Last week, my daughter turned four, and I realized about a week beforehand that I should probably have bought her a gift. When I was little, February felt like years past Christmas, but as an adult, I was pretty sure Santa had just brought us all of her heart’s desires (and then some). However, thanks to Amazon, and our insane, toy-obsessed culture, I managed to find my kiddo some things she’d enjoy, and that wouldn’t rot her brain, at the final hour.

But in all seriousness, my daughter (and her brother) have really enjoyed these toys, games, and books. And while I don’t think that any age kid needs more than a few birthday presents, a bunch of these ended up coming to us from various aunts and uncles, and have led to a hours of adorable creative play.

Lego Battery-Powered Train

This train was a gift from my daughter’s aunt and uncle and is now one of our top 3 most-used toys. The train is battery operated, and runs on a duplo-style track that kids put together themselves. The set also comes with some “command” pieces, which kids can place at different locations along the track in order to get the train to do things like stop, reverse, or fill up with gas. This set inspired a lot of creative thinking in my daughter, and was also very much enjoyed by my two-year-old son.

Kid’s Digital Camera

My daughter loves taking pictures with my phone. I, on the other hand, find this activity a little anxiety-provoking. So for her recent birthday, she received this OZMI kid’s digital camera, which allows her to take as many photos as videos as she would like, on a device that is far less expensive than my IPhone. The camera even comes with it’s own SD card and USB cable, so that kids can print or store the pictures they take.

Doll Baby Carrier

My daughter will soon be receiving a huge gift that she may or may not be super thrilled about: another baby brother. So in an attempt to get her excited about the new addition, I got her an Ergo Baby Doll Carrier for her to practice playing “mama” (or, at least big sister) to her toys and stuffed animals. So far, she’s LOVED it, and enjoys being able to swing, slide and do the monkey bars with her animal friends in tow.

Light-Up Bath Toys

I stumbled across these light-up bath toys at a friend’s house and thought they were so fun. Turns out my kids agree. These toys look like typical bath toys, but light up when they touch the water. Now, every time we take a tub, we turn down the lights, pump up the jams (aka a lot of Baby Shark), and call it “club tub.”

Dress-up / Costumes

Four-year-olds are really into dress up. Developmentally, their imaginations are exploding, and any opportunity to pretend to be someone (or something) else is greeted with enthusiasm and delight. Currently, my daughter’s favorite dress-up pieces are her mermaid dress, high-heels, super-hero cape and firefighter outfit. She also received this jewelry box from one of her uncles, and has really enjoyed using it to organize her beloved costume jewelry.

Board Games

When little brother goes down for his mid-day nap, my daughter and I love to play board games together. Many of these games are educational as well as entertaining, and all of them help teach preschoolers important interpersonal and cooperation skills. I have included links to the ones we play most often below, all of which are most appropriate for the 3.5-year-old+ crowd.

Books!

I’ve included a few of the books my own daughter received for her fourth birthday. All of these books are beautiful inside and out, and were truly a gift for both the kids and the parents in our family.

1. If I Had A Little Dream: The sweetest book for both parents and children. This book walks kids through all of the things the narrator wishes for, and what she would call them. It ends with mom’s verse which begins with: “If I had a little dream, I would name it You.” Full disclosure, you might cry.

1. Where Happiness Lives: This beautiful book has flaps (so your kid will definitely love it), but also conveys such a wonderful message about where happiness really comes from.

3. I Say Ooh, You Say Ahh: This is a super fun and silly interactive book. Each page teaches readers a new “call and response,” which continues throughout the entire book. We’ve really enjoyed this read, and usually end up laughing at the end.

I hope you stumbled across something you, or your kiddo, will love! Happy playing, reading and birthday partying!