Five-year-old boys can be a challenge to shop for. As they are maturing out of their toddler years, many five-year-old boys have a tendency to want toys that stretch their abilities. As they grow more active, toys that offer an outlet for energy are perfect for this age group. When my boys turned five, there was a definite shift in the kinds of toys they wanted. Gone were the days of board books and toddler toys. Now they were big enough for Lego sets and science kits!
Whether your gift recipient is into art, science, sports, or games, this list of toys for five-year-old boys has something they will love.
How to Choose a Gift for a 5-Year-Old
- Consider how long the gift will be useful. Is it a gift he will love for a long time or one he will be tired of quickly? Will his siblings enjoy using it later?
- Determine the price you are willing to pay. Your budget can impact what gift you choose. Perhaps your boy would be as happy with a less expensive gift as one that costs more.
- Take into account his interests and personality. If you are buying a gift for a little athlete, he will likely enjoy an outdoor or active toy. Depending on his personality, he might enjoy trying something new.
- Think about his needs. At age 5, boys are still developing in many ways. Maybe your boy needs to work on his gross or fine motor skills. Or maybe he needs to work on his academic skills. A gift that can help your favorite 5-year-old improve his skills can be a great choice.
Our Favorite Toys and Gifts for 5-Year-Old Boys
| Model | Features |
|---|---|
Imaginext Pirate Ship Read Review | |
VTech KidiStudio Read Review | |
EzyRoller Classic Ride On Read Review | |
Superhero Costume Set Read Review | |
LEGO City Fire Truck Read Review | |
Coding Starter Kit for iPad Read Review | |
Jetson Jupiter Scooter Read Review | |
KidiZoom Smartwatch DX2 Read Review | |
NERF Dude Perfect Football Read Review | |
Tornado RC Stunt Car Read Review | |
Osmo iPad Genius Starter Kit Read Review | |
Fishing Kit Read Review | |
Decorate Your Own Car Read Review | |
Super Saxoflute Read Review | |
Crayola Tracing Pad Read Review | |
Create with Clay Dinosaurs Read Review | |
Build and Paint a Birdhouse Read Review | |
Crazy Forts Read Review | |
NERF N-Strike Elite Jolt Blaster Read Review | |
First Little Readers Books Read Review | |
Kid's Frisbee Rings Read Review | |
Giant Wooden Yard Dice Read Review | |
Foam Finger Rockets Read Review | |
Light-up Terrarium Kit Read Review | |
UNO Card Game Read Review | |
Design & Drill Activity Center Read Review | |
Magic Science for Wizards Read Review | |
101 Piece Building Blocks Set Read Review | |
Insect Lore Butterfly Garden Read Review | |
LED Walking Dinosaur Read Review | |
Retevis Walkie Talkies Read Review | |
Foam Sword and Shield Read Review | |
Dino Eggs Kit Read Review | |
Rocket Ship Play Tent Read Review |
Top Creative Toys for 5-Year-Old-Child
1. Melissa & Doug Race Car and Monster Truck Craft
This set actually comes with two separate crafts–a race car and a monster truck. Included in each kit is everything your child needs to assemble and decorate each vehicle, including axles, wheels, glue, four pots of paint, a paintbrush, and sticker decals.
The vehicles come with clear instructions and are easy to put together. Your child simply needs to insert the axles and add the wheels, using some glue to hold them together. When that is dry, your child can paint the vehicles in whatever designs he chooses, adding stickers for the finishing touches.
Best of all, when your child is done building and decorating these sets, he’ll have two new toys to play with! Or, if he’d prefer, these make great room decorations as well.
2. Super Saxoflute Customizable Musical Instrument
This set of 24 colorful pipes is made from sturdy ABS plastic and includes pieces in four different shapes–elbow, straight, T, and plus. It also comes with two mouthpieces and two funnel ends that act like horns.
In addition to encouraging an interest in music, this set can also stimulate your child’s imagination as he builds unique constructions every time he plays. It’s both a construction toy and an instrument in one!
Your child will have a blast creating and playing a unique instrument that has never been seen or played before. And as an added bonus, this toy can be used to create fun water pipes in the bathtub or pool.
3. Crayola Light-up Tracing Pad
If you have an aspiring artist on your hands, he’ll love this illuminated tracing pad from Crayola. The tablet is lit by a bright LED and has a frame to hold papers in place. All your child needs to do to create masterful drawings is place one of the tracing sheets over the illuminated pad, put a blank piece of paper over the top, and begin tracing the image.
Once your child has traced the image, he can add shading and color to really bring it to life. This set includes everything he’ll need to do just that, including a graphite pencil and 12 colored pencils. There are also 10 blank sheets of paper as well as 10 tracing sheets with sports and concert images. Crayola also provides more free, downloadable templates online for continued artistic fun.
4. Creativity for Kids Clay Dinosaurs
This fun, creative toy combines artistic expression with scientific learning by allowing your child to cover plastic dinosaur skeletons with colorful molding clay. The kit includes three dinosaurs–Stegosaurus, T-Rex, and Triceratops–clay in red, blue, green, yellow, and purple; molding tools; and fun googly eyes.
For added fun, the kit includes interesting dinosaur facts so your child can learn as he creates. The clay won’t dry out, so your child can build unique, colorful dinosaurs over and over again.
5. Toysmith Build and Paint a Birdhouse
This kit includes everything your child needs to build and decorate his own unique bird house, including all of the wood pieces, a paint brush, a set of four paints–green, red, yellow, and blue–and a cord to hang it with.
The house comes with detailed, easy-to-follow instructions and is very easy to put together, using only dowels to connect the pieces. For a sturdier construction, you can add a little wood glue. If you’d like it to be more weather-resistant, you can also use some sealant after painting.
Once everything is built and hung, your child will love watching birds flock to this little house. Maybe some will even move in and lay some eggs!
6. VTech Record & Learn KidiStudio
This musical toy is so much more than a simple keyboard! It actually allows your child to record and play back his own musical creations. The keyboard itself can sound like a piano, saxophone, violin, steel drum, trombone, or alien. There is also a microphone complete with voice changing capabilities.
This toy comes with more than 40 songs and sound effects, allowing your child to sing along karaoke style while adding drums, cymbals, guitar shreds, and disc scratching noises. Or, if he prefers, he can play and record his own unique songs.
Your child can also learn to play real songs on the piano with light-up keys to follow. And in case you’re worried about it, yes, there is adjustable volume control.
7. Crazy Forts
Building forts is a childhood past time that kids love to do with pillows and blankets and anything they can get their hands on. Now kids can enjoy building forts that will stand the test of busy-body 5-year-olds.
Crazy Forts comes with 69 toggles and rods that connect into whatever creation kids can come up with. The portable design makes it easy to store or take to grandma’s house. After kids finish constructing the shape, a simple sheet or blanket thrown on top makes it an elaborate fort, ready for playing!
Active/Outdoor Toys for 5-Year-Old Boys
8. NERF N-Strike Elite Jolt Blaster
What little boy doesn’t love shooting darts at his friends, siblings, parents, pets, the wall, etc.? After watching my eight nephews, I can say that every little boy does!
Unlike some other brands, this Nerf gun is very lightweight and easy for younger children to use, making it perfect for your 5-year-old. This gun comes with 2 Elite foam darts.
The small size of this gun and the easiness of use is perfect for your young boy. It’s a great introduction to Nerf guns and is a gift your boy will love!
9. EzyRoller Classic Ride On
This cool ride-on toy is basically a sit-down scooter that is controlled by the feet. Your child can sit back and relax in the comfortable seat, put his feet on the push bar, and alternate between pushing with the right foot and then the left to move the scooter forward.
With no pedals or chains, this ride-on moves silently and sleekly. When your child needs to slow down or stop, a small hand break on one of the back wheels is easy to reach. The steel frame only weighs 12.8 pounds and can accommodate children (or adults!) up to 150 pounds. As your child grows, you can use one of the two foot bar extensions that come in the package.
Choose your child’s favorite color from one of the 11 vibrant shades for a personalized ride-on toy he will love for years to come. Here is a video to show you how this exciting scooter works.
10. Activ Life Best Kid’s Frisbee Rings
Kids love frisbees, but they are so hard to throw and catch! That’s what makes these frisbee rings so perfect for younger children–they are 80% lighter than traditional frisbees and have a large hole in the center for easier throwing and catching. They can even be caught on your wrist or foot.
The hole in the center helps these discs to fly straight, so there’s no need to chase down a wild throw. This package comes with a set of two frisbee rings, making it easier for the whole family to get in on the fun. They generally fly between 15 and 30 feet, but on a windless day they can travel up to 80 feet!
Best of all, these frisbee rings float on water, making them perfect for days at the pool, beach, or lake.
11. Giant Wooden Yard Dice
Take family game night outside with this set of six solid wood yard dice. Each die is a 3.5″ cube of kiln-dried pine with smooth, rounded edges for a comfortable grip. The dots, which are apparently called pips, are burned in deep for greater visibility and durability.
This set comes with a drawstring bag for storage and easy transportation to the park, a campsite, a friend’s house, or anywhere you’d like to play! It also comes with Yardzee and Yard Farkle score sheets that are laminated for repeated use, but you can adapt any of your favorite dice games to play with this set.
12. Haktoys Tornado RC Car
There are so many remote control cars out there to choose from, but this one is unique with its colorful flashing lights, huge light-up wheels that twist around, incredible speed, daredevil spinning action, and amazing stunts. It doesn’t look or act like your average RC car!
The car comes with a USB charger that can produce a full charge after 80 to 100 minutes for 20 to 30 minutes of play time. The remote can control the car from up to 40 feet away, and it works well outside, on hardwood floors, and even on carpet or grass.
You’ll be happy to note that the loud music that accompanies the car’s movements can be easily switched off while the lights continue to flash.
13. US Sense LED Foam Finger Rockets
These rockets are made from durable foam with a rubber launcher that is easy for children to play with. To use, simply put the rubber launcher band around one finger, grab the bottom of the rocket with the other hand to pull it back, and then let go. The rockets can launch as high as 80 feet in the air!
This package includes six rockets, so it’s perfect for family fun, parties, or play dates. Each rocket has a small on/off button to control the LED light for rocket launching fun at night.
14. Jetson Jupiter Kick Scooter
The lightweight design of this kick scooter is perfect for five-year-old boys. The folding design makes it easy to store and carry to their next adventure. With over 100 LED lights in the stem, deck, and wheels, your child will be mesmerized by this scooter. The lights will also aid in visibility while riding at night.
The handlebar height adjusts for your child’s comfort and will ensure years of use. There is also a braking mechanism on the deck that assists in coming to a full stop. Remember to purchase a well fitting helmet with this scooter too!
15. Dude Perfect PerfectSmash Football
Dude Perfect started as a group of room mates who came up with some basketball trick shots and decided to put them on YouTube. A few million subscribers later, Dude Perfect is one of the most popular shows for kids of all ages. Any five-year-old boy will love this PerfectSmash football set by Nerf Sports, designed by Dude Perfect.
Kids can set up trick shots of their own by hanging the target, then throwing a football at the center, knocking it out. This toy is perfect for the sports enthusiast and will help with hand and eye coordination. The football can also be used for a traditional game of backyard play.
STEM/Learning Toys for 5-Year-Old Boys
16. Osmo Coding Awbie Game
In our technology-driven world, it’s never too early to start teaching your child how to code. According to my husband, coding is the future! That’s why Osmo created this fun, child-friendly game that teaches the basic thought processes behind coding, including “if statements,” loops, logic, and problem-solving.
Described as being “like LEGO for coding,” this game involves snapping together blocks, each of which represents a command, to create different command sequences that Awbie (who looks a lot like the chubby guy from Big Hero 6) can follow as he searches for delicious strawberries to eat. As your child begins to understand more, the game builds in complexity to keep him interested.
This game requires an iPad or iPhone to play, along with the appropriate base and the game box with the building blocks. All are available on Amazon.
17. First Little Readers Books
When you’re 5 years old, it’s time to learn to read! This beginning reader book collection is perfect for early readers. With 25 books of 8 pages each, you’ll definitely get your money’s worth with this gift.
These stories are fun and the pictures are entertaining. Your boy will enjoy the satisfaction of being able to practice and finally read these books without help.
This pack is reading level A, which is for pre-K through 1st grade. There are other First Little Readers packs for the subsequent reading levels.
18. VTech Kidizoom Smartwatch DX2
This smartwatch is the perfect gift for a technology-loving kid who’s too young for a smartphone. It has two cameras–one on the side and one at the front–for taking videos, pictures, and selfies. The photos can then be customized with different effects, including filters, frames, and stamps, to be used as new watch faces.
In addition to helping your child learn to tell time with either a digital or analog watch face, this smartwatch has an alarm, timer, and calendar capabilities for further learning. Activity challenges, motion-controlled games, and mini logic puzzles will keep your child entertained for hours.
The watch has a built-in rechargeable battery, 256 megabytes of memory, and a micro-USB charging cable that can also be used for uploads and downloads. And most importantly, it’s sturdy and splash-proof, making it perfect for young children.
19. Mini Explorer Light-up Terrarium Kit
This kit includes everything your child needs to create his own contained, miniature garden, including a 4″ x 6″ terrarium jar, step-by-step instructions, soil, blue sand, river rocks, seeds, a wooden stick to help with planting, a spray bottle for watering, bunny and mushroom house figurines, and 15 stickers for decoration.
Under the jar’s lid is a built-in LED light that will transform your child’s mini garden into a magical, illuminated garden paradise with the flip of a small switch. A micro-USB charging cable is included in the package for easy charging.
Your child will love watching the wheat grass and chia plants grow during the day and light up at night. In the process, he’ll learn about responsibility and the basics of biology and plant life.
20. Educational Insights Design & Drill Activity Center
With this activity, your child can use a reversible power drill to screw colorful bolts into the plastic board. He will recreate the designs on the 10 double-sided design cards, which include trains, boats, flowers, fish, and more. Or he can create his own unique designs!
In addition to the drill, activity board, and design cards, the package includes two drill bits, a screwdriver, a combination wrench, and 120 plastic bolts. As your child plays with this toy, he will improve his coordination. Patterning, matching, and basic engineering skills are also honed with this toy.
21. Scientific Explorer Magic Science Kit
Introduce your child to the magic of science and the science of magic with this magic-themed science kit for kids. To begin, your child can create his own wizard’s wand and hat to really look the part. Then he can begin working on one of the nine scientific activities in the included guide.
Found in the package are several safe materials. These include citric acid, zinc sulfide, baking soda, vegetable oil, red cabbage powder, cross-linked polyacrylate copolymer, and color tablets. There are also four test tubes and a stand, one clear tube wand with two caps, two measuring scoops, purple paper, and some star stickers.
Among the different experiments are a frothing color-changing potion, a magic wand lava color-changing froth, a glow-in-the-dark bubbling potion, and more.
22. Osmo Genius Kit
This fun, educational kit comes with five award-winning games your child can play with an iPad. The games include Numbers, Words, Tangram puzzles, Newton problem-solving, and Masterpiece creative drawing. Each one can be adapted to fit your child’s skill level up to age 12.
Among the things your child can do in these games are counting tiles to pop number bubbles. He can also practice spelling the word of the image on the screen. Arranging Tangram pieces to match the puzzle shown helps with critical thinking. Your child can transform a photo or other image into a version that is easy to copy and draw.
Included in the kit are the iPad base, the game playing pieces, and storage containers that can stack on each other for easy, out-of-the-way storage.
23. ETI Toys Original 172 Piece Building Blocks Set
This 172-piece building set comes with so much more than differently sized blocks. It’s perfect for any vehicle-loving child. It has everything he needs to build his own helicopters, trucks, airplanes, and anything else he can think of with wheels. It can also be used to make cute robots and animals.
As your child builds with this set, he will be developing his fine motor skills, creativity, and even basic math and engineering concepts. Each set comes with two ratcheting wrenches, so your child can easily build with a friend. The wrenches can be used two different ways, depending on what is most comfortable for your child.
We all know kids toys can get kind of grubby and gross over time, so it’s very handy that all the parts in this set are hand washable. There is also a storage container to keep everything in, and an 80-page e-book provides step-by-step instructions for 12 different building projects, ranging from easy to intermediate to advanced.
24. Insect Lore Butterfly Garden
Boys seem to be naturally drawn to the outdoors and playing with bugs. When my boys were around five years old, especially my youngest, he loved to collect worms, frogs, and caterpillars. This Insect Lore Butterfly Garden brings the love of bugs inside.
Live caterpillars are shipped with everything needed to start a butterfly garden. The caterpillars eat and grow, turn themselves into cocoons, and then blossom as butterflies. Any 5-year-old boy will gain a love of science and learning with this kit!
25. UNO Card Game
Who doesn’t love the classic card game UNO? This is a great choice for a 5-year-old boy. Not only is it a fun game, it also encourages social interaction and critical thinking (but don’t tell your boy because then he might not want to play).
This game is simple enough to learn and can be played quickly. It’s a great option for families to play together or for kids to play without an adult.
You can choose to follow the traditional rules or make up your own house rules to make it even more exciting. UNO is for 2-7 players. While the manufacturer claims it’s for ages 7 and up, we have found it’s definitely a great option for a 5-year-old.
Imaginative Play Toys for 5-Year-Old Boys
26. Superhero Set of 4 Capes and Masks
Young boys love to pretend to be super heroes. This cape and mask set is a great super hero gift for a 5-year-old boy. These are generic versions of Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, and Captain America.
The capes are a satin material and the masks are felt; both are good quality. A Velcro closure at the neck of the cape is easy for little hands to open and close. The masks have an elastic strap, which makes them ideal for most head shapes and sizes.
Your boy and his friends are sure to have hours of fun with these superhero costumes!
27. Windy City Novelties LED Light Up and Walking Dinosaur
If you have a dinosaur lover in your house, consider getting him this walking, roaring, light-up T-Rex for his collection. The body is purple and black and stands 6″ tall and 12″ long. The LED lights in his eyes and tongue flash red, while the lights in the spikes down his back flash red, blue, and green.
As he walks, this ferocious dinosaur lights up and roars realistically. But don’t worry; there’s an on/off switch to keep you from going crazy!
28. LEGO City Fire Chief Truck
Your child will love playing the hero with this fire truck LEGO set that he can build himself. Along with all the pieces he needs to build the truck, this set comes with male and female firefighters and a water cannon that actually shoots “water” studs at the included orange flames.
Once built, the 201-piece truck measures more than 2″ tall, 6″ long, and 2″ wide. Also included are extra accessories, such as an electrical box, an axe, 2 cones, a mug, and a fire extinguisher.
29. Retevis RT628 Kids Walkie Talkies
Five-year-olds are definitely too young for cell phones, but that doesn’t mean they can’t find a way to communicate with their friends from a distance–with walkie talkies! These particular walkie talkies are designed specifically for children, so they’re small, light, and easy to operate.
With both one-to-one and one-to-more communication options, a whole group can use these walkie talkies to communicate on the same channel. All your child has to do is turn it on and press the talk button. Letting go of the talk button allows him to hear the response. The other buttons allow you to change the frequency and control the sound.
With good sound quality and a range of at least 1/2 mile, these walkie talkies will provide your child with tons of ways to play pretend. They even come with a clip belt for easy wearing.
30. Fisher-Price Imaginext Shark Bite Pirate Ship
What is it with kids and pirates? My own kids have been running around all week talking funny and pretending to search for treasure. Whatever drives the obsession, it’s likely that this toy pirate ship will be a big hit with your child. With a ship, two pirate figures, two helmets, two swords, two cannon balls, a spyglass, and hidden treasure, there’s no end to the imaginary pirate fun!
But that’s not even the best part about this pirate ship. The pièce de résistance is the shark’s jaw at the front of the ship, which opens up to swallow prisoners and trap them in the ship’s hull! Lifting the hatch will allow them to escape (if they dare).
The ship also has shark fins on both sides, which move up and down when the ship is pushed along on its wheels. Your child can also fire cannons, shoot projectiles, have prisoners walk the plank, and so much more.
31. Liberty Imports Foam Sword and Shield 2 Pack
If there’s anything I’ve learned from having eight nephews and then my own son, it’s that little boys love to sword fight. In their hands, anything can become a sword. So why not get them the real (but still actually fake) thing?
This set of two 16″ foam swords and 12″ shields are perfect for little boys with a little fight in them. They are lightweight and manage to be sturdy enough for swordplay but soft enough to not actually injure anyone involved in the battle.
The shields have Velcro straps so your child can lash it to his arm, and the designs on them will make your child feel like a real knight as he pretends to be involved in the fight of his life.
32. Learning Resources Fishing Set
Your child will feel like a real fisherman with this 11-piece set from Learning Resources. The package comes with a vest, an 11″ fishing pole, a 13″ x 7″ x 6″ tackle box, three worms, three colorful fish in various sizes, a fishing net, and a six-page activity guide filled with fishing-themed activities.
Each of the fish has an embedded magnet that connects with the magnet in the fishing pole, so kids can actually go “fishing” without the boat, water, or smelly bait. The set would also make a great costume for Halloween or some other event.
33. Dig a Dozen Dino Eggs Kit
Most five-year-old boys love dinosaurs and this kit is the perfect toy for them! Each kit comes with twelve dinosaur eggs, ready to dig apart, revealing twelve different dinosaur toys. The rocks are made of specially designed material that can be cracked and opened with the help of included chisels and brushes.
The kit also comes with twelve full-color cards that explain details on each of the included dinosaurs. This is a great toy for a five-year-old boy and his friends!
34. Rocket Ship Play Tent
Here’s what your 5-year-old-boy will love about this rocket ship play tent: there are five games built into the tent including a solar system dart board, tic tac toe, maze challenge, lifelike cockpit, and an alien name game. In addition to those fun activities, I’m sure your boy will use his imagination to come up with all sorts of space adventures while playing in this tent!
This really is a great option because of how well-constructed it is. Seams are reinforced with strong double stitching and thick poles provide a sturdy structure. My favorite feature is that it effortlessly folds up to fit into a carrying case which you can store in small spaces when it’s not in use. The rocket ship play tent is sure to be a hit!
FAQs
What gift will spark a 5-year-old boy’s learning?
The trick is to select a toy that will appeal to a young boy’s curiosity so he won’t even realize that he’s learning. For instance, if he’s into dinosaurs, he will learn all about their skeletal systems as he plays with a clay dinosaur kit. Our list offers all sorts of other great choices, including the Osmo Coding Awbie game, which appeals to video game lovers, and a butterfly garden for nature lovers.
What is a good toy a 5-year-old boy will show off to his friends?
If you are shopping for a social boy, consider purchasing an activity he can share, such as frisbee, yard dice, or football. He will be excited to play with his new gift with his friends! The EzyRoller ride-on toy is another excellent option which will attract the envy and awe of the whole neighborhood as your little guy rides around the block.
What toy will teach a 5-year-old boy to appreciate music?
Any toy that allows a child to participate in the music making experience and exercise their musical creativity is sure to foster an interest in music. This list features a few toys which will accomplish that worthwhile goal, namely a unique customizable musical instrument and recording keyboard. Not only will these products encourage an appreciation of music but they will also introduce a 5-year-old boy to different musical instruments.
Gifts Ideas for Other Ages
Other Resources for Parents of 5-Year-Old Boys
