Board games can help young children learn colors, shapes and counting--skills that they should have before entering kindergarten. Look for classic board games that incorporate these skills, like Candy Land or Hi-Ho Cherry-O, to play with your child. Bingo can be another good choice, especially when you find games that use things other than numbers, such as shapes, letters or simple words.
Play games that encourage knowledge of the alphabet and phonics. For example, you could go on an alphabet walk and try to find something that starts with every letter of the alphabet. You could also spread out flash cards that feature the letters and ask your child to find different letters.
Four-year-olds are improving their physical abilities, including the abilities to run, jump, skip, hop and gallop. A game like Follow the Leader allows you to do this, as the leader can incorporate different physical movements. Mother May I uses both counting and different movements, such as taking small and large steps, crawling and hopping, based on what the "mother" says.
Games that use the imagination prepare children for literacy and storytelling. Play a game like "Animal Charades," where children get to act out different animals and the others try to guess what it is. You can also play a game where the children go on a jungle walk--the leader of the walk tells the other children what they're seeing and how to behave, such as running away when you "see" a lion.
Though the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children get less than one or two hours of TV or video game time per day, video games can still have a place in the development of your four year old. Children's games on the Wii allow for some physical activity and hand-eye coordination. Preschool-focused games for the computer teach children phonics, colors, shapes and counting.