HABA My Very First Games: First Orchard
2–4 years
A first board game from the My Very First Games series.
From 4 years
Gifts for 4-Year-Olds: Ideas for Girls and Boys
Four-year-olds ask a lot, build big and love playing with friends. Here is how to choose a gift that stays fun long after the birthday.
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Games
HABA My Very First Games: Fishing
2–4 years
A first fishing game from the My Very First Games series.
HABA My Very First Games: Hanni Honeybee
2–4 years
A game about a little bee from the My Very First Games series.
HABA Orchard (Obstgarten) cooperative game
3–6 years
A cooperative dice game with 40 wooden fruits: everyone picks fruit together before the raven reaches the tree.
HABA My First Game Treasure, game collection
3–5 years
A collection of several first games in one box, good for children who want to try different kinds of play.
noris Fang die Maus (catch-the-mouse reaction game)
4–8 years
A small reaction game for ages 4 and up, suitable as a small gift or a visit present.
Ravensburger Junior Labyrinth
4–7 years
The children’s version of the Labyrinth game from Ravensburger.
Zoch Zicke Zacke Hühnerkacke (Kinderspiel des Jahres 1998)
4–8 years
A race-and-memory game that won the German Kinderspiel des Jahres award in 1998.
Building & construction
LEGO DUPLO Interactive Adventure Train 10427
2–5 years
A Duplo train to build and ride: building and playing in one. A bigger gift for children who love trains.
LEGO DUPLO Classic Deluxe Brick Box 10914
2–4 years
A box of DUPLO bricks for free building. Check the manufacturer’s age guidance.
LEGO DUPLO 3-in-1 Animal Families
2–4 years
A Duplo set with animals that can be built in three ways. Good for children who like acting out animal families. Check the age guidance.
Ravensburger GraviTrax Junior Starter Set XXL Planet
3–6 years
A marble run set for beginners: children build the track themselves and see where the marble goes. A bigger gift for tinkering.
Magnetic building blocks, 120 pieces with 2 cars
3–8 years
A bigger magnetic set with two cars: build first, then drive them. Check the age rating, because swallowed magnets are dangerous.
Magnetic building blocks, 45 pieces
3–7 years
Magnetic blocks that click together by themselves, for towers, houses and imaginative builds. Check the age rating, because swallowed magnets are dangerous.
Learning & discovering
LEGO DUPLO Letter Truck (ABC lorry)
2–4 years
A DUPLO lorry with letters, to build and play with.
Ravensburger tiptoi starter set: My World (German)
3–6 years
Pen and book: children tap the pictures and hear sounds and explanations. In German, so good for bilingual families or learners of German.
Ravensburger tiptoi starter set: Farm (German)
4–5 years
Pen and farm book to tap and listen to: an entry into the tiptoi world for animal lovers. In German, so good for bilingual families or learners of German.
Crafts & drawing
Smowo Mega craft set with mixed materials
4–9 years
A craft box with mixed materials. Children can create freely and try out their ideas, which is good for rainy days.
Books
tiptoi: Kennst du diese Tiergeräusche? (German)
3–5 years
A German-language tiptoi book about animal sounds. It needs a tiptoi pen, which is not included. Good for bilingual families with a pen already.
Outdoors & movement
ABUS Smiley 3.0 children's bike helmet
3–7 years
A children’s bike helmet and a practical gift for the Einschulung (first school day in Germany). Check the right size.
PUKY balance bike for ages 3 and up
3–5 years
A balance bike for ages 3 and up, for learning to balance and roll along: a bigger gift for outdoors.
Pretend play
Wooden accessories for play kitchen and shop
2–5 years
Wooden accessories for a play kitchen or shop, for acting out everyday life: cooking, selling, serving.
Listening
Toniebox starter set with Creative-Tonie
3–7 years
An audio player that children can operate themselves. The Creative-Tonie can hold your own recordings, such as a bedtime story from Grandma or Grandpa. Check the language of any extra Tonies before buying.
Small party favours
Kaleidoscopes as party favours for children's birthdays
from 4 years
A set of kaleidoscopes to hand out at the end of a party: small take-home gifts that show children colourful patterns.
Party favour set for children's birthdays, 60 pieces
from 4 years
A set of 60 small items for party bags: handy when many guests come and each child should take something home.
Age four: lots of questions, big plans
Many children at this age talk non-stop, ask why about everything and have clear ideas about how a game should go. Playing with other children becomes more important, as do first friendships at nursery. Some already draw recognisable figures, others still scribble happily, and both are fine. The choice is correspondingly wide, from construction sets and dressing up to audio stories.
Girl or boy: the child sets the direction
By four, children often have favourite topics of their own, whether dinosaurs, princesses, diggers or animals. Interests depend on the individual child, and they change. If you are unsure, ask the parents about the current favourite and choose something that fits without pinning it down. A game or book on the topic is usually safer than a toy that can do just one thing.
How to choose
- Check the age rating: the manufacturer’s recommendation shows whether the rules and parts suit the age.
- Look for durability: toys are used hard at this age, often outdoors too.
- Several uses: blocks, art supplies and costumes allow all kinds of games.
- Playable with others: cooperative games can ease arguments over winning and losing.
Playing along, and losing now and then
With board and card games, many four-year-olds are just learning to cope with losing. A game in which everyone can win together takes the pressure off. Play the first round together and let the child change the rules once in a while.
Experiences rather than things
A voucher for a day at a wildlife park, a trip to the zoo with a godparent, a craft afternoon or a visit to the swimming pool often stays in the memory longer than another toy. A home-made treasure hunt in the garden also delights many children.
When several children come to the party, a gift for everyone is a nice addition: a board game, a box of building blocks or materials for crafting together. That turns the present into a reason to play all afternoon. It helps to check briefly with the parents so the guests do not all bring the same game.
A word on siblings: if several children play at home, check that a gift can be shared, or give the siblings a small treat as well. That takes the envy out of the birthday.
The links on this page go to Amazon Germany (amazon.de), which also ships to many other countries.
Frequently asked questions
- What should I give a 4-year-old girl?
- It depends on the child: building sets, art supplies, books, role-play toys and active games often go down well. Follow the child’s current favourite topic.
- What should I give a 4-year-old boy?
- Again it is about the individual child’s interests, whether building, audio stories, animals, drawing or outdoor games. Ask about the current favourite topic.
- Which games suit four-year-olds?
- Simple dice, card and cooperative games with short rules. Check the manufacturer’s age rating and play the first round together.
- Which experience gifts suit four-year-olds?
- For example a day at a wildlife park, a craft afternoon, a swimming trip or a home-made treasure hunt. They often need only time and a little preparation.
On wimolino you will also find colouring pages and learning games for this age. Go to the learning games · Go to the coloring pages