I'm A Former Teacher And Mom: These Are The Best Toys And Gifts For 5-Year-Olds

Forbes

4 days ago

Playing with a 5-year-old is so fun. Their minds are full of imagination and creativity, and they still have a sense of childhood wonder that tends to get lost as kids get older. As a mom of three and former early educator, I know the best toys for 5-year-olds aren't just about fun—they also support their development, encourage independence and cater to their interests. Have a kid who likes structured activities? The KiwiCo Nature Walk Lantern turns every walk into an adventure. For budding readers, the SpringFlower Sight Word Game adds an engaging twist to learning. And for the ones who are constantly grabbing your phone to take pictures, the VTech Kidizoom PrintCam is a kid-friendly option you won't have to worry about them breaking.
The best toys for 5-year-olds capture their interests and support their development. ILLUSTRATION: FORBES / PHOTO: RETAILERS
'Toys play an essential role in the healthy development of 5-year-olds, as this is a critical time for fostering social, emotional, cognitive and physical growth,' says psychiatrist Dr. Zishan Khan. He explains that the right toys can help kids improve their problem-solving skills, language development, emotional expression and more. Learn more about my top picks for the best toys and gifts for 5-year-olds.
Amazon Lego City Police Car
While small and simple, this Lego set is great for 5-year-olds. Since it's only 94 pieces, they'll be able to finish building it before they get frustrated or lose interest. When they're done, they have a fun car to play with. Sets like this help build resilience and teach kids to follow multi-step directions—a common kindergarten readiness marker.
Let their imagination run wild with this building set that allows them to create forts and other playful structures. As a bonus for parents, they won't be moving furniture all over the house to construct their project. It comes with 82 pieces, and you can always buy multiple sets for larger structures.
Amazon Magna-Tiles Builder XL
Magna-Tiles are a classic for a reason. They stick together well, making them easy to build with—even for younger kids. The sets are also interchangeable, allowing kids to get creative. Gummer also likes Magna-Tiles as they can help develop creativity and STEM skills. This specific set is designed for them to create their own construction site, with some fun extras you won't find in other sets like a crane and dump truck pieces.
Amazon Sunny & Fun Ultra Climber Inflatable Water Slide Park
Inflatable water slides get kids moving outside, and are a great springboard for social interaction. My kids are always inviting friends over to play on our inflatable water slide. This option features a climbing wall in the middle with dual slides, ideal for slide races and larger groups of kids. If you're looking for a way to help your 5-year-old get active and tire them out, this is it.
My daughter and her friend recently tried this sun art set, and it was such an enjoyable, creative activity. Kids arrange stencils on magical paper and then leave them in the sun. After a few minutes, the stencils transform the paper, and they can draw and color to complete their art project. After we used this for the first time, my daughter kept heading outside to create more.
This lightweight bike, designed for kids ages 5 to 8 years, is made for road and trail riding. If they're still learning to ride, you can use it as a balance bike, or you can add training wheels. Once they're ready to ride independently, it functions as a traditional bike with a kickstand. The seat adjusts to grow with them, so hopefully you're not buying another bike next summer.
The Lovevery Reading Skill Set does a great job of making learning to read fun. Parents select their child's reading (or pre-reading) level and recieve a developmentally-appropriate box filled with games, activities and books that help support their reading journey. My daughter and I played a game from the skill set, and it aligned perfectly with what she was learning in school.
Outfoxed is fun for kids and adults alike, making it ideal for family game night and bonding. Khan recommends games like this that emphasize turn-taking and teamwork, helping kids learn patience and empathy. In this game, everyone works together to solve a mystery, so everyone wins or loses together.
Amazon Who Would Win?: Ultimate Showdown
Popular among the 5-year-old crowd, this book pits animals head-to-head, determining which would win in a competition. Along the way, kids learn about the each animal's characteristics and develop their own hypotheses about which one might win. It's a great resource for building early argumentative writing skills.
As 5-year-olds start learning to read, practicing sight words becomes a large part of the process. This game provides a fun way to reinforce those words and improve their reading fluency. When a word is called out, the first to swat the correct fly wins.
In our guide to the best kids smartwatches , the TickTalk 5 is our pick for the most fun. Exciting features for younger kids include music streaming and the ability to send GIFs and e-greeting cards. Parents will appreciate that it allows kids to call home and has superior GPS tracking, making it a little easier to part with them while they're at school or camp. Robust parental controls—including pre-approving contacts—keeps it safe. For kids with long-distance family members, this is a great way to keep in touch, too.
For kids who love to steal your phone to take pictures, a camera of their own can make everyone happier. My daughter has been using her VTech KidiZoom PrintCam for years, and it's so fun to see life from her perspective. They can print their pictures out instantly, and the camera is pretty easy for kids to use.
Bitzee is an interactive toy that kind of reminds me of a GigaPet or Furby. Kids interact with the toy to unlock new characters. This Harry Potter version features new characters arriving on the Hogwarts Express as well as iconic scenes from the films like Ron playing Wizard's Chess and Harry playing Quidditch. If your child isn't into Harry Potter, there are other Bitzee versions , too.
Though it might seem like a blast from the past, walkie-talkies give kids a chance to talk to their friends or siblings without a phone or other high-tech device. In all honesty, they're likely more resistant to drops and rough play than other, more expensive smart devices. This affordable set comes with three units, so your kids can communicate with you or each other.
Mierzejewski recommends Chompsaw, a power tool kids can use for cutting cardboard. Whether they love to design their own art projects or simply enjoy deconstructing things, they can have at it with all the cardboard boxes you don't know what to do with. The tool is designed so that it doesn't pinch kids' fingers, so they can independently create to their imagination's content. 'The Chompsaw has been a big hit with my youngest who is obsessed with creating things and being a 'maker'. I love that it's safe so I can let her use it by herself without worrying,' says Forbes Vetted baby and kids gear editor Esther Carlstone.
This workbench is a step up from the smaller tool set your child may have had as a toddler. It's a 58-piece set that allows kids to create and experiment, learning about many STEM concepts. It also comes with an app to help walk your child through their discoveries.
This beautiful lantern is a fantastic structured project for kids. Once completed, it can light up their room at night or accompany them on a nighttime nature walk. The kit also includes educational information about why leaves change and how the seasons work.
Amazon Crayola Inspiration Art Case Coloring Set
Don't let this basic coloring set fool you. It's full of creative potential with markers, crayons and colored pencils. It provides an easy way to keep their supplies organized so you don't have broken crayons all over the house. I've also found that there's enough room in the case to store loose paper or a thin coloring book.
Amazon Kinetic Sand Squishmotion
Kinetic sand has long been a go-to open-ended toy for little kids, and this set has a unique squishy foam that makes it look like the sand is growing and moving. Caregivers will appreciate the storage case that makes clean-up easy. Other popular themed sets include the Mermaid Crystal Playset and Treasure Hunt set .
Amazon Fat Brain Toys Hey Clay Animals
According to Gummer, craft sets are a great way to help kids strengthen the hand muscles they'll need for writing. Since kindergarten often involves plenty of writing, molding clay and other hands-on activities can build those muscles in advance. Whether they design their own animals or follow the step-by-step instructions that come with the set, kids will have fun letting their creativity run wild.
For a 5-year-old who is headed off to kindergarten or away from home, this locket is just right to give them an adorable accessory and help them have a little piece of home. You can choose to upload a photo to have it permanently placed in the locket, or you can add a photo yourself. My daughter has been wearing this locket lately, and she loves to open it up and look at the picture.
One of my daughter's favorite things to do is listen to the Yoto Daily Podcast every night before bed. It's a nice routine for her, and she learns quite a bit from it, too. The Yoto Player is a screen-free audio player, and kids can play the podcast, music and pre-loaded cards filled with stories and songs. You can also record your own cards—I like to have friends and family record stories for my kids and then I add them to our Yoto cards for a special surprise. This starter set comes with the player and six Disney-themed cards.
Mierzejewski recommends plush dolls to help provide emotional comfort, and Squishmallows are all the rage. My daughter told me that the unicorn Squishmallow is the most popular at her school, but lean into your child's interest when picking one out. These super plush and squishy stuffies are available in a wide variety of animals and designs, including an ostrich, a sugar glider and a praying mantis.
If you're ready for 24/7 concerts throughout your home, a mini karaoke machine is a great gift. You can play songs via Bluetooth for your 5-year-old to sing along to, and there are two microphones so siblings, friends and family can join in on the fun.
Khan shares that kids can use action figures to act out real-life or fantasy scenarios, which helps support their emotional expression and social understanding. All three of my kids have played with these Marvel action figures for years, and they've proven to be extremely durable and high-quality. They often use them to act out scenes from movies or in their own creative play scenarios.
This Sticki Rolls pack features the ever-popular Stitch. What's especially cool is that the beads on the necklace and bracelet are rolls of stickers that kids can pull off to share with their friends. It's a playful way for them to show their personality and practice sharing.
The Forbes Vetted baby and kids gear team has been following toy trends, attending toy fairs and testing toys with our families for years. We frequently publish toy and gift guides, including the best gifts for 4-year-olds , the best dinosaur toys and the best toys for 6-year-old boys . The author of this article, Alicia Betz , is an experienced parenting journalist and mom to three. She follows the top toy trends and stays up to date on new releases and toy updates. She also regularly tests toys with her kids.
, is an experienced parenting journalist and mom to three. She follows the top toy trends and stays up to date on new releases and toy updates. She also regularly tests toys with her kids. The editor of this article, Esther Carlstone has been reporting on parenting topics for the past decade and is a mom to three. She also regularly attends toy fairs and trade shows and has owned many of the toys on this list.
has been reporting on parenting topics for the past decade and is a mom to three. She also regularly attends toy fairs and trade shows and has owned many of the toys on this list. We interviewed three experts: Dr. Zishan Khan , a child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist at Mindpath Health; Ali Mierzejewski, editor-in chief at The Toy Insider ; and Amanda Gummer , a research psychologist specializing in child development and play, and founder of Good Play Guide. They provided insight on what toys are best for 5-year-olds, what stages of development 5-year-olds are in and how play can support that development.
What Should I Get A 5-Year-Old Who Has Everything?
Any time you need to buy a gift for a 5-year-old who already has tons of toys, I recommend something consumable, practical or educational. From our list of top toys, the Crayola Inspiration Art Case Coloring Set and Who Would Win?: Ultimate Showdown are great options. If they already have Legos or Magna Tiles, an expansion pack is a great idea.
What Should A 5-Year-Old Play With?
'At this age, children benefit from toys that encourage imaginative play, physical activity, problem-solving, and social interaction. Quality toys should be robust, age-appropriate, and have enough flexibility to be played with in different ways,' says Gummer. Remember to choose toys that align with their interests.
What Do You Buy A 5-Year-Old Boy?
When shopping for a 5-year-old boy, consider his interests. 'By now, they'll have a slew of favorite on-screen characters, so anything featuring their big screen besties will be a hit,' says Mierzejewski. Some of our top picks include the Lego City Police Car, Guardian Bike and Marvel Avengers Ultimate Protectors Pack.