Six-year-olds are a laugh a minute. As they move from kindergarten to first grade, the best toys and gifts for 6-year-olds capture their sense of humor and fair play and teach them the art of working together.
“Children at this age are typically very social and aware of rules and fairness. And they are curious about how things work,” says Marie Conti, head of The Wetherill School in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, and a board member of the American Montessori Society.
Based on that insight, we have rounded up the best gifts for 6-year-olds below. However, the clock is ticking on holiday shopping so now is the time to buy any last-minute additions that are on their list. Lucky for you, many of these options will ship just in time and in-store pickup is still available!
Holiday gift deals | Best stocking stuffers | Toys | Games | Puzzles | Arts and crafts kits | Books | What do 6-year-olds like to do? | Meet the experts
Holiday deals on gifts for 6-year-olds
Pop Fidget Sensory Toys

These silicone popping toys are all the rage at schools — and the good news is, they’re also a great stress reliever and especially helpful for a fidgety 6-year-old.
Dan&Darci Marbling Paint Art Kit

This Amazon’s Choice art kit will keep the 6-year-old in your life mesmerized for hours. With over 5,000 verified five-star ratings, it comes with a design tray, five different paint colors, 10 art sheets and more.
Retevis Walkie-Talkies

These walkie-talkies are perfect for the social play that 6-year-olds crave. The gizmos let them run around and scheme together at the same time.
Best stocking stuffers for 6-year-olds
Yummy Yummy Scented Glitter Pens

If your 6-year-old prefers writing and doodling with ink instead of pencils, these glitter gel pens will be a great addition to their collection. Sold in a pack of 12, each is individually fruit-scented for extra delicious drawings.
Paper Airplane Kit

This fun kit teaches paper airplane folding with the colorful paper included, and you can use the instructions with your child’s own designs. “We had my 6-year-old grandson visit for 5 days. I bought several activities for us to do while he was here. This was by far the thing he enjoyed doing most! This kit is amazing!” raved one verified five-star reviewer.
Best toys for 6-year-olds
Glow ‘N Grow Terrarium Kit

Science kits like this are a great option for 6-year-olds, says child development specialist Tovah Klein, the author of “How Toddlers Thrive.”
Wireless Bluetooth Karaoke Microphone

For the little musician, this wireless microphone syncs with whatever you’re playing to let them sing along. A built-in phone holder can display lyrics as they go.
Bizyboo The Original Seek & Find Plush

These aren’t just your ordinary plush toys. Inside each is an assortment of letters and symbols that your little ones will be entertained trying to find. “These are adorable and my daughter loves them! I’ll totally play with them too!!” raved one five-star reviewer.
VTech Marble Rush Raceway Set

This build-your-own track combines the excitement of a racetrack with the creative engineering challenge of a marble run that lets them create their own course. It includes a launcher, swoops and a loop-de-loop.
KiwiCo Astronaut Starter Kit

The budding astronaut can construct a model of the solar system that spins, plus launch a pair of orbiter spaceships using pumps. They’ll also learn about the history of space exploration and fun facts about astronaut training.
Tamagotchi Uni

If you thought you knew Tamagotchi, think again! For starters, the newest version of the beloved tech toy is able to be strapped around their little wrist and interact with other UniTamas across the globe.
MINT-iD DOG-E

What kid hasn’t wanted a robot friend? This little e-dog (featured on The Toy Insider’s Hot 20 list last year) is the epitome of one of a kind thanks to its “minting” process to determine its quirks, habits and personality. It can not only communicate and send messages through its light-up tail, but you can also train and feed it through the accompanying app!
LeapFrog Magic Adventures Microscope

This working microscope comes with double-sided “smart slides” that activate educational videos from the BBC and high-quality photos on 17 different topics, including plants, animals and minerals. It also allows kids to prepare their own slides like a traditional microscope or examine larger objects on a tray.
Loog Pro Acoustic Guitar

Your 6-year-old can shred on this accessible, three-string guitar. Having a smaller instrument for their smaller hands helps them feel accomplished quickly as they learn, and the guitar comes with access to video lessons and the Loog app.
Best games for 6-year-olds
Hasbro Sorry! Board Game

Conti says this is a classic board game for 6-year-olds — plus it’s fun for the whole family. Make your way across the board with lots of jumping and bumping to keep it lively.
Spoons Classic Card Game

Does your 6-year-old already have a competitive side? Spoons will surely bring it out, if so. With five spoons, and a regular deck of cards, you’ll have everything you need for a little healthy competition during family game night.
Beat the Parents Game

This clever game has two sets of questions — one for kids and one for parents — with fun challenges mixed in. Teams set their own stakes, such as an extra dessert if the kids win or a completed chore if Mom and Dad take the prize.
Hape Dynamo Dominoes Set

Classic dominoes let a child be the engineer for an epic chain reaction. Setting up their own designs can be hours of fun.
Over-the-Door Basketball Hoop

Sporting equipment is great for motor skills and a 6-year-old’s love of competition. This over-the-door basketball hoop brings the game down to size so they can make a shot, if not quite dunk.
Storytime Chess

Learn to play chess with this set that weaves strategy with storytelling. Each chess piece has its own story to help teach the concepts of chess.
Best puzzles for 6-year-olds
Mudpuppy Space Illuminated Glow-in-the-Dark Jigsaw Puzzle

For the adventurer curious about what else is out there, this challenging glow-in-the-dark jigsaw serves as an enticing sneak peek into all kinds of space wonders.
Hape Solar System Puzzle

This glow-in-the-dark puzzle has over 100 pieces, a nice challenge for a 6-year-old. They’ll get a feeling of satisfaction when they turn out the lights to see the finished product glow!
Best crafts and art kits for 6-year-olds
Sweetheart Smencils

Colorful pens and pencils are always a great gift for creative minds and budding artists. This pencil set is extra sweet, thanks to their scents inspired by popular treats. From marshmallows to donuts, they make doing homework and drawing in notepads a lot more fun.
Groovy Glowing Candy Lab

Make your own gummy candies with this science experiment that turns into a yummy snack, with fruit punch and tropical pineapple flavors. Kids learn about luminescence and create candies that glow in the dark under an included black light.
Elmer’s Butter Slime Kit

Slime gets a satisfying texture update in this easy kit that combines chemistry with fine motor skills. This slime includes mix-ins that make it buttery smooth and satisfying in a new way.
Hey Clay Animals

Senior SEO editor Jess Bender says she’s gifting this to her nephew this year. “My brother-in-law wants him to be more in touch with his artistic side,” she says. “This comes with an interactive app to craft a lot of cool clay figures.”
Creative Kids Spin and Paint Art Kit

This splatter paint art kit will let your 6-year-old experiment with different color combinations and designs without making a mess. Watching the spinning art come to life is half the fun!
Crayola Ultimate Light Board Drawing Tablet

This drawing tablet is a reusable canvas with the high-tech look of an iPad. Kids can make art with the included gel markers or remove the front and use the light-up background for tracing familiar characters or designs. Pens get tucked inside to keep the whole kit together.
Plus-Plus Color by Numbers

Plus-Plus building toys are smaller than the familiar Lego brick and allow building in a new way. This set becomes a puzzle and artwork suitable for hanging on the wall.
Essenson Modeling Clay Kit

Keep your 6-year-old occupied with a clay set that includes sculpting tools as well as 36 different colors, for endless creations and experiments. This easy-to-use kit will help them practice patience, as they wait for their sculptures to air dry.
Kid Made Modern Arts and Crafts Supply Library

If they’re still trying to figure out which crafts they most gravitate towards, they can use this “limitless” 1,000-piece library to guide them in the right direction while further teaching them the concept of open-ended play. “My daughter has found endless reasons to return to this kit,” says Brown. “I love how many compartments there are, too.”
Best books for 6-year-olds
“Junie. B. Jones and the Stupid, Smelly Bus,” by Barbara Park

For the 6-year-old who has taken an interest in reading and wants to venture into their first chapter books, Junie B. Jones has been captivating audiences since 1992.
“A Friend for Dragon,” by Dav Pilkey

Re-issued as part of Scholastic’s Acorn line for emerging readers, this tale from “Captain Underpants” and “Dog Man” creator Dav Pilkey could ignite years of fandom. There are more dragon books in the series, and the whole Acorn line is worth discovering.
“The Greatest in the World!,” by Ben Clanton

From the creator of the beloved “Narwhal and Jelly” series comes a new graphic novel chapter book series about a mutant potato with an outsized sense of confidence, his grumpy brother and small-potato sister.
“I Am Me: A Book of Authenticity,” By Susan Verde and Peter H. Reynolds

There’s no one in the world exactly like you, and what a wonderful thing to celebrate. This is a book of affirmations, with a helpful author’s note on “I am” meditations.
“The Most Magnificent Idea,” by Ashley Spires

In this follow-up to “The Most Magnificent Thing,” a girl who loves making things runs out of ideas. Her journey to come up with something new will promote growth mindset when your little maker feels stuck.
“A Gift for Nana,” by Lane Smith

Rabbit wants to find a gift for his Nana and starts a quest to find something extra-special. He’ll consult the moon and a volcano on the way to finding just the right thing.
“Gibberish,” by Young Vo

This picture book shows in a child-friendly way what it’s like to move to a new place where you don’t understand what people are saying — and how to break past that barrier to friendship. It will inspire empathy for any 6-year-old.
“Big and Small and In Between,” by Carter Higgins and Daniel Miyares

This jewel box of a book is a lyrical list of things that are big, small, and in between — like the caterpillar that once was an egg but will soon fly. Its small details create a big picture of the world for the curious 6-year-old.
Amelia Bedelia Chapter Book 4-Book Box Set

There’s no better way to get them into reading chapter books than with a classic like Amelia Bedelia! Each book features short, fast-paced chapters, funny characters and black and white illustrations on each page to help keep them engaged.
“Every Dog in the Neighborhood,” by Philip C. Stead and Matthew Cordell

When Louis’ grandma says there are enough dogs in the neighborhood, he begins his own doggy census to prove her wrong. It celebrates the love of dogs and grandparents alike.
“Courage Hats,” by Kate Hoefler and Jessixa Bagley

How do we find courage? A paper bag over the head might not seem like the best approach, but it helps one little girl (and one little bear) find a way to overcome their fears in this sweet book that might encourage young readers to do the same.
“Magic Tree House” Graphic Novels Boxed Set

The uber-popular chapter book series by Mary Pope Osborn is now in graphic novel form, perfect for helping emerging readers gain confidence.
What do 6-year-olds like to do?
They’re beginning to unleash an exciting superpower: reading. Emerging readers will appreciate building their skills with a mix of picture books, funny graphic novels, easy readers and longer chapter books that parents can read at night.
“When they’re beginning to learn to read, we really want all reading to be affirming for them,” says Nina Lindsay, president of the Association for Library Service to Children. That means the best books for 6-year-olds let them follow their interests, whether they’re drawn to picture books or comics.
Meet the experts
- Marie Conti is Director of Regional Community Relations for American Montessori Society. She was the former head of The Wetherill School in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania. Conti is based in Greater Philadelphia.
- Nina Lindsay is a former president of the Association for Library Service to Children.
- Tovah Klein is an adjunct associate professor and the director of the Barnard College Center for Toddler Development.
Don’t forget to check out Shop TODAY’s other gift guides to find the perfect present for every kid on your list including babies, 1-year-olds, 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds, 4-year-olds, 5-year-olds, 7-year-olds, 8-year-olds, 9-year-olds and 10-year-olds.