Gifts & Toys for 5 Year Olds – Tot Gift Guide
At five, life is all about finding adventure, learning how the world works and self-expression. From an interactive book & wand set that teaches kids Spanish to a personalized Levi’s denim jacket to a giant wooden block set, we’ve got a whole list of gift ideas any five year old will love.
Around the age of five, children really start to get the hang of things, which is why we’re big fans of choosing gifts that help them use the skills they’ve been mastering while continuing to strengthen their muscles and minds.
Child Development at age 5
At five, a child’s balance is better. Their reasoning skills are more developed. They can mimic movements, shapes and words. They can also begin to express themselves more clearly. Whether that’s through music, fashion, art, sport or reading, a five year old can start showing their sense of humor, demonstrate their ability to sympathize and articulate what they’re passionate about.
They’re also much better at playing in a group or a one on one game with a friend instead of simply parallel playing. The imagination of a five year old is going full steam ahead so gifts that allow children to embrace their creativity and enable them to interact with the world around them is key.
While many five year olds want to seek out adventure in the backyard or driveway with friends, others may feel more comfortable inside or simply playing solo. No matter their preference on how they want to play or who they want to play with, we have both indoor and outdoor toys, clothing and crafting kits that cater for everyone.
Best Toys and Gifts for 5 year olds
Whether you’re shopping for the holidays or a birthday present for a five year old, here are some of our gift recommendations:
- Story scene + play people
- Wooden outdoor building blocks
- Literacy & numeracy set
- Science workbench
- Toy beauty kit
- Bedding Set
- Balance board
- Puzzle
- Craft supplies
- Personalized denim jacket
- Construction toys
- Dentist toys
- Doll house
- Play kitchen
- Books
- Gardening kit
- Scooter
- Wagon
Scroll down to see the options we’ve pulled for each of these gift ideas and shop below!
Wooden Story Scene + Tree People
Wonderful for encouraging small world play and big imaginations, this wooden set from Let Them Play will set the scene for hours of woodland adventures!
Let Them Play Story Scene – Bundle
$145
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Let Them Play Tree People – Rainbow
$24.50
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Outdoor Building Block Set
A great toy for budding engineers, the Wooden Hollow Block Set from Guidecraft can be fun on your own as well as with friends!
Want to build a house? Need a store-front? Simply need to build a towering city for your cars to race through? These hollow blocks are exactly what you need!
Guidecraft Outdoor Wooden Hollow Block Set
$999.95
Kids Wooden Literacy & Numeracy Set
This gorgeous wooden literacy and numeracy set from Zephyr’s Nest is a great way to help your five year old prepare for kindergarten or practice their new skills. It can also be a fun prop for when playing make-believe “teachers.”
Zephyr’s Nest Play & Learn Tray Bundle
$95
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Educational Toys & Teacher-Recommended Activities
Looking for teacher-recommended activities and educational toys? The Tot Play & Learn Set is for you!
Featuring a booklet of engaging activities and advice on childhood milestones as well as six toys to help your tot find their sense of self in the world, this set is hand-selected just for five year olds!
The Tot Play & Learn Set (5 – 6 Years)
$100
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Science Workbench
Shopping for a little scientist? This deluxe science workbench from Hape provides everything they’ll need to conduct over 15 experiments.
HAPE Deluxe Scientific Workbench
$119
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Wooden Make Believe Toy Kits
Make Me Iconic’s Make Believe Toy Kits are a keepsake toy that will last through all of your children’s years of playing dress-ups, shops, and Moms and Dads. Made from wood instead of plastic, they’re designed to be a timeless addition to their toy collection that invites imagination into your home, and into their play.
Make Me Iconic Beauty Kit
$69.99
Make Me Iconic Surgeons/Pharmacist Kit
$64.99
Make Me Iconic Dentist Kit
$64.99
Scooter
Since most five year olds like to be on the move, try getting them a scooter to dash down the driveway on! We love the Highway Kick 3 from Scoot & ride because the handle folds down when not in use, which makes it easy to carry and store.
Scoot & Ride Highway Kick 3
$99
Available in more colors
Animal Themed Bedding Set
Sleepovers just got a whole lot cooler thanks to these epic duvet covers that put kids right into their dreams!
Snurk Shark Duvet Cover Set
$119
Snurk Shark Duvet Cover Set
$119
Balance Board
Great for helping kids learn to balance while encouraging active play, the Wobbel Balance Board can also be used as a stool, ramp, slide, yoga mat, lounger and more! It’s available with felt backing for wood/tile floors as well as raw for carpet.
Wobbel Balance Board – The Original
$149
Wobbel Balance Board – The Original w/ Felt
$189
Decoder Puzzle
Know a little problem solver or investigator? Then they’ll love piecing together this muscle to reveal a secret image.
Petit Collage Decoder Puzzle
$18
Craft Supplies
Easy to travel with or unpack after school, the Kitpas Little Artists set will let your tot get creative while honing their fine motor skills.
Kitpas Little Artists Kit
$49
Crane Set
No construction site is complete without a crane to do the heavy lifting! For those who love discovering how things work and can’t get enough of a construction site, the PlanToys Crane Set is just the thing!
PlanToys Crane Set
$80
Mini Foosball Soccer
This mini foosball game will have the whole family channeling their inner David Beckham and Mia Hamm!
PlanToys Mini Foosball Soccer
$100
Watercolor Set
Raising a little Georgia O’Keeffe? This watercolor set is sure to inspire their next great work!
Kid Made Modern Wondrous Watercolor Set
$16.99
Veggie Garden Kit
You don’t need a green thumb to make this garden grow! This kit includes everything you need to start a veggie patch.
Gardenuity My First Garden Kit
$98
Personalized Denim Jacket
A look that will never go out of style is now customizable. Exclusively available at The Tot, Levi’s is making personalized denim jackets that will literally have your tot’s name on it.
Levi’s Personalized Denim Jacket
$99
Play Kitchen
The Milton & Goose Essential Play Kitchen will make you want to renovate your own! Beautifully designed and completely Pinterest-worthy, it is a great item to encourage role playing and vocabulary skills.
Milton & Goose Essential Play Kitchen
$649
Available in more colors and configurations
Wagon
Wagons aren’t going anywhere anytime soon because kids LOVE THEM. With three handle positions, the Wishbone Wagon offers longevity as well as hours of both indoor and outdoor fun. Bonus – it can also double as toy storage or décor!
Wishbone Wagon
$399.99
Learning Spanish Book for Kids
This interactive way to learn Spanish is a total hit with kids age 3 to 10! Featuring four books and an interactive smart pen (don’t worry – you can plug in headphones), kids will be on their way to learning a second language in no time.
Habbi Habbi Starter Set + Reading Wand – Spanish
$99.99
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Kids Book of Music Stars
The Little People, Big Dreams series has captured our hearts yet again with their Music Stars gift set! Featuring three books about Ella Fitzgerald, Dolly Parton and Josephine Baker, little readers will be inspired by these game-changing performers.
Little People, Big Dreams Music Stars Gift Set
$39.99
Doll House
Made of renewable rubber wood and painted with non-toxic paints, this sweet dollhouse will facilitate hours of imaginative play.
Tender Leaf Toys Dovetail House
$250
Tender Leaf Toys The Goodwood Family
$51.99
Continue exploring
- Looking for toys that have an educational element? Need a non-toxic lunchbox? What about a comfy nap mat? Visit The Tot Learning Essentials Shop!
- What We’re Reading: How To Talk To Kids About Racism