A few months before my daughter’s fourth birthday, I realized she was changing … a lot. Her language was more sophisticated, her interests were shifting, and she suddenly seemed like a kid instead of a toddler. How did that happen?!
When I was searching for something special for her birthday gift, I knew right where to look—Wicked Uncle. The site offers curated lists of toys by age and/or gender, all kid-tested and approved.
We just got her one birthday gift, but Wicked Uncle offered so many great options. Here are 17 of my favorites.
The Top 17 Gifts for 4-Year-Old Girls
- My First Microscope – For Little Hands
- Color Changing Mermaid Umbrella
- Rainbow Rider Swim Goggles
- Space Explorer Inflatable Space Shuttle
- My First Camera
- Pancake Set – Pretend Play Breakfast
- Anywhere Art Studio
- Collage Fun – Animal Paper Art
- Pet Vet Play Set – Dog and Cat
- Magnetic Shapes Activity Box
- Show Horse Stable
- Wowmazing – Giant Bubble Kit
- Unicorn Horns Sidewalk Chalk
- Sweet Hearts Wooden Bead Set
- Keepsake Box – Mermaid Magic
- Best Friends Magnetic Dress Up
- Saxoflute – Build Your Own Musical Instrument
1. My First Microscope – For Little Hands
We chose this microscope for my daughter’s fourth birthday gift! I love that she can use it herself, without any help. It’s easy to use, with an oversized knob for focus and 8x magnification – perfect for a curious four-year-old.
2. Color Changing Mermaid Umbrella
If you live in the DC area, you know our summers are HUMID, with frequent thunderstorms to break up the heat. So, fun rain gear, like this color-changing umbrella, is essential! As the umbrella gets wet from the rain, lots of beautiful mermaids appear and new colors come out.
3. Rainbow Rider Swim Goggles
Water safety is something I feel passionate about, so my children have been enrolled in survival swim lessons from a very young age. One thing I learned very quickly was how much goggles help make swimming more fun for my daughters, and this fun, colorful pair is right up their alley! Between their anti-fog technology and polarized lenses that provide 100% UV protection, this pair is perfect for any little girl who loves to swim.
4. Space Explorer Inflatable Space Shuttle
Am I the only person whose four-year-old went nuts over the Space-X launch and splash down? My daughter is obsessed with the astronauts, Bob and Doug, and loves to pretend she’s traveling to outer space. I know she’d be crazy about this NASA-endorsed inflatable shuttle complete with a detailed instrument panel and QR codes to watch launch videos.
5. My First Camera
I actually got my daughter a camera right before she turned four—a Polaroid-style one, which was fun for about 10 seconds until all the film was used. This one seems much better for her age! Sturdy and rechargeable with an easy USB connection, 2″ LCD screen, this is the perfect first camera for young children.
6. Pancake Set – Pretend Play Breakfast
My four-year-old loves to help around the house however she can, and making breakfast—especially pancakes—is one of her favorite activities! This cute set has everything she needs to make her own pretend pancakes, complete with a spatula, frying pan, toppings. The velcro patches make it super easy to use, perfect for little hands.
7. Anywhere Art Studio
One of my favorite things I’ve noticed since my daughter turned four is how her artwork has changed. She draws with more intention, and I can tell what she’s trying to create—too cute! She’d love to draw on this tabletop art studio, with a chalkboard on one side and whiteboard on the other.
8. Collage Fun – Animal Paper Art
Speaking of fun art projects, this collage set would be a huge hit in our house. What’s better than a cute animal project? I especially love that the pieces are textured and that the set includes accessories like buttons, raffia, and cut-out stars to create mixed media pieces.
9. Pet Vet Play Set – Dog and Cat
My daughter wouldn’t just love to create cute animals, she’d want to take care of them, too! This sweet veterinarian play set comes with a stethoscope, thermometer, syringe, ear scope, tweezers, clamp, and even the “cone of shame,” allowing for hours and hours of pretend play. And as a bonus, it comes with a plush dog and cat!
10. Show Horse Stable
One more for the animal lover! My daughter received this horse play set for her fourth birthday and hasn’t stopped playing with it since. It comes with 8 horses of different breeds, plus a wooden stable with a handle so it’s easy to carry around and put away.
11. Magnetic Shapes Activity Box
I love open-ended toys that let my girls’ imaginations roam. My husband loves toys that can be put away easily. This magnetic activity set has both—76 wooden magnet pieces they can use to create their own scenes or copy from cue cards, plus a handy wooden storage box.
12. Wow-Making Giant Bubble Kit
I don’t know about you, but we go through a lot of bubbles in our house, and I’ve tried what feels like every single homemade bubble solution available on the internet … without much success. This giant bubble making kit comes with a fool-proof recipe plus a giant bubble wand. We are definitely trying this one!
13. Unicorn Horns Sidewalk Chalk
Something else we use a ton of is sidewalk chalk (although I haven’t tried to make my own!) and chalk that comes in fun shapes and colors is always a huge hit with my four-year-old. I know she’d love this unicorn horn chalk, with its pretty pastel and metallic colors. They’re nice and thick, perfect for little hands to get creative!
14. Sweet Hearts Wooden Bead Set
I remember loving to make my own jewelry when I was little, and my daughter is the same. She loves making little trinkets for herself and her friends! She’d love this wooden bead set’s fun shapes and colors, and I’d love how these help shape her fine motor skills.
15. Keepsake Box – Mermaid Magic
Where to keep all that cute jewelry she’s made? This little mermaid keepsake box would be perfect! At 7” tall and 8” wide, it’s the right size for little hands and little treasures.
16. Best Friends Magnetic Dress Up
I was at my parents’ house recently and found some old paper dolls I’d loved as a little girl. I gave them to my four-year-old, but they were a little too delicate for her at this age. These magnetic dress-up dolls would be way better for her, thanks to their sturdy construction and fun, colorful options!
17. Saxoflute – Build Your Own Musical Instrument
At first glance, the saxophone seems like a toy that might be a nightmare for a parent (it looks loud …) but is actually awesome! It comes with 24 bright interconnecting tubes, two mouthpieces, and two horns, allowing kids to build their own instruments that sound different when each piece is added or removed. My daughter has had SO much fun with this toy, and I love hearing the different sounds she comes up with.
How Did I Choose These Toys?
A quick note about how these toys were selected! Age four is when many children start to engage more in pretend play. Many of these toys allow them to play pretend and role play as if they’re their parents or other adults they admire. The pancake play set, for example, does both of these.
This also is a time to continue building their fine and gross motor skills, hence additions like the bead set (fine motor) and giant bubble kit (gross motor). I love art gifts and toys because they can help with both sets of motor skills, while also building on that creativity that’s starting to blossom at this age.
Lastly, kids at age four are more developmentally prepared to try new and enjoy things. This can mean anything from concrete skills like swimming (hence the goggles) to just experimenting in general (like they could with the microscope).
