The best learning toys for 5-year-olds

Jumbo gem art kits kids finish by placing gems. Mess-free crafting that builds fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, ages 4–5.

A 72-piece wooden fire station train set. Our toddler builds a new track every time he plays. Creative, hands-on play for ages 3–5.

A steel construction excavator with easy-grip handles for real digging. Great quality for sandbox play, ages 3–5.

A 16-inch steel wheel loader with a working arm and bucket. Perfect for sand and dirt, and our toddler loves it. Ages 3–5.

A 20-inch steel and plastic dump truck with a working dump bin. Great quality, and built for big outdoor play. Ages 3–5.

100 clear magnetic tiles that snap together into anything. Our son builds something new every time. Creative building for ages 2–5.

Stomp the launcher and the glow rockets fly. Running, jumping and taking turns make it great outdoor play for ages 3–5.

A Bluetooth karaoke microphone that gave our son, who has a speech delay, a fun reason to use his voice. Humming turned into sounds, then words. Ages 3–5.

A 50-pound bag of ultra-fine play sand for sandboxes and sensory tables. Sensory, creative play for ages 3–5.

A motorized train set with 3D track layouts kids build themselves. STEM learning and pretend play for ages 3–5.

An air-powered building set kids connect and rearrange. Problem solving, creativity and STEM play for ages 3–5.

A backyard bounce house with two water slides. Climbing, sliding and splashing make for active summer play, ages 3–5.

Eight wavy beams and five stepping stones that link into a balance course, with musical games. Builds balance and coordination for ages 3–5.