Danielle asked us on Twitter for the best birthday gift ideas for a 5 year old boy, since her son is about to hit the big number five. She says he likes “things that go” but already has 400 cars. He also likes art projects and writing notes.
We have some great ideas for you, Danielle! I have an almost-six year old son, so I am excited to answer your question about good gift ideas for your little guy. It sounds like he has more than enough vehicles already, so I’ll try to stick to gifts that don’t involve little tiny wheels.
Related: Coolest gifts for 5 year olds: Birthday party gift guide
Since he likes both art projects and writing notes, why not let him become a little author at the ripe old age of five? The
Book-in-a-Box Kit from
Eye Can Art has everything he needs in one place, and in the end you get a fabulous keepsake.
I also love gifting new art supplies like the all-natural eco dough from eco-kids every year since markers, paints and even crayons get kind of run down and beat up after a year.
The
Fortamajig is a very cool way for kids to set up a little hideaway no matter where they are. Made of super-strong material, the velcro straps make it easy to set up a fort outside or indoors. My nephew loves his portable secret hideaway and his mom loves that it all folds up to take up almost no space at all when it’s not in use.
We recently featured this
amazing cardboard castle and now there’s a similar one (shown here) from
Fat Brain Toys and I can see my son going bananas for it. He’d spend hours decorating it and then lording over it as a king should. Since it’s cardboard it could even go outside provided it comes indoors at the end of playtime. And when he’s grown too big for his quarters, the whole thing is recyclable, another feature I love.
The next couple of ideas have wheels, but at least they are ones your son can ride. I adore our
Mini Kick scooter from Micro Kickboard which both of my younger kids ride almost daily. It is super light-weight, turns on a dime and rides nicely over less-than-smooth sidewalks.
If he doesn’t yet have a two-wheel bike, it makes a great 5-year-old gift, especially if grandparents are looking for one big “wow” gift. My son is riding a Trek bike that has been passed down by his two older sisters, and it was definitely money well spent. The Jet 16 is shown here.
Finally,
Helicopter Studio’s Discovery Tote is a great toy especially if your son will be on the go a lot this year. Throw in a few army men figurines or some of those little cars he has, and he has an imaginative playscape. If you have a specific theme in mind, email artist Shannon directly and she can help put together exactly what you need.
Hope he has a great birthday and hope these ideas help!
Thanks so much for posting this! I have a little one who is about to turn 5 and this is perfect. Especially loved the scooter recommendation – that is going to blow his mind!
my 4 year old son LOVES his mini kick scooter! people are always stopping us to inquire about it. not complete without the awesome nutcase helmet! thanks for all the fun boy ideas!!