44 Best Gifts for 5-Year-Olds for 2025
Learning is at the center of a 5-year-old’s life. Many of them are starting kindergarten, and they’re developing skills and more-specific interests that open up new gift-giving possibilities.
But that doesn’t mean kids this age need so-called educational toys.
When shopping this holiday season, look for gifts that complement a child’s natural curiosities, whether they love to create art, grow stuff, play sports, make music, or get up close and personal with insects. Books to build their library are wonderful choices — Mo Willems’s Elephant and Piggie series, recommended by writer and former school librarian Jackie Reeve, has been a hit in many Wirecutter households — as are board games, especially cooperative ones that require working together as a group.
Twenty parents, with 39 kids among us, contributed to this list of toys, games, and more goodies that our 5-year-olds loved — at that age and, in most cases, for much longer.
I tested everything from simple card and board games to a backyard obstacle course kit with my daughter in Austin, Texas. Editor Tracy Vence evaluated multiple sets of tempura paint sticks with her two boys in Atlanta. Writer Laura Motley tested seven popular kid umbrellas in Portland, Maine. And contributor Jessica Bernhard compared three mini-charm kits with her pre-schooler in Seattle — and they came away with a clear favorite.
As parents, we know that the most loved and enjoyed toys are rarely for just one age but instead grow with a child. You can find more gift suggestions that might be right for the always-on-the-go, imaginative 5-year-old in your life in our guides to the best gifts for 4-year-olds, the best gifts for 6-year-olds, and the best first pedal bikes. Or see all our kid gift ideas here.
