Gift Ideas for 5-6 Year Olds
Photo credit: William Aspery
We had a number of requests for 5-6 year old gift ideas so here are our top picks.
Please note that our age group recommendations are based on development and are for guidance only, children using toys under the age recommended by the manufacturer should be always supervised.
1. Magnetic Tiles
Magnetic tiles span such a large age range that they definitely needed a place on one of the gift guides.
Our favourite brand for construction is Connetix. They have a huge range of colours, shapes and base plates, and also have very strong magnets which are needed for building tall structures!
The other set we love is the race track from Cleverclixx. The magnets are not as strong as the Connetix ones, but we love how inovative the design is and love watching the cars racing around up and down to different levels.
People have asked if the Cleverclixx track can be used with Connetix. They can to a degree, the Connetix tiles can be used as supports to prop up the elevated track.
2. Hoverboard
Our daughter absolutely loves her hoverboard. It is great for improving balance and coordination, building core strength, increasing spatial awareness and enhancing reflexes.
Our daughter learned to use a hoverboard when she was 5, however it is not a toy and should always be used under adult supervision, ideally with safety gear.
Different manufacturers have different guidelines for recommended ages and weight ranges so always be sure to check the technical specifications.
3. Boardgames
Boardgames are a fun activity for the whole family to get involved in.
Battleship is such a classic game which I rememeber loving when I was younger. It’s a really fun way to learn about coordinates, develop strategic thinking and critical reasoning.
4. Encyclopedia
Encyclopedias were such a great source of information when I was growing up. I remember pouring through the pages of our Encyclopedia Britanicas to find more information about certain topics. With the rise of the internet, they don’t have the same kind of necessity they once had. But I still love the idea of having a real book to flip through with beautiful photos and illustrations to learn about a range of topics.
Britannica released two books - Britannica’s Children’s Encyclopedia and Britannica’s Encyclopedia Infographica. Both would be well loved additions to your library for years to come.
5. Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro Tablet
This Fire Tablet is the more grown up version of the one we already have and is aimed towards 6-12 year olds. It still has good parental controls but as it is aimed towards older children it also has a filtered web browser and video and voice calls.
