I have two boys. One is now eight and he was the first inspiration for this website. The youngest has just turned 4 in June 2015.
One thing that has really surprised me is how different they both are. I thought they would play with the same kinds of toys and although some of the toys they played with at age 4 are similar, their favourite toys are definitely not the same. And the way that they play with toys is very different as well. My two nephews (who are now aged 5 are also very different in the toys they play with.) It can make it difficult to find the right toy for a 4 year old boy.
Anyway in this article, I’m going to look at the different kinds of toy personalities boys have. It’is a light hearted look. Of course it’s not possible that all 4 year old boys fit inside one of these categories. There is some overlap, it’s definitely not one size fits all. However, you may find similarities in one or more of the categories for the 4 year old you know which may help you choose the right toy for them.
One thing that has really surprised me is how different they both are. I thought they would play with the same kinds of toys and although some of the toys they played with at age 4 are similar, their favourite toys are definitely not the same. And the way that they play with toys is very different as well. My two nephews (who are now aged 5 are also very different in the toys they play with.) It can make it difficult to find the right toy for a 4 year old boy.
Anyway in this article, I’m going to look at the different kinds of toy personalities boys have. It’is a light hearted look. Of course it’s not possible that all 4 year old boys fit inside one of these categories. There is some overlap, it’s definitely not one size fits all. However, you may find similarities in one or more of the categories for the 4 year old you know which may help you choose the right toy for them.
Construction Boy
My eldest son loved lego. My youngest son does too to some extent but not as much as my eldest. And one of my nephews is also a fan. So I automatically thought a lego set would be a great gift for my other nephew. I was quite wrong. Although many boys love lego there are quite a few who do not.
My eldest son loved lego at age 4. We would spend ages building all kinds of things with the lego set with had. Windmills, houses, farms, robots, towers, space rockets - you name it - we built it.
So I then decided to look at other construction toys he might like and practically every one I bought he loved. We tried Kids Knex (they seem to have stopped making this so much but if you can get hold of it I would recommend for a construction boy). Learning Resources Gears, Gears, Gears. Marble runs were great for him because he loved connecting the pieces together. But even though he loved all the construction toys, lego has remained his favourite 4 years on.
It’s not just toys that are purely construction toys this type of boy will love. But also toys that have a construction element too. So you can get toys like cars that boys this age can build which make great toys too.
Superhero Boy
My eldest boy (the construction mad one) never really had a superhero phase. It may have been because he is the oldest cousin and brother he never had anybody introduce him to superheros or it may have not been his thing.
However, my son and two nephews all love superheros. Superhero costumes, playsets, figurines. They all let their imagination run wild.
Boys that love superheros are normally quite easy to buy for. There is normally a costume that they want but they don’the have. And there are lots of superhero themed toys out there from batmobile cars to spidermen figures that can fire a web.
However, my son and two nephews all love superheros. Superhero costumes, playsets, figurines. They all let their imagination run wild.
Boys that love superheros are normally quite easy to buy for. There is normally a costume that they want but they don’the have. And there are lots of superhero themed toys out there from batmobile cars to spidermen figures that can fire a web.
Car Boy
My eldest son loved cars and my youngest son just as much.
If they love cars there are tons of gifts you can get them. Remote control cars, racing tracks, build a road, car themed jigsaws, toy cars and trucks, fire engine and other vehicle often go down well too.
If they love cars there are tons of gifts you can get them. Remote control cars, racing tracks, build a road, car themed jigsaws, toy cars and trucks, fire engine and other vehicle often go down well too.
Imagination Boy
I think both my sons have/ had huge imaginations at age 4 but they display it in different ways.
My eldest son loved puppets and really enjoyed us putting on puppet shows for him as well as doing his own.
My youngest son uses his imagination to give his toys little characters and personalities that talk to each other.
They both loved imaginative games like doctors or playing shop.
One of my nephews would be characterised by having a huge imagination. He would definitely be the imagination boyAll his games were imaginative based. He loved getting dressed up in all kinds of outfits from a policeman to a superhero. From when he started school at age 4, he would love to get dressed up as the headteacher with a tie and pretend to be him. He also had a great game where he would go around fixing everything with his toolkit.
There is a wide range of gifts you can get for the 4 year old who has a huge imagination. This types of kids are one of the most difficult to buy for because you have to know the games they like to play to get the right stuff. However, doctors kits, cash registers, play sets, puppet theatres and dressing up clothes are all toys that you could consider.
My eldest son loved puppets and really enjoyed us putting on puppet shows for him as well as doing his own.
My youngest son uses his imagination to give his toys little characters and personalities that talk to each other.
They both loved imaginative games like doctors or playing shop.
One of my nephews would be characterised by having a huge imagination. He would definitely be the imagination boyAll his games were imaginative based. He loved getting dressed up in all kinds of outfits from a policeman to a superhero. From when he started school at age 4, he would love to get dressed up as the headteacher with a tie and pretend to be him. He also had a great game where he would go around fixing everything with his toolkit.
There is a wide range of gifts you can get for the 4 year old who has a huge imagination. This types of kids are one of the most difficult to buy for because you have to know the games they like to play to get the right stuff. However, doctors kits, cash registers, play sets, puppet theatres and dressing up clothes are all toys that you could consider.
Outdoor Boy
Both my sons do enjoy being outdoors and many kids this age do. My eldest son loved his scooter at this age (he still does age 8). My youngest boy (who's 4) loves riding around on a balance bike and we are trying to get him to transfer over to a bike with training wheels.
Some ideas for kids who like the outdoors include trampolines, garden games like hoopla and beanbag toss as well as ball games with soccer nets and you can great basketball hoops for this age too. My 4 year old currently still loves water plays so sprinklers, paddling pools and water tables are all really good for him.
Some ideas for kids who like the outdoors include trampolines, garden games like hoopla and beanbag toss as well as ball games with soccer nets and you can great basketball hoops for this age too. My 4 year old currently still loves water plays so sprinklers, paddling pools and water tables are all really good for him.
Game Boy
Game boy is not the handheld games console in this instance but a 4 year old who loves to play games and many of them do.
Card matching games are perfect for this age where you play pairs by having all the cards face down and finding two cards the same. There are quite a few themed sets of cards you can get for kids this age. So find a theme they like such as cars or a TV programme or movie.
So, there we have it 6 types of 4 year old boys and the toys they may like.
Of course not every boy is the same. Can you find the boy you know on the list above or is there another category just for him?
Card matching games are perfect for this age where you play pairs by having all the cards face down and finding two cards the same. There are quite a few themed sets of cards you can get for kids this age. So find a theme they like such as cars or a TV programme or movie.
So, there we have it 6 types of 4 year old boys and the toys they may like.
Of course not every boy is the same. Can you find the boy you know on the list above or is there another category just for him?
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