Best Toys for a 5 Year Old

At 5 years old, your child is attending kindergarten and meeting new people, socializing more and forming relationships with teachers and peers.

This is a very special and complex age.

Children are learning how to navigate their own emotions:

• There is a lot of emotion around the concept of "right" and "wrong." You may notice your child getting very upset when they deem a situation as "unfair" or when you are trying to correct them.
• You will also notice your child beginning to implement more self-regulation strategies into their day - how to calm down when upset, how to solve conflict with peers, etc.
• They will also begin to understand the emotions of others and develop more empathy toward others. 

Children at this age are beginning to understand that their actions and behaviours impact other people. It is through these experiences that children form their own unique identity and figure out how they fit into the world around them.

Your child's attention span is expanding and they are eager to learn and try new things! They enjoy playing more competitive games that follow a set of rules. They want to win!

You may also notice that your child is more physically competent; their muscles are stronger and they are more coordinated and purposeful in their actions. 

With this in mind, here are the most popular toys for 5 year olds:

• Active Toys that promote gross motor skills are great for kids this age.
• Large Pikler Triangle to develop confidence climbing, coordination and balance.
• Balance Board to help children develop better balance, stimulate their vestibular system, and gain a deep sense of awareness of their body and body parts.
• Globber 3-wheel scooter to bring gross motor skills development outdoors!
• Barumba Play Couch for tons of creative and physical play time. 
• Toy Archery Set to help develop dexterity, hand-eye coordination, and fine motor skills.

• Competitive games that follow a set of rules help children practice losing, which is a very difficult concept for children at this age who love to win! Cooperative games are also great for social skills development and working as a team.

• Competitve Games
• Rainbow Game
• Pancake Pile Up Relay Game
• Magnetic Guess Who Travel Game
• Bug Bingo
• Robot Face Race Game
• Go Fish Card Game
• Candy by Beleduc
  
  
• Cooperative Games
• Stone Soup
• Dream a Tree
• Ant Colony
• Picture Charades

• Art is a great way for young children to process emotions and express themselves. At this age, children can use art mediums to tell "feelings" stories or make a mess (just 2 examples) to represent their feelings. Check out these amazing art options:
• Art Collection

• There is nothing better than a great open-ended toy. The beauty of open ended toys is that you really don't need to invest in too many different toys, just keep adding to your collection as your child gets older to create more complex and exciting play experiences. Here are our favourites for this age:
• MagnaTiles combine Math, Science and Spatial and Tactile learning.
• Connetix Tiles are compatible with MagnaTiles so they can be used together!
• Plus Plusis a great alternative building tool to Lego. It helps to develop fine motor skills, teaches about colours, patterns and sorting.

• Your child is ready for more complex puzzles and puzzling is a great activity for the whole family to enjoy. Here are a few great options for 5 year olds:
• I Am A Polar Bear Puzzle
• Underwater Puzzle
• Map of Canada Floor Puzzle