This year, M is very into the idea of holiday gifts. We’ve been getting various catalogues in the mail and every time one arrives she sits down with a marker and circles everything she loves. I’ve explained to her a few times that she won’t be getting every single thing she wants, in hopes of reigning her in before the big day. She seems to understand, but she’s still really excited!

Here are a few things I think would appeal to a four-year-old, like M.

Gifts-for-4-Year-Olds

1) Giant Busy Box – I love these boxes filled with art supplies and activities. They’re a great way to pass a bad weather day, or come up with something fun to do after school.

2) Hatchimal Twins – Because Hatchimal mania is real. These are so much cheaper in the States than they are in Canada! The twins are the latest release, but the classic Hatchimals are still very much a big thing.

3) Slime Kit – Kindergarten seems to be all about slime, and M is very excited at the idea of making her own. I feel like this is also a gift that could be DIYed, if you bought all of the individual parts and packaged them!

4) Gear Set – Our library has a set of gears like this, and it fascinates the kids for hours. Motor skills and creativity, combined!

5) Art Easel – We are giving M the IKEA Mala easel for her birthday, but I think an easel would be a good holiday present, too. It’s one of those things that doesn’t get boring or outdated, and can be used for a long time to come.

6) Seek and Spell Penguin – We are in full-on alphabet and phonics learning mode here. M’s kindergarten teacher is working on teaching letters and sounds, and M loves it — she actually asked for “something to help me with my letters” for Christmas, and a toy like this would be a fun way to encourage spelling.

7) Chia Pet – M saw a Chia Pet at the mall when we were in Winnipeg recently and loved the idea. I think it would be an easy introduction to indoor gardening!

8) Talkie by Toymail – I think this is a really neat concept for keeping in touch with far flung family (of which we have a lot). While we Skype with my dad regularly, I like that this is a screen-free way to chat with people, because M is starting to think that all phones have video capabilities.

9) Costume Kit – This is prime age for dress-up and imaginative play, I’m finding. M has a lot of costume items, but this one is especially fun because it’s customizable!

10) Take-Apart Toys – M loves to build things, and I think that this would be a really interesting activity for her, and any other kid who wants to know how things work.