Five is such a fun and exciting age. It’s the age when most kids officially stop being preschoolers and look forward to becoming kindergarteners at the big kids’ school. It’s a year of tremendous growth, when learning to read opens up whole new realms of understanding and possibility.
With these changes and opportunities for growth come a lot of awesome gift-giving options. Many of the cool toys you’ve seen in stores or games you’ve wanted to play as a family, perhaps, that once seemed too mature for your child are finally starting to become a possibility for her. It’s exciting! But to make sure you get the most out of your hard-earned money, don’t forget to stop and think a bit first.
Questions to Ask Yourself Before Buying a Gift
What are my child’s interests?
Before you go out (or online) and buy a bunch of gifts you think are cool or that you want your child to play with, think long and hard about whether or not she will think they’re cool. There are a lot of toys I wish my daughter was into, but no amount of enthusiasm from me can make her love them. Over the years, her favorite gifts have been the ones that coincide with her greatest interest–art. And while that really isn’t my thing, I always want my daughter to absolutely love the gifts I get her, even if I don’t.
Will she grow out of it too soon?
With all of the changes happening during this year of life, old tastes and interests can often fall by the wayside and be replaced with new ones. You want to avoid buying a toy she’s going to love for a short time and then get over or choosing a game that doesn’t challenge her and will soon become boring. That’s why I try to avoid buying toys based on a favorite TV show or movie character and often buy games that are technically too difficult at first. I want my gifts to have staying power!
How much can I afford?
This feels like an obvious one, but I feel the need to add this extra consideration: Which would be more meaningful to your child–multiple smaller, less expensive gifts or one large, more expensive one? Sometimes, if the present is a big deal kind of item, quality is more important than quantity.
Unique and Fun Gifts for 5-Year-Old Girls
| Product | Features |
|---|---|
| Active/Outdoor Toys | |
PlasmaCar Read Review | |
EzyRoller Classic Ride On Read Review | |
Giant Bubble Wand Kit Read Review | |
Wood Balance Board Read Review | |
Drone Helicopter Ball Read Review | |
Kids Bowling Set Read Review | |
Hover Soccer Ball Set Read Review | |
| Creative Play Toys | |
Crayola Ultimate Light Board Read Review | |
Fashion Headbands Craft Kit Read Review | |
Dover How to Draw Read Review | |
OMWay Kids Camera Read Review | |
Jewelry Box Craft Kit Read Review | |
Mom and Me Cookbook Read Review | |
Scribble Scrubbie Safari Animals Read Review | |
Kids Bath Bombs Read Review | |
First Big Book of Why Read Review | |
| STEM/Learning Toys | |
My First Piano Book Read Review | |
Osmo Coding Family Bundle Read Review | |
Analog Time Teacher Read Review | |
Shifu Plugo Count Read Review | |
LEGO Elsa's Jewelry Box Read Review | |
Zingo Sight Words Game Read Review | |
Early Learning Activity Book Read Review | |
| Imaginative Play | |
Princess Castle Tent Read Review | |
Spot It! Read Review | |
Unicorn Costume Dress Up Read Review | |
Sweep! Mop! Pretend Play Set Read Review |
Active/Outdoor Toys
A 5-year-old girl is growing and maturing. She needs ways to exercise her body while having fun with friends. These toys make active play more fun and exciting!
1. PlasmaCar
This car is a blast for adults . . . oops! I mean for kids! All kidding aside, your little girl will love this! She will spend hours riding it inside and out; all it requires is a hard surface. Kids love it because it’s easy to operate; adults love it because it helps develop coordination, balance, and motor skills (not to mention that it is super easy to assemble – no gears or pedals to mess with). Oh, and I am not kidding about the adults loving it – this car supports up to 220 pounds.
It’s super easy to operate; all she needs to do is prop her feet on the footrests and turn the steering wheel and away she goes. Turning the steering wheel harnesses the natural forces of inertia, gravity, and friction (how’s that for a little science lesson?). It goes up to 6 mph, yet it is safe enough for a 3-year-old. It’s quiet since there is no motor. Did I mention it is great exercise?
You really can’t go wrong with this car. It has been a big hit for kids and adults for years. Some of the awards it has won includes the Oppenheim Portfolio Platinum Seal Award in 2006, the Gold Seal Award in 2005, Dr. Toy’s Best Vacation Winner in 2005, the TDmonthly Top Seller in 2007, the Totally Awesome Awards Seal in 2016, and the TNPC Seal of Approval in 2005. And you don’t have to worry about how safe it is – the PlasmaCar meets and exceeds all U.S., Canadian, and European safety standards. You won’t be sorry if you give this car a try; it is definitely a winner!
2. EzyRoller Classic Ride On
This bike/scooter hybrid is a fun ride-on toy that is maneuvered entirely by using the feet, alternately pushing with the right foot and then the left to propel the vehicle forward. Your child can just sit back in the comfortable seat and relax her upper body as she races down hills. Alternatively, she could pick up a ball for a unique take on a variety of sports games.
With no pedals or chains, this ride-on toy is smooth and silent. A small, easily accessible hand break on one of the back wheels makes slowing down or stopping simple and easy. The steel frame can accommodate up to 150 pounds, and the included foot bar extensions can be added to grow with your child. With 11 fun colors to choose from, you can select your child’s favorite for a more personalized look.
3. WOWMAZING Giant Bubble Wands Kit
The older a child gets, the less she will be entertained by bubbles. Unless they’re giant bubbles, in which case they will never not be cool. This three-piece kit contains a booklet with instructions, tips, and tricks; a container of WOWmazing bubble solution; and a giant, two-handed bubble-making “wand”–everything you need to create huge, impressive bubbles.
The kit is easy to use, even for younger children. It will no doubt provide backyard, park, or beach time fun for the whole family. The wand can be reused, and many reviewers reported bubble-producing success with other bubble brands and even homemade bubble solutions.
4. little dove Wood Balance Board
This deceptively simple toy boasts a wide variety of uses, including chair, see-saw, table, bridge, and–my personal favorite–slide. It also has endless imaginative play possibilities; it could be a boat, surf board, tunnel, or bed. Your child can make it into whatever she wants!
This toy is also a developmental tool that stimulates the vestibular system, which is the sensory system that alerts our brains to our head position, motion, and orientation in space to aid with balance, stability, and posture. Made from high-quality beech and birch woods, this balance board can support up to 485 pounds and measures 35″ long by 11.8″ wide. Felt on the bottom of the board protects your floors and provides stability for your child.
5. Hand Operated Drone Helicopter Ball
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a hand-operated drone! And it’s even easy for little people to control–using just their hands. By moving her open hand near the outside edge of the drone, your child can guide it in the opposite direction. To make the drone climb higher, all she has to do is hold her open hand under the center.
Constructed from soft plastic material, the outer casing of the drone is safe for both your child’s hands and your walls and ceiling when used indoors. It is also equipped with infrared motion sensors to help it avoid crashes, should your child be a bit of a crazy driver (er, flier). It is great for indoor or outdoor fun and even has colorful LED lights for an added wow factor.
The package comes with the drone, a USB charging cable, two rechargeable batteries, a screwdriver, two fans, and a user manual. It also comes with a one-year warranty.
6. Kids Bowling Set
Do you want to offer your child a way to learn to bowl from the safety of your own home? If so, this is the gift you’ve been looking for! This set includes 10 colorful, soft foam pins perfect for your little 5 year old. She will love the funny, animated faces on the 2 bowling balls and you will be happy that they won’t damage your furniture since they are so squishy!
As a bonus, she can practice recognizing the numbers 1-10 as she plays. I’m sure you’ll notice her start to stack the pins sequentially, counting, and even pointing out her special number 5. Maybe with some help she’ll even try to make some simple math problems with the pins. All in all, this bowling set is an excellent gift for any 5 year old girl!
7. Hover Soccer Ball Set
No more shouting, “Don’t play ball in the house!” With this indoor-friendly hover soccer “ball,” your child can still get her exercise and enjoy a fun, non-destructive game of soccer–no matter what the weather looks like outside. The set comes with two easy-to-assemble 23” x 12.6” x 12.6″ goals and an inflatable soccer ball for additional game options.
The “ball” contains a fan that produces an air cushion, allowing it to hover just off the ground. It easily glides over any smooth surface, including tile, hardwood, concrete, and even low-pile carpet. And best of all, a foam bumper around the edges help protect your furniture, walls, door frames, and baseboards from any damage.
Finally, your child will love the built-in multicolored LED lights that illuminate the ball, and you will love the peace of mind that comes with the three-year warranty and one-year money-back guarantee.
Creative Gifts for 5-Year-Old Girls
Fostering creativity in young girls is very important. It helps to expand their minds and see the world differently. These toys and gifts help girls design their own creations which can be done alone or with a friend.
8. Crayola Ultimate Light Board
If you have a budding artist then this is the perfect gift! I love that it is reusable; you literally just wipe it clean with a damp towel! It comes with 6 washable gel markers and has a built-in storage for them, which keeps everything organized. It is a great activity to grab on the way out the door and will easily keep your little one busy while you are out running errands.
This is a great activity to encourage creativity for a few reasons. One is that the back is removable–she can put pictures under it to trace and color any way she wants. Or she can leave it blank and draw an original piece of art. When the masterpiece is complete you can turn on the lights to light it up . . . or you can turn the lights off and display it in the dark. Very cool! Hands down the best art gift for a 5-year-old!
9. Creativity for Kids Fashion Headbands Craft Kit
My favorite kid crafts are the ones that result in a useful product when they’re finished. That’s why I love this headband kit. It comes with everything your child needs to create 10 headbands as fun and unique as she is, including ribbons and rhinestones, feathers and flowers, a butterfly, and more.
As your child designs and creates her own headbands, she will be building her fine motor skills. She will also be expressing her creativity. The headbands themselves are made from soft satin and come in a variety of bright colors to match nearly any outfit. If your daughter is a budding fashionista, this is definitely the craft kit for her!
10. Dover How to Draw
If your child is an aspiring artist, she’ll love this beginner’s drawing book that will teach her to draw 30 different pictures, from animals and plants to food and vehicles. Written by a former elementary school art teacher, this book is at the perfect level for younger children.
Step-by-step instructions teach drawing basics by combining simple shapes into more complex images. As your child practices creating the different pictures, she will learn more about dimension, shape, and form. And when her drawings are complete, she can add even more depth by coloring or painting them.
Drawing can help improve your child’s fine motor skills, concentration, and patience. The book even includes some blank practice pages for her to work on her favorite drawings over and over again until she has perfected them.
11. OMWay Kids Camera
If your daughter is anything like mine, she loves taking photos of anything and everything. I love seeing the world from her perspective, but I don’t love having hundreds of photos take up room on my phone. That’s why I love this kids’ dual-lens digital camera, which allows your child to take her own 8MP photos and 1080p high-definition videos.
This camera comes with auto-smile and 10-second timer functions, both of which can help your child take high-quality photos. Those photos can remain on the 32 GB SD card or be uploaded and eventually printed using the included USB cord. Your child can also customize her photos with one of the camera’s 32 built-in cartoon frames.
Though the camera comes with a lanyard for hanging it around your child’s neck, it also has a shockproof silicone shell to protect it from damage if it does get dropped. And for some personalization, you can choose from three different color schemes–pink, blue, and camo.
12. Melissa & Doug Jewelry Box Craft Kit
This is another craft for which the finished product is a useful object–a beautiful jewelry box to hold your child’s treasures. Inside the kit are three glitter glues, white glue, 26 gem stickers, and 38 foil stickers for her to make this wooden box her own.
Within the box are a safety mirror inside the lid and a velvet ring holder, along with two storage compartments. The top compartment is shallow and is divided into three smaller sections. It easily removes from the box to provide access to the larger compartment underneath, where bigger items can be kept safe.
Your daughter will love having a place of her own to keep the treasures she holds dear–whether they be fancy jewelry pieces or just rocks she picks up on her outdoor explorations. And it’s even better that she will have decorated the special container herself!
13. Mom and Me Cookbook
Cooking is a valuable skill for all children to learn, and they can start the process at a very young age. In fact, it is when they are young that most kids show an interest in helping their parents cook. To foster that interest, try getting your child this cookbook written especially for kids who are cooking with adult help.
Unlike many of the other kids’ cookbooks out there, which are filled with recipes for foods most kids wouldn’t eat, this one shows kids how to make their favorite foods–scrambled eggs, spaghetti, pizza, cupcakes, cookies, and more. The recipes themselves are explained in simple language with step-by-step instructions, each of which has a corresponding illustrative photograph to go with it.
In addition to the recipes, the book also introduces basic cooking terms, techniques, tools, and measurements to help your child become more comfortable and confident in the kitchen. Who knows? Maybe you can start to pawn dinner duty off on her!
14. Crayola Scribble Scrubbie Safari Animals Tub Set
If your child loves animals like mine does, these pretend wild animals will be a hit at your house. In addition to four cute animals–Khari the lion, Nia the monkey, Tuma the elephant, and Talib the giraffe–and six washable markers, this set also comes with a bathtub and scrub brush to clean the animals off with when she’s done coloring. The figurines can be colored and washed over and over again for never-ending fun.
The good news is that the markers that come with the set are washable and non-toxic. They come in yellow, green, blue, brown, and gray. The pets themselves are made from a soft, fuzzy material that makes them seem more like real animals. If your child wants more pets to color and wash off, there are several expansion packs you can buy.
15. Kids Bath Bombs Set with Surprise Toys Inside
It feels like bath bombs are all the rage these days. I see and hear about them everywhere! While there are many bath bomb kits for kids out there, a lot of them result in a poor-quality finished product. And where is the fun in making something that doesn’t even work?
The draw of a bath bomb is the fun fizzy action that results from them being submerged in water, and these bombs are definitely fizzy and fun. They even have “bath sprinkles” that make the water sparkly. There are six different scents in each package: bubble gum, cotton candy, dreamsicle, galaxy, grape soda, and gummy bear. And best of all, each one contains a surprise toy that is revealed after the bomb has fizzed.
While these bath bombs turn your kid’s bath water a light color, they do not stain your tub or leave an oil ring behind. Made from safe, all-natural ingredients, they will leave your child’s skin hydrated and moisturized.
STEM/Learning Gifts for 5-Year-Old Girls
Who says STEM is just for boys? Girls love learning about science, technology, engineering, and math through play. These toys help expand girls’ thinking and better understand how and why things work the way they do.
16. National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Why
I’m pretty sure every kid goes through a “Why?” stage. We may not always have the answer every time they ask us that, but this book does! From “Why do I have a belly button?” to “Why does the wind blow?”, this informative book answers many of the questions your child has asked–and probably many she hasn’t thought to yet.
This book is divided into four different sections: Amazing Me, How Things Work, Animals All Around, and Wonders of the World. Each page poses a question at the beginning and then answers it on a level kids can comprehend in simple, easy-to-understand language. The format and content of the book encourage curiosity and exploration, making learning fun.
17. BEST LEARNING My First Piano Book
Learning to play the piano is a great introduction to the world of music, and this book is a great introduction to the piano. With a miniature piano built into its back cover, this book is as interactive as it is portable. Each of its keys is numbered and color-coded to correspond to the colored numbers that appear under each note in the different songs. That way kids can play without needing to know how to read music.
The book includes 10 fun, familiar children’s songs, including “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” “The Wheels on the Bus,” and more. The piano is tuned to the same pitch as a real piano but can also sound like five other instruments–accordion, flute, guitar, harp, and saxophone. In addition to the 20 piano keys that span one and a half octaves, there are 10 buttons that play the different songs so your child can hear them and play along.
Like a real piano, your child can play and hear more than one note at a time. Unlike a real piano, however, she can record her songs and play them back to hear her progress. As she plays and listens to her own songs, she will learn more about music as well as develop her motor skills, logical thinking, and ability to focus.
18. Osmo Coding Family Bundle for iPad & Fire Tablet
My husband, a high school physics and engineering teacher, tells me all the time that coding is becoming a necessary skill for the rising generation. And because kids absorb so much, it’s best to teach them while they’re young! Coding toys are becoming very popular, but not all are created equal.
This version from Osmo is a perfect combination of educational and fun. In addition to basic coding, it teaches about music, rhythm, and pattern recognition. As with all Osmo games, you must first buy the base that is compatible with your device, be it an iPad or Fire tablet. The base detects the action happening in front of it and provides instant feedback.
In this award winning game, your child’s physical pieces will come to life through coding commands and guide the character Awbie through an exciting adventure. She can even come up with her own musical tunes as she plays! There are varying levels of difficulty for your child to conquer as she gets better and better at it, and you can track her progress on the parents’ app. You don’t need WiFi to play the game, so your child can even play this game on the go.
19. CakCity Waterproof Analog Time Teacher
This gift idea is both a learning device and an accessory. Its polyurethane strap boasts a cute flower design, and its colorful, easy-to-read watch face helps children learn to tell time on an analog clock. A slightly raised dial around the face provides the numbers 5, 10, 15, and so on to help with the tricky job of figuring out how many minutes it is past the hour.
This watch is made using quartz movement, so the time it tells is precise and accurate. The strap is soft and the whole watch is very lightweight, providing a comfortable fit for sensitive little wrists. It comes in six color choices and is waterproof enough to be worn in the shower.
20. Shifu Plugo Count
Like Osmo, Shifu creates technologically based STEM learning games that involve using a device such as an iPad, Android, or Fire tablet. For the Plugocount game, your child can play four games with more than 250 progressive levels of story-based math challenges designed for kids ages five to ten years old. Simply download the free app and select your child’s grade level to begin.
The kit comes with a foldable game pad, a counting spike, two sets of tiles with the numbers 0 through 9 on them, four tiles with arithmetic operators (+, -, x, and /) on them, and a guide with step-by-step play instructions. With no cords to connect everything and get in the way, setup is easy and fast. The game pad and counting spike communicate with each other via embedded magnets.
In addition to teaching and reinforcing math skills, this game hones your child’s logical reasoning and critical thinking skills. She will sharpen her visual, auditory, and tactile senses as she works on word problems, timed trials, and basic arithmetic.
21. LEGO Disney Frozen II Elsa’s Jewelry Box
LEGOs are a great STEM toy for young girls. They help teach skills such as following directions, improving dexterity, and planning. LEGOs can also be a creative toy, as kits can be put together in various ways and can be played with using imagination.
This set is perfect for your 5-year-old young lady. With 300 pieces as well as a mini figure of Elsa plus a figure of Nokk the ice horse. Not only is this a great toy to play with, when assembled, it is a real jewelry box where little girls can keep their treasures.
Girls can enjoy playing with this building set either alone or with a friend. This LEGO set for girls can be combined with other sets and the pieces can be used interchangeably.
22. Wipe Clean: Early Learning Activity Book
If you’re looking for something to help your 5-year-old sit quietly and entertain herself, this is the book for you! It helps kids work on their handwriting and pen control with four different focuses: letters, animals, time, and numbers. The time and numbers sections also help teach counting and basic time telling.
In the letters section, your child can trace both uppercase and lowercase letters before practicing them on her own. The letters are also shown within words–at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end–which can help kids with the phonetics of each letter to prepare them for reading.
This book is primarily responsible for my daughter being able to write her letters and numbers. We’ve had it for a couple of years now, and she still loves using it. As a warning, the marker that comes with the book isn’t great, so you may want to invest in a few others in various colors for the hours of quiet, educational entertainment your child will find in this book.
23. Zingo Sight Words Game
As you know, girls this age are starting to learn sight words to prepare them for reading. Zingo, an award winning early reading game and Toy of the Year finalist, will help develop your 5-year-old girl’s interest and competency with words and literacy. Pre-readers and early readers will love this BINGO-style game which encourages quick recognition of essential words like “for,” “have,” and “we.”
You will love the straightforward, clear instructions which make it easy to jump right into playing. Simply load the Zinger with yellow tiles. When you slide the Zinger two tiles appear and players search for matching words on their boards. Fill up all nine spaces to win. This game accommodates 2-6 players and only takes a few minutes to play.
It’s no wonder that teachers and parents alike love this fun, easy, fast-paced, educational game!
Games/Imaginative Play
Your girl is still in that magical window of imagination and exploration. Pretending is an important way for kids to be creative and engage their minds. Playing games promotes several skills including reasoning, logic, math, and pre-reading skills.
24. Princess Castle Tent
Imagine all the possible uses of this magical castle tent! Your daughter can have tea parties, read-a-thons, do puzzles, or even nap under the enchanting walls. She will adore the large stars that are included and feel like a real princess as she plays in it.
You will be surprised at how easily this tent comes together. The instructions are straight-forward and the assembly is simple so it should come together in just a few minutes. The best part is that this is portable and all the parts fit into a small carry bag. And since it’s built of durable material it can provide plenty of play opportunities for years to come!
25. Spot It!
My preschool girl loves playing Spot It!, and we haven’t even played the complete game with her yet. This two- to eight-player game consists of 55 round cards, each of which is filled with a selection of 50 different symbols. Any two cards will have one and only one pair of matching symbols. The basic objective is to spot the match between the two cards before anyone else.
When we play with our daughter, we simply lay out two cards and see who can spot the match first. Whoever does gets to take the cards, and the person with the most pairs at the end wins. While this is great for her at this stage, the game instructions include five different games to play with the cards–all of which require, at their core, finding matching symbols between two cards. In each of the five sub-versions of the game, every player is playing at the same time, so there’s no boring wait time between turns.
As your child plays this game, she will hone her observational and visual skills as well as develop a greater capacity to focus. And with so many playing possibilities, this game can grow with your child to provide years of family fun.
26. Unicorn Costume Dress Up
What little girl doesn’t love unicorns? This little outfit is adorable! And the headband…let me just tell you that she will wear it all of the time! It is one of the best unicorn headbands that I have seen – it’s handmade and it shows. The imagination is unlimited to the wearer of this costume. Seriously, make believe has never been better.
The top part of the costume is made of really soft, elastic material and is lined with a silky fabric. The skirt is full and reminds me of a tutu. In fact, it is made of tulle, which can be a little scratchy, but that isn’t really a problem because she can wear shorts or leggings under the costume.
This dress up outfit for 5-year-olds is hand wash only, but it is worth it. Did I mention it has sequins? Seriously, just thinking about this makes me think of unicorns! My recommendation is to buy a little big so she has room to grow. She will love it that much!
27. Melissa & Doug Dust! Sweep! Mop! Pretend Play Set
For some reason, my daughter loves dusting. She often decides, on her own, to dust the house for me. She thinks it’s fun! I still haven’t figured out why, with so many fun toys to play with, kids like to play pretend by copying what adults do, no matter how boring it is. Whatever the reason, this dusting, sweeping, and mopping set is very popular among young kids.
The duster, broom, mop, handheld brush, and dustpan in this set all have hanging ropes for easy storage on the included upright stand. The dustpan even snaps on to all of the handles, just like the real thing. And, with the exception of the mop, all the pieces can be used to do real cleaning. So now you can put your kid to work!
Seriously though, these toys can be used for pretend play (if you can call cleaning “play”), or they can be used to teach your child responsibility and the satisfaction of completing a task with a visible results. For many kids, the joy of helping Mommy and Daddy is fun enough! Now if only kids maintained that attitude through the terrible teen years…
FAQs
What are some good toys to help girls prepare for school?
As 5-year-old girls prepare for school, they need to develop social and literacy skills. Look for toys which promote friendship and cooperation to help with this, such as games like soccer or darts. Activities which invite children to start gripping a pencil, like a wipe clean activity book, and expose them to words, like Zingo or books, will encourage an early love for reading.
How much should a gift for a 5-year-old girl cost?
When shopping for gifts for 5-year-old girls, keep in mind that they are easily pleased. Simple, inexpensive gifts will delight them just as much as an expensive phone or laptop would excite you! This is convenient since tastes and interests change rapidly at this age. Also, consider whether she’d like several smaller gifts or one large expensive gift. In general, plan on spending $10-$100 on a gift for a 5-year-old girl.
What are some gifts that encourage teamwork among young girls?
Any gift that requires more than one person encourages teamwork among young girls. For example, a hover soccer ball set, dart board, or a bowling set allows kids to practice taking turns and cheer on their friends. Girls can invite others to join them on crafts and activities, such as LEGOs, cookbooks, or even a headband making set. Our list presents many options that would help your 5-year-old girl to be a team player!
