It shouldn’t surprise anyone really, but picking out the best gifts for 5-year-olds is much trickier than choosing, say, what musical instrument to gift a 1-year-old or 2-year-old or even finding an arts and crafts kit to give as a present for a 3-year-old (or 4-year-old) who’s a budding artist. In fact, shopping for the not-quite-preschool, not quite-elementary school set is akin to shopping for a finicky tween.
At five years old, kids have outgrown their toddler phase and are now entering their highly opinionated Big Kid Era. “They usually have specific interests, maybe even characters, animals, or colors that they love and obsess over,” says Kelly Oriard, licensed family therapist, former school counselor, and cofounder of Slumberkins. Now is about the time when they also fall in love with “games that they feel they can work at and master.”
Parents will agree that kids at this stage are aware of their likes and dislikes and far more eager to assert themselves. Those entering kindergarten are also rapidly expanding their cognitive and social skills. All of a sudden they can write their names (maybe read a few simple sentences!), better understand the concept of time, distinguish fantasy from reality, tell longer stories, and even count to 100 or more. Some might also be starting to play organized sports, quickly improving their physicality.
Our Top Picks:
To help you find the right toys to keep those wheels turning—i.e. help your child stay entertained while also fostering new interests—we tapped real parents (including the author, a mom to a five-year-old and three other younger children) for help. We asked them to share what their own five-year-olds play with most, then used that information to corral this list of thoughtful gift ideas for you to shop below.
Some great contenders? Make-your-own puffy stickers to hone fine motor skills, tree-climbing kits that guarantee they’ll be the coolest kid in the nabe, and a robotic globe that teaches them all about the world. Whether you’re sourcing presents for the holidays, their birthday, or an achievement reward, these are the best gifts for 5-year-olds, according to parents who’ve been there, done that.
(PS: Shopping for newborns or soon-to-be mamas? We also rounded up the best baby gifts, the best presents for pregnant women, and the best gifts for new moms.)
