4 year old having tantrums with hitting and throwing things for a few weeks?

What the evidence says

Tantrums with hitting or throwing are still common at age 4, even though many children start tantrumming less often after age 3. This kind of behaviour usually reflects a child who is overwhelmed and doesn't yet have the words or self-control to handle big feelings, not a discipline failure on your part. That said, aggression becomes more of a concern when it happens very often, causes injury, doesn't let up with calm and consistent limits, or starts interfering with daycare, preschool, or friendships.

Canadian health guidance notes that ongoing aggression can sometimes be an early sign of oppositional defiant disorder, so it's worth mentioning to your child's doctor if it continues or escalates over the next few weeks. Helpful strategies in the meantime: stay calm yourself (you're modelling how to handle frustration), name the feeling your child seems to have, redirect them to words instead of hitting, and use short, consistent consequences like a brief time-out for aggression. Praise calm behaviour often, since attention for good moments matters as much as consequences for bad ones.

Since this has been going on for a few weeks, it's also worth thinking about whether anything changed recently - a new sibling, daycare, sleep, illness, or family stress - since tantrums often spike around transitions.