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By The Educators Spin On It

5 Year Old Gift Ideas

Turning 5 is a special year. Many children start school, begin reading, are playing sports, and have strong interests. As a former kindergarten teacher with a 5-year-old myself, I have tons of experience picking the best toys for this age group.

Here is the list of my top 5 year old gift ideas.

The Best Gift Ideas for 5 Year olds!
5 Year Old Gift Ideas
  • Give Your 5 Year Old the Gift of Creativity!
  • Give Your 5 Year Old the Gift of PLAY
  • Give Your 5 Year Old the Gift of Learning

Disclosure: This post contains Amazon Associate Links.

5 Year old gift ideas for girls and boys

5 Year Old Gift Ideas

Getting a special gift for a five year old can be actually a lot of fun. They are now old enough to enjoy so many things and are getting ready for elementary school. Here are some gifts to consider that they will enjoy playing with.

  • Art supplies, such as crayons, markers, paints, and construction paper
  • Books, especially picture books and chapter books that are appropriate for their reading level
  • Building blocks, such as Legos or Duplos
  • Educational toys, such as puzzles, games, and science kits
  • Outdoor toys, such as balls, bikes, and scooters
  • Stuffed animals
  • Toys that encourage creativity and imagination, such as puppets, musical instruments, and dress-up clothes
  • Toys that promote physical activity, such as balls, jump ropes, and scooters
  • Toys that help children learn, such as puzzles, games, and science kits
  • Toys that are safe and age-appropriate

Here are our top picks of gift ideas for five year olds.

Give the gift of creativity: Creative gift ideas for 5 year old child.

Give Your 5 Year Old the Gift of Creativity!

Gather your favorite, high-quality art supplies and assemble them in a beautiful package. This gift will keep your 5-year-old busy creating all year long! Select high-quality, eco-friendly products when possible.

  • Tabletop Easel
  • Watercolor Paper Pack
  • 9 Pieces Hake Paint Brush Set
  • Funto Washable Finger Paint for Kids
  • Play-Doh Modeling Compound 10-Pack Case of Colors
  • 50 Colors, Modeling Clay for Kids DIY Starter Kits
  • Beeswax Stick Crayons in Storage Tin, Set of 8 Colors
  • Waldorf Selection Giant Triangular Colored Pencil
  • 48 Colors Non-toxic Watercolor Paint Set
5 Year Old Gift Ideas for Play and Learning

Give Your 5 Year Old the Gift of PLAY

A pretend kitchen set and pretend play activities are still popular with 5 year olds. Dolls and doll houses are too! Add in a marble run, fort to build, and stomp rocket and you have awesome 5 year old gift choices.

We let some “new” or “popular” toys sneak in too, but try not to let them overwhelm our household. Children at this age learn about the world through play!

  • 130 PCS Kids Fort Building Kit
  • 150Pcs Marble Run Premium Toy Set
  • Stomp Rocket Original Dueling Rocket Launcher for Kids
  • Hot Wheels Track Builder Playset
  • Barbie Malibu Camping Playset with Doll and Puppy
  • Let’s Go Camping Tent Playset with Brooklyn & Malibu Dolls

Every afternoon while his toddler brother naps, my 5 year old wants to play games. We end up with mostly classic games over and over again. Playing games teaches patience, turn taking, and some even sneak in some math and reading. His favorites are:

*** Side note, if you order the stomp rockets make sure to get the pack with refills. We have lost several rockets to the trees. They fly super high!

  • UNO – Classic Colour & Number Matching Card Game
  • Sequence for Kids
  • Candy Land Kingdom Of Sweet Adventures Board Game
  • Spot It! Classic Mini Card Game
  • Monopoly Junior Board Game
  • Connect 4 Classic Grid

If your 5 year old doesn’t have a sports ball, they are a great toy for encouraging play, movement, and outdoor time. They do not need to be enrolled in a team to enjoy a casual game in the backyard.

  • WILSON NFL Super Grip Composite Football
  • adidas Unisex Starlancer Club Soccer Ball
  • WILSON NBA Basketball
  • Rubber Kickballs
  • Wilson Volleyball
  • 2 Pcs 15 Inches Marbleized Bouncy Balls Large

A bonus is that they are most often under $20, but still a great gift!

5 year old gift ideas for learning

Give Your 5 Year Old the Gift of Learning

Most 5 year olds are curious about the word. They learn through play and ask LOTS of questions. It is recommended to have a variety of learning toys available for them to use throughout the day.

Here are my teacher and mom top pics from personal experience working with hundreds of 5 year olds!

  • LEGO Juniors
  • TINKERTOY 30 Model 200 Piece Super Building Set
  • LEGO Friends
  • Lincoln Logs – 111 Pieces of Real Wood Logs
  • Perplexus Beast 3D Gravity Maze Game Brain Teaser
  • Melissa & Doug See & Spell Wooden Educational Toy
  • GeoSafari Jr. Talking Interactive Globe with Talking Pen for Kids
  • Educational Insights GeoSafari Jr. Talking Microscope
  • Learning Resources Primary Science Lab Activity Set
5 year old birthday party gifts and decorations

And, you cannot forget one of the best learning tools of all time – BOOKS!

We tend to give one toy, one article of clothing, and one book for all birthday’s and holidays. I feel it keeps the importance of reading at the forefront of parents and helps to raise a reader.

If your child is just starting to read, I recommend this set of simple stories , Scholastic First Little Readers, or the classic BOB books

For children who have begun sounding out words and know basic sight words, the beginning readers and level 1 readers are the next step.

And if you are truly looking for a book gift that will last a while, consider an infopedia, world atlas, or dictionary for kids.

Best Gift Ideas for 5 year old Boys and Girls

Although these gift ideas may not make it to most lists, they are the books that my kids turn to time and time again as a source of information throughout grade school.

For more book ideas, check out our Ultimate Guide to STEM Books for children.

Pin this 5 Year Old Gift Idea guide to share and remember!

We hope this that guide helps you choose age-appropriate gifts that are educational or creative.

Have fun wrapping the gift nicely and enjoy the look on their face when they open the gift!

5 Year Old Gift Ideas for creative exploration, play and learning. Teacher selected, parent tested, kid approved toys and activities for 5 year olds

Here are some additional gift guides for ages 0-7 you may find helpful…

  • Birth Gifts
  • Age 1
  • Age 2
  • Age 3
  • Age 4

Like this idea? Pin for later or share now with a friend!

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Filed Under: Kids Activities Tagged With: Birthday Ideas, Gift Ideas, grade school, Toys Suggestions

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