Toys For 5 Year Olds

At five years old, a lot of children are developing a wide range of learning. Starting school can be intimidating, but full of fun. They’ll be learning social skills and gaining more awareness of the world around them, as well as all the usual reading, writing and maths. It important to keep encouraging physical and mental development outside the classroom though. Increasing gross motor skills like coordination can help with fine motor skills like handwriting. Toys for 5 year olds are often both fun and great for working on those physical and mental skills, so here are some of the options. Enjoy!

Cranks, Gears and Construction Shapes

Toys for five year olds that involve constructing things from flat shapes that slot together or gears and cranks are great for helping improve a wide range of skills, while also providing hours of fun. Basic mechanics and geometry link with more advanced cause and effect with these sorts of toys, helping to improve critical thinking and problem solving. Building different structures or gear systems each time they’re used mean these toys can be used many times without losing their appeal.

Skipping Ropes and Balance Boards

Jumping, skipping and hopping are all part a child’s gross motor skills and skipping ropes are brilliant for building on these. They can improve coordination and important muscle growth, as well as encouraging counting or songs and games linked to rhythm. Using balance boards and similar toys for five year olds is fun and great for building on coordination and balancing skills. They might not be up for pogo sticks and bicycles just yet, but working on these skills provides important stepping stones for later.

Basic Multi-Player Games for 5 year olds

Popular games for two or more people are great for spending time playing with a child, or for them to play with friends. Multi-player games such as Connect 4, Noughts and Crosses or Guess Who can help build on logic and problem-solving skills, improve teamwork and promote turn taking. Luck based games like Hungry Hippos can help teach children about winning and losing gracefully and are great for a level playing field between children of different ages and adults, or between children with different skills. Games and toys for five year olds can be fun for adults too.

Bug Farms and Terrariums

They may be a bit young for a pet of their own, but basic science is a great place to start. Bug farms, including ant or worm farms, are brilliant toys for five year olds for learning the fundamentals of caring for another life, while also teaching a child about the life cycles of insects and the basic things necessary for survival. If you don’t want bugs involved, small terrariums are great for learning about different types of plants and the environments they need to live in. It may seem to be only a glass tank or bowl filled with small plants, but it can teach a lot.

Children’s Cameras

Cameras designed for children are great presents for five year olds, with simple designs and stronger cases. It can give them a way to record their own achievements or show off their pride in an activity they really enjoyed. Perhaps they can share a Lego building or a model they built with family or friends. Learning to take pictures can help with visual and spatial awareness, while connecting the camera to a computer to download photos can help develop basic IT skills, including sorting, labelling and filing the photos.