Dolly Parton's Children's Book Is Only $11 on Amazon (2024)

When a 4-year-old reaches for a favorite toy, it'll be very different from the toys they loved as toddlers. They've grown up so much in such a short time, and their new developmental skills are quickly incorporated into their play — something to keep in mind when looking for gifts for kids this age.

"Four-year-olds are full of questions as they begin to decode the patterns and processes driving the world around them," says Rebecca Parlakian, M.A., E.D., a parenting expert from Zero to Three, an organization that focuses on early child development. "They're also all about problem-solving and enjoy mastering new challenges." Additionally, friendships and social play are a major source of joy for preschoolers, their attention span is growing and pretend play is really heating up at this age.

With all these new skills, ideas and behaviors in their heads, there are lots of toys that appeal to 4-year-olds the most. Parlakian suggests giving kids construction toys for building and problem-solving, challenging puzzles of 20 to 40 pieces, costumes and play sets that encourage imaginative play, art sets for motor skills and simple board games that'll let them try logic and strategy along with patience and turn-taking.

The Good Housekeeping Institute evaluates toys all year long, in addition to keeping track of trends and new releases, to choose winners for the Good Housekeeping Best Toy Awards. Lab experts first evaluate the toys for safety and quality, and then hand them over to real 4-year-olds who give their brutally honest opinions about the toys, helping us find the best gifts for 4-year-old girls in 2023. This year, 4-year-old girls love toys that mimic caring for pets and animals. Surprise collectibles are also still hot, as are sets that give kids hands-on STEM experience.

Our top picks:

• Dolly Parton's Billy the Kid Makes It Big Picture Book, $11 at amazon.com
• Crayola Scribble Scrubbie Pets Arctic Snow Explorer, $23 at amazon.com
• Mindware Magic Potion Science, $30 at barnesandnoble.com
• Educational Insights GeoSafari Jr. Talking Microscope, $33 at amazon.com
• Melissa & Doug Paw Patrol Mighty Skye Role Play Pack, $46 at amazon.com

Good Housekeeping Institute toy testers have been fans of Crayola's Scribble Scrubbie Pets from the very beginning because they let kids color in their animals, rinse them off and color them in all over again, fostering their creativity. The Arctic Snow Explorers won a Good Housekeeping Best Toy Award because it adds a color-changing element to the fun: The pets turn white when warm and or blue when cold. The set comes with three pets, six washable markers, two snowboards, two tubs, a scrub brush and a vehicle that can be used as storage. Ages 3+

Good Housekeeping experts have long been a fan of Kinetic Sand because of the sensory experiences it offers, with sand that's always the perfect moldable texture. This play set goes a step further by letting kids make a sand castle no matter where they are, with accessories like walls, bridges, towers and arches along with tools like scoopers, diggers and cutters. "My child hasn’t stopped asking to play with it,” one parent said. It also comes with two and a half pounds of sand. Ages 3+

This talking microscope, featuring the voice of Bindi Irwin, comes with 20 prepared slides and 5x images to help introduce preschoolers to the wonders of the world around them. The microscope comes with two eyepieces, so there's no squirming one eye to learn. Now, there's also a new GeoSafari Jr. Talking Telescope for kids who want to take their science knowledge even further. Ages 4+

Budding scientists (or sorceresses!) will adore this kit which gives them the opportunity to create their own safe and exciting experiments while combining the excitement of magic and the fun of science. Our little testers loved mixing up different experiments to do cool things like creating a crystal wand or "magically" blowing up a balloon. The results had a big "wow" factor. Ages 4+

Her kitchen will get a lot yummier with this food set, which is sure to get her imagination fired up. It comes with a waffle iron, waffle, sliced fruit toppings, a syrup bottle, tongs, a wooden knife and fork and a plate to serve it all on. It's made from sustainable rubber wood colored with organic pigments. Ages 2+

"This is perfect for my daughter who loves dolls and horses," one parent tester raved. "It really made her feel like a big girl because of its size." Good Housekeeping Institute experts also appreciated the price, which is less expensive than other 14-inch doll lines. The set comes with the doll Gia and her horse, Gypsy, plus pastel accessories like the saddle, harness, boots and cowboy hat. Ages 3+

Get them started learning to code without a screen or device. With this set, Skye the unicorn responds to coded "spells" that get her to do things like dance or chase her ball. It also comes in dragon form. Ages 4+

Kids can practice their nurturing and empathy skills while caring for these pets, in the form of a full salon experience. It comes as a big fluff overgrown scruff, and kids can trim its hair (and stuff a pet bed with the excess), style it and even paint its claws. Then they'll be able to tell if the pup is a Yorkie or a Frenchie. Ages 4+

They can dress up as four of their favorite classic Disney princesses with this set, which comes with ensembles patterned after Belle, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Snow White. It also comes with a bevy of accessories like chokers, bracelets and tiaras. A second trunk adds on outfits for Rapunzel, Jasmine, Tiana and Ariel. Ages 3+

Take your old marble run to the next level with this set, which has marbles flying through corkscrews, whirling through vortexes and dashing down fast tracks. Good Housekeeping kid testers say they liked how easy these were to put together in different configurations, so they could go straight to the marble racing. Ages 4+

If Ada Twist, Scientist has her all fired up about STEM, this is the activity book is for her. It has prompts for drawings, mazes matching games, sequences and other activities that'll get her mind working. Plus, it has four double-sided posters she can put up around her workstation to keep her motivated. Ages 4+

She'll be so pleased with herself when she uses her logical and critical thinking skills to put together this 48-piece puzzle. And it'll look like a big accomplishment, too: It takes up 21" x 14" of floor space! When it's together, it'll show a delightful picture of campers doing outdoor activities like roasting marshmallows or rowing a canoe. Ages 4+

Kids with lots of energy can practice their balance and coordination on these turtle-shell-shaped stepping stones. You can arrange them however you like, indoors or outdoors, and see if they can hop from shell to shell. The shells come in two sizes (smaller ones are an extra challenge), and the set also comes with a spinner, activity cards and a bag to store it all in. Ages 3+

The object of this simple board game is to get the owlets all back to their nests before the sun comes up. But players can move any owl on the board, so there's an element of strategy involved. Best of all: It's a cooperative game where all the players either win or lose as a team, which fosters collaboration and communication. Ages 4+

The "M" in "STEM" (math) often gets forgotten when it comes to toys, but Good Housekeeping testers loved this math activity set, all thanks to the characters from Netflix's Numberblocks. Kids can build the characters from the show, and then use the activity cards to practice counting, addition and subtraction. “My kids have learned so much math from it, it’s mind-blowing,” one parent reported. Ages 3+

She can create, squish, squash, and shape this play foam that never dries out. The no-stick formula lets her sculpt anywhere without making a mess. This particular play foam variety pack comes with eight colors, creating endless possibilities for little hands to try. Ages 3+