4 year old gift guide

I'm always looking for fun ideas of things to get my kids, and I thought you all might be too. You already know that I gave her this cloth doll and this sewing kit.  Here are a few of my other favorite things that Lu got for her 4 year old birthday.  (FYI:  These are all my own opinions, no one has asked me to endorse any of these products).

1. Knitting loom.  I was so surprised that Lu could do this so well!  She needed some help wrapping the yarn around, but she was able to make this hat for her doll (picture above) mostly by herself.

2.  Art box.  My mom got Lu a box filled with washable markers, pencils, and stamps.  Lu absolutely LOVES it.  I had no idea that they make so many different types of washable markers!  My advice is to stay with Crayola, as those seem to the be the only truly WASHABLE markers in my experience.  In all reality Lu could probably handle the non-washable kind, but with a little sister who likes to draw on walls, washable is really the only way to go.

3. These awesome art books for kids. 
Once upon a doodle:  where you finish the picture from lots of fairy tale pictures
Ed Emberley's Fingerprint drawing book:  Making cute pictures about of fingerprints
Follow the Directions and Draw it all by yourself:  A step by step guide for teaching kids to draw basic animals etc. 

Right now I would say that Lu likes Once Upon a Doodle best, but I think that she will grow into the other two.

4.  Dress up clothes--because dress up is still very awesome when you are 4.  I highly recommend the quality of the Melissa and Doug Dress up clothes.  Or make your own! 

5.  Duplo blocks.  Yep!  Lu's still really into building things with Duplo.  I know some people have moved onto little (regular) legos at 4, but I don't feel that Lu is really maximizing her building abilities with the big blocks yet.  Plus the little pieces are still too little for baby sister.  Lu loves that there are Duplo blocks for some of her favorite characters.  We have Winnie the Pooh ones and several of the princess ones.  Lu loves them for building and playing.

6. T-ball set.  Lu's is pink.  Which makes it all the more awesome.

7.  Books!  Lu loves Press Here.  My almost 2 year old loves it as well.

My favorite new author is Bethanie Murguia.  Lu got Zoe gets ready last year (a cute book about getting dressed) and we got her Zoe's room this year ( about having to share a room with a sister--so appropriate in our house, since we just moved the girls in together!)

Lu also got Calvin Can't fly, which is a very cute book about a bird that just wants to read all of the time.  The illustrations are beautiful. 

I also love Bedtime for Monsters by Ed Vere. 

8.  Play-dough sets.  Lu's totally into the play sets.  She loves making ice cream, or modeling Rapunzel's hair.

9.  If your 4 year old is into Disney princesses, these Disney animators dolls have been a big hit in our house.  Lu got the Brave one this year for her birthday.  She's gotten 5 over the last 2 years and they remain some of her favorite dolls.  We have Rapunzel, Cinderella, Snow White, Brave, and Belle. 

I hope you find this list helpful, and if you have any other suggestions, please add them as a comment!  I'm always looking for new ideas, and it is never too early to start getting ideas for Christmas!