A lot of new gift-giving possibilities open by the time kids are five because they are developing skills and more-specific interests. Many 5-year-olds are starting to attend kindergarten, where they are exploring new subjects and ideas for the first time ever. Kits and toys that let a 5-year-old perform simple science experiments and explore the natural world can help kids understand the world better.
The best gifts for 5-year-olds should help them make connections between what they experience in the world around them and what they are exposed to in the classroom. Finding an age-appropriate gift for a 5-year-old could be a little tricky. At this age, kids are no longer toddlers. But they are also not who you’ll call big kids. At this point, most parents are thinking about STEM toys to get kids ready for elementary school.
The best toys for 5-year-olds should take into account their milestones in terms of development. The average 5-year old has acquired some life skills already, such as counting, drawing and solving geometric shapes problems. They may even have developed friendships in which they see friends at birthday parties that can do a variety of other things like dancing, climbing and summersaulting. Sometimes, they have been bet with friends on who can jump higher or summersault better. They have developed more curiosity about the world around them.
You should look for gifts that complement the child’s natural curiosities and interests that they have expressed. That interest can be art, sports, or music, but they can also change over time. Books to build their library and cooperative board games are also great gift choices. Toys for a 5-year-old should help advance their skills.
We have done some research to identify the most educational, fun, engaging, and memorable best gifts for 5-year-olds.
Never run out of gift ideas for 5-year-olds. Peruse through our list to find the best toys for 5-year-olds that would excite them and also encourage healthy development.
Wilson Traditional Soccer Ball – Synthetic leather cover
Get your football-loving 5-year-old boys to begin to flex their soccer skills in the backyard with this soccer ball. Playing soccer helps your child develop limb-eye coordination and also teaches them the basics of teamwork and social skills. The durability and shape-retaining feature of this Traditional ball ensure that your child’s focus and self-confidence building are not interrupted by a deflation. The ball is machine-sewn and hence ideal for all kinds of playgrounds.
Loog Mini Guitar – Guitar for Children and Beginners, (Red)
The Loog Mini guitar is the perfect opportunity for your child to start connecting with a musical instrument and music overall. You should not expect your child to play it right away, but you can definitely expect him/her to absolutely love it. The guitar has nylon strings and is a comfortable fit for small, child’s hands. The Mini’s has flashcards included, and they also offer an app with features a tuner and video lessons. Your child might not grow up to be the next George Harrison, but he/she will enjoy the learning about music. Giving your child a gift of music could be very rewarding in the life of the child as he or she grows.
Schleich Horse Riding Center – 44-piece Educational Playset for Kids Ages 5-12
Introduce your kids to horses at an early age with this Horse Riding toy set by Schleich. This toy set consists of a horse riding center and horses that help bud and develop imaginative pretend play for children. It is also beneficial for the development of cognitive and motor skills in 5-year-olds.
Every single one of the 44 pieces in this set has passed international safety requirement for children’s toys, and are absolutely safe for kids. It’s a learning tool for child development that is also fun to play with.
Uncle Milton Moon in My Room– Remote Control Wall Décor Night Light
Uncle Milton Moon in My Room is the perfect gift for kids that are afraid to sleep alone in the dark because they are not too distracting. The light has a remote that you can keep for yourself in the beginning and then give it to the child when he/she is a little bit older. The light shuts off by itself, and it requires four AA and two AAA batteries to work.
Crayola Inspiration Coloring Set – Gift for Kids Age 5+
Get your 5-year-olds this coloring set so they can have their personal art studios with them – always. The collection includes 15 pieces of large paper, 40 markers, 64 crayons, and 20 colored pencils. In general, the best gifts for 5-year-olds should inspire creativity and the Crayola Inspiration Coloring Set does exactly that.
With this set, children get to develop their artistic skills, as well as their hand-eye coordination. They also get enough room for countless hours of play as the papers are large enough to accommodate all that their imaginationscan bring to reality.
Kid Made Modern Arts and Crafts Library Set – Kid Crafting Supplies, Art Projects in a Box
Unleash the creativity in your 5-year-old with this Art and Crafts Library Set by Kid Made. With over a thousand pieces of creative items, only your child’s imagination can put a pause on the things they can create from this set. If you’re out to encourage creativity in children, here’s an ideal gift for 5-year-olds.
Each piece of this art set is made from safe, durable materials. Therefore whatever is created from this set – from kids’ jewelry to scrapbooks and art projects – is sure to be eco-friendly and safe for kids.
Elephant & Piggie: The Complete Collection
Mo Willems’s Piggie and Elephant are, hands down, the most charming characters in modern children’s literature. Just about every kid will fall in love with these hilarious books when you read them together. These books are perfect for young kids that are just learning to read on their own, but they also ideal for creating that memory of the reading before bed. This set, which comes with metal Elephant and Piggie, contains all of the 25 books in the collection. If you want to give full story-time experience to your child, you can also throw in the stuffed versions of Elephant and Piggie.
PLUS PLUS Construction Set – Construction Building Stem Toy,
This toy set allows 5-year-olds to explore the width of their imaginations without screens. It comprises of colorful bricks that help develop logical reasoning, creative and motor skills in children. From alphabet shapes to animals in 3D, let your children spend their playtime creating things only their imaginations can put together. The set is also portable to ensure your creative child gets to work as soon as they receive inspiration to do so.
HABA Animal Upon Animal Game– Classic Wooden Stacking
The HABA Animal upon Animal game is ideal for everyone but is specifically designed to foster the healthy development of 5-year-olds. It consists of 29 wooden animals and a wooden die that dictates how players stack their animals. Some of the best toys for 5-year-olds are those that enable them to build something.
Children also get to learn focus and self-confidence while competing with other players in this game.
Monopoly Junior Game
Teach your 5-year-old the pros and cons of healthy competition with this children edition of the Monopoly game. Children can also learn dexterity, problem-solving, math, and literacy skills while having fun with this game.
The Monopoly Junior game comes with exciting tokens that inspire kids to compete hard to be able to buy yummy ice cream shops and toy stores. They also learn the art of negotiation as they acquire all the money and property for themselves.
Crayola Model Magic Deluxe Variety Pack – Crayola Modeling Clay Basic Colors
We can almost guarantee that kids will adore the tactile and squishy texture of Crayola’s Model Magic Clay. The clay can be molded into anything and everything, from a family of tiny pigs to a fantastical landscape of fairies and their little houses. The clay hardens after about one whole day, which makes all the creations and sculptures are sturdy enough for handling and playing with. As your child grows older, the clay can also come in handy for school projects because it is perfect for building any type of 3D design. The clay does not crumble or leave behind a mess, and we believe that every parent will appreciate that.
Klutz Make Clay Charms Kit – Parents’ Choice Award Winner
This kit comprises of 9 clay colors, a shaping tool, charm bracelet, and loops, jump rings, glaze and glaze brush, as well as a stand for display and drying. It also includes a design manual to assist your child’s imaginative capacity.
From this set, a 5-year-old can create over 30 different items that give their self-confidence and creativity the necessary boost. Don’t worry; every piece is environmentally-friendly and safe for 5-year-olds.
Carson HU-10 BugView – Release Bug Catching Tool
Carson HU-10 BugView is a toy that has a sliding mechanism that lets you trap an arachnid, an insect, or a small lizard from a distance. Once the creature is caught, you can use a built-in magnifier to get a closer look at it. This gift is perfect for kids that are already pretty into bugs and animals, and like catching and investigating critters in their yard, but it is also a great present for getting kids interested in these magnificent creatures.
Magnetic Poetry Storymaker Kits – Write Poems and Letters on The Fridge
Bring out the skilled storyteller in your child with this magnetic tile collection. The set consists of color-marked words and phrases that teach your children the basics of language. Children can write cute notes to parents or friends, build their vocabulary, or practice rhymes with these magnetic tiles. The tiles and their packaging materials meet both American and international safety standards to ensure your child is not exposed to hazards during play.
Green Toys Indoor Gardening Kit
Green Toys are great for encouraging a child to develop a green thumb, and it is an excellent choice for every family, whether you have a big garden, enjoy a modest green space, or are open to growing some plants indoors. This sandbox set is kid-friendly, as it is made from slightly flexible and, still, durable plastic that will withstand years of indoor and outdoor use. Green Toys Indoor Gardening Kit includes a trowel, three pots, a stand that is absolutely perfect for placing on a windowsill, ready-to-go soil discs, and three packets of seeds.
Green Toys Watering Can Toy – No BPA, phthalates, PVC
The Green Toys Watering Can Toy pairs well with the Green Toys Indoor Gardening Kit and it comes with a hand brake and a small shovel. Together, they make a perfect gardening set that will inspire your child to engage in activities that help the environment. It’s user-friendly and safe can made in the U.S.A from recycled milk jugs.
Enjoy spending precious time outdoors with you’re your young gardener child and be a part of his or her satisfying experience planting things and watching them bloom.
My Cinema Lightbox – The Original LED Marquee Lightbox
Let 5-year-olds show off their imaginative skills and creativities with this LED lightbox. It includes 100 numbers and alphabets to help them improve their vocabulary while they express themselves.
With this playset, children can also create various signs, phrases, or quotes for use as a home or birthday décor. And the large storage box behind the lightbox helps to ensure that no item gets missing.
The box can be battery-powered or connected via a USB that is included in the package. It can also be set up on a table or the wall within reach of 5-year-olds.
A Walk in the Woods: Into the Field Guide – a unique field guide
This slim nature guide makes a fantastic gift for any occasion, whether it is for your own kids or their friends. A Walk in the Woods: Into the Field Guide teaches kids about the basics of all the critters, plants, and rocks that they can see on a day hike, a family camping trip, or even just playing in your own backyard. Pairing this guide with a headlamp pick makes for the perfect, camping-themed birthday present. The pair makes a non-disposable gift that will encourage outdoor exploration for years and years to come.
LEGO Classic Creativity Building Kit – Includes three levels of the building
With this creativity building kit from LEGO, 5-year-olds can learn to harness their creativity while building different items. Children can also get creative inspiration from the design manual included in the package.
The LEGO Creativity Building Kit has been certified by experts, and have shown to help children develop their motor and creative skills. It also allows 5-year-olds to grasp the concept of cause-and-effect. They will also learn to figure out the experimenting and design process.
HABA Dragon’s Breath– an Exciting Collecting Game for 2-4 Players Ages 5+
Dragon’s Breath features all of those themes that are guaranteed to appeal to many 5-year-olds: cute cartoon dragons, sparkly gems, a two-level game board, and a magical ice tower. Dragon’s Breath requires a mix of luck and strategy, and it is quick to play and mildly competitive. Dragon’s Breath is different from more traditional board games because it requires all of the players to construct a column using translucent plastic rings instead of rolling a dice. This board game offers just enough fine-motor challenge for a 5-year-old to find it tricky but still want to play it and win.
LEGO City People Pack– Outdoor Adventures 60202 Building Kit
Gift a 5-year-old child around you with this outdoor-adventure collection. It includes a mountain frame, a dinghy, and trail bike to give children a delightful playtime with LEGO. Fourteen mini-figures (including an eagle and a baby) also help build their social and dramatic skills.
Children also get to develop empathy and language skills when they embark on adventures with this LEGO collection. So go ahead and gift a 5-year-old nearest to you with this fabulous toy set.
Peaceable Kingdom Race to the Treasure!
In order to be fun, a game does not have to have winners and losers. Cooperative games that make all of the players to work together toward a common goal teach kids about communication, teamwork, compromise, and conflict mediation. All of these skills are vital to their social and emotional learning inside and outside of school. In the game’ Race to the Treasure!’, the goal is to, as a team, collect three different keys to unlock a treasure before an ogre gets to it.
Learning Resources Primary Science Lab Activity Set– 22 Pieces, Ages 4+
Many kids will be interested and entertained by the concept of building a volcano, but this science-lab activity set takes things to a new level. This set allows the child (with the adult supervision, of course) to fill beakers, don goggles, pour from test tubes, use a magnifying glass, and many more fun things. The set comes with big cards that have a lot of experiments printed on them. This set encourages the kid’s curiosity in science.
Insect Lore Live Butterfly Garden – Live Cups of Caterpillars for Life Science & STEM Education
Whether you are 5 or 105 years old, you will be mesmerized by the process of the caterpillar turning into a big, beautiful butterfly, because it is such an incredible thing to watch. Kids will love the baby caterpillars which start off very tiny and then grow into Painted Lady butterflies that are beautiful. What fun you and your kids will have releasing the big butterflies outside and watching them fly around in their newfound freedom. This kit is the perfect toy for teaching your kids about the value of life and life cycle.
Insect Lore Butterfly Growing Kit– with Voucher
You can also start by just getting the Insect Butterfly Growing Kit first and then using the enclosed voucher to redeem the caterpillars later when ready.
Conclusion
You can’t miss it with any of the toys listed above for 5-year-olds. They’re all safe for children and play their unique roles for the healthy development of 5-year-olds.
