Creative Gifts For 5 Year Olds: Fun Ideas They Won't Get Bored Of

At five, children have started school, learnt to concentrate for longer and discovered that they can make things. That changes what's worth buying.

These are sorted by the kind of play they start and by what they cost, because the best gift for a Reception-aged child is very often under fifteen pounds.

Gifts that make something

• A character art set. Familiar faces plus proper pens is the combination that gets used weekly rather than once.
• A big roll of paper. Cheap, unglamorous, and the most-used present in most houses by February.
• Junk modelling kit: masking tape, safety scissors, googly eyes and a box to keep it all in.
• A sticker-making or badge-making kit, which makes the output collectable.
• Beads and laces, for making things to give away to other people.
• A kids' camera. At five they photograph the dog's face and the underside of tables, and it's wonderful.
• A scrapbook with a glue stick, for tickets, leaves and drawings.
• Baking kit sized for a child - their own apron, bowl and wooden spoon.

Gifts that start a game

• A first proper board game with a short round - snakes and ladders, matching pairs, a simple race game.
• A card game they can learn in three minutes and then teach to a grandparent.
• Dressing up that fits over school uniform: a cape, a hat, a pair of wings.
• A puppet theatre, or a tea towel over a doorway and two sock puppets, which works just as well.
• A small tent or den kit for the living room.
• A magnifying glass and a bug pot for the garden.

By budget

• Under £10: a big roll of paper, a sticker book bundle, a card game, a bug pot, a pin badge and a birthday card.
• £10-£20: a character art set, a first board game, a scrapbook and glue, a set of chunky felt tips that don't dry out.
• £20-£40: a kids' camera, a den kit, a good jigsaw set, a proper dressing-up outfit.
• Over £40: a balance bike or scooter, or a group gift several families go in on together.
• Free: a homemade voucher for one afternoon doing whatever they choose. Five year olds take this extremely seriously.

Shop kids' birthday cards

How to write it so it lands

• Buy the consumables too. An art set with no spare paper runs out in a fortnight.
• Put the child's name on anything that goes to school or a club.
• Give the card with it. At five they read their own name on the envelope and it matters.

Where to shop next

• How to keep kids entertained at a wedding
• Rainy day activities for kids
• Best travel toys for kids
• After school activities at home
• Toy Story party ideas
• The best toys for 4 year olds
• Gifts for 3 year old girls
• Pass the parcel prize ideas
• Rainy day activities for families
• Printables and activity sheets
• Shop kids' birthday cards
• Shop party bag fillers
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Birthday cards for kids
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What are the best creative gifts for 5 year olds?

Things that produce something: a character art set, a big roll of paper, a junk modelling kit, a badge or sticker maker, a scrapbook, and a kids' camera. Five is the age children want to make rather than just play.

What should you buy a 5 year old who doesn't like sitting still?

Pair one making gift with one physical one - a scooter, a den kit or dressing up alongside an art set. The making happens in short bursts between running about, which is exactly how five year olds work.

What's a good gift for a 5 year old under £20?

A character art set, a first board game with short rounds, a scrapbook and glue stick, or a set of chunky felt tips with a big roll of paper. All of them get used repeatedly.

Are screen-free gifts better for Reception-aged children?

For a present, usually yes. After a full school day children need something absorbing but low-pressure, and making things does that better than a screen while still feeling like a treat.

Do you sell toys or art sets?

No. We design and print kids' birthday cards, enamel pin badges, prints and party decorations, all posted from the UK. Any toy or art set mentioned here is an outside recommendation, not something we stock.