The 54 Best Toys And Gifts For 5-Year-Olds To Keep Them Entertained (2024)

This Easy-To-Build Lego Kit Actually Moves

Editor’s Pick

Legos are popular in my household, and this particular building set was a big hit with my 5-year-old, who is starting to feel comfortable building without her big brother’s help. She was incredibly proud to show off the results of her hard work. At 94 pieces, this Lego kit is challenging but not so tough that brick fans can’t tackle it on their own. The police car has wheels that actually roll, so your child can play with their creation after it’s built, which is usually a big win in this age group.

A Magnetic Kit That’s A Known Crowd-Pleaser

When in doubt, go with Magna-Tiles, which cheekily bills itself as being for ages 3 to 99. But truly, our parenting editor, me and many other parents find that this open-ended building toy works well for kids of many ages. Age 5 may be the sweet spot for introduction, or maybe 4, depending on your child. These plastic magnetic tiles can be used to build (and rebuild) all sorts of creations, giving kids hours of entertainment. One kid uses them to build mazes for robotic toys. Another creates towers to smash and an older girl builds LOL dollhouses with them. They also hold up to rough play and can withstand years of use. If you already have a basic set, consider adding specialized pieces to your collection, like the newer Magna-Tiles Castle DLX, which features glitter tiles.

Take Cardboard Boxes To New Heights

I’ve been waiting for Makedo’s wildly popular construction kit to come back in stock, given that my kids (5-year-old included) are obsessed with transforming cardboard boxes. This kit has everything children need to take their creations to the next level, including kid-safe saws, screwdrivers and a hole punch, along with screws to hold everything together. It’s so cool, you might want to get in on the action, too.

These Cardboard Blocks Create Hours Of Indoor Fun

These popular lightweight blocks are often found in preschool and kindergarten classrooms. My 5-year-old loves building forts and car ramps with these blocks, while her little sister creates special play spaces for her stuffed animals. They’re huge sanity savers on long winter days. Just a heads up: The bricks come flattened and need to be assembled, but it’s a quick process.

A Chemistry Kit Designed For Their Age

Aspiring young scientists can dive into chemistry with this cool set from KiwiCo, a subscription-based company that delivers engineering and STEM-kits directly to kids. The single set features a chemistry “garden” your child builds and then follows the instructions to mix and create the chemistry magic. It builds a memento your kid can keep. Both my 5-year-old and her big brother are huge fans of these kids, and love showing off the results of their “experiments.”

These Wooden Blocks Have A Cool Twist

Tegu blocks are a cool twist on classic wooden blocks. These have hidden magnets to allow your favorite builder to make daring creations that are sturdier than they appear thanks to the magnetic pull. This set even includes wheels for building vehicles. My kids regularly fight over their Tegus, so we’ve added to our collection. As a mom of a crawling baby, I also like that the parts are too big to choke on, just in case our tiniest family member happens to get her hands on one.

A Cool Kit That Takes Fort-Building To The Next Level

My kids will make a fort out of anything, but regularly sacrificing my furniture can be problematic. That’s why we all love Snapz. These connectors and rods fit together to create different structures that your child can cover with blankets or sheets. Your child can build a roomy structure using the included 82 pieces. If they want to go bigger, this kit is compatible with other Snapz sets.

They're Only Limited By Their Imagination

You’ll be blown away by what kids can create with Tubelox. My neighbor’s children created a traveling lemonade stand, followed by a towable wagon for their Nerf guns. Tubelox sets all work together, so you can add to your collection over time. Tubelox are made from sturdy PVC, so you don’t need to stress about creations breaking easily.

Best Outdoor Toys For 5-Year-Olds

This Bike Helps Segue Into Two-Wheeler Life

Many 5-year-olds are getting to the point where they want to roll around on two wheels but aren’t quite there yet. My daughter isn’t interested in training wheels, but likes the big kid bike feel of the Strider 14x balance bike. I like that you can also add a pedal kit (purchased separately) when your child is ready to take things to the next level. Choose from a range of colors and finishes.

A Scooter Anyone Can Ride

The Maxi Deluxe tops our list of the best scooters for kids, and for good reason. Its wide, grippy deck and three-wheeled design make it easy to balance and steer. The T-bar handle adjusts up and down as your child grows. This version of the brand’s popular scooter is designed for ages 5 to 12, and is available in several colors. Our parenting editor swears by the Micro Kickboard scooters for younger kids and has owned several over the years. My kids also love riding theirs after dark since the wheels light up.

This Ride-On Moves At Just The Right Speed

This Jurassic World-inspired kiddie Jeep moves at two speeds—2.5 mph and 5 mph—so your 5-year-old can feel like they’re cruising along without getting too fast. It can handle things like grass and rocks, along with driveways and sidewalks, giving your child options. Keep in mind that the maximum weight is 130 pounds, so they can drive around a pal or big sibling.

This Kite Is An Attention-Grabber

Teaching your kid to fly their first kite is memorable and bucket list-worthy. Kids thrill to see it lift off and then maneuver it in the sky. This one has colors to definitely grab their attention, along with twin tails decorated with triangular flags to add a little extra oomph to your flying day. My daughter loves the bright colors, too.

This Swing Feels Like You’re Surfing

The Swurfer brings a new angle to swinging. This toy features a curved bottom to give kids a larger range of motion and feels like they’re surfing on air. Attach it to a tree or other sturdy surface and an adjustable handles allow kids of all sizes to dive into the fun. Supports up to 200 pounds. My kids first discovered the Swurfer while visiting a friend’s rental beach house and decided to put one in a tree in our yard. My 5-year-old loves to show off her Swurfing skills to her friends. Of course, an extra swing is always useful when you have more than one kid hanging around.

A DIY Ninja Warrior Kit You Can String Between Trees

My son actually takes ninja warrior classes (yes, it’s a thing) and loves the thrill of swinging, hanging and leaping from task to task. This ninjaline features seven hanging attachments to bring the fun to your house and create an obstacle course in your backyard. The 36-foot line secures into place with sturdy carabiners and ratchets you can loop around trees.

A Stomp Rocket Party

Editor’s Pick

This exciting set comes loaded with eight foam rockets and two stomping stations, so kids can race each other. Your 5-year-old will thrill to show off their biggest stomps and jumps as they launch these toys into the air. My kids like to create teams and have “stomp-offs” to see who can launch their rockets the farthest.

A Bouncy Ball With Endless Possibilities

Seems simple, right? You’d be surprised how much kids can do with these balls. Not only can they bounce them off walls and around sidewalks, there are a bunch of games you can look up on YouTube to play. Grab several at once for their stockings, since some inevitably bounce away or get snatched up by the dog.

Help Them Burn Off Some Energy

Sometimes kids just need to work out some serious energy. This pogo stick from National Sporting Goods can help. It features a rubber grip on the bottom for safety, along with a steel footplate. Choose from several fun colors. Just start your child off on a softer surface, like the grass, until they get the hang of things.

A Big, Bouncy Adventure

Kidwise Outdoors advertises this bounce house as working for children ages 36 months to 10 years, making it a fun toy you can get some serious mileage out of for several years. The sports-themed bounce house is roomy at 10 by 20 feet, with goals and basketball hoops at each end for even more entertainment.

Best Montessori Toys For 5-Year-Olds

A Hands-On Kit That Lets Kids Hunt For ‘Fossils’

Some STEM kits can feel a little too school-like, but this educational toy set from National Geographic provides plenty of learning in the form of hands-on fun. Kids use the included tools to dig and unearth 20 different fossil and gemstone relics. A booklet helps teach them about their finds. My daughter received this as a birthday gift and happily spent hours digging out gems and fossils and analyzing her wares. She still has them proudly stored in a container in her room.

An Art Case That’s Packed With Options

Getting new crayons is exciting enough, but this art case features crayons, markers and pencils in a huge range of colors. The whole thing comes in a suitcase-style case that’s easy to stow away when it’s not in use. We were gifted this for Christmas and my kids loved it so much, we gave it to another 5-year-old girl for her birthday. She squealed with delight when she opened it.

This Guitar Is Made For Small Hands

Musicians need to start somewhere, and this popular three-string guitar is designed for kids’ smaller hands. It also includes chord flashcards, free video lessons and a Loog guitar app that helps little performers learn.

These Wings Are Made From Silky Chiffon

Dress-up is still a hit with this age group. Your favorite 5-year-old will love slipping into these wings and pretending to fly around the room. A nice perk: It folds up small for easy storage. My daughter enjoys her wings so much she’s tried to wear them to school. Choose from a slew of color combinations.

A Roomy Castle That’s Ready To Be Decorated

It doesn’t get much more exciting than creating your own castle, especially when you can color it however you want. This surprisingly sturdy structure is easy to put up and has cool features like swinging doors, open windows and turrets. My 5-year-old and her little siblings spent hours decorating their castle.

Make Gardening Fun

Remember Chia Pets, those funny animals with the incredibly bad infomercials? They’re still around, and kids still love them. My son was gifted this for his birthday, and it quickly became a prized possession. Just be prepared for regular updates on growth.

A Balance Toy With A Wide Range Of Possibilities

This toy looks simple, but that’s part of its charm. Kids can use it as a slide, bridge, fort wall and rocking toy. This one features a bold rainbow design on one side and a natural finish on the other, but additional finish options are also available, including an unfinished board for around $54.

A Twist On Dressing Up

My fashion-obsessed daughter loves nothing more than to have quiet time with this reusable puffy sticker activity set. It features three scenes with characters ranging from princesses to mermaids. Each has various outfits you can swap to create different looks. The best part: The stickers can be repositioned and hold up well, even with daily use. It’s also perfect for travel.

A Next-Level Engineering Kit

Editor’s Pick

This workbench from Hape is something else. It has 58 pieces and more than 10 experiments and creations kids can do. Your 5-year-old can create things like hand cranks and a pulley system. A nice touch: There’s built-in storage underneath.

An Elevated Space To Entertain Dolls

Pottery Barn Kids’ Barrington Dollhouse is made from wood for durability, with plenty of rooms and movable items for kids to enjoy. The home has a chic white-and-gray exterior, while the back is open. There’s an interior storage drawer to contain small, loose items. The whole thing folds shut when playtime is done. See more of our favorite dollhouses if you’re looking for something else, or something more affordable.

Tetris Without The Screens

The Coogam Wooden Blocks Puzzle basically lets kids play Tetris in real life. They can have fun arranging (and rearranging) the brightly colored pieces into objects or trying to fit them all together to fill the board. The game comes with several examples to get them started. My kids love to use this on road trips.

Bring Disney World To Them

Disney fans will love the change to create their own themed “snacks” with this sturdy Melissa & Doug set. My daughter jumped up and down with excitement when she received this snack counter. She loves serving her siblings, and creates new treats all the time. The cart has its own built-in storage, so you don’t have to stress about pieces rolling around.

Best Tech Toys For 5-Year-Olds

A Digital Camera With An Easy-Grip Cover

Budding photographers can snap pictures and record videos that connect wirelessly to a tablet or phone app, where the whole family can enjoy them. The camera has a soft, silicone casing that makes it easy for little hands to grip, and it comes in friendly animal themes. We love that it’s digital, so they can take as many snaps as they like without filling up our own camera rolls. “I love the adorable cat theme,” my daughter says.

This Tablet Comes In a Kid-Proof Case

Kids love the Fire tablets given the focus on kid-friendly content and the lightweight size and feel. Adults like the warranty, parental controls and included bounce-ready case. Children pick and choose the apps to download and play at their own pace. The Fire tablets are among our top tablet picks for young kids. My daughter loves whipping this out and entertaining herself with it on road trips.

A Fun Tool For Outdoor Exploration

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There’s something about kids and binoculars, isn’t there? Our parenting editor says her three kids fought over this pair gifted to her then 5-year-old, so they had to buy another two sets. Maybe it just makes them feel like instant explorers. The Kidnoculars Extreme magnify objects up to three times while also making sounds clearer thanks to built-in audio amplification. Head-hugging sides make these binoculars easy to wear.

A Kit That Teaches How To Code

Osmo’s coding starter kit is so cool. My 5-year-old got it as a birthday gift and had a blast learning to code different characters on an iPad. To use it, download the Osmo app, attach an iPad you already own to the base and pop the reflector on top. Choose a game and your child can use coding blocks to make a creature come to life with music and movements.

Walkie -Talkies For Chatting From The Basement

Editor’s Pick

My kids—5-year-old included—can’t get enough of this walkie-talkie set. They use it to play “spy,” communicate with each other from the basement and just act all-around goofy. They received this set as a Christmas present last year and, despite multiple drops and being left in the rain, this affordable walkie-talkie kit has survived. There’s a flashlight on top for playing in the dark.

Let Your Digital Creator Get To Work

The KidiZoom camera is packed with fun features kids love, including special effects and more than 20 animated backgrounds. Kids can shoot video and upload it to a computer, where they can share it with family members or just keep for the future. My son—who wants to be a YouTuber when he grows up—loves creating his own videos with this.

A Microscope-Camera Hybrid

EyeClops is a microscope that allows kids to check out the fine details of small objects—bugs, pebbles, the works. But this toy also has a built-in camera, so kids can take pictures and video. That content can later be uploaded to a computer for easy sharing.

Audiobooks For Kids

Yoto introduces kids to the fun of audiobooks. The version includes a nightlight, alarm clock and a starter pack with a few stories ready to go. Users simply pop in an audio card and enjoy their story of choice—there’s a headphone jack, so you don’t necessarily need to listen in. This set comes with seven cards, but you’ll need to purchase additional stories separately. It also plays sleep sounds and has an alarm clock for those mornings you need to get going, and it packs easily for travel.

Music, Stories And More

The Toniebox provides kids with a huge range of screen-free entertainment. Kids simply add Tonies audio characters on their Toniebox for a different experience, making new character a great add-on option for grandparents or other loved ones. The brand just launched a set of Beverly Cleary’s Ramona books Tonies, so you can shared beloved stories from your childhood with your 5-year-old.

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