How do you teach a toddler to be gentle with new toys?

My 4 year old is rough with new toys and I’m not sure how much I should step in.

We’ve been working on being gentle with people, pets, books, and toys. Sometimes he does well. Other times he gets something new and starts throwing it, forcing pieces together, or bending parts.

I know toddlers are still learning and don’t fully understand that things can break. But it’s hard to watch him damage something soon after opening it. If I show him how it works, he says he wants to do it himself. If I keep correcting him, I feel like I’m hovering. If I say nothing, I feel like I should step in. I don’t want to get upset and take the toy away. That’s how it was handled when I was a kid, and it didn’t help much.

I want to teach him to be careful without making him feel like he’s doing it wrong.

How do you deal with this?