When kids enterfirst gradethe number of birthday parties they attend tends to skyrocket. Suddenly you morph from parent to social planner/chauffeur. Kids this age spending five days a week with the same group of kids, and inviting everyone in the class is deemed the polite thing to do. For parents, findinggifts for 6-year-olds starts to feel like a full-time job.
Luckily, the National Association for the Education of Young Children has some clear guidelines on the types of toys that will resonate with 6-year-olds.
Toys that help with problem-solving, like puzzles and building blocks.
Toys that facilitate pretend play, liketransportation toys, construction sets, child-sized furniture, dress-up clothes, dolls with accessories, puppets, and sand and water play toys.
Toys that help kids create stuff, like art sets and modeling clay.
Toys that encourage physical activity, like balls and bikes.
Thebest gifts for 6-year-old boys and girls are ones that encourage them to developconfidence, practiceteamwork, and just get ridiculously silly.
This starter microscope is fully functional and gives kids hands-on exposure to science. They can track the lifecycle of a bring shrimp, check out pre-made slides under the microscope or make their own.
A fantastic coding kit that works without screens or devices.Instead of having to download apps and sync anything up, kids lay down a sequence of physical code cards to program the robot to move around, activate its output gear, light up its LEDs, play sounds, and be a general badass.
- Use the included Tool to dissect the Alien and save the Hunter from its ooze filled belly
- Reusable "Glow In The Dark" ooze is inside every Alien stomach as well as a tweezer Tool to pull out all the treasures hidden in the ooze
- Store your ooze in the included storage container or squish it into the Alien's head to watch it ooze out
- There are 12 new Alien Hunter Action Figures to collect and 3 new collectible Aliens to dissect
- There is a chance to find a Real Gem Treasure in every pack These Gems are known as Peridot Some have been found in real life meteorites So your Gem could really be from Outer Space
Your budding birder can create two vibrant canvases with this lovely string art set. Kids insert push pins where they want, or they follow pre-set patterns and use the string to create the specific design they have in mind.
If you'd rather make your own, here's everything your kid needs need to open his or her own slime factory.Slime has been around since just about forever and never loses its appeal. This set lets kids create whatever color they want. Yes, it's messy, but it's also highly creative.
Horse-loving kids will flip for this highly-detailed working stable.This set, ideal for any budding equestrian, includes a mare, a foal, a rider, plus numerous accessories. Oh, and hay bales, straw bales, and horse snacks.
Because this bike is a single speed, new riders can get the hang of biking without having to shift gears.This great starter bike has 16-inch wheels for young riders, and fits kids 38 to 45 inches tall. It's a solid investment to help kids stay physically active, and really, those are the best gifts for 6-year-olds.
Gifts for 6-year-old girls tend to be highly gender-specific, but this one, with unisex outfits and different hairstyles, introduces a more fluid approach.In a world where dolls can resemble mini-adults trying to look sexy, Mattel's Creatable World line feels like a breath of fresh air. The premise: Each realistic-looking doll comes with different hairstyles (like closely cropped locks or flowing waves), hats and outfits, and everything can be mixed and matched.
This wee robot is the size of a ping pong ball, but can teach kids big lessons about coding. This app-enabled mini ball proves that it's never too early to introduce your 6-year-old to programming concepts. Kids can play three different arcade-type games: Shoot through space, speed through a tunnel and smash bricks. As they advance, they can download a different app that introduces the JavaScript and Swift languages.
This fun STEM toy marries science and creativity, as kids work to first build a skeleton and then add layers of modeling clay to the outside. You can decide to create a gator, shark, chameleon or, perhaps the coolest, a hybrid creature of your own design. The instructional guide also includes impressive animal factoids.
Open-ended play is the best play and with this set, kids can build the roller coasters and cars of their fantasies.This killer set includes a motor, which powers whatever your kids build. Speaking of building, kids get 529 parts, including different sizes of connectors, rods, and wheels that click together for whatever configuration they want.
This five foot wide Hot Wheels set has a double figure-eight design with high speed boosters that lets kids race multiple cars and smash them into each other. The best part of this track: Kids can use the levers to send cars through the ground-level crash zone or into the air for stunning collisions.
This super-cool set gives Lego builders a play experience that combines the endless possibilities of LEGO construction bricks with a continuously updated augmented reality game app.Once kids are done building the ghost lab, they can scan the LEGO model with a phone to make it come alive and see crazy things happen.
Perfect for a rainy day, this crafting kit lets kids make things not found in nature: A pandacorn, a meowmaid and a narwhal.Although you might add this to a list of toys for 6-year-old girls, there's no reason a boy couldn't get behind these funky creatures. The shapes of these oddball yet cute animals are pre-sewn felt pieces so kids only need to stuff them and decorate them. No sewing, no needles, no problem.
What your kids imagine, they can build. The magnetic tiles easily connect, and thanks to a huge assortment of shapes and sizes, kids can create whatever they think up.These 100 magnetic blocks and tiles blow boredom out of the water. Kids can build castles and forts and bridges and anything else they visualize. They can install windows or spell their names. While these tiles are ostensibly for younger kids, the older they are, the more they're able to really get a handle on them.
- The Kidizoom duo is a real digital camera that's great for kids and durable enough to handle drops and tumbles
- Features a 2. 4" Color LCD screen and can take photos and videos in addition to a rear-facing camera that's perfect for taking selfies
- Get creative using laugh-out-loud photo effects in addition to cartoon and collage effects
- Comes with five games, including three that are motion-controlled, for even more fun. Download photos and videos to a computer using the included micro USB cable and share them with family and friends. Includes also 1 wrist strap
- Camera is not rechargeable, It operates with 4 AA batteries included for demo purposes, Use new batteries for regular use. Intended for ages 3 to 9 years. Product Dimensions 6. 4" X 3. 6" X 2. 3"
Damn, this thing is just cool. You connect it to the corresponding app, and go to town. It picks up bricks. It has a camera so you can spy on people. And it's a fantastic group toy. Cozmo expresses emotions and remembers your kids' name. He lifts his cubes, plays games, and does your bidding. He's awesomeget him as a gift for the 6-year-old boy who has everything (or his sister!).
No pump? No problem. This unpoppable soccer ball is made of ultra-durable pop foam and will never go flat.
A love of science is just one slime experiment away. Let you kid play mad scientist with this 18 piece set featuring multiple science-themed activities. If you're itching to get something with the STEM label, this one checks that box too.
Sometimes all it takes to spark a few hours of imaginative pretend play is an accessory. This reversible cape doubles as both a dragon and a knight, so the possibilities are endless.
This portable basketball hoop brings the game to you.At age 6 it's unlikely kids can compete with the towering basketball hoops in public parks, but this sleek adjustable hoop will make the game accessible to them, encouraging an active lifestyle. Plus it can be broken down and stored in the briefcase like carrying case, making it just as portable as a basketball.
With binoculars, fingerprint powder, a magnifying glass and more, this spy set will add a little mystery to the mundane.
In trying their hand at over 100 magic tricks, kids will practice following directions, problem-solving and pretend play.
This interactive elephant will react to your touch. Juno can play peek-a-boo, do tricks with her peanut, and make over 150 sounds. Playing with her will bring something new every time.
First kids will construct an animal body, and then cover it in clay, leaving them with a creation of their own that moves and wiggles on its own. It's the best combination of left and right brain.
This is not your grandma's marble maze. With over 124 cubes, kids can redesign this maze over and over again.
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