Searching for the ideal gift or toy for a 4 year old girl? Look no further! As parents and research geeks, we hunted for ones that would suit her social, cognitive and emotional development. We have rounded up the very best toys, games, and puzzles we could find.
As your girl blossoms into an ever-more grown up little person, she is becoming more self-aware and thinking in a sophisticated way; though sometimes she’ll express this through clever back-chat and defiance! Try not to worry. It is normal and will pass.
On the bright side, she has strong language skills, the ability to reason and solve puzzles, and she loves to play with others. Here are some great toys that will nurture these skills and qualities.
Our picks of the best toys & gifts for 4 year old girls
#1
Our opinion
If you have a little one who enjoys her privacy, this is a great addition to her room.
The fabric is free of harmful chemicals, and it is easy to assemble. The Rosalina Play Tent (check price on Amazon) has two “windows” in the front that your daughter can peek out of, and the door is spacious enough to get in and out of easily. With dimensions measuring 35.5″ (L) x 20.75″ (W) x 43.5″ (H), this will fit perfectly in most rooms.
Why She’ll Love It: Princesses, animals, and plants adorn the outside walls, something that many little girls are drawn to, and the tent provides a perfect place for a private party.
#2
Our opinion
Little girls love the excitement of not knowing what’s in their L.O.L. Surprise (check price on Amazon) doll packages. Each doll has its own accessories along with a guide for the other dolls that are available.
This Bigger Surprise is the mother-load of surprises. Your little sweetie will be overwhelmed with 60 different prizes debuting for the first time. She’ll get 2 limited edition dolls – each with 7 different surprises, 1 limited edition pet with 7 surprises, 1 limited edition Surprise Lil-sister with 5 surprises, 12 different hairstyle pieces, 6 brush-able hairpieces, 6 face masks, 10 mystery accessories, a spyglass, and stickers. The case even turns into a carrying purse to hold all of the dolls.
Why She’ll Love It: L.O.L. Surprise dolls are all the rage. She probably already has a few of them and would be so excited to enhance her collection with this massive set.
#3
Our opinion
You can never make good eating habits too fun! This set of wooden vegetables (check price on Amazon) includes tomatoes, parsnips, mushrooms and carrots. It is a great addition to a toy kitchen and provides your little girl with healthy ingredients for her make-believe recipes.
These vegetables are colored with water-based, non-toxic stains and durably crafted, so expect them to last. However, they are small, with ranges between 1 inch and a little over 2 inches, so if your little girl still loves putting toys in her mouth, use caution.
Why She’ll Love It: They’re colorful and ideal for free play in the kitchen.
#4
Our opinion
This is a great accessory to get an outdoorsy girl. Whether camping in the woods or sleeping in the backyard, you can hang this lamp up by the included carabiner.
The Terra Kids LED Lamp (check price on Amazon) collapsible for easy storage and springs back into shape with the simple push of a button.
Unfortunately, it does not have an automatic shut-off feature, so you will have to remember to turn the light off when it’s not in use.
Why She’ll Love It: Having her own lantern will make her feel like a big girl when you go camping.
#5
Our opinion
Every little girl dreams about having her very own Barbie Dreamhouse (check price on Amazon)! Since discovering her Barbie dolls, she has been dressing them up for parties or to go shopping or to do whatever her little imagination can dream up. The culmination of playing with Barbies is to have the Dreamhouse for all of their adventures. It’s three stories of rooms and fun with a garage, elevator, pool, and slide.
Barbie continues to impress us every year with all of the innovations to this timeless treasure. Barbie’s Dreamhouse now has lights and sounds as well as many new furniture accessories. With over 70 pieces, your little pretend-Barbie will cherish this toy for years to come.
Why She’ll Love It: She’ll spend countless hours both alone and with her friends creating magical encounters with her Barbies in their Dreamhouse.
#6
Our opinion
She’ll pretend that she’s a veterinarian with this complete 24 piece play-set by Melissa & Doug (check price on Amazon). She can imagine that the included pet dog or cat has a boo-boo and treat their malady with her very own stethoscope, thermometer, syringe, ear scope, tweezers, clamp, cast, bandages, and pretend-ointments. It even has a checklist for her to make sure that everything is taken care of.
Why She’ll Love It: She gets to pretend to be a grown-up, and a very cool one at that!
#7
Our opinion
The features of this doll’s face are realistic and sweet. Polyester wool serves as the stuffing for the body, with the outside fabric being 100% cotton. Milena (check price on Amazon) stands at 14 inches tall, and your daughter is sure to enjoy babying her as if she were a real member of the family.
Why She’ll Love It: This doll is ideal for little girls with a natural desire to nurture their toys, but it also makes a fine addition to a doll collection.
#8
Our opinion
If your daughter can’t make it to the playground on a rainy day, at least her toys can! This little PLAYMOBIL kit (check price on Amazon) is easy to assemble and includes five mini-figures, a slide, swing, and more. It’s great for imaginative play, and your daughter will be working on her fine motor skills when she puts the pieces together.
Why She’ll Love It: She’ll be able to design her own little park and give the included figures, or even some of her other toys, a fun playground adventure.
#9
Our opinion
Don’t worry; this kit won’t allow your little scientist to mutate the family dog or anything like that. What it will do is encourage her scientific curiosity and teach her some critical thinking skills.
The Kids First Science Lab Kit (check price on Amazon) comes with a 16-page manual and ten cards that detail various experiments. Twenty-four tools come with the set, including measuring spoons, a hand magnifier, funnels, and more.
Why She’ll Love It: This toy is reusable and has plenty of experiments to keep her both interested and learning.
#10
Our opinion
Whether you are planning a theme party, getting ready for trick or treating, or just stuck inside on a rainy day, these Color Face and Body Crayons (check price on Amazon) can provide plenty of entertainment.
They are non-toxic and wash off easily with soap and warm water. They don’t come with a sharpener, which is a bit of a bummer. However, they provide plenty of free-play and creative thinking opportunities and can certainly turn a dull day fun.
Why She’ll Love It: She can pick the character she feels like playing and really look the part. Or, if you’re feeling brave, she can decorate your skin.
#11
Our opinion
If your daughter loves playing role play games involving dressing and making herself up, this is a great toy to encourage her imagination. This two-piece Moana Girls Adventure Outfit (check price on Amazon) includes a skirt, complete with fringe detailing, and a patterned top so your girl can feel like a real-life Moana.
According to several parents, the sizes run big, so keep that in mind when you are ordering.
Why She’ll Love It: It’s a comfortable, realistic costume that’s perfect for parties, trick or treating, or just a fun afternoon of make-believe.
#12
Our opinion
It’s never too early to start instilling a good work ethic in your little ones, and this cleaning set can help spice up chores.
The Little Helper Broom (check price on Amazon) is 33 inches long, and a mini-brush and dustpan also come included.
Colorful and light, these are great toys for encouraging your kiddo to clean up after herself and to help Mom and Dad with those daily chores.
Why She’ll Love It: She’ll get to mimic her parents, as well as have her first taste of responsibility as she cleans up any mess she makes.
#13
Our opinion
While this kit is a bit on the pricey side, all the blocks are beautifully crafted and built to last; possibly for several generations. With colors that represent the natural elements of air, water, fire, and earth, the wood for these pieces comes from sustainable forests in Europe.
Since they have been dyed with water-based, non-toxic stains, the Grimm’s Elements Set (check price on Amazon) is safe for little hands. They come with a tray for easy storage and are great for developing fine-motor and problem-solving skills.
Why She’ll Love It: Whether she feels like using them to build a puzzle or create buildings and sculptures from her imagination, these blocks offer timeless fun.
#14
Our opinion
If your little girl is all about the under-sea glamour of mermaids, she’ll love to cozy up with this sweet, soft Mermaid Tail Blanket (check price on Amazon). The crocheted tail is is 70% cotton / 30% acrylic blend, and it’s a blanket that’s big enough to stay cozy and comfortable until she’s around eight, so it’s a pick she can keep enjoying for a few years.
The back and bottom of the blanket both have openings, so it won’t be a struggle for her to get in and out of her mermaid tail. The blanket is available in a variety of pink, blue, and green shades and knit styles, so it’s easy to match her blanket to her existing bedroom set if desired.
#15
Our opinion
She’s getting old enough to explore her world in a little more detail, and a set of kid-friendly binoculars is a great way to help her take a closer look. This shock-proof and rubberized pair from Dreamingbox (check price on Amazon) is made to be durable, comfortable, and simple for your four-year-old to use.
The eyepieces are made of a soft, flexible rubber that won’t irritate her eye area as she looks through the binoculars, and the grip pattern on the outside of the binoculars is designed to be ergonomically sound for a child’s hand. Thanks to their shock-proof construction, accidental drops and falls are no match for these binoculars, which are available in a rainbow of shades and make a sturdy companion to her outdoor adventures.
Why She’ll Love It: She’ll be able to see far sights in detail outside with a pair of binoculars that’s made for her and won’t break easily
#16
Our opinion
As she grows, your four-year-old’s gross and fine motor skills are improving, making her more ready for physical toys like this kid-safe pogo “stick” from Flybar. The My First Foam Pogo Jumper (check price on Target) offers a modern-day makeover to a retro toy that helps kids develop strength and balance. It’s an excellent pick for encouraging her to be physically active.
The extra-wide tip of the pogo jumper means it’s easy to stick the landing every time, and there’s no moving parts here, just flexible, durable rubber that can’t pinch fingers. Every time she hops, the wide foam tip makes a fun squeaking sound, making jumping around with the toy even more fun.
Why She’ll Love It: She’ll be able to jump around to her heart’s content, building balance as she goes, with no danger of pinched fingers — plus, the wide tip makes hopping on her jumper safer and easier
#17
Our opinion
For younger kids who enjoy drawing and coloring, a stencil set can help them create perfect shapes they’re not yet capable of hand-drawing. The Creabow Crafts Art Set (check price on eBay) is packed with stencils for every occasion — she’ll be able to choose from cars and other vehicles, space-themed shapes, sea creatures, letters and numbers, farm animals, princesses, dinosaurs, jungle creatures, flowers, boats, circus friends, and basic shapes. She’ll be able to create tons of unique combos with the 13 grade-A colored pencils and drawing pad that are included.
There’s even a mechanical pencil, a pencil sharpener for her convenience, and a convenient soft-shelled storage case with a handle that’s ideal for keeping all her supplies together.
Why She’ll Love It: She’ll be able to perfectly create and recreate over 260 fun themed shapes, and art supplies are included
#18
Our opinion
If your little one prefers a night light at bedtime, it might be time to venture beyond the basic wall-plug ins of the past. Her room can be turned into a spectacular starry display by this Star Light Rotating Projector with Timer (check price on Amazon), which can display a white, green, red, or blue star and moon pattern in motion on her walls. It can offer gentle, soothing stimulation that helps her drift off to sleep, or simply add a little extra light to her room as she plays.
If you ever need to switch from a star projector to a regular night light, the star cover can be removed easily, making it a versatile little table lamp. The four button operation of the device is simple, and a sleep timer can be set if desired.
Why She’ll Love It: It will turn her room into a beautiful, colorful starry sky at night, but can also function as a regular night light if desired
#19
Our opinion
If your little one is beginning to receive special treasures and trinkets as gifts, a beautiful place to store them can help teach her to responsibly care for her belongings. Lenox delivers a classically charming Memories Ballerina Jewelry Box (check price on Bed Bath & Beyond) with a silver exterior that features a sculpted quilt pattern and plated hearts, making it an attractive addition to dresser tops and vanities.
Inside the pink-lined box, she’ll find a dancing ballerina who twirls to Für Elise when the key has been wound, as well as four large and two small jewelry storage compartments. There’s also spots for her to safely store rings for easy access.
#20
Our opinion
If your four-year-old loves exploring the world around her, she’ll get a kick out of this kid-friendly microscope from Educational Insights. My First Microscope (check price on Target) features 8x magnification, letting her take a closer look at things like leaves, rocks, and toys. The XL-sized eyepieces are lined with soft rubber, making them comfortable for your little ones to look through at length. There’s even an LED light to help her see all the details of her specimens, which is powered by 3 AAA batteries — they’re not included, so make sure to have some on hand.
This super-durable, budget-friendly binocular microscope can easily withstand four-year-old play, making it a safe and fun introduction to the STEM tool.
Why She’ll Love It: She’ll get to see how real microscopes work in a format that’s comfortable and easy for her to understand and operate
What to expect from your 4 year old girl
Expect some smart back-chat as your little lady masters a huge vocabulary and some pretty advanced conceptual reasoning. She still loves role play and dressing up and will probably try to rope you into her teddy bear picnics. If you have a piano, she may show interest in creating some simple melodies of her own as she plonks away on the keys.
Here are some things to watch out for between the ages of 4 and 5 (Source):
Body, hand and finger skills
- Can sketch simple geometric shapes;
- Capable of getting herself dressed (though may choose not to);
- Uses spoon and fork at the dinner table;
- Begins to write some letters;
- Runs fast and with skill;
- May start riding a bike;
- Can use scissors
Emotional development
- Sings, dances and performs dramas;
- Can better distinguish reality from fantasy;
- Imitates friends;
- More independent. May stay overnight with a friend;
- Tries to please friends;
- Blossoming sense of humor
Cognitive development
- Asks “why” questions often;
- Counting increases up to 20;
- Can identify many colors;
- Starts to gain a sense of time and duration;
- Enjoys longer stories;
- Loves to dress up
Wrapping up
Your 4 year old girl is growing into an independent person capable of self-awareness and complex thinking. She has really developed socially and now loves to play with others.
We’ve carefully selected toys that are highly appropriate for a 4 year old which have been tried, tested and approved by thousands of parents. Let us know how she gets along with them.
