and collect them in a little bin underneath.

It comes with 4 dishes, 6 cones, 2 lolly sticks, 2 rollers, 5 moulds, a scoop, a decorating tool, a knife, 3 spoons, a brush and 12 pots of Play-Doh (10 small and 2 large).

My daughter squealed with delight when she first saw it, she spends hours playing with it, making lollies, cones and desserts. It's been great for learning through play – embedding life skills, communication and numeracy.

22. Fuzzikins Homemakers Family Home, £17.99

– Great for dexterity

Available at: Very and Amazon

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 4+ | Size: L12cm x W25cm x H27cm | Batteries: None

This dinky playset has 2 rooms and a garden that you put together and then decorate with 5 washable pens. It comes with 10 felt accessories and 2 Fuzzi Bear characters. It's nicely designed, though a little tricky to fit together. The real thrill is the colouring – especially because you can draw on the walls! And then you can wipe it all clean and start again.

I love drawing on it and making pretty patterns and I like the house because the Fuzzikins can go for a bath and to bed and then they can play in the garden.

Best budget toys for 4 year olds

23. Galt Velvet Picture Animals, £2.99

– Great budget buy

Available at: Amazon

Age: 4+ | Best for age: 4+ | Size: L21cm x W14cm x H1cm | Batteries: None

In this little spiral-bound pad, there are 10 cheery animal pictures, set on a velvet background, for your little artist to colour in. The way the images are set on the velvet means that, if your child goes over the lines, it won't show.

24. WWF Wild Scenes Tiger's Hang Out, £12.99

– Great for learning how things grow

Available at: Amazon

Age suitability: 4+ | Best for age: 4 | Size: 13cm x 11.2cm x 12.5cm| Batteries: None |

Help a child grow a habitat for tigers using real grass seeds. WWF Wild Scenes are made with 100% recycled plastic and aim to teach kids about growing and nurturing plants, as well as safeguarding endangered wildlife species. It also includes a tiger-friendly miniature play habitat complete with a shady tree canopy. Using the seeds that are included with the pack, kids can grow and nurture their own grass in the habitat (you will need to source your own soil though). While some patience is required with this toy while you wait for the grass to grass to grow, two toy tigers are included that you can play with in and out of the set.

My child was very interested in playing with it, planting the seeds, and checking to see if they had grown. As a parent I like the educational side of this toy.

25. Animigos World of Nature Guinea Pig, £13.40

– Great for learning about pets

Available at: Amazon

Age suitability: 0+ | Best for age: 4+ | Size: 20cm | Batteries: None | Awards: Bronze – Best soft toy under £20, MadeForMums Toy Awards 2023

Calling all animal lovers! Fans of small furry creatures will love to add Animigos World of Nature Black and White Guinea Pig to their toy collection, as it’s a replica soft toy guinea pig that, at 20cm, is identical to the real thing in size and shape. As well as being a soft and cuddly companion that’s easy to carry around the house, the Guinea Pig is designed to help inform kids about wildlife and teach them about looking after pets before you invest in the real thing. It comes with a booklet filled with information about guinea pigs, which is a great way for fact fans to learn all about their favourite animal.

She has managed to involve it in ALL play and taken it to bed with her. It's been stuck under her arm since she opened it! It's very lifelike so great for role play as well as being a comforter.

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