Five is a milestone birthday. The little goober has made it past infancy, and toddlerhood, and is ready for the big leagues! Just ask them, right?
But when it comes to 5 year old gift ideas, well….. they can be a little picky.
Too babyish and they’ll look at you with a foreshadowing of their teen years, too grown-up and they’ll toss it and play with the box instead.
Then there’s the parents! Too tech-oriented and their kid’s brain will turn to mush, but too hippie-granola and they’ll think you’re trying to guilt trip them about… something.
Read on for some great gift ideas that hit just the right note of creativity, fun, and educational aspects too.
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Best Presents for 5 Year Olds
Five year olds are pretty notorious for wearing the same thing, day in and day out, until they disintegrate.
Why not put them in something adorable and eye-catching then? At least they’ll be stinking cute when they wear this soft birthday girl tee over and over again.
It’s perfect to wear with jeans OR a tutu.
5 Year Old Gifts for Boys
We’re not sure what’s cooler: the fact that it glows (and is dimmable), or the fact that it comes with its own remote control! We’ll let him decide. This futuristic dinosaur will have him shouting from the rooftops, and it makes a great nightlight too.
5 Year Old Gifts for Girls
There’s something about a jewelry box that girls from 1-100 just love. Maybe it’s the bright colors, or the chunky bracelets, or the dainty necklaces, or maybe it’s the rings that make them feel like a member of the royal family.
This sweet set is chock full of all of those, plus more, and she can build her own collection as she plays dress up for years to come.
Best Books for 5 Year Olds
Bibliophiles love a good boxed set, and this is no exception! The perfect reading level for your five year old, the stories are simple, yet fun, and the illustrations are whimsical and bright.
Plus, there’s a whole 25 of them (25!!) so you won’t be stuck listening or reading the same one over and over again.
Best Game for 5 Year Olds
Honestly, five year olds can really school you at Memory games. It’s just a stone-cold fact. So let them practice in style, with this wooden Montessori set.
Its art is delightfully displayed on smooth wooden tiles, featuring classic kid’s favorites: tractors, trailers, and trucks.
Best School Gifts for 5 Year Olds
Sometimes teaching a five year old something is as easy as thumb-tacking a good quality poster to the wall at their eye level!
Start with a large, colorful map of the United States like the one pictured here, and who knows where it will take you next? Europe, Africa, outer space? Their imaginations will take off like wildfire when they’re inspired by the big world out there.
Creative Toys for 5 Year Olds
Look, you love them, but you don’t want them moving into your basement in thirty years because you forgot to teach them to be self-sufficient, do you? All kidding aside, start those life skills early with an amazing set of imaginative tools like this one.
They’ll be solving problems and making art all at once, which is pretty darn cool.
Scientific Gifts for 5 Year Olds
Educational gifts don’t have to be boring, or be tossed to the bottom of their closet, along with your forgotten set of World Books. Give them something that really excites their noggins (and yours too), like this Geo Safari microscope set!
You might just have a budding scientist on your hands, you know.
Gifts for Outdoorsy 5 Year Olds
As if old-school, vintage inspired roller-skates weren’t good enough (which, let’s face it, they most certainly are), these ones actually light up. We’ll give you a moment to gasp and go check your little person’s shoe size. Okay, now that you’re back, repeat with us, how cool are these?!
Meaningful Gifts for 5 Year Olds
Five is the age where the little tykes really start collecting, keeping, gathering, okay, okay, kind of hoarding if you will, all the shiny things that catch their eyes. Five year olds are a little like crows. Move a pillow and you find their stash of rocks. Adjust their car seat and voila, there’s your missing manicure set.
Face it, five years is a good time to start gently moving them away from their kleptomania and funneling it into a collection that is more meaningful. Enter this sweet charm to commemorate her big day!
Christmas Gifts for 5 Year Old
The worst part about Christmas? How early that five year old is going to wake you up! It’s like they were dreaming of sugar plums while you were feverishly wrapping gifts and guzzling eggnog well into the wee hours.
Give them a gift that will keep them occupied at least until 10 a.m. on Christmas Day, like this realistic triceratops and velociraptor play set. Now, go take a nap.
10 More 5 Year Old Gift Idea
1. Paper Doll Set
I had no idea using scissors was a kindergarten requirement and skill set, did you? Well, it is.
Instead of handing Junior his safety scissors and your stash of magazines, why not consider giving them an old-fashioned paper doll set? They’ll have so much fun cutting and dressing up their little people. Let their imagination soar with classic play!
Related: Kindergarten Graduation Gift Guide
2. Lego Duplo Building Set
There’s a reason why Legos rule the Kid Kingdom! They’re endlessly fun and educational, and there’s no limit to what you can build. But those teeny-tiny original Legos are hard for chunky little five year old fingers to easily manipulate.
Enter Duplo! They’re easier to manage and build with (and they’re easier to spot, so you don’t step on them as much. Win-win).
3. Personalized Cape
Superheroes never get old! These adorable and totally personalized capes are going to go with them wherever their adventures take them: to the supermarket, to school, to Gramma’s house, or just to bed for a well-earned nap.
Saving the world is exhausting!
4. Barbie Teacher Doll
Inspire them with a smart looking role model, like this cute teaching Barbie! They can model the best teaching behavior, and have fun doing it. Teach them that not every little girl wants to be a princess when they grow up, and that teachers are just plain awesome.
5. Personalized Backpack
They’ll feel special and you’ll feel like they’re going to lose a whole lot less when they’re out of your sight at school or a playdate!
Keep all their needs and wants safely tucked in in one of these personalized and embroidered packs. Pick their favorite color too! We think they’ll be happy as clams and still using theirs even into the first or second grade.
6. Washable Makeup
It’s fun to play dress up, but not so fun when they use up a whole tube of Mommy’s Lancome lipstick in one use! Let them be as glowy, sparkly, and bright as they can be, with one of these cute sets of washable (yay!) and non-toxic makeup sets.
7. Real Tools
Their own toolbox of REAL toys is going to go over swimmingly. They can work alongside Grandpa or Mom, feeling helpful and learning important skills.
Time to build that tree fort together, don’t you think? You know you want to. Just, you know, teach them to use that hammer correctly before you offer to hold the nails.
8. Climbing Triangle
Little ninja warriors driving you batty with their incessant climbing and vaulting through the kitchen?
Send them outside with this wooden climbing triangle! Put their wiggles through their paces and watch them learn dexterity and balance at the same time. Your whole backyard may become an obstacle course, but your kitchen will thank you!
9. Slime Kit
Whether it glows in the dark, is magnetic, or is purposely made to feel and look like snot (ewwww), kids love slime. They’ll have all sorts of slimy fun with this clever kit, that comes with even more oddballs: furry, color changing, and bouncing goo too.
But, beware – while this is one of the best gifts ever for kids, it’s another story completely for the parents. In fact, slime topped our list of the 10 Most Annoying Kids Toys of All Time. Just a little PSA for ya.
10. Camera
Your little shutterbug will absolutely adore this chunky camera, made just for their size of hands! It comes with its own strap for hanging around their neck so its always near when inspiration strikes, and a carrying case for safe keeping. You may be surprised at the shots they’ll take with this camera!
Related: The BEST Non-Toy Gifts for Kids
5 Year Old Party Ideas
A slumber party. Five is a good age to maybe have that first BFF over for an all-nighter. Just keep it to one or two, for your own sanity, and know before hand that they are comfortable in your home. Provide plenty of nightlights for an unfamiliar house and have them bring their own sleeping bag, pillow, and toy for comfort.
A splash/pool party. Five year olds are more secure in the water now, and most even swim better than their folks do. So why not let them get their wiggles and giggles out at a splash park or pool? Of course, adult supervision is required. Follow up the swimming with a hydrating punch or popsicles.
Have a scavenger hunt. Keep the list easy to read and provide pictures of their hidden treasures as well. Short and sweet – we’d say ten items – and don’t forget plenty of prizes for the winners. You can do it outside or in, depending on the weather.
Have a cooking party. Party goers can make their own pizzas, or decorate their own cupcakes. Of course, the birthday girl or boy gets to wear the chef’s hat!
Go bowling. Five is a great age to start bowling! Most alleys provide a birthday package (complete with bumper lanes so ever roll is a success), and you can always ask if you can bring in your own cake as well. And if the balls get too heavy, there’s always music and French fries to muster up some energy!
Related: Birthday Party Etiquette for Kids
5 Year Old Birthday Quotes
When I was five years old, my mother told me that happiness was the key to life. ~ John Lennon.
Sometimes you just have to talk to a five year old to to remind yourself what true happiness is.
Would five year old you be proud of who you are now?
The real menace in dealing with a five year old is that you will start to sound like a five year old in no time.
Adults are just out-dated children. ~ Dr. Seuss
He undertook to disparage my age when he himself had appointed his five year old son. ~ Elagabalus.
More Gift Inspiration:
- 4 Year Old Gifts
- 5 Year Old Gifts (this post)
- 6 Year Old Gifts
- Best Outdoor Toys for Kids
- 10 Classic Toys That Kids Love
