37 Best Toys and Gifts for 5-Year-Olds of 2025, Tested by Experts

Hexagonal-shaped tiles make it easy for kids to quickly build their own marble runs, disassemble them, and put them together again in a new way. These can also act as a play set, since they come with jungle-themed decorations and figures. (You can get an ice-themed starter set, or expansion sets with ocean themes and desert themes.) Good Housekeeping Institute testers were impressed with how sturdy the pieces were and how nice they felt to hold. Ages 3+

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Here’s the doll everyone is talking about this year. Seriously, they are all over TikTok. And we get it: Each doll comes with a little Grinch doll, slippers and sleep mask. But it’s not only cute, our experts are huge fans of the Walmart-exclusive brand. “This is my favorite doll brand for my daughters,” said Lexie Sachs, Executive Director, Strategy & Operations. “The prices are consistently low, but there’s an incredible value.”

Kids can load the Kinetic Sand into one of the three SquishMotion stampers — which come in a case to at least try to contain the mess — and watch in amazement as the sand comes out in the shape of stars, smiling flowers, sharks and more. As the sand flows through the stamper, it almost looks animated. Testers say that kids liked the colors it came in, and even liked carrying around the case with all the sand and tools in it. Ages 5+

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Let those architects and engineers design their own blanket forts with this set, which comes with 69 pieces (mostly rods and ball connectors). There are plans they can follow to make structures like a rocket, a castle or an igloo, or they can build whatever they like. All you have to do is add your own sheets and blankets on top. Ages 5+

Good Housekeeping Institute’s kid testers named this one of the funniest books of the year, and our experts say it has next-level rhyming. “We reread it so many times that my 4-year-old has nearly memorized it,” one parent said.

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Whether they’re just noodling around the backyard or practicing their goal kicks before they join an organized team, they’ll be able to work on their gross motor coordination with this soccer goal. It assembles quickly, and it also comes with a ball and a pump. Ages 3+

By the time they turn 5, they’re ready for more complex jigsaw puzzles with more pieces. This puzzle, featuring a fun toy-shop scene, is 72 pieces, so it presents a big enough challenge. But the fun doesn’t end when the puzzle is done; there’s a seek-and-find component, and the border of the image has toys that kids have to look for in the rest of the scene. Ages 5+

The best things about these cars are that they’re totally kid-powered: no batteries or charging required. Instead, kinds stomp on the launcher as hard as they can to send the cars flying! Good Housekeeping Institute kid testers loved going head-to-head to see which car would go the furthest, along with using the ramp to make them get some air. This set comes with four cars, two launchers and two ramps, but you can also get just a single car ($20). Ages 5+

This toy is a mash-up of lots of trends kids love: sensory compounds, pretend food, cute plush and surprise reveals! First they add the squishy, slime-like batter to the frying pan and spread it with the included spatula. When they shake the pan, they’ll hear sizzle noises. With a push of a button, the batter “flips” and become as surprise, scented interactive plush. There are three different frriends to collect, and you can also combine it with the Cookeez Makery oven, fridge or toaster to get a whole pretend kitchen going. Ages 5+

It’s almost unbelievable how, with just a push of a button, a pocket-sized launcher is able to make a car accelerate so fast — while it pops up from a flat rectangle into a 3D car. Testers say this is one kids keep coming back to again and again. “He showed it to a lot of people,” one tester parent said. Ages 5+

Kids can make their own works of art without paint, markers, crayons or glue. They just place the shining paper over foam stickers in different shapes, rub, and — poof! — the color from the foil paper magically transfers to the sticker, which they can then place on a canvas. One parent tester noted that, when she had this out at a public picnic, even strangers’ children rushed over to try it out. In addition to animals, it comes in other themes, like space, unicorns, dinosaurs and dress-up. Ages 4+

There are so many play features to this boat, which arrives perfectly in time for Moana 2‘s release in November. A wave becomes a water slide, a platform rises to reveal a sleeping area with a hammock and there’s even a little dinghy for Heihei and his coconut hat. It also comes with a small Moana figure and 10 accessories. Ages 3+

Fans of magnetic tiles and fancy, royal finery will get two thrills in one with this toy, which lets kids build a castle with a spiral staircase, balcony, arched windows and a drawbridge. It also comes with a figure and a dragon. For those who really want the full royalty experience, there’s a deluxe version with 48 pieces. Ages 3+

Five-year-olds have a propensity for collecting treasures on outside walks — leaves, flowers, sticks and rocks. They can put the leaves and flowers to use, at least, with this project. They can design two different lantern screens using their found materials, then construct a frame with a light. When they’re done, they’ll have a working lantern they decorated themselves! Ages 5+

A concave board with suction cups along the bottom — what can be better? The Teeter Popper holds up to 100 pounds, and when kids sit or stand and wobble around on it, the suction cups make a pleasing popping sound. It’s good for their balance and gross motor coordination. Ages 3+

Axolotl fans — and what kid isn’t? — this is it! This little creature comes with an inflatable pool, and it can sense when it’s in water and lights up and waggles its tail. If a kid holds it in their hand, it can also guess their mood like a mood ring. Good Housekeeping Institute testers were thrilled to have “pet” axolotls, and they also liked that it made music. Ages 5+

This fun robot is a great way to introduce kids to coding without using screens. During toy testing of the previous version, kids immediately loved it right out of the box. Now the Botley “2.0” has expanded coding styles (including lights, movement and music), different interactive modes (program it to be a police car, a ghost or a train) and an accessory kit with more than 75 pieces. Ages 5+

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You’ll need to clear off a lot of space for this game — the board is six feet long! But when it’s unfolded, set the timer and head off to seek out as many of a certain item as you can find in the extra-large scene (bells, flags, cats, apples, etc.), challenging players on their memory and matching skills. It’s the perfect family board game, because the rounds are quick by design, it’s easy to learn, and the game is cooperative, so if one player wins, everyone wins! There’s also a Marvel Eye Found It board game with a smaller board. Ages 3+

Kids can serve up hot or cold drinks, treats and more with this counter, which is designed to spark imaginative play. The pay terminal swivels so guests can “enter” their info, and in addition to play food it comes with props like sugar packets, stirrers and even a pretend loyalty card. Ages 3+

Kids can make cool, mosaic-like pictures without glue, markers or paint — instead, they fill in the pictures with pre-cut stickers in different shades. Positioning the sticker in the right spot is good for their fine-motor coordination, and they’ll feel accomplished when they see the cool art they’ve made. Each book comes with 10 scenes to fill in.