The 9 Best Toys to Buy for 4-Year-Olds in 2018

Little animal lovers will love playing doctor to their furry friends with this sweet pet vet set. It comes with everything they need to make sure they’re well taken care of including a stethoscope, syringe, thermometer, scale, x-rays and their very own clinic.

The clinic is equipped with a fold-out exam table and four rooms for the patients. Kids get their own set of keys for locking and unlocking the rooms as necessary, and there’s a wise owl in the chimney that pops in and out. Two adorable plush patients — a cat and a dog — are included as well, but kids will be sure to find plenty more patients in their toybox.

The roof lifts up to store all of the vet’s tools, and the handle on top makes it easy to take on the road for house calls.

If you really want to go big with fun, it’s hard to beat this ride-on unicorn. Really, what could be more magical for a four-year-old than hopping onto this whimsical ride and heading off in search of rainbows and other exciting adventures?

Not only is it going to be the cutest ride on the block, it’s also a great way for kids to get exercise. There are no batteries; this unicorn runs on kid power. Kids bounce up and down and press down on the foot rests, and the unicorn takes off just like a real horse with the legs and head moving forward and backward in a galloping motion. Its hooves have wheels so it can glide across smooth surfaces indoors or out for a wild ride. It can hold kids up to 90 pounds, and will seriously make their dreams come true.

This fun ice cream cart will serve up hours of fun, imaginative play. Kids can play ice cream man/woman as they scoop up delicious treats for their friends, family and stuffed animals. It comes with four flavors of ice cream, three toppings and three flavors of syrup, and they’re all pretend, of course, so there are no sticky fingers to worry about.

Six order cards are enclosed for kids to follow, and a magic scooper lets them know if they’re getting the orders right. There’s even a bell to let people know they’re coming or that their order is up.

The cart also plays music and features more than 200 fun phrases. There are also seven games kids can play as they serve up the treats that help them develop memory, counting and color skills. This is one seriously cool toy!

Take a peek at some of the other best kitchen sets to buy for kids.

Instill a love of nature from a young age with this cool outdoor set for kids. It includes easy-to-focus binoculars with a neck strap and carrying case, a compass, a hand-cranked flashlight (that means no batteries are necessary) and a magnifying glass. From hiking to insect spotting and bird watching, they will have all the tools they need to explore every facet of the great outdoors. The set also comes with a carrier bag to take along all their gear wherever the road may lead them.

Whether they’re at the beach, out on a hike or just in their own backyard, this set will encourage them to look a little closer at their surroundings. Who knows what they may find?

At this age kids are often counting down the days to special occasions like birthdays and holidays and asking, “how many more days?” over and over again. This great magnetic calendar lets them answer that question themselves.

Not only can they keep track of the day, month and year with colorful little magnetic pieces, but they can also record the seasons, their emotions and the weather as well. It can be stuck to a refrigerator or other metal surface or hung on a wall, wherever kids can reach it best.

They’ll look forward to filling it out each day, and it’s a great teaching tool for learning about time and weather and a fun way to get them to talk about their feelings.

It’s party time! Everyone knows the best part of any party is the cake, and this party cake set lets little ones serve it up anytime the mood strikes. It comes with everything they need including six cake slices ready for cutting, seven candles, 19 toppings, a serving tray and a spatula to dish it all up. The pieces are made of wood, so it’s sturdy, and Velcro tabs make the toppings and candles stay put. It all comes in a wooden storage box for easy clean up and safekeeping between festivities.

Future hosts and hostesses will love to have pretend parties and serve their guests their yummy creations. This is a toy that takes the cake… literally.

Everyone loves to play Bingo, and this alphabet version takes the class favorite up a notch. Instead of a caller shouting out numbers, players reach into a bag and pull out a letter. If the letters are on their card, they mark them. Once someone gets four in a row, they should “Bingo!” and win.

Each space on the cards has a picture of something that starts with the letter. For example “F” has a flower and “O” has an owl, so not only is the game great for teaching letter recognition, but it helps with letter sounds as well. The set comes with six game boards and 72 chips for marking the matches, so there’s enough for the whole family to get in on the action.

Rub a dub dub, kids will want to stay in the tub with this fun bath toy. At this age, the longer you keep them in the tub, the better, and this submarine spray station will have them begging to stay in for some serious splashing fun.

The battery-operated toy (four AA batteries are required but not included) attaches to the tub. Water comes in through the submarine and is circulated up through the diver shower head, which can then be sprayed into two funnels that produce fun, mesmerizing effects with spinning wheels, fountains and googly eyes. Kids will also have fun spraying themselves and other toys as well. Bath time has never been such a blast! 

Fans of the hit show Paw Patrol will get a kick out of this 2.5' tower that let's them recreate their favorite scenes. With the rotating periscope on top they can keep a watch over Adventure Bay, and when trouble strikes the Paw Patrol can alert the troops and race to help save the day, with it's speedy elevator, fast slide and vehicle launcher.

Two AAA batteries are included and this set does require some assembly, but reviewers note it takes only 15 minutes to do.