The Best Science Kits for 4 Year Olds That Teach Basic Science Concepts Really Well

Buying science kits for 4 year olds can be a challenge.

It’s not always easy to find an age-appropriate science toy. You’d ideally want something that’s not too difficult it’s frustrating. Nor too easy that it’s boring.

The good thing?

Children this age are no longer putting everything in their mouths. So your choice of science kits significantly increases.

But before I show you about the best science kits for 4 year olds, here are some tips on what types of toys to get when you’re choosing one.

1. There are science experiments kits with materials that may not be safe for a 4-year-old to tinker with. Always look at the guide and instructions that come with the kit.
2. This is the time to develop curiosity in science and discovery. As much as we want them to learn advanced science concepts, many 4-year-olds are more open to learning when they’re also having fun with you.

The Best Science Kits for 4 Year Olds

I’ve done some research to find the best science kits for 4 year olds. I’ve picked a wide variety of science toys so you can pick one that best fits your child’s interest.

1. Garden Science Box

There’s much to learn for your 4 year old with a garden science box. Whether you live in a small apartment or a rural area, this garden science box can help kids learn more about gardening and the world around them.

Garden Science Box – $29.95 If your child loves gardening they’ll be sure to love our Garden Science Discovery Box!

What I love about this science kit is that it includes 5 activities in one box. The kit includes everything a 4 year old will need to make a:

• Window Greenhouse Kit
• Grow-your-own Organic Garden
• Paint-your-own Pinwheel Kit
• Garden Sculpture Kit, and
• Painted Kindness Rock

It’s the perfect hands-on science kit for 4 year old to welcome spring. Or even during the winter when you’re all inside the house and you want a little bit of a garden vibe in the house.

Garden Science Box – $29.95
from: Green Kid Crafts

2. Backyard Science Kit

Take your 4 year old outside with this backyard science kit. This kit encourages curiosity as kids go outside and learn all about the wonderful natural world.

The science box is full of fun projects that teach kids how to be ecologically responsible through craft activities like:

• decorating pressed leaf clay pendants
• making nature sun prints with sun print paper
• experimenting with a paper-making kit, and designing a paper maché globe

Read the reviews and see that preschooler parents love how easy the activities are to do for a 4 year old. And that very little adult supervision is necessary.

Here’s what one parent said:

Backyard Science Box
from: Green Kid Crafts

3. Blippi My First Science Experiment

It may look like it’s just a color-mixing toy. But it’s much more than that. This STEAM activity kit teaches 4 year olds all about primary colors through fun activities. That’s basic Chemistry in the works.

Look at your child’s face as they watch how colors change when they mix different colors. It’s just like magic.

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This activity is then taken up a notch when they drop a fizzy tablet in water and the color of the water changes. They’ll think it’s magic. But of course, you can go on to explain that it’s really chemistry in action.

Each box includes clear explanation of the science behind the experiments. So you can be sure that you don’t have to go googling all the science concepts when you do this.

Fizzy tablets that make a color appear in water take this activity up a notch. And it doesn’t end there. This science activity also practices a 4 year old’s developmental skills like:

• strengthen hand-eye coordination
• inspire creativity
• Develop fine motor skills

4. Gemstone Excavation Kit

If your 4 year old loves rocks or dreams of becoming a paleontologist this gemstone excavation kit is the perfect gift. It IS a one-time activity. But it’s so fun your child will have a lot of fun “digging” for gemstones, crystals and rocks.

Dig It Out Gemstone Excavation Kit
from: Green Kid Crafts

When my boy was 4 years old, I remember how he loved these types of excavation kits. We would leave him to dig by himself (which he preferred), and it would occupy him for a good few hours.

What I love about this particular kit is that it comes with a magnifying glass and an identification guide. So while your child is digging, they can also identify which type of gemstone it is.

Be forewarned. This can create a lot of dusty mess. But you’ll forget all that when you see your child’s happy face.

5. The Analyst Play Kit

The Analyst Play kit is a box full of science toys and activities that are appropriate for a 4-year-old. The team behind Lovevery has hand-picked the STEM toys in the box for your child to practice the developmental skills they need to learn at 4 years old.

The toys help children

• Practice fine motor skills
• Translate 2D pictures into 3D objects
• Build descriptive language skills

If you love Montessori toys, you’ll love the Analyst Play kit. While you’re at the Lovevery site, check out the other toys they sell. These toys are made for supporting the developmental skills of a preschooler. Check it out here.

6. Toy Science Kit with Lab Coat

What I love about this science kit for 4 year olds is that it comes with some Science materials & accessories that you can reuse for more activities in the future.

The kit includes:

• a strong quality lab coat
• beaker
• tweezers
• a real working magnifying glass
• droppers
• test tubes
• and many more

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As you can see, it’s a science kit that equips your child with everything they need for their first science kit. And since the lab coat is made for 4-8 years old, they will have it to use for many years to come.

The kit also comes with a booklet full of fun hands-on science activities that your 4 year old can easily follow.

Science Toys For 4 Year Olds

1. Solar System

Perfect for a 4 year old who loves outer space, this kids’ science toy and exploration kit teaches basic concepts about the universe. Through fun projects, kids learn about astronomy topics like

• moon phases
• constellations
• space vehicles
• lunar and solar eclipses
• earth rotations
• and many more

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This will get kids building astronomy-related structures like a rocket, solar clock and a 2D solar system. The experiments are very easy to do but will require the supervision of an adult.

The kit comes with a booklet with simple explanations about each activity at a level that a 4 year old can understand.

3. Talking Microscope

There’s a problem with microscopes for 4 year olds: they operate exactly like adult microscopes which makes them difficult for kids to use.

But give a 4 year old the Educational Insights Talking microscope. And they’ll have a science toy they can easily manipulate, play with and learn from.

This is a fantastic microscope made for preschoolers.

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Here’s how this works:

The microscope comes with 60 prepared slides. Your child puts a slide onto the stage, turns the audio on and information about the specimen will be narrated by Bindi Irwin, no less.

The narration tells your child what the specimen is and all other interesting information about it. This makes it even more interesting for a 4-year-old.

It’s a fun rainy-day activity when you want to stay indoors but learn about science at the same time. All the interesting information about each specimen encourages curiosity in all things biology and botany.

Here’s what one parent says about the best microscope for 4 year old boys and girls:

4. Insect Lore Butterfly Garden

This is one of those fun science activities your 4 year old will most likely remember (and to be honest, if they don’t, you will!).

When you buy this science kit for 4 year old kids, you’ll get a net habitat, a feeding dropper and an instruction booklet. It also comes with a caterpillar voucher.

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Then when you and your child are ready, you order 5 caterpillars and food (you’ll need to pay for shipping), and you’ll get them on your doorstep within 2-3 days.

Now for the experiment: Your child will see exactly how caterpillars turn to butterflies.

They’ll be the “parents” of the butterflies. As each day passes, they’ll see a live transformation of the life of a butterfly.

What a real “hands-on” experience that involves all senses. And since you’ll be doing this “experiment” in about 2 weeks, you can teach different biology concepts during that whole time.

Here’s a youtube review of this kit by _

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5. Outdoor Exploration Kits for 4 year olds

Make going outdoors and nature exploration fun with this nature exploration kit for 4 year olds.

Why not make your walks with a 4 year old fun, interesting and educational by taking an exploration kit along with you. This makes being outdoors a lot more fun for preschoolers. And they also learn about scientific exploration.

There are many variations of these exploration kits but most of them will include a bag, binoculars and compass.

I love this one from National Geographic because it includes a vest and hat with the cool National Geographic logo. On the other hand, this one from Pathfinder focuses on bug-finding materials -which many 4 year olds are into. Lastly, if you want a simple no-fuss outdoor kit, the one from Kids Play Store is all you need.

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6. Moon Torch

Do you want a simple science toy to add to a 4 year old’s stocking stuffer for example? Then check out KidsLabz Moon Torch.

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As the name suggests, it’s a torch that projects the moon onto any surface. Kids simply:

1. Turn off the lights (or go to a dark room)
2. Turn off the torch
3. Point it at a flat surface like the ceiling or a wall
4. And then they’ll see a clear image of the moon.

It’s a very simple science toy. But 4 year old kids love it. It can even be part of a bedtime ritual as you look at the moon on the wall together.

Engineering Toys for 4 Year Olds

1. Building Blocks – 1000 pieces

Building blocks are one of those toys you feel every child should have. It helps them develop fine motor skills as well as boost their problem-solving skills. The blocks also teach them a lot about math, engineering and technology while having fun.

But for 4 year olds you’ll need to buy building blocks that are appropriate for their age. Legos are great at some point, but at this time, the bigger blocks are great.

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That’s what I love about the Garunk Building Blocks. It’s got over 1000 pieces and also comes with other things like doors, windows and wheels. All these give your child much better flexibility than most other building blocks for 4 year olds out there. Check it out.

2. Magna Tiles

Magna Tiles are not the cheapest engineering toys for 4 year olds. But boy is it a great toy.

For those of you who don’t know, Magna Tiles are big magnetic block pieces that a child can put together to build different structures. To borrow their tagline, Magna Tiles is where Math, science and creativity meet.

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Children can use it with free play. But you can also use it as props for homeschooling lessons like when trying to learn something like fractions, puzzles or magnets.

There are many types of Magna tiles, but the Metropolis one is great for 4 year olds.

3. Toy Rocket Launcher

These stomp rocket launchers teach kids about the laws of physics. And they’re also really fun. They’re great for when you have an outdoor birthday party or a picnic activity. If you also just want the kids to be outside more in the garden, this is a fun activity to do, too.

The “rockets” are made of foam and can go as high as 100 ft. Kids can stomp or jump on them. Great for using all that energy.

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4. Montessori Screw Toys

I love Montessori toys. They mimic real life situations but in a safe environment. Like these Montessori screw toys.

Your 4 year old is going to love screwing and unscrewing these. And while they’re doing that, they’re not only playing pretend but also developing sensory and motor skills. Some kids even enjoy this so much they can spend many hours just sitting there figuring this out.

A great small toy you can also easily take with you when you travel.

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4. Wooden geoboard

Here’s another Montessori toy that’s perfect for 4 year olds: a wooden geoboard.

What is a geoboard? Here’s Wikipedia

Geoboards help kids think strategically, develop their imagination and introduces geometry concepts.

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Science Books for 4 Year Olds

In addition to science kits for 4 year olds, books are also a great way to teach kids about basic science concepts. When choosing science books for 4 year olds, get a combination of fiction and non-fiction books. Here are some books that many parents recommend.

• Rand Riley’s Really Big Hit
• My First Book of Planets
• My Encyclopedia of Very Important Things: For Little Learners Who Want to Know Everything (My Very Important Encyclopedias)
• The Backyard Bug Book for Kids: Storybook, Insect Facts, and Activities (Let’s Learn About Bugs and Animals)
• Science STEM Sticker book

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You might also like to check out:

• Science kits for 3 year olds
• Award-winning science toys
• Science experiments for kindergarteners
• The best science kits for kids monthly subscription