30 Best Toys and Gifts for 5-Year-Old Girls, According to Experts (and Kids)
It seems like just yesterday your little girl was a toddler, and now she’s a 5-year-old. How do you find a gift for a little one who is constantly changing? In the blink of an eye, she’s hitting all sorts of different developmental milestones. Showing more independence, carrying on more meaningful conversations, and copying shapes better than she ever has before. One of the best ways to encourage her to learn, explore, and create is through something most 5-year-olds love to do: play.
39 Gifts for 5-Year-Old Girls That Show Them Who Run The World
It seems like just yesterday your little girl was a toddler, and now she’s a 5-year-old. How do you find a gift for a little one who is constantly changing? In the blink of an eye, she’s hitting all sorts of different developmental milestones. Showing more independence, carrying on more meaningful conversations, and copying shapes better than she ever has before. One of the best ways to encourage her to learn, explore, and create is through something most 5-year-olds love to do: play.
Toys and games that are educational or just downright fun can help your little girl build social, emotional, and critical thinking skills. The best gifts for this age group are all about keeping her stimulated, active, and imaginative. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that these interactive play things can keep her away from the screen for longer.
We’ve curated the following list of the best gifts for 5-year-old girls, so you can meet her where she’s at developmentally and foster her budding mind. From magnetic stacking tiles to Lego sets and soft plushies, you’ll be sure to find a gift for your tot that she can get use out of for years to come.
30 Best Toys and Gifts for 5-Year-Old Girls, According to Experts (and Kids)
You might see a difference in how 5-year-olds play compared to toddlers and even younger preschoolers. They take a huge learning leap, which makes them more coordinated and better able to understand the world around them. When it comes time to buy gifts for kids in this cohort, it works best if you keep these developing skills in mind.
“The best toys for this age group will stimulate movement in space, challenge a child’s cognition, help develop balance and coordination, encourage pretend play and foster early reading skills,” says Magdalena Oledzka, P.T., Ph.D. She adds that anything in the realm of imaginary play, like dolls and vehicles, or in the creative sphere, like paint, molding dough and markers, can help stimulate these skills while keeping kids active and away from screens (or active in front of screens at least). Since they’re more into independent play with complex play sequences, so they can go a bit beyond identifying basic shapes and colors, says Gayle Kligman, M.Ed., the executive chairman of Family of Kidz.
With these recommendations in mind, the Good Housekeeping Institute sets out each year to find the best toys and gifts for kids of every age, meeting them where they’re at developmentally. First they test the toys for safety, construction and ease of use. Then they put them to the real test, giving them to actual 5-year-old girls to assess the fun factor. This year, when all was said and done, these came out as the best toys and gifts for 5-year-old girls in 2023.
- Crayola Glitter Dots Jewelry Making Kit, $13 at amazon.com
- Bear and Bird: The Picnic and Other Stories , $13 at amazon.com
- Skillmatics Foil Fun, $20 at amazon.com
- Educational Insights GeoSafari Jr. Talking Microscope, $34 at amazon.com
- Butterfly Craze Daisy Lounge Flower Pillow, $60 at amazon.com
The list includes current and former Good Housekeeping Best Toy Award winners along with editor favorites, and a few best-sellers to keep on top of current trends. The 5-year-olds in your life will love these fidget toys, board games, educational toys and other unique picks.
Looking for more great gifts? Check out these Good Housekeeping guides: