I received a question and I figured I'd answer it on the blog. What LEGO sets do you buy a boy aged 4? Given the numerous amounts of sets out there with different themes, this is actually quite a challenging question. I'll share my thoughts and I'm curious to hear if there are others.
The first place to start with LEGO in terms of age is the DUPLO line. You can view LEGO's current DUPLO line here. The age range listed on most of the sets is listed as between 2 and 5. The DUPLO line has come a long way. It now has sub-themes and a variety of sets to include Super Heroes and Disney characters. Should you get them for a 4 year old? I think if he has DUPLO sets and enjoys playing with them still, then more DUPLOs wouldn't be a bad thing. If he doesn't have them or already is into LEGO sets, then stick to LEGO. If you're looking for a deal, Amazon's DUPLO sales are here. You can also change it to view sales at Target and Walmart.
Next up in terms of age is LEGO Juniors. This theme was started 2014 and the age range listed is between 4 and 7. LEGO's current line can be found here. What's good about this theme? It uses standard LEGO elements and minifigures, but the sets typically have fewer parts. Currently there are City, Super Hero, Disney Princess, and some pink sets geared towards girls, but still within the City line. The sets are marketed as "easy to build." This line could be a good place to start for a 4 year old boy who is just starting in LEGO. Amazon has a few sales on Juniors sets which can be found here. You can switch it to see Target and Walmart sales too.
Another option is one of my favorites. The LEGO Classic line has an age range listed of 4 to 99. Why centennials can't use them, I'm not quite sure. You can view LEGO's Classic line here. Why is the LEGO Classic line good? They are just boxes of bricks. There are some examples of what you can build on the box and sometimes they come with idea books, but beyond that you can build whatever you want. They come with some vehicle elements, elements to make animals, elements to build houses, and numerous others to encourage imagination. Plus you never grow out of them. You can use them to build whatever you want or connect them with other themes as you want. Classic sales at Amazon are here. As listed before you can see Target and Walmart sales too. Also, you can read a post that I did on one of the Classic Sets here.
The last theme I'd recommend is LEGO City (view the line here). The age range listed is 5 to 12 so a year more, but that could be okay. It could be a good set to build with him as a 4 year old or perhaps have a parent or guardian build with him. As he gets older (if not already), he should be able to put it together pretty easily on his own. Most of the City sets are not too challenging to build and there is a wide range of smaller, cheaper sets to larger, more expensive sets. LEGO City always seems to have police and fire fighters. There are usually others too such as space, construction, transportation, and a few others. They tend to be pretty easy to find a retail stores like Target and Walmart. As mentioned before, you can see Amazon discounts here (and switch to see Target and Walmart sales).
LEGO has a bunch of other themes and all could be good options. Not knowing what he is into, I went for the safer bets. He could be a Super Hero or Star Wars fan and LEGO has numerous options for both. The age ranges listed on those sets vary based on the set so you'll have to take a look. A quick view showed some Star Wars sets at ages 6-12 and others at 8-14.
I hope this post was useful and answers the question. Good luck and happy building!
