Gift ideas · ages 4 to 6
Gifts for 4, 5 and 6 year olds
At 4 to 6, kids play hard at whatever they already like, and they lose interest fast in anything that does the playing for them. So the best gifts here are simple and open-ended. Find the kind of play that sounds like your kid and start there.
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For kids who love to build
- 1Magnetic tilesOur pick: Magna-Tiles Clear Colors, 100 piecesGet a bigger set than you think. Sixty pieces or more, because they run out of pieces fast. Find it
- 2Wooden unit blocksOur pick: Melissa & Doug Standard Unit Blocks, 60 piecesThey last for years and work with every other toy in the house. Find it
- 3A big bin of DuploOur pick: LEGO DUPLO Deluxe Brick Box (10914)Easier on small hands than regular LEGO, and it all fits together. Find it
- 4A marble run they can rebuildOur pick: Hape Quadrilla Vertigo marble runThe fun is changing the track, not watching the marble. Find it
For kids who love exploring outside
- 1A bug catching kitOur pick: Nature Bound Bug VacuumThe backyard gets a lot more interesting. Find it
- 2A magnifying glass and a bug jarOur pick: GeoSafari Seek & Peek Bug CatcherThe backyard gets a lot more interesting up close. Find it
- 3Their own flashlightOur pick: Ledlenser Kidbeam4One they're allowed to keep in their room. Find it
- 4Rain boots and a real rain jacketOur pick: Columbia Kids' Watertight II rain jacketBad weather becomes part of the fun instead of a reason to stay in. Find it
- 5A small backpack for expeditionsOur pick: Osprey Daylite Jr. kids' packWith a pocket for snacks and a pocket for finds. Find it
For competitive kids
- 1A first board game, like Dinosaur EscapeOur pick: Dinosaur Escape (Peaceable Kingdom)Everyone wins or loses together, which is easier at 4. Find it
- 2A quick card game, like Uno or Spot ItOur pick: Spot It! ClassicShort rounds mean a loss is over fast and there's always another game. Find it
- 3A stopwatchOur pick: Casio HS-3V stopwatchSuddenly getting dressed is a race. Find it
- 4A soccer ball and a small pop-up goalOur pick: Franklin Sports kids' mini soccer goal setWorks in any backyard or park. Find it
- 5Cones and a sand timerOur pick: SKLZ Agility Cones, 20 packFor obstacle courses they design and time themselves. Find it
For kids who love pretend play
- 1A dress-up binCapes, hats, scarves and old clothes of yours. Mixed, not matching. Find one
- 2Hand puppetsOur pick: Melissa & Doug Zoo Friends Hand PuppetsAdd a cardboard box and it's a puppet theater. Find it
- 3A play kitchen or play shopOur pick: KidKraft Uptown Espresso Play KitchenSomething they can run, with you as the customer. Find it
- 4A set of small animal figuresOur pick: Schleich Farm World Assorted AnimalsFor acting out stories on the floor. Find it
For kids who love to collect things
- 1A rock and fossil kitOur pick: GeoSafari Fossil Excavation KitSomething to sort, label and show off. Find it
- 2A tackle box or bead organizerOur pick: Plano Three-Tray Tackle BoxLittle compartments for sorting treasures. Find it
- 3A display box for rocks and shellsOur pick: Plano StowAway 3700 clear boxSo their finds come out of the pockets and onto a shelf. Find it
- 4A reusable sticker bookOur pick: Melissa & Doug Reusable Sticker Pad, HabitatsStickers can be moved and sorted again and again. Find it
- 5A collecting pouch for walksEvery walk turns into a hunt. Find one
For kids who love to sing, dance and perform
- 1A magic kit with easy tricksOur pick: Fantasma Most Incredible Show magic setOne good trick means a show for every visitor. Find it
- 2A kids' keyboardOur pick: Casio SA-51 mini keyboardPress a key and hear a song right away. Find it
- 3A kids' microphone with a speakerOur pick: Singing Machine Party Machine MicEvery song becomes a concert. Find it
- 4A costume boxShows need costumes, and a mixed box works for any show. Find one
- 5Simple instrumentsOur pick: Melissa & Doug Band-in-a-BoxA tambourine, shakers and a triangle make a whole band. Find it
- 6A flashlight spotlight and a sheet curtainOur pick: Mini Maglite LED, 2 AAThe living room becomes a stage. Find it
For kids who love puzzles and figuring things out
- 1A 100 piece jigsaw puzzleOur pick: Ravensburger Mission in Space, 100 piecesA real puzzle they can finish over two afternoons. Find it
- 2A single-player logic game from SmartGamesOur pick: SmartGames Camelot Jr.Cards start easy and get harder, so it grows with them. Find it
- 3Floor puzzles with 24 to 48 piecesOur pick: Melissa & Doug Dinosaur Dawn floor puzzleBig pieces and a big finished picture. Find it
- 4Pattern blocks and cardsOur pick: Learning Resources Pattern Block Activity SetCopy the picture, then make up their own. Find it
- 5A marble mazeOur pick: BRIO LabyrinthTilt, figure it out, try again. Find it
One we made ourselves
Their own Pipsqueaks deckOur card battling game for a grown-up and a 4 to 7 year old, printed at home with the buddy they pick on the box and their name on every card back. Every card is a picture, so nobody has to read. See it free, print it for $4.Make their deck →
Not sure how your kid plays?
Most kids are a mix of two Play Types. The quiz takes two minutes. No account needed, and adding a name is optional.
Gifts for one age
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Holiday gift lists
Christmas gifts for kids that last past New Year'sChristmasStocking stuffers for kids that actually get usedHolidays
Buying for the grown-ups too? Gifts they'll still own, scored on warranty and repair: for dad, for mom, under $100.
Print it before the partyHalloween Party Games for Kids: picture bingo, a monster hunt and pin the face on the pumpkin. 11 pages, $5.Get the printable →
