Wednesday 24 April 2019

GIFT GUIDE: 15 Gift Ideas for Four Year Olds

GIFT GUIDE: 15 Gift Ideas for Four Year Olds
*Advertorial Content - Gifted Items
Turning four years old is a really big one, for both children and parents, as it is the age associated with starting school. At the beginning of April my first baby, Isabella, turned four and I honestly can't believe she'll be starting school this year. Her interests and abilities have excelled so much since turning three years old, which has been such a pleasure to witness. Isabella loves nothing more than writing, drawing, doing puzzles, being creative and entering worlds of her imagination. Although turning four has caused many confusions as to why she wasn't going to school straight away, Isabella has been so excited and proud about becoming four years old. When it comes to buying four year olds presents it can be tricky, as you already have four years of accumulated gifts and toys around your house and suddenly their interests and abilities excel into another world. They enjoying playing more complex and challenging games; testing themselves all of the time. Baring this in mind I've put together a Gift Guide for Four Year Olds, so that it will hopefully inspire you if you also have a (not so) little one turning four soon.


Colour & Learn Placemat to Go in Butterfly, Dinosaur or Mealtime Fun from Eat Sleep Doodle (£13.95 each) - Keeping children entertained at meal times, especially when eating out, can be such a challenge. But not anymore with these genius Colour & Learn Placemats to Go from Eat Sleep Doodle! They have a vast range of items that have various beautiful illustrations on in black and white, allowing children to let their creativity free and colour them in time after time. These include duvet covers, tablecloths, bags, pencil cases, pillow cases and backpacks, as well as these Placemats to Go which come in a really convenient compact carry bag. Children can take them on holiday, to meals out, visiting family, enjoying on picnics etc., the 10 pack of washable fabric pens are included and the best thing about them is that once they've finished colouring them in all you have to do is throw them in the washing machine and they come out all fresh, ready for a new load of colour. The Placemats to Go are available in three designs: Butterfly, Dinosaur and Mealtime Fun, all of which have either lines, grids or dots on the back so both sides can be used. 
Gelli Worlds Dino Pack or Fantasy Pack from Zimpli Kids (£14.99 each) - Zimpli Kids are the creators of all things messy, fun and creative with their impressive array of scented/glittery/coloured Bath Slime and Gelli. But they have recently expanded their product range to include these Gelli World Packs, which come in either Dinosaur or Fantasy. In each pack you get five sachets of the Gelli, one inflatable tray and eight figures to play with in the Gelli World. Isabella absolutely loves the texture of the Gelli, as well as creating a little world for the fairy and unicorn figures that came in the pack. She could have honestly spent hours playing with it and luckily it is easy to tidy away afterwards as all you have to do is flush it down the toilet. The Gelli is biodegradable, so isn't harmful to the environment and once clean you can then play with it another four times using the Gelli sachets included. 
Darling Dinos Organic Cotton Short Pyjama Set from Hatley (£25) - Hatley always have such a beautiful range of clothes, outerwear and footwear, whatever the season. Their spring/summer '19 collection is full is fun colours, prints and designs, with many items made using eco-friendly 100% organic cotton. As the weather warms up children start to need cooler pyjamas and these Darling Dinos Short Pyjamas are just perfect. Their snug fit means that Isabella doesn't get tangled up in them and the elasticated waistband helps to make them really comfortable. I would recommend sizing up when buying these, as I went for size six years old (Isabella has just turned four) and they fit really well. It's also really nice to see a dinosaur design in the 'girls' section because all too often they aren't. 
 Hape Flexistix Multi-Tower Kit (£29.65) - If your child enjoying problem solving, construction and/or challenges then the Flexistix Multi-Tower Kit from Hape is the gift for them. Inside the box you'll find a variety of different sized rods, alongside flexible connections. All of the rods are made from sustainable bamboo, which is reassuring from an environment point of view. The possibilities are endless when it comes to creating structures with this kit and it has really challenged Isabella's problem solving skills. The other convenient feature is that there aren't really any small pieces, so it is ideal if your four year old has any younger siblings that may try to put things in their mouth. Poppy has also enjoyed trying to connect various rods together, although she obviously needs a lot more help than Isabella. 
Nautical Stripes Embroidered Dress from Hatley (£26) - When it comes to the summer months as fewer layers as possible and light fabrics are a must, so this dress from Hatley is absolutely perfect. The nautical stripes give it the summer seaside feel, whereas the delicate embroidery around the neckline adds just the right amount of detail. It is made from 100% cotton, so it lightweight and cool for those really warm days. The flutter sleeves offer protection to the tops of the arms, as well as being a pretty design feature. As with the pyjamas I sized up for Isabella, so she is wearing a size 5 and it's ideal for when summer finally arrives. 
Hape Mighty Hammer Domino (£31.20) - This is another gift for those problem solvers, practical thinkers and dedicated builders. The Mighty Hammer Domino set has a variety of fun additions to add into a domino train, which sees movement and surprise being revealed at every corner. Once the dominos are set into motion you can watch as they release a ball, send a spinner rolling and unleash the mighty robot hammer. We've found that it is best to set this up on a hard floor surface, like tiles or laminate, because otherwise it is tricky to get the dominos to stay standing for long enough. Isabella really enjoyed setting this up and then watching the magic that was released when the dominos started moving. It is ideal for helping children to develop their fine motor skills, as well as problem solving.
Sylvanian Families Starry Point Lighthouse (£59.99 currently reduced to £47.69) - Aren't Sylvanian Families are childhood classic? I remember spending hours and hours playing with my collection as a child, so it is so nostalgic to see their new families and building creations. The Starry Point Lighthouse can be brought to life with a real working light projector and is the perfect new home for any of the Sylvanian families. One of the things I really love about the Sylvanian buildings is that they are so easy and simple to set up, connect together and then disconnect again. Unlike a lot of other children's toys there is that flexibility to combine buildings, pack them away in exchange for another, as well as allowing children to independently adapt them themselves. Included with the Starry Point Lighthouse you'll find a shell sofa, kitchen stand, boat bed, whale table, hot air balloon swing and three interchangeable light projector cards. All your little one needs to add is a family of their choice and you can let their imagination run wild. The light projector is such a fun and unique addition, which really helps to bring the lighthouse alive. 
Match and Spell Game and Match and Spell Next Steps Game from Orchard Toys (£8.25 each) - By the time our children are four years old they are starting to show an interest in writing, drawing and mark making. It is such an exciting time, as we can prepare them for school by teaching them the sounds letters make and how to write their name/key words. Isabella is able to sound out and write her name independently now, so the next step is to broaden the letter sounds she knows enabling her to spell simple CVC words by herself. The Match and Spell Game from Orchard Toys is a fun way to do this, as it has a wide variety of letters and words that need matching together. It's the ideal way to open the discussion about the sounds each letter makes and then supporting our children with blending them together to read the words. There are illustrations next to each word to further support and because it's a game children will love playing with it! Once they are slightly older you can then move onto the Match and Spell Next Steps Game, which includes digraphs (two letters together that make one sound) and more complex words for children to sound out. 
Mermaid Tales Flip Flops from Hatley (£13) - Sandal weather is coming and now that Isabella is four years old she always eager to be more grown up than her years. She was so excited to see these 'grown up' flip flops and from a parents point of view I can rest assure because the flip flops from Hatley are all made with a comfortable footbed, are lightweight and the fabric straps help to maximise comfort. They are available in a range of patterns including: Pretty Sea Turtles, Watercolour Sea Friends, Rainbow Unicorns, Nautical Stripes, Fintastic Shark and Snorkelling Sharks. They are ideal for wearing in the garden, at the beach, on days out or just wearing them around the house as Isabella currently does!
Aquabeads Deluxe Studio (£29.99) - Aquabeads are something that Isabella has seen advertised on television for well over a year now, but as they are aimed at four years plus she has had to wait until her fourth birthday. The excitement levels of finally being allowed a toy that has been off limits for so long brought on squeals and lots of them! To be honest, I was also excited to have a go creating a masterpiece as I had never seen anything like the Aquabeads before. There is no need for heat to help mould the beads together, you simply spray them with water and let them dry...simply genius. The Deluxe Studio is the perfect starter set, as you get everything you could possibly need to get creative. There are 1,300 jewel and solid beads in 24 colours included, as well as a tool case with bead palette, 1 bead peeler, 5 easy trays in a variety of shapes, a rainbow bead pen and a sprayer to set your creations in place. The beads are pretty small, so it is ideal for improving children's fine motor skills, although the rainbow bead pen does make it easier for them to make their desired picture. We were seriously impressed at quite how easy it was to create different shapes and designs; it's such a lovely activity for Isabella and I to do together while Poppy is napping. 
Jumbo Peter Rabbit Classic Giant Floor Puzzle (£9.99) - Doing jigsaw puzzles with Isabella has to be one of my favourite things to do because it's calming, technology free and often challenges me too. This beautifully illustrated Peter Rabbit Classic Giant Floor Puzzle from Jumbo has 50 pieces, so is the perfect balance between a challenge yet still achievable for a four year old. The pieces are all really chunky, so that makes it less intimidating for Isabella and having a familiar selection of characters within the picture makes it exciting while piecing the pieces together. 
Tiny Cherries Bow Back Dress from Hatley (£30) - You can never have too many summer dresses because they are the coolest and easiest item of clothing to wear during those really warms months. The back bow detailing on this Tiny Cherries Dress is what really makes it stand out; it's so delicate and helps to keep their back cool. It is made from 100% cotton, making it lightweight and breathable too. As with the other Hatley items I choose a size 5 for this dress and as you can see it fits Isabella perfectly. She absolutely loves twirling around and counting how many little cherries she can spot on the dress, which keeps her busy! 
There you have it...my gift guide for four year olds. If you have a little one turning four soon then I hope they have a lovely time celebrating and get ready for the 'am I starting school yet?' questions!

Which is your favourite gift for a four year old?

Feel free to leave a comment - I love reading every single one :)

Helen x
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9 comments

  1. Some amazing gift ideas here. I always think you can't go wrong with a floor puzzle at that age!!

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  2. Erin is 4 on her next birthday and I hadn't really thought about it yet. These are some great ideas.

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  3. Ooh, my youngest is 4 so I'm reading this with interest. I think the placemats are my favourite, though the Flexistix look really cool too!

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  4. Fabulous choices. I love the look of the domino game, I would like to play with that myself. I also love those colouring place mats too.

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  5. Wow there are lots of great gift ideas here. I love the look of the glitter Gelli worlds although mine would never be allowed it!

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  6. Some really great gifts . The girls love geli baff

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  7. Awww she is so gorgeous, I remember when the our little man turned four, he was excited to start school. Some lovely ideas here.

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  8. What a lovely list of gift ideas. I love the colour and learn placemats, I'm sure our littlest Grandson would love those.

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  9. Oh what a wonderful set of ideas for little ones.my daughter would love the little house to add to her ever growing collection. Thank

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