The best learning toys for 4-year-olds

Jumbo gem art kits kids finish by placing gems. Mess-free crafting that builds fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, ages 4–5.

A 72-piece wooden fire station train set. Our toddler builds a new track every time he plays. Creative, hands-on play for ages 3–5.

A steel construction excavator with easy-grip handles for real digging. Great quality for sandbox play, ages 3–5.

A 16-inch steel wheel loader with a working arm and bucket. Perfect for sand and dirt, and our toddler loves it. Ages 3–5.

A 20-inch steel and plastic dump truck with a working dump bin. Great quality, and built for big outdoor play. Ages 3–5.

100 clear magnetic tiles that snap together into anything. Our son builds something new every time. Creative building for ages 2–5.

A dinosaur sensory bin with play sand. Our toddler plays with it for hours, and it builds hand-eye coordination and imaginative play. Ages 3–4.

A construction-themed sensory bin with glow-in-the-dark stones. Our toddler played with it for hours. Hands-on sensory and pretend play for ages 3–4.

Kid-sized tools for scooping and grabbing in sensory bins and sand. Fine motor practice that builds hand-eye coordination, for ages 3–4.

Water-activated light-up cubes for bath time and sensory bins. Our toddler gets excited every time they come out. Sensory and pretend play for ages 3–4.

The VTech KidiBeats drum set. Drumming along builds hand-eye coordination and gets little ones making music, ages 2–4.

A 50-pound bag of ultra-fine play sand for sandboxes and sensory tables. Sensory, creative play for ages 3–5.

A motorized train set with 3D track layouts kids build themselves. STEM learning and pretend play for ages 3–5.

An air-powered building set kids connect and rearrange. Problem solving, creativity and STEM play for ages 3–5.

A backyard bounce house with two water slides. Climbing, sliding and splashing make for active summer play, ages 3–5.

105 rainbow counting bears for sorting, counting and color play. Picking up and sorting them builds fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Ages 3–4.

127 see-through counting bears for sorting, counting and learning colors. Our favorite rainy-day sensory bin filler, and they glow on a light table. Ages 3–4.