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My four years old daughter asked for a pillow - something we didn't really think about until she asked.
Can't see any reason to deny her request of course but question is, what is the best type of pillow for children this age? Should we avoid certain types or look for specific type? (e.g. soft, synthetic , etc)
I would suggest at least initially offering a variety of pillows. Different people have different pillow preferences based on how they sleep; a back sleeper wants a firmer, thinner pillow, a side sleeper wants a firmer, thicker pillow, and a front sleeper wants a softer, middle-thickness pillow, most commonly, but even there you see a huge range.
As a toddler probably doesn't yet have a good idea of what sort of pillow she/he will prefer over the long term (and I'm sure it will change several times over the years), the best thing to do is to let her/him figure it out by trial and error.
For my three year old, he has two or three pillows to choose from; a smallish Thomas shaped pillow that's pretty thick, a homemade pillow from sewing class that's thinner but wider, and sometimes a third very large thick pillow.
As far as materials go, I imagine it depends on allergies (ie, if you need a 'hypoallergenic' pillow; my feeling is those don't do much, but your mileage may vary), but otherwise you should just go with whatever feels best to her. I wouldn't buy anything terribly expensive at first, at least until she figures out what she likes.
I often used to accompany my Mom when she used to go shopping to buy things for me. This is something I learnt from my Mom when she used to select my pillows when I was a little girl.
You should press the pillow before you buy. It shouldn't be too hard or too soft. Children's posture and spine gets damaged if the pillow is too hard or too soft. An ideal pillow should regain shape as soon as you lift your hand after pressing it. Hypoallergenic foam pillows are very good for toddlers for their posture and prevents their skin from allergic reactions as well.
Posture is very important for your daughter, especially if she decides to opt for sports or dance in future, a good strong spine will help her.
