30 Best Toys and Gifts for 4-Year-Old Boys 2023

The clever secret to this R/C is its big, soft wheels: They're mighty enough to roll over uneven terrain inside or outside, but they're squishy enough not to damage floors, furniture or walls. Kids can also pick their style, since one size features a red muscle car, and the other side features a blue sports vehicle. In Good Housekeeping tests, parents enjoyed playing with this as much as the kids did. Ages 4+

It's all the fun of going to the car wash in a four-foot-long Hot Wheels play set that's ready to spark imaginative play. The coolest feature is that running the vehicles through the water changes the color of Color Reveal cars. Kids can move the robotic cleaning arms, but there's also a ramp, a loop and a spiral to make it a little more exciting. Ages 4+

This one fosters both imaginative play and motor skills: Kids use a toy, battery-operated drill to build and disassemble these playsets, getting a feel for how to take things apart and put them back together again. There are lots of different playsets, including a recycling truck, a plane, a recycling truck, a race car, a fire truck, a police motorcycle, a helicopter and a tractor for a barn set. Each one comes with two "buddies" who also act as screwdrivers. Ages 3+

Kids who are curious about science, nature and the world around can learn real facts about plants and animals with this talking microscope. It comes with more than 60 images on its slide, which easily store inside the microscope. There are also different modes of play, including Fact Mode for learning and Quiz Mode to see if they've absorbed the knowledge. If they're really into STEM, you can also get them the new GeoSafari Jr. Talking Telescope. Ages 4+

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Fore! He'll have to work on his control and focus to hit the golf ball on this set, and then he'll get all his energy out chasing the balls to put them back in the feeder again. It comes with 15 golf balls, along with three club heads (a left driver, a right driver and a putter). Ages 3+

It's your friendly, neighborhood LEGO set, and all the Spidey fans will flip for it! At 149 pieces, it's just the right amount of challenge for 4-year-olds. When they're done, they'll have made an island lighthouse full of the Green Goblin's traps — watch out for the cave jail! — for Miles Morales, Ghost Spider, Sandman and Green Goblin to use for adventures. Ages 4+

This combination of coding and rescue vehicles was a certifiable hit with Good Housekeeping Institute kid testers., who found it explained coding in manageable bites without needing any computer science knowledge. Kids draw a challenge card, snap on one of the vehicle shells (police car, fire truck or construction vehicle) and program the cars to go in and save the day. They can even figure out "secret" codes, like how to make lights or sounds. Ages 4+

For a toy that works on social-emotional skills — something lots of kids can use help with these days — these bottles have all the fun of a fidget toy with an emotional boost. Each bottle has a different feeling and color, and the fluid goes through them in a corresponding way, and they can be used to start conversations about feelings. Ages 3+

Good Housekeeping experts were impressed at the long life of this scooter, which can start out as a ride-on for younger ones (or younger siblings) and then adjust in height until the kids are about 12 years old. But kids focused in on something else: The light-up wheels! It also comes in a bevy of colors. Ages 3+

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A little owl tries its wing at being a brave knight — and is put to the test when he comes face-to-face with a dragon. But he finds out he has more in common with his foe than he thought. “My 4-year-old learned that knights and heroes come in all shapes and sizes,” says one Good Housekeeping Institute parent tester. Ages 2 – 5

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Both kids and parents will love this Lincoln Logs building set, since parents might remember playing with this building set in their own childhoods. The set includes 111 pieces made of real maple wood that can be used to build structures like a cabin or two small houses with a bonfire. There are three different guides in the manual, but kids might have even more creative fun by building their own ideas. Ages 3+

With this set of magnetic tiles, any 4-year-old kid can spark creativity and build shapes with the pieces that stay together based on the strength of the magnets. Whether they're already a fan or looking to add to their collection, kids will appreciate these groovy tiles, which glow in the dark to give their structures new flair. In the box, you'll get 16 pieces in various shapes and sizes. Ages 3+

This is a game of nerves: Rattlesnake Jake comes curled around a pile of gold pieces, and players have to steal them from him. But watch out, because his rattle gets more intense and then he strikes! Snatching the gold before the bite helps kids work on their fine-motor coordination, and Good Housekeeping testers who tried this game said it was always a "wow" moment when the snake struck. Ages 4+

You'll be amazed — or maybe icked out? — by how realistically these bugs scurry around. The bugs are remarkably lifelike, and they even maneuver around objects. Five bugs are available in the pack, including a cicada, a cockroach, a Japanese beetle, a water scorpion and an assassin bug. Ages 3+

The Little Genius Starter Kit is a great addition to any kid's tablet because it combines fun games with educational tools. There are four games in total, like ABC's and Squiggle Magic, that will teach your kid valuable skills, like how to form letters and shapes. The set includes the Osmo Base, 19 cardboard costume pieces, 38 silicone pieces, a play mat and storage containers. (Not an iPad user? There's also a version compatible with Fire tablets.) Ages 3+

One potato, two potatoes, three potatoes — fun! With this set, kids will have fun mixing up the faces, pieces and accessories for a whole Potato Head family. The set comes with two adult-sized bodies, one kid-sized body and more than 40 pieces to swap in and out. Ages 2+

Kids will get ideas for 22 STEM-based experiments and activities in this book, which encourages kids to look at the science behind the world around them. Along the way, they'll also get an introduction to the scientific method. Ages 4+

With this LEGO set, they can build six of their favorite underwater sights like a submarine, a turtle, a whale or a seahorse, then play with them together like it's an ocean play set, using the two extra bags of LEGO bricks to fill out their world. When they're done, they can also use the 333 pieces for open-ended builds. Ages 4+

If you're looking for a birthday gift specifically, look no further than this zany tome from Dr. Seuss. There are fun, celebratory images throughout, and kids will want to read it long after their birthdays are over. Ages 1+

Now he can unleash his creativity on his favorite subject: Dinosaurs! This set comes with fuzzy, flocked coloring pages, so he'll have a sensory experience, too. It also has origami pages, pop-out scenes and activity sheets, along with crayons and markers to color them all in. Ages 4+