5 year olds. They’ve graduated from their “baby toys” and not quite ready for the “big kid” toys. It’s a fun time, but can be tricky to find some toys and gifts that truly are age appropriate for them. We’ve come up with some really unusual, fun – and even educational ideas that’ll keep ’em busy, developing, and having a blast!
Just when you thought you may have been able to slow down the toy buying….BOOM….your child turns 5! It’s much different, of course, from when they were 1 years old, the terrible twos, and even 3 year olds. At 5 they’re really coming into their own. They have their own likes and dislikes, but they’re still learning and absorbing all sorts of knowledge each and every day.
What to Gift the 5 Year Old Girls & Boys on Your ListBy the age of 5, many kids are now developmentally ready to explore a wider range of toys and games. They often enjoy playing with friends and may prefer team sports to individual activities. This is when you may noticed them playing with their siblings more, family friends, or even during their play-dates. Overall, some really popular toy options for 5 year olds include:
- Ride-On Toys: Children at this age love being active and often enjoy riding around on scooters, tricycles, or other ride-on toys.
- Construction Toys: Building blocks, Lincoln Logs, and other construction toys are popular with 5 year olds as they allow for creativity and imagination.
- Dolls and Dollhouses: Dolls are a classic toy that many 5 year old girls (and boys) enjoy playing with. Dollhouses also spark the imagination, providing a fun place for pretend play.
- Outdoor Toys: Swings, slides, and other outdoor toys are perfect many of them. These types of toys encourage physical activity and provide an opportunity to get fresh air and exercise.
- Building Blocks: Building blocks, overall, are a great way to encourage creativity and problem solving skills. Building blocks come in a variety of shapes and sizes, so there is sure to be a set that your child will enjoy.
When it comes to their developmental skills and milestones, many five year olds can: count to ten, sometimes identify numbers 1 – 5 when shown them, can pay attention anywhere from 5 – 10 minutes while working on an activity, and may be able to write some letters in their name.
So, based on their developmental level and the overarching themes mentioned above, we came up with some really great gift, toy, and game ideas for just about any 5 year old on your list in 2022!
1. The Original Stomp Rocket
STOMP ROCKET
Ready for them to get outside and release some of the pent-up energy? You can’t go wrong with Stomp Rocket! You may remeber this from when you were a kid because it’s been around for decades. It allows kids to launch rockets by stomping on the spring-loaded platform, launching the rocket into the air – in fact it can even go up to 100 feet into the air. Some can even do tricks or stunts in mid-air!
This one comes with 3 stunt planes to launch – the Looper, the Glider, and the Wildcat. It really is a blast (pun intended).
2. The “Make a Mouse Friend” Craft Kit
CRAFT-TASTIC
It’s finally a mouse you’ll want in your house! This “Make a Mouse Friend” craft kit is perfect for any little 5 year old who loves crafting, is interested in learning more about crafting, or just looking for a fun little project. The kit includes everything you need to make an adorable mouse friend, including felt, stuffing, and a pattern. Plus, it comes with 9 simple accessories to really jazz up that cute little mouse!
3. DoodleJamz JellyPics Squishy Drawing Pads
SKY CASTLE
If they’re into sensory activities and things that truly are so satisfying, your little one will love this super squishy drawing pad where they can use their finger to create some really satisfying art! Inside, they’re filled with gel, beads, and more to create something they’ll love to see and feel. Don’t worry, everything is inside so there’s no mess and no cleanup.
4. The Crayola Inspiration Art Case
CRAYOLA
It’s really the ultimate art set for the five year olds who love to draw, color, and create! The Crayola Inspiration Art Case is an all-in-one art set that includes 64 crayons, 20 short colored pencils, 40 markers, and one whiteboard marker. The case itself is made of durable plastic and has a handle for easy carrying – so they can bring it with them to their friends, grandparents, or just in the car with them (good luck not dropping it under the seat!).
5. The Air Hogs Stunt Shot Remote Control Car
AIR HOGS
Don’t let the giant soft foam wheels fool you, this “Stunt Shot” remote control car can do some serious stunts (and don’t worry, it can bounce right off the walls thanks to that foam!). It can drive right over many objects your kids set up in its way, perform flips, go down stairs, perform 360 spins, and a whole lot more. It’s actually pretty lightweight, but is only recommended to use indoors. Oh, and it requires 2 AAA batteries that, sadly, don’t come with it.
6. The Classic Lite-Brite Toy
LITE BRITE
Lite-Brite is a toy that has been around for decades (it was one of our personal favorites when we were little). It’s a great way to teach children about colors and how to create patterns by placing the brightly colored pegs into the paper picture patterns. When the light shines through everyone will get to enjoy the cool and colorful picture they created! Not only is it fun, it can help improve eye-hand coordination, develops fine motor skills, and is a fun activity that the whole family can enjoy.
7. The Got2Glow Electronic Fairy Finder
WOWWEE
A really fun way for your kids to find more than 30 virtual fairies all throughout their home and capture them in the glow-in-the-dark light-up fairy jar! With four different levels there are 100 in total to discover. These magical little fairies are interactive too. When you open the jar you can hug them, take care of them, and talk to them. When you say hello they’ll say it back!
8. The Ultimate Activity Book For 5 & 6 Year Olds
SMART LITTLE OWL
Of course you can’t be the price (only $6!), this fun activity book for 5 year olds (and 6 year olds) can keep them busy and using their brain for a while. Inside are mazes, puzzles, “spot the difference,” tracing, math, sequencing and more. Sure it’s not really a “toy” (like, at all), but sometimes they need a little break from playing and have some fun learning.
9. The Light-Up Terrarium Kit For Kids
MINI EXPLORER
Not only will your five year old start to learn about patience, wonder, and creating something “live” that they can watch grow as each day passes by. This fun light-up terrarium comes with everything they’ll need to create their own little magical world – the terrarium jar, a USB charging cord, soil, blue sand, river rocks, wheat grass, and little miniature decorations. By day it grows and at night it glows! If they keep in on at night, it kind of turns into a makeshift night-light too, which is an added bonus for those that don’t love their room totally dark at night.
10. Walkie Talkies For Kids
SELIEVE
We always love a toy that’s traditional and even a bit retro. We basically all grew up playing Walkie Talkies with our friends in the neighborhood and this set (set of 2) brings our favorite retro toy into the future with 22 safe and secure channels, a built-in LED flashlight so they can use it and see when it gets darker outside (or in their room at night), and it can reach up to 3 miles without obstructions or about 1 mile (max) in a regular neighborhood. Fun for both boys and girls, you can choose from more than 7 different really cool colors. Just remember to pick up those AAA batteries because this toy, unfortunately, doesn’t come with them.
11. The Monopoly Junior Family Board Game
HASBRO
Monopoly Junior is always a go-to for the whole family especially on a rainy or snowy day stuck inside. It’s basically the simplified version of the classic board game Monopoly, and is intended for younger players – starting at just 5 years old. The game-board, pieces, and money are all smaller than in standard Monopoly and takes about 30 minutes to play, which is just enough time to keep their little minds focused, but long enough to still be fun for everyone playing. Perhaps the most fun (and cute) are the game tokens they can choose from like the puppy (Little Scootie), the dinosaur (Little T-Rex), the penguin (Little Penguin), and the duck (Toy Ducky).
12. The Popup Pirate
TOMY
Pop-Up Pirate is one of our personal faves to gift the little ones who love a toy that’s also a game and brings on a little exciting anticipation. The object of the game is to pop up the pirate with the least amount of tries. Basically, each player takes turns inserting one of the twenty-four colored swords into one of the seven holes in the barrel. The player who caused the pirate to pop up is out for that round and removes their sword from the game. The last player remaining wins!
13. The Air-Dry Clay Modeling Kit
WARMING FAMILIES
Not that we’re against getting the little ones something tech-related as a gift, but it’s nice to take a break from the electronics and get back to basics. This fast-drying air-dry clay kit comes with 24 clay colors, a tutorial book (if you, as the adult, could use a little direction for ideas), and some helpful tools that’ll bring your child’s creations to life. Most of their clay creations will air-dry in anywhere from 5 hours up to 24 hours (depending on how big their clay creation is!).
14. The Robot Safari Science Experiment Kit
THAMES & KOSMOS
They can build their very own toy and get introduced into mechanical engineering, science and overall STEM skills all at the same time. Don’t worry, it’s still for boys and girls ages 5 year old and up. They’ll actually learn how to build motorized robotic animals that really are cute like unicorn, fox, otter, narwhal, bear, baby llama (so cute), and more! The use of the motor box will bring their animals to life (you many need to give them a bit of hand the firs time), but requires 2 AA batteries that are, unfortunately, not included.
15. The “Floor is Lava” Game
ENDLESS GAMES
If you have a five year old, you’ve probably heard them yell “Floor is Lava!” when you’re walking through the living room, probably scaring the poop out of you! Well, they’re actually talking about the game that’s gone viral where each of the players must imagine the floor is molten hot lava while spinning the color wheel to jump to the right foam pieces to reach safety. They’ll have a blast jumping, balancing, leaping, improving their strength and more!
Ride-On Toys For 5 Year Olds
There are a lot of different ride-on toys for 5 year olds on the market these days. It can be tough to decide which one is right for your kiddos. Make sure you’re focusing on their safety first – preferably one that’s been tested and approved by the experts at Consumer Reports.
Some really cool ride-on options for both boys and girls that are also on sale include:
Construction Toys
Construction toys are a great way to encourage your child’s imagination and creativity. They also help to develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
Check out some of the best selling construction options right now!
LEGOS For Ages 5+
So many five-year-olds love LEGOs (both boys and girls). The colorful building blocks are a great way to spark your kiddos imagination, creativity, and sense of accomplishment. Typically you can choose from simple designs to more complex ones, which can help them continue to develop fine motor skills and learn about shapes, colors, and more.
Some of the top selling LEGO kits for the 5+ crew include:
Outdoor Toys & Games
We’re always big proponents of getting our kiddos outside to actually play and put down their devices and get away from all their screens! Some of the most popular outdoor toys for girls and boys who are in the 5-year old range include:
