Gift ideas for your favorite 3.5 year olds, 4 year olds and 5 year olds
As a preschooler, my son loves many of the same types of toys as he did as a toddler, including building toys, puzzles, and play pretend toys. But these toys are a bit more advanced and have more pieces – and are honestly a bit more fun to play with.
The toys on this list are best for ages 3.5 years old to 5. Everything on this list are toys that we own or have asked for this holiday season for our 4 year old.
Disclosure: One Little Small is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. The links in this post are affiliate links, meaning if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a small commission. I selected the products in this guide because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.
Preschooler Gifts
PicassoTiles Bristle Blocks
Bristle Blocks are a fun building toy that is perfect for this age group. The blocks come in a variety of fun colors and shapes, and are different enough from other building toys to keep your preschooler’s interest.
Educational Insights Design & Drill Activity Center
This design and drill toy is perfect for any tool-loving kiddo. My son can spend an afternoon creating different pictures with the colored screws and drill. It’s a lot of fun!
Etch A Sketch
Classic childhood toys have been a hit in our household, and the Etch A Sketch is no exception. My 4 year old has a blast making pictures, and only needs help erasing his drawings.
Obuby Kids Fort Building Kit
We asked for this fort building kit after spending a rainy spring building blanket forts with our son our of blankets and pool noodles. This is definitely a toy to play with together – it’s a bit too complex for a 4 year old to build all on their own – but it is fun for everyone!
Heads Talk Tails Walk Game
This game is perfect for preschoolers because it gets them up and moving and making animal noises. And there is only 10 cards, which is about as long as their attention span lasts. This has been a great tool to help my son practice waiting and taking turns.
Coogam Wooden Blocks Puzzle Brain Teasers
I love that there is more than one way to put together this puzzle. It is a bit advanced, and would be best for kids who love puzzles and brain teasers.
Seckton Kids Digital Camera
At age 4, my son is much more interested in taking photos than in previous years. We purchased this camera for him for Christmas, and are looking forward to seeing what he captures.
Animal Friends Deluxe Kids Hand Puppets (6 Pack)
One thing we love to do in our house is to build a stage with the fort builder toy above and put on a puppet show. I added this set of hand puppets to my son’s wish list because he loves animals and they were well-rated.
Wild Kratts Adventure Set
This is a very specific toy, but if your kiddo loves this show as much as mine does, definitely consider picking up this set. My son loves pretending to be one of the Kratt brothers, and I am very excited for him to open this present.
Big Gifts for Preschoolers
Banana GT Balance Bike
Balance bikes are a great gift for older toddlers / young preschoolers. We bought this balance when my son was 3, but he wasn’t very interested in riding it until closer to 3.5 years old. If your child isn’t quite ready for a full-sized bike, you may want to check out a balance bike instead.
Hape Quadrilla Wooden Marble Run
Marble run toys are great for this age. If you’re looking for a bigger gift, consider this one from Hape. It is more complex to setup than the plastic version – this gift is best for ages 4 and up. It’s unique, has cool add-on pieces, and is fun for the whole family.
Foamnasium Blocksy Mini
If you don’t have the space or budget for one of those in-demand, large buildable couches, check out this one from Foamnasium. We purchased the Blocksy Mini for my son’s 4th birthday, and he still has a lot of fun with it – without taking up half his room.
Little Tikes 3′ Trampoline
I was hesitant to dedicate space in our house to a mini trampoline that would be out all the time, but I’m glad I did. It’s an easy way to help my son burn off some extra energy before school or in the afternoon on a rainy day.
Fat Brain Toys Timber Tots Schoolhouse
My son has been eyeing the Timber Tots toys for a bit now, but at age 4, I think he finally has the attention span to really enjoy it. Plus, I thought the schoolhouse was the perfect fit for a child who just started preschool.
Thank you for checking out my gift guide for preschoolers. I hope you are able to find the perfect gift for your three and a half, four or five year old in this list of toys my son has loves so much.
If you enjoyed this gift guide, make sure to check out my full collection of holiday gift ideas for kids, including Gift Ideas for One Year Olds, Toddler Gift Guide, Hanukkah Gift Guide and Stocking Stuffers Guide.
