Best 4 Year Old Boy Toys?

[LJSquishy]

So, what are the best 4 year old boy toys? I'm shopping for my nephew's Christmas & January birthday presents and I would like to keep the total under $40 between the two gifts.

He will be 4 in January and is a total BOY. He is sort of behind for his age I think, but he does not seem to like toys that are geared toward his age group...he wants the bigger kid toys. So, no "learning" toys, etc, and he definitely would not want Little People stuff or Thomas the train. My in-laws bought him a junior leap pad thing for Christmas last year, and he thought it was dumb because he plays with an actual iPad.

I'm finding him tough to shop for because he doesn't have interest in toys in the 3-5 age group usually, but he definitely can't put together any sort of lego thing (like Ninjago) or play with something that requires a lot of directions since he isn't as developed as some other kids.

I had originally thought about Imaginext toys, but I don't know if he likes Batman. He loved Cars stuff and Toy Story stuff last year but he has probably moved on past that.

 

[MSSANDRA]

There are legos geared to every level and open ended legos that might be really fun. Maybe the knex toys would be fun. Anything open ended that he can create with. Outdoor toys are wonderful. Soccer balls, a first base ball mitt, a foot ball, a preschool scooter. Sounds like he might be around a lot of older kids. Maybe a gift card to buy apps for his iPad. Books are always a hit too.

 

[nchulka]

nerf guns!

 

[mommato2boys]

I was thinking Nerf guns too!

 

[Hook326]

My 5.5 yo DS started loving Legos when he was 4...the big kid Legos. While it is true that he can't put them together himself, we have fun doing it together He especially loves collecting just the mini figures. Does he like Star Wars, Pirates, police officers, etc? You can order just mini figures off of eBay if he likes a character now discontinued (oh the hunt for Indiana Jones w/ a whip! Lol!) My 2.5 yo DS likes playing with the mini figures, too.

Also, my son likes picking out games for his iPod so maybe an iTunes gift card he can spend on games for the iPad? Makes them feel like big boys! My son's other favorite toys are his lights up & makes noise lightsaber, a Lightening McQueen umbrella (haha), games for the Xbox 360, big sticker books w/ repositionable stickers, swords, guns (especially Pirate & Star Wars ones). And don't forget a good book on his favorite topic to encourage reading! Happy shopping!

 

[jrw118]

Imaginext toys!!! They hold up very well. I have 2 boys 4 & 7 and both love them. I would have to disagree about legos. My 4 yr old is the lego destroyer. As fast as my older DS builds my little guy destroys.

 

[MichelleinMaine]

Tub of legos- much more open ended than "having" to make the model just like it shows (and getting frustrated).

I remember questioning when DS was 3.5 if he would play with Legos (they were a Happy Meal toy at the time). He is 16, and still playing with Legos when no one is looking. (Shhhh!

 

[missmary]

Imaginext gets my vote. My son has been playing with the Dragon Fortress and Ninja Imaginext for since he was 3 and still LOVES them. They are durable and grow with the child. Plus, they are fairly inexpensive. You get a LOT of Imaginext toys for $40!

 

[left210]

I have a 4 year old and I agree Imaginext are great. My 4 year old also loves legos too but his Dad helps him put them together and he tries to play with them but they eventually fall apart and we have to put them back together again. Imaginext Bat Cave and all the accessories like Jokers House, Green Lantern, etc. are his favorites. He also has the Imaginext Pirate ship which is fun, a dragon thing and a castle one. He loves all of his Imaginext and lines them all up and plays with them together. The people from each one fit in all of them because they have the same size feet that work.

I just noticed you were not sure if he liked Batman or not. If you look on the fisher price website under Imaginext you will see they have it in different kinds of themes like dinosaurs, cars, police, toy story, etc. Lots to choose from.

 

[Lavaluma]

My 4 year old son's favorite toys are Legos, anything Imaginext, Monster Trucks, and any super hero toys.

Most of the legos are my 6 year old's sets that have all been mixed up, but DS4 will sit down and play with them for hours. He especially loves the Dino set and has asked for the Batman set for his birthday. Other than the first time the box is opened, my sons don't typically pay attention to the instructions and we don't pay attention to the age ranges for the sets.

For Imaginext, my kids have several different sets. In my opinion, these sets are worth the money. My kids love them and they're very durable. My kids even have some that an older cousin gave them in perfect condition. Any toy that my sons haven't managed to break is a impressive. Plus, Toysrus has this on sale this week Buy 1 Get 1 40% off.

Also, there are the miscellaneous super hero toys. Around my house, Iron Man, Batman and Spiderman are the favorites. Though, I think all the Spiderman toys are headless. These are my least favorite toys because they always seem to be broken or need help putting them back together. I'd avoid Transformers toys for this reason too. However, we have had good luck with the Fisher Price Hero World toys and Playskool Star Wars toys.

 

[stsomewhere]

play mobile, star wars, nerf guns, balls, art supplies, books, army

 

[tyniknate]

Imaginext toys!!! They hold up very well. I have 2 boys 4 & 7 and both love them. I would have to disagree about legos. My 4 yr old is the lego destroyer. As fast as my older DS builds my little guy destroys.

I agree with the Imaginext toys. They are indestructable. My DS 12 played with them and they were passed down to my DS 8, and now my nephew has them. They are fantastic! And, if you have a Toys-R-Us nearby they run the buy one get one free program toward Christmas. You get two for the money!

 

[dhardawa]

My son just turned 5 and has a bedroom full of Imaginext toys that he doesn't play with. He does love anything sports related. Is your nephew into that? I also agree with the Nerf guns. I just recently got this for my son and he loves it. It seems to be great quality too.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0083TXVLA

Does your nephew like puzzles and books? Those are things my son likes too.

 

[rainynight]

I would suggest books. I know as a parent I feel overwhelmed around my sons birthday and christmas with tons of toys I know he will never play with, so I always give kids books and really enjoy receiving books for my little guy instead of toys. Movies would also work. Another great option is board games, kids always seem to love those and they are great to have on hand for lazy days.

 

[MagicalMawMaw]

Blocks & little trucks or tractors, big size legos,waterguns & a really big Dump truck.... these are the things my 4 yr old grandson likes at my house.

 

[carebee21]

Hotwheels, remote control car, movies and bathtub stuff, like the bathtub crayons, kids soaps and bubble baths.

 

[LJSquishy]

You are all awesome! It sounds like the majority of you vote for Imaginext toys so I think I will try to buy those for him. I will look for better sales a little closer to Christmas, since the Toys R Us buy 1 get 1 40% off doesn't save much if I only want to buy one large one (like the castle) and one small one.

 

[left210]

Someone mentioned board games, my son's class at preschool loves the Zingo games. We have one of them but are going to get the other one for home too.

 

[LJSquishy]

Someone mentioned board games, my son's class at preschool loves the Zingo games. We have one of them but are going to get the other one for home too.

My nephew has a 6 year old sister so they have quite a few games, but the Zingo games look fun and simple enough for him to understand so I will look for them! Thanks!

 

[4HppyCamprs]

I would suggest books. I know as a parent I feel overwhelmed around my sons birthday and christmas with tons of toys I know he will never play with, so I always give kids books and really enjoy receiving books for my little guy instead of toys. Movies would also work. Another great option is board games, kids always seem to love those and they are great to have on hand for lazy days.

I agree completely! We have far far too many toys and they are a waste. Our boys are 3 and 7 and I have to say that children this age are technological. I limit my boys access because they would be glued all day if I didnt but it is possible that the 4 year old nephew is just bored with toys. Imagination has to be fostered to grow.

I love books, boardgames and even OUTSIDE toys. Movies are always great as is movie money for the movie theater. Gift cards to Itunes as well.

We have a 10000 legos and cars and trucks and trains and while they like them it seems like they have 10000.

Other stuff is more useful. Oh and not much fun but always needed in our house is PAJAMAS!