The 34 Best Toys for 5-Year-Olds of 2024 (2024)

• Our Picks

• How We Selected the Best Toys for 5-Year-Olds

• What to Look for

• FAQ

• Why Trust Verywell Family

We love this pick since it takes a classic toy and adds a DIY challenge. Made for ages 3 and up, this kit allows you and your child to make their own playdough. It comes in six different colors and is made with all-natural and plant-based ingredients, so you know it's safe for your kid. All you need to do is add water and oil to mix up your playdough, but it does require a parent to use the stove for the recipe. The DIYing part allows kids to feel like a little chef or scientist, mixing up all of the ingredients. Meanwhile, the finished playdough will inspire hours of play for your child, allowing them to hone in on their creative skills, and help you have some quality bonding time as well.

For active 5-year-olds, a scooter like the Micro Kickboard Maxi Deluxe is the perfect gift. It is sized just for your little thrill-seeker and can grow with them until they are 110 pounds. The scooter itself has three wheels so it’s easy to balance on and offers a stable ride.

There are many color options, and the handlebar is sturdy and adjustable.

Mini Squigz are a household favorite. They’re great for all ages and interests and there’s really no limit to what you can do with them. We love that they are portable and easy to bring along on road trips and vacations. These little suckers encourage kids' imaginative play and creativity. You can easily stick them to anything, and wash them when needed.

For nature lovers, this reusable butterfly growing kit is easy to use and a fun way to introduce your child to the wonders of a butterfly’s transformation. It’s a longer activity (the transformation takes a few weeks) and then you can feed and care for the butterfly before you release it.

A backyard sprinkler is a summertime staple and provides hours of entertainment for kids. This sprinkler is in the shape of a rocket ship and features quick inflation, four water sprayers, and 360 degrees of water action. The Rocketship Sprinkler is truly a blast.

If your child is ready for a challenge, try the Rush Hour Logic game. The game has been sold over 50 million times and is trusted as the perfect way to build reasoning and planning skills. Rush Hour is the classic traffic jam logic game and one of the all-time most popular STEM toys and gifts for kids.

Travel through a bustling city with CJ and his grandmother as they take the bus and sightsee different people, places, and scenes. As they travel, CJ speaks to his nana, sparking important conversations and learning important lessons along the way. Perfect for preschoolers to grade school children, Last Stop on Market Street is highly decorated for its stunning story and beautiful illustrations by Christian Robinson.

Magnetic tiles are one of the most wanted toys for young kids—and for good reason. With these fun colorful tiles, your child will exercise their fine motor skills, shape and color recognition, and problem-solving.

This set includes 25 triangles and 25 squares and a storage bag.

At age 5, your child is ready to graduate from Duplo Lego blocks to real Lego kits. They can follow the directions and build a set from start to finish, then start over again. This kit creates a Mars shuttle that will inspire an interest in space exploration and pretend play and includes a rover and astronauts.

Let your child be the photographer with their very own camera. This one has auto-focus, a video and voice recorder, a dual camera for selfies, and even allows your child to take pictures with fun photo frames. We like how easy this is to bring with you, as it includes a lanyard to carry it.

Your little scientist will love this dinosaur excavation toy. For just $20, the set comes with 12 dino eggs, 12 dinosaur models, a brush and chisel, plus a card describing the history and characteristics of the dinosaur. Like a fun science project, your kid will totally "dig" this toy.

You can’t go wrong with a remote control stunt car that has almost 3000 positive reviews from parents. This car can drive on both sides and backward and is great for all surfaces. It flips and turns quickly and the remote gives you total control in any direction. It even has headlights!

There’s something so great about a toy that also looks good when displayed. When you’re not using them outside for bubbles, keep these gorgeous bubble wands from Kiko & GG in your child’s room to collect smaller items. They are made from gorgeous beechwood.

Give traditional coloring books an upgrade with this drawing tablet. It has a 10-inch LCD screen that can be written on over 100,000 times, resulting in less waste and less mess. It’s durable, has a built-in battery that will last 6 months, and is easy to carry and travel with.

You can easily erase what you’ve drawn in one touch or save it for later.

Inspire your 5-year-old's creativity with an age-appropriate craft kit like this one from KiwiCo. Kids can create six paper dolls then create a closet full of clothes with the included paper, scissors, and markers. Mix and match your doll's outfits then put on a show in front of seasonal scenes for hours of creative and imaginative play that conveniently wraps up in a travel case for bringing on-the-go.

Think your child is ready to ride a bike for the first time? Opt for a bike specifically designed for kids, like this one from Joystar. We love it because it comes with stable training wheels, a foot brake, and is durable for early falls and bumps. Parents love that it is affordable and super easy to assemble; just pump the tires and ride!

When it’s time for quiet, solo fun, give your child this giant book of hidden picture activities. This version has over 250 puzzles and all kinds of funny scenes to keep your kid laughing. Your little one will search and find things like hidden bananas, butterflies, sailboats, and pizza.

This book makes a great gift and is perfect for long car rides.

This classic card game is fun for the whole family and will make your 5-year-old feel like one of the big kids. Introduce this as your child’s first card game and they’ll get math practice as you swap brightly colored cards. You’ll be surprised at how long this keeps your kids laughing and having fun.

This rocket launcher set is another favorite in my home. It’s budget-friendly and great for an active 5-year-old. We use this in our yard or take it to the park for extra fun. The kids love jumping on it and aiming the launcher to try and hit targets. The pieces are foam and plastic so it’s safe around smaller children while still being durable.

Take advantage of the latest technology with a tablet made just for kids, like this one from Amazon. Your child will have access to over 20,000 apps, games, books, and more from their favorite characters and TV channels. For peace of mind, you can create time limits as well as filter content. If the tablet breaks, Amazon will replace it for free.

This caterpillar can be assembled in a range of different ways with each of its eightsegments lighting up and being programmable to travel left, right or forward, creating countless variations. It aims to help develop planning and sequencing skills as kids plot out the code-a-pillar's movements and try to get it to reach prearranged targets.

Encourage imaginative play, and learning about money and math with this cash register for kids. It has a built-in solar-powered calculate and drawer for money and coins. Aside from being a fun way for your kiddo to engage in imaginative play, it'll also introduce them to counting and money recognition. The best part? The real cha-ching noise when the drawer opens!

This kit comes with a range of bricks in 35 different colors and includes window pieces, and 18 tires and wheel rims to create a range of vehicles. The storage bin has a retro vibe and helps to keep all the tiny pieces organized and easy to tote to grandma's house or to a friend’s place for a playdate.

Raya and dragon Sisu are included in this set, and both change colors when immersed in water. Better yet, kids can watch Sisu's dragon tail swish and sway through water—just like in the movie.

The best part about this set is that both dolls can be playedduring bathandpool time, plus during regular playtime for hours of entertainment and imaginative play. You can even request stress-free packaging from Amazon so that kids can start playing right out of the box.

While your 5-year-old may not be ready to explore space, they can definitely learn more about the universe with their ownstarting telescope made for kids. The talking telescope teaches kids about outer space with 24 beautiful images from NASA already built in. There are four different languages to choose from so kids can test out their language skills and more 5-year-olds can get in on the fun.

Your 5-year-old can ride in style with this adorable Mini Cooperride-on toyfrom Rollplay. Working LED headlights, button-activated horn and engine noises, plus tires with rubber traction strips, make for hours of fun outdoors. Kids can travel up to 2.5 miles per hours either forwards and backwards and the car accommodates kids ages 3 and up, weighing up to 77 pounds.

If your 5-year-old is eager to zip up and down the sidewalk, a razor scooter can be a fun way to let them explore. Not only will boys and girls love this toy, but parents will also enjoy that it gets their kids outside and active. With safety always the top priority, you'll want to add a helmet and knee pads with this gift to keep them safe while they're cruising the neighborhood.

Dolls, like the Madame Alexander Peekaboos Unicat, are a great way to promote creativity and encourage your little one to use her imagination. This one is offered in three different skin tones, has a soft vinyl head and fabric body, so young children can hold the doll and play with it comfortably. It features a pink unicorn onesie with a hood that lifts up and down, making it easy to play a few rounds of peek-a-boo as well.

Gift aspiring medical professions their very own doctor kit, perfect for 5-year-olds. This kit from Green Toys includes everything they need for healing, including an ambulance with flip-up handle, stethoscope, reflex hammer, syringe, Tweezers, thermometer, ear scope, notepad, two sticker sheets. The best part is that everything is dishwasher-safe for easy cleanup. As they engage in imaginative play, 5-year-olds foster their social and fine motor skills.

Similar to I-Spy, Found It! challenges players ages 4 and up to find something fitting the prompts within the pictures on each card. Whoever find a pattern, something green, or something that smells good first wins that round and the game continues. Your 5-year-old could also play solo, completing the tasks on each card, boosting their logical reasoning skills as they go. This is a great portable game for car rides or a perfect indoor activity for the whole family on rainy days.

Add a bit of prehistoric fun to your 5-year-old's bedroom with this dinosaurnight light. Whether they are afraid of the dark or not, they will love having this adorable friend on their dresser or nightstand to hang out with through the night. Simply press the dino's head to switch between four colors and simply recharge with a USB when needed.

Spoil your 5-year-old with an adorable pair of shoes they can wear everyday. Native Shoes is dedicating to making eco-friendly lightweight shoes that prioritize comfort and breathability. The unisex Jefferson style is shock-absorbent, odor-resistant, hand-washable, and super cute. They come in kid and adult sizes and dozens of styles and colors so the whole family can match.

The VTech Kidizoom Action Cam is like a kid-sized GoPro that can be attached to the child's helmet, bike or skateboard. It’s sturdy and can handle all the inevitable bumps and knocks your little adventurer can dole out as they cycle, skate or even swim. With the included waterproof case it can be taken down to a depth of 6 feet underwater.

Foster your child's green thumbwith this flower growing kit. This kit includes everything they need to build their own small garden indoors or outdoors, with a tin planter, plastic liner, soil, and three seed packets for Marigold, Cosmos, and Zinnia flowers. Before planting, decorate your planter and markers with the included paint and brushes. Then, get to work sowing your seeds with the shovel, watering can, and instructional booklet before watching your flowers bloom.

Final Verdict

The Dough Project DIY Mix allows you and your child to make their own playdough. The playdough is made with all-natural and plant-based ingredients, so you know it's safe for your kid, and it comes in six different colors. There's also the Bravo Kids Electronic Doodle Board, which features a 10-inch LCD screen that can be written on over 100,000 times.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How many toys should a 5-year-old have?

  While toy stores and commercials might have you think your 5-year-old needs heaps of toys, there’s no minimum number of play things you need to occupy you child (at any age). If research on toddlers is any indication, fewer toys actually lead to longer periods of play per toy, greater focus, and more creative play.

• How can toys influence a child's life?

  Toys that facilitate play can help foster cognitive development. However, that’s not to say your child will suffer if you don’t purchase every toy on their wish list. After all, toys aren’t vital for kids—playing is.

• What skills are 5-year-olds still learning?

  Five-year-olds are learning self-control, emotion regulation, refined fine and gross motor skills, and the difference between right and wrong. Since most kids enter kindergarten at this age, they will continue to work on these skills throughout the year.