How to Select a Gift for a 4-Year-Old Boy

Tracking down the perfect gift for that curious and exploring little four-year-old boy in your life can be a pleasure.

Things You'll Need

• Baby And Infant Gift Certificates
• Birthday Cards
• Child-safe Tape Recorders
• Child-safe Plastic Personal Stereos
• Action Figures
• Glow-in-the-dark Stars
• Toy Alphabet Blocks
• Toy Alphabet Magnets

Instructions

1. Indulge your inner child: What would you have liked? Glow-in-the-dark stars? Action figures? Blocks? Trucks? Trains?

2. Check with his parents: What does he already have? What's he into this month? Is there a new toy that he's longing for?

3. Get into your task: Browse an online toy store or go to the mall. What looks fun?

4. Consider alphabet puzzles, alphabet blocks or alphabet magnets. He'll be reading soon.

5. Consider sound: Might he like a plastic portable cassette player or a tape recorder? A CD or tape of nursery rhymes? Or some keyboarding software?

6. Go for a gift certificate, especially if you're out of state or out of time.

7. Think long-term: Earmark a donation to his educational fund.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure whatever you get is returnable so you can avoid adding to those piles of unused items in the garage.

• Read the packaging and warning labels carefully to be sure that whatever you settle on is safe for young children.