Kidizoom Twist Camera

This is a product which we feature in several present ideas lists on this website - because we genuinely believe that every home with kids should have a Kidizoom camera! Our Kidizoom camera is 4 years old and still works as well as it did the day Tiny Toy Reviewer #1 unwrapped it. The design has since been superseded by the vastly superior Kidizoom Twist (which we reviewed here), which offers even more fun and features for your money.

Households who already have a kid's digital camera may want to look at the Kidizoom video camera instead, which is another great product from VTech with excellent customer reviews, (our very in depth product review can be found here).

Junior Space Hopper

For some reason, Tiny Toy Reviewer #1 decided his must have birthday present this year (his 6th birthday) was a space hopper. So I bought a couple of Junior space hoppers, thinking they'd probably be a novelty item and the appeal would soon wear off. But I was wrong and the space hoppers provided regular entertainment right up until the weather got too bad to bounce up and down the garden. I would highly recommend them as an inexpensive present for 4 year old boys, and it will give them plenty of exercise too!

Automoblox

Automoblox are part toy car, part construction toy. The high quality wooden cars work great as a stand alone toy but come into their own if you have several designs, since you can mix and match the parts to make your own creations. We have the Automoblox minis, and would highly recommend them to people looking for something a little 'different' from the regular toys you see in the shop. You can read our review here if you'd like to learn more about the product.

Citiblocs

More stylish and sophisticated than regular building blocks, Citiblocs will be a hit with 4 year old boys but will last them many more years before they outgrow them. The complex structures that can be made with these identical, perfectly balanced wooden blocks are breathtaking but in the mean time your 4 year old will enjoy making towers, roads for their toy cars, little train stations and anything else they can imagine. Read more here.

Marble Run

With Tiny Toy Reviewer #2's obsession with construction toys and building elaborate structures I'm amazed I only thought about getting him a marble run after I started researching my list of gift ideas for 4 year old boys. Consequently, I've now added one to his fourth birthday wish list so expect a marble run review to pop up on this site soon. Prices range from around £10 to £30, and most of the products I've been looking at have good customer ratings. A marble run seem to be a must have toy for small boys!

Lego

With an older Lego-mad brother, Tiny Toy Reviewer #2 has been playing with Lego since he was a toddler. But for Lego-free households, I would recommend getting boys their first Lego set at around 4 years old. A deluxe box of lego bricks is a good as introduction to Lego, and most basic brick sets come with a booklet of ideas to get them started.

If the themed sets appeal more to you than a box of bricks there are a few sets which are suitable for young Lego novices, such as some of the smaller Lego Cars 2 sets.

Trunki is not strictly a toy, but I think this makes a great gift for a 4 year old. This best selling child-friendly suitcase can hold enough kiddy essentials for a night away or just store some of their favourite toys whilst at home. It is strong and sturdy enough to sit on and ride on, providing great fun when whizzing around the house or a welcome distraction when waiting around at an airport. There are many Trunki designs available (we have a Gruffalo one), and prices start at £24 on Amazon.

Swing Cars

We have two of the UKayed swing cars, and Tiny Toy Reviewer #2 (at nearly 4 years old) is just getting the hang of riding them properly. There is no motor, no battery and no pedals - the car is propelled by wiggling the steering wheel from side to side. They are brilliant fun and always a hit with any child who visits us. For more information you can check out our swing car review.

Pop Up Pirate

Board games are great as a family activity and for encouraging turn taking skills, but there are very few games available which are simple enough to follow for a year old, and which will hold their attention. The concept behind Pop Up Pirate is very basic - stick swords in the barrel to find the slot which makes the pirate pop - and has the advantage that winning is purely luck rather than strategy, so even the youngest family member has a chance to win. It is also enormous fun and people of all ages will enjoy it. Review here.