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Apr 01, 2024

30 Best Toys and Gifts for 5

We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process. Unique, educational and

We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.

Unique, educational and everything in between.

When they reach the age of 5, kids are right at the beginning of their school journeys. (Goodbye, preschool! Hello, kindergarten!) And along with all their reading, writing and arithmetic, they're learning other skills, too, like how to behave in a classroom, how to listen to directions and how to collaborate with other kids their age. And it's amazing how quickly they incorporate all these new experiences into their play, which is something to keep in mind when shopping for gifts for kids this age.

"Around age 5, kids are solving more complex problems and developing more critical thinking skills, so more elaborate construction toys are perfect," says Jacque Bogdanov, PsyD, child psychologist and founder of ChildBehaviorClinic.com. "These might include toys like marble runs, building tracks and smaller Legos. More involved art projects, like cutting and gluing, art kits or easy how-to-draw books allow them to express their own interests and creativity while also practicing following multistep directions."

Whether you're looking for board games that help them hone their critical thinking skills, patience and turn-taking; educational toys like STEM sets and DIY kits or art toys that let them flex their creative muscles, the Good Housekeeping Institute can help figure out which ones are the best for kids this age. The Lab experts stay on top of toy releases all year, then call in their favorites to test them to make sure they're safe, easy to use and able to withstand the love of kindergarteners. Then they pass them along to actual 5-year-olds, who give the most important feedback of all. When it's all settled, these emerged as the best toys and gifts for 5-year-olds in 2023, including some current and former Good Housekeeping Toy Award winners.

The kids loved exploring beginner science sets, building bigger and better structures, playing with fidget toys, creating masterpiece artworks and using play sets that let them use their imaginations. And who could blame them?

Kids (and their families) love these boards because they're quiet, but so soothing. A clear gel is filled with beads, and kids can use the included stylus or their fingers to push the beads around in the gel to augment the pictures. It comes with one double-sided background, but you can print more. Ages 5+

Let those architects and engineers design their own blanket forts with this set, which comes with 69 pieces (mostly rods and ball connectors). There are plans they can follow to make structures like a rocket, a castle or an igloo, or they can build whatever they like. All you have to do is add your own sheets and blankets on top. Ages 5+

By the time kids are 5 years old, they're more curious about science and the world around them. This talking microscope helps empower them to learn more with 15 slides featuring close-up images of animals, plants and beyond. Parents and kids alike enjoyed that it's simple, easy to use and offers a lot to learn. And if they want to gaze out far into space, this year saw the launch of the GeoSafari Jr. Telescope. Ages 5+

This globe lets kids travel the world through the magic of augmented reality. By using an app, they can learn more about the history, geography and environment of each region by zooming in with a tablet. There are more than 1,000 world facts included!

Parents who grew up in the '90s will remember these well — the "virtual" pet is back and better than ever. Kids can feed their pets, play games with them, train them to do tricks and keep them healthy (all without the hassle of a real pet). You can get a puppy, a frog, a pixie, a dinosaur, a unicorn and the "original" Compukitty with Starcat. Ages 5+

The best things about these cars are that they're totally kid-powered: no batteries or charging required. Instead, kinds stomp on the launcher as hard as they can to send the cars flying! Good Housekeeping Institute kid testers loved going head-to-head to see which car would go the furthest, along with using the ramp to make them get some air. Ages 5+

Mrs. Plumpert’s pot pie was purloined, and it's up to the players to figure out which fox stole it. Kids will have to use their logic and critical thinking skills as they amass clues, eliminate suspects, and catch the thief before it escapes! All the players are working together to solve the case, so it also helps with cooperation skills. Ages 5+

This fun robot is a great way to introduce kids to coding without using screens. During toy testing of the previous version, kids immediately loved it right out of the box. Now the Botley "2.0" has expanded coding styles (including lights, movement and music), different interactive modes (program it to be a police car, a ghost or a train) and an accessory kit with more than 75 pieces. Ages 5+

RELATED: The Best STEM Toys for Kids

A little bit of art, a little bit of science, this kit gives kids all the materials they need to decorate a pot and grow a bean plant. The "magic" element comes when the bean grows, and kids discover that positive words and messages are engraved on the pods. The pods sprout pretty quickly, and you get enough seeds for more than one cycle. Ages 5+

With the KidiZoom Creator Cam, they can create their own high-definition videos, just like their favorite YouTube stars. This kit includes a green screen, a library of animated backgrounds, a tripod that's easy for little hands to hold and even a built-in microphone. Easy on-screen editing is available too, and parents can upload the videos to a computer via the included USB cable. Otherwise, it doesn't connect to the internet, so you don't have to worry about kid privacy. Ages 5+

The sturdy, well-constructed wooden pieces can be continuously reconfigured to send marbles racing. The system is great for teaching kids STEM principles and problem-solving skills with a mixture of spins, drops and speed based on how they set up the layout. Each color block has a different function, making it a creative approach to marble runs. Ages 4+

Our kid testers really felt like they had magical powers when they summoned the "Mixie" character out of a fog-filled crystal ball. (Though be warned: The "magical mist" does have that fog-machine smell to it.) After the big reveal, kids can interact with the Mixie in lots of different ways — it has more than 80 sounds and reactions. Ages 5+

Kids can customize their furry, snow-themed friends, rinse and repeat as many times as they'd like. (Just be prepared to soak them a bit to erase the past scribbles.) There's even a cool, color-changing element: The pets turn blue in cold water, which was a hit with our testers. The set includes three cold-weather pets and six markers, plus two snowboards, two soaking tubs, a scrub brush and a vehicle that can be used as storage. Ages 3+

You'll need to clear off a lot of space for this game — the board is six feet long! But when it's unfolded, set the timer and head off to seek out as many of a certain item as you can find in the extra-large scene (bells, flags, cats, apples, etc.), challenging players on their memory and matching skills. It's the perfect family board game, because the rounds are quick by design, it's easy to learn, and the game is cooperative, so if one player wins, everyone wins! There's also a Marvel Eye Found It board game with a smaller board. Ages 3+

Kids can experiment with beats, sound effects, faders and vocal tags with this device, which puts them in the role of DJ. In addition to more than 2,000 sound combinations that come preloaded into the kit, you can also connect it to your music player with Bluetooth or an AUX cable so they can remix their favorites. Ages 5+

By the time they turn 5, they're ready for more complex jigsaw puzzles with more pieces. This puzzle, featuring a fun toy-shop scene, is 72 pieces, so it presents a big enough challenge. But the fun doesn't end when the puzzle is done; there's a seek-and-find component, and the border of the image has toys that kids have to look for in the rest of the scene. Ages 5+

A little owl becomes an unlikely protector of a kingdom — and, when he's confronted by a dragon, he has to get creative. Good Housekeeping Institute testers loved this book for the way it plays on readers' expectations. “I liked the clever play on words and how it teaches that you can be small and still be brave,” one tester said. Ages 2 – 5

RELATED: The Good Housekeeping Kids' Book Awards

This set comes with six pirate-themed figures, along with swappable heads, arms, legs, torsos and accessories to make more than 1,000 combinations with them. They'll use their creativity to create their own characters, then set them loose in imaginative play — only to swap the pieces, make new figures and play again. In addition to the pirate-themed set, you can find My Figures sets with Horse Ranch, Magical Dance or Rescue Mission motifs. Ages 5+

Kids can make cool, mosaic-like pictures without glue, markers or paint — instead, they fill in the pictures with pre-cut stickers in different shades. Positioning the sticker in the right spot is good for their fine-motor coordination, and they'll feel accomplished when they see the cool art they've made. Each book comes with 10 scenes to fill in.

Five-year-olds have a propensity for collecting treasures on outside walks — leaves, flowers, sticks and rocks. They can put the leaves and flowers to use, at least, with this project. They can design two different lantern screens using their found materials, then construct a frame with a light. When they're done, they'll have a working lantern they decorated themselves! Ages 5+

Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; she previously wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found dominating the audio round at her local bar trivia night or tweeting about movies.

Rachel Rothman (she/her) is the chief technologist and executive technical director at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she oversees testing methodology, implementation and reporting for all GH Labs. She also manages GH’s growing research division and the analysis of applicants for the GH Seal and all other testing emblems. During her 15 years at Good Housekeeping, Rachel has had the opportunity to evaluate thousands of products, including toys and cars for GH’s annual awards programs and countless innovative breakthroughs in consumer tech and home improvement.

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