It has 13 solid-wood pieces for a pretend meal for two. Your child cooks, sets two places and serves you.
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The best toys for 4 year olds are pretend play, music and matching toys, like a play kitchen, a felt story board, a lacing toy, a bolt board and sorting cups.
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So we might say that the values of man have their beginning in the work of the child.
Many four-year-olds like to help with real jobs and to pretend to be someone else. The toys on this page let them do both with their own hands.
What changes at four
Every child grows at a different speed. Around the fourth birthday, many parents see these four changes.
Pretend and stories
Many four-year-olds pretend to be a cook, a teacher or a pet. They can often tell what comes next in a story they know.
Helping with real jobs
Many children this age like to be a helper. With an adult close by, many can pour water and serve their own food.
Colors and matching
Many four-year-olds can name a few colors. Sorting and matching toys let them use those color words in play.
Finger control
Many children now hold a crayon between their fingers and thumb. Lacing, pegs and small tools ask for the same careful grip.
Three toys to start with at four
One for pretend play, one for telling stories and one for real tool work.
Your child presses more than 30 felt figures onto a large felt board. They build a farm scene and tell you what happens.
It has real metal bolts and three kid-size tools. Your child finds the tool that fits, then turns each bolt out and back in.
How to choose toys for a four-year-old
Start with what your child already likes to do. Then choose one toy that fits that interest. Most toys on this page are made of wood or felt.
- Pretend play. Choose a set with a real job in it, like cooking or cleaning. The Wooden Cutting Fruit & Vegetable Set has about 12 wooden foods that come apart when your child cuts them. The Kids Cleaning Toy Set has a broom, a dustpan and a stand to hang them on.
- Stories. A felt board lets your child build a scene and then talk about it. The Montessori Felt Story Board Set comes in one of four themes: World Map, Zoo Animals, Solar System or Dinosaur.
- Colors and matching. The Wooden Color-Sorting Cups Set has seven colored cups and seven balls to match. The Montessori Busy Book - Match & Stick has picture cards that your child matches to each page.
- Hand work. The Wooden Fruit Lacing Toy asks your child to guide a cord in and out of holes. In most sets of the Wooden Color-Matching Stick Canister, your child pushes wooden sticks through holes in the lid.
- Music. The Wooden Montessori Music Band Set has eight ways to make a sound, from a xylophone to maracas. The Wooden Music Table - 6-in-1 Instrument Set holds six instruments on one wooden board with short legs.
- Drawing. The Magic Water Drawing Mat uses pens filled with plain water, so there is no ink or paint. The Wooden Double-Sided Standing Easel has two boards: a green chalkboard and a white dry-erase board.
Buying a present? See Montessori Gifts. You can also browse pretend play toys and music toys.
When your child is ready for more
Watch how your child plays with a toy over a few weeks. Then decide if it is still the right level.
- Try the harder level first. The Counting Hedgehog Matching Toy starts with matching colors, then moves to numbers from 0 to 12. On the Rainbow Bead Pegboard, your child can sort beads by color, or place them to match a pattern card.
- If the toys get too easy, look at Montessori Toys for 5 Year Olds and Up. That page has number, logic and memory toys with more rules.
- If a toy is too hard, put it away for a month and try again later. You can also look at Montessori Toys for 3 Year Olds.
- Small parts. Most toys on this page have small parts and are not for children under 3. The Magnetic Wooden Animal Train and the easel also have small magnets. Keep these toys away from babies and younger siblings.
Questions parents ask about age four
Choose toys that give your child a real job, like cooking, matching or telling a story. Two good first choices are the Wooden Play Kitchen Cookware & Dining Set and the Felt Farm Story Board. Add more later, when you see what your child uses most.
Choose a toy your child can start to use right away. The Magnetic Wooden Animal Train has an engine and ten carriages, each with a wooden animal. The 7pc Wooden Music Set arrives in a kraft gift box with a play booklet.
Look for toys that ask for a pinch grip or a turn of the wrist. The Wooden Fish Color-Matching Peg Toy has your child press small sticks into slots. The Wooden Screwdriver Bolt Board uses a screwdriver, a wrench and a hex key.
Many four-year-olds like to copy adult jobs at home. The Wooden Tea & Kitchen Play Set lets your child host a pretend tea party. The Wooden Milk Bottle Set adds a milk carton and three milk bottles to serve.
Choose toys that fold flat and keep their pieces together. The Cooking Busy Book zips shut around its felt pieces and has a carry strap. The boards of the Wooden Fruit Lacing Toy are flat and light, which makes them easy to pack.
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