Best Gifts for 5 Year Olds: Toys to Build and Explore

The short answer: 5-year-olds are ready for bigger builds, real projects and active play that tests what their bodies can do. The best gifts give them something to create, something to figure out and somewhere to put all that energy. Here are our picks from our catalog and Mom-Tested notes.

What 5-year-olds are working on

Five-year-olds can plan a little, stick with a challenge, and play cooperatively with friends for longer. They love to show what they can do, whether that's a tower, a drawing, a song or a jump.

See everything we list on the 5-year-olds page, or browse by skill: STEM and discovery, gross motor, balance and coordination and creativity and imagination.

Gifts for builders

• Magnetic Building Tiles (100 Pieces): our Mom-Tested note calls it "an amazing quality toy" that sparks imagination "to create amazing things." At five, the builds get taller, more detailed and more collaborative. Best for: builders and kids who play well with siblings or friends.
• Air Toobz STEM Building Set: an air-powered building set we list for imagination, problem solving and creativity. Best for: curious kids who like testing "what happens if…"
• Electric Train Set: a big track set we list for STEM learning, creativity and imagination. Best for: kids who enjoy a long building session.
• Wooden Fire Station Train Set: in our Mom-Tested mom's note, her son builds "new track every time," and she calls it an "amazing quality toy." Best for: train fans who like pretend play as much as building.

Gifts for makers

• Jumbo Gem Art Kit: a gem-sticker art kit for ages 4–8, listed for hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, imagination and creativity. Best for: kids who love a finished piece to hang on the fridge.
• Play Sand: sand play is endlessly open-ended, and we list it for sensory skills, creativity and imagination. Best for: pairing with a digger or a sensory bin. A tray or outdoor spot keeps cleanup easy.

Gifts for big energy

• Stomp Rocket: a stomp-powered rocket we list for balance and coordination, gross motor skills, STEM discovery and social play. Best for: backyard and park days.
• Balance & Groove Balance Beam Set: wavy beams, sensory stones and a musical pod for indoor obstacle courses, listed for balance skills. Best for: rainy-day energy.
• Real Steel Max 16″ Wheel Loader: "a great quality toy," says our Mom-Tested mom, "perfect for playing with sand and dirt." Best for: outdoor diggers. The Steel Construction Excavator and Mighty Steel Dump Truck make a full crew.

Gifts for performers

• Kids Karaoke Microphone with Bluetooth: for the child who's always putting on a show. It's one of the toys closest to our hearts. More in our speech and language guide. Best for: singers, dancers and storytellers.

How to choose

• Give them a challenge they can finish. Five-year-olds love a project that takes real effort and ends with something to show.
• Think indoor and outdoor. One toy for rainy days and one for the backyard covers most of the year.
• Open-ended lasts longest. Tiles, tracks and sand get reinvented over and over.
• Check batteries and noise. Know what a toy needs before it's unwrapped.

Gift questions parents ask

What do 5-year-olds like to play with? Building sets, track sets, art kits, and anything active they can do with friends. Many also love performing, from songs to shows to "watch this!"

What's a good STEM gift for a 5-year-old? Building sets with a cause-and-effect twist, like the Air Toobz set or a motorized train track, let kids experiment and see results.

Is my 5-year-old too old for sensory play? Not at all. Sand, digging and hands-on building stay popular well past five.

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Browse all our toys or the full 5-year-olds collection.