The Best Toys for Boys (Ages 3-4)

It’s so hard to know what the best toys for boys between 3 and 4 are, as every kid is so different! I certainly know this is a fact, as I have two little boys, a 3 and 1 year old. Just watching my two boys and how they interact and play with toys lets me know that they are going to be interested in different things when they get older.

My 3 year old is fascinated with music, but not just dancing or singing. He’s obsessed with instruments and classical music (thank you Little Einsteins!). He could look at books ALL day. Nathaniel loves to figure out how things work. If I get him a new toy (especially if it’s intricate), he spends a lot of time looking it over, pushing all the buttons or levers and experimenting with it. He loves learning. Nathaniel began learning his letters and numbers before turning two, and he now knows all of them. He can sit at a table and concentrate for almost an hour on something if he’s really interested in it.

Christopher is my spit fire. He’s full of personality and sunshine! He already throws a ball overhand, and would rather push, roll, or throw a ball rather than anything else. Christopher loves movement, so using the toddler broom brings him a lot of joy. He loves music, too, but he loves dancing the most. He’s always on the go, doesn’t sit still very long unless he’s tired, and doesn’t try to inspect every detail of anything.

I often joke that Nathaniel is going to be my academic while Christopher will be my sportsman. And I know, there’s a huge age gap (in child years) to be comparing them. What I mean to say is that Nathaniel at the age of 1 didn’t do everything Christopher does, nor was he interested in everything Christopher is.

So I completely understand if you aren’t sure what toys or activities to get your boys! I’m at a loss all the time! But what I can say is that with some trial and error and a LOT of observation, you’ll figure out what your child or children need. You are their mama after all, and you know their needs better than anyone!

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So What’s the Problem?

Sometimes we, as parents, struggle to know what toys or activities to get our kids. Kids are ever changing and growing, and aren’t always interested in the same things as everyone else. Especially in the baby years, the toys a 1 year old plays with won’t be the same ones that a 15 month old wants to play with because they are changing so much!

How Can I Help?

As a mama of two littles, I know a little about choosing toys that interest little boys. I can help suggest some really amazing products and activities. However, you know your child best! Read over my post and see if there’s anything that would peak your child’s interest. If not, no worries!

Below you’ll find a heading containing a specific toy or activity, a picture, and then a short description of that toy or activity. Look below that to see my product suggestions!

The best toys and activities for boys

Work Trucks

Toy work trucks are amazing toys for little boys to play with! Whether they be a simple Dollar Tree bulldozer to a mechanical excavator with a remote control, kids can get so much play with these toys! And I say “work” trucks so it includes ALL work trucks- construction vehicles, emergency responders, garbage trucks, etc.

Imaginative Play-Dress Up

Ok, so I have two imaginative play headings. There’s so much kids can do with this type of play, and there’s so many toys and accessories that go in to this that I felt like I needed to separate the dress up play from the toys.

This type of play is so fun! This is where your kiddo can be anything he wants to be- from a chef in a kitchen to an astronaut in space, the ways to play are endless! Get your child dress up accessories such as hats or costumes and role play different jobs.

Imaginative Play- Toys

Instead of your child playing the role of a pirate, now they use toys such as the picture above to act out pirates looking for treasure. The great thing about imaginative play with toys is that it works for pretty much any toy! Use farmhouses, dollhouses, zoos, any type of transportation vehicle with little people, and so much more to inspire your child to roll play!

Magnet Blocks

I introduced magnetic blocks to my son when he was two and he fell in love immediately. What actually happened was my husband watched Nathaniel play with magnetic blocks at the toy store while I went shopping in a boutique with our newborn. The result? My husband and son left the toy store with a bag of goodies. I laughed when he told me he bought the blocks because I knew how convincing our two year old could be when he wanted something, but I also was glad because my husband explained that he sat playing with the blocks intently and loved every second of it. He’s three and a half now and still loves playing with the blocks.

Now they have all kinds of brands, sizes, and types of magnetic blocks. Some are small, flat pieces that you stick together to build larger structures while others are big, soft cubes used to create forts. Whatever you choose, your child is going to love them! And this leads me to my next suggestion right after these amazing and versatile products!

Building Toys

I LOVE building toys for kids! It’s such an open ended type of play, where they can discover new ways to create things every single time they play. And nowadays there’s so many types of blocks out there that you can have all kinds of choices for your kid! We love legos (big and small), magnetic blocks, wooden blocks, and so on!

Dinosaurs

Nathaniel didn’t get interested in dinosaurs until just before three. He thinks they are pretty amazing now, and can name more than I can, but he loves playing with his dinosaur toys. He has dinosaurs of all sizes, and he doesn’t mind that he has 5 T-Rex’s. Dinos are a great toy for boys because there’s so much you can do with them!

Play with them in the bath, create a volcano and play with them in the “lava”. Have them drive cars or trains, or reenact an episode of Dinosaur Train. Line them up from shortest to tallest, or longest to shortest. If you have a toy scale you can see which dinosaur weighs the most or least and which two dinos weigh the same. I could go on, but I think you get the picture. There’s a LOT you can do with dinosaurs.

Sensory Play

I’m a big fan of sensory play on paper, but I admit it stressed me out when we do it in person. But if you’re like me, let me urge you to push aside the anxiety of the ensuing mess and let your kid play! As the parent, you can do some prep before the activity, such as lying down newspapers or a plastic table cloth to help protect the floor or your table. You could even let your kid play in the bath depending on the type of sensory play (water or shaving cream). Grab a small plastic tote, find your favorite sensory idea on Pinterest, then put it together. Your child will thank you!

But you know what’s great about sensory play? If you don’t have a lot to spend on it, there’s all kinds of sensory play outside! Think: dirt, mud, grass, trees, water, rocks, mulch, leaves, flowers, and so on. Sensory play in the rain with or without the rain gear, or grab that extra bag of planting soil and let your kid use his construction trucks in it.

Books

Of course books are on this list. I’m going to be honest here: books will ALWAYS be on my list of toys or activities for your children. As a former teacher and book lover, there’s so many benefits to reading stories to your children. If you struggle with knowing how to engage with your toddler as you read, check out this post! It goes in depth with how to read with your child!

Music

Who doesn’t love a good dance party?! Music is amazing for play, whether your kids are dancing, singing or playing instruments. Both my boys (and all kids that I’ve ever seen for that matter) LOVE music. Nathaniel sings or hums songs he’s learned all day, and any time a song plays that is somewhat fast, little Christopher will start bobbing up and down to the beat. Even if you are not musically inclined, you can still throw a dance party or sing along party with your kids!

There’s a lot of great products for various ages out there! And if your child shows a keen interest in instruments, I recommend investing in music lessons and real instruments, not the plastic ones. So grab a tambourine and pat the beat of a song. If you don’t have one, you can make one with some rice or beans and two paper plates glued together!

Art

This is one of those topics that I love the thought of, but dread the practice of. Let me explain: I love art. I love painting, sketching and drawing, and crafting! But I hate cleaning up after myself, so naturally I hate cleaning up arts and crafts after my kids, too. But I do try! So if you are like me, I’ll share some products that may make your clean up easier!

But art is a must for toddlers, and yes, even boys!

Final Thoughts on the Best Toys for Boys Ages 3-4

I hope you found some awesome ideas for toys for your little boy! My son loves variations of these toys. Use these suggestions to play with your kids and create meaningful quality time with them!