PBF Gift Guide: Kids (Ages 5-7)

Hey friends! Today’s gift guide is hot on the heels of my Gift Guide for Kids: Ages 3-5! Can you tell I am fully immersed in gift guide madness right now!? I am trying my best to get the majority of my gift guides out to you guys before Black Friday/Cyber Monday week craziness so you can browse away and take advantage of upcoming sales.

Today’s gift guide is another one I absolutely love putting together: A gift guide for kids ages 5-7! Are 5-to-7-year-olds not some of the most fun little people on the planet to shop for? They’re still smack-dab in the middle of childhood innocence and imagination fun but they’re able to do a little more, play a little more creatively and be a little more adventurous and crafty!

The gifts I’ve assembled for children in this age range are largely finds that are tried-and-true favorites and some things that will pop up under the tree for our kids this year as well as some finds I think will be a big hit with little ones not only when they’re first opened but ideally for months and years to come.

One important note: If you happen to notice any repeat items between my gift guides for kids, think of these items as the slam-dunk “unicorn gifts” that hold up and entertain kids for YEARS. The repeat gift items are where it’s at in my book, as they are the items our kids have played with as they’ve grown.

As in years past, I’m dividing this years’ gift guide for kids ages 5-7 into four categories:

Something they want (subdivided into a few additional categories)
Something they need
Something to wear
Something to read

This is the way I approach gifting to our boys as it includes a mix of practical gifts as well as the fun stuff they love. I hope this gift guide gives you some ideas for the little ones in your life!

NOTE: You may find most of these items rounded up in one place in my Amazon shop for easy browsing: Kid Gift Guide (ages 5-7)!

GIFT GUIDE FOR KIDS: BIG KIDS (Ages 5-7)

Something They Want

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY + GET THAT ENERGY OUT:

Nighthawk Electric Ride-On: This ride-on toy was the hit of our big kids’ summer birthdays in 2023 and continues to be one of my top toy recommendations! (Rhett at 5-years-old loves it but it goes fast enough to be cool and fun for Chase this year at 10 years old!) It’s the first thing the boys’ friends want to do when they come over. They all LOVE it and the learning curve is practically non-existent for all the kids who have tried it at our house.
Dirt Bike: Can you tell our kids have a need for speed? Their dirt bikes were the hit of Christmas last year and get used multiple times a week. 10/10 LOVE over here! This is the dirt bike Ryder (7yo — he was 6yo when get got it) rides and we’ve been impressed with the battery life and quality of the bike. It’s also fast enough to feel fun and cool to him! We paired it with this helmet, goggles and glove set.
Bike/Skateboard/Scooter Ramp: Our 4-way ramp gets used constantly in our driveway. The boys fly over it on their bikes, Plasma Cars, scooters, Nighthawks, skateboards, rollerblades, etc.
Snow Tube or Sled: To fly down snow-covered hills!
Skip Ball/Skip-It: Ryder loved this classic from my childhood so much at a friend’s house that it’s going under the tree for him this year. (He got so into the counter!)
Razor Scooter: Our big kids love these and as parents we love how they easily collapse, making them a breeze to throw in the car and bring along when we go to a park, greenway, etc.
Portable Tennis/Pickleball Net: We gave this to the boys last year and it’s used all the time for pickleball and tennis but, honestly, it’s mostly used for super random racket games they like to make up themselves.
Kid Kayak: This one is obviously location-specific, but if you live in a warmer climate with access to water in the winter, I highly recommend these kid kayaks. Our boys live on them every summer!
Bike: We typically use Christmas or Easter to upgrade our boys’ to the next bike size. We’ve loved this bike for the boys’ younger years and have it in two sizes. It’s also passed the hand-me-down test!
Gymnastics Bar: For the budding gymnast or the kid who just loves to hang and swing around (aka our kids)! This bar was our boys’ favorite in their MyGym classes for the longest time. Pair with a gymnastics air mat for little ones who love to tumble, too!
Sports Cones: The gift that keeps on giving! Our kids use these for everything from creating courses for their bikes/Plasma Cars/Nighthawks to making up various games, sporting goals and more.
Mini Hockey Set: Our set is a few years old and still gets reached for time and time again.
Dodgeball Balls: Just in case your kids like to pelt each other with balls like ours do.
Ninja Warrior Outside Obstacle Course: Another one the boys love to use in our friend’s yard.
Chasing Fireflies Game: Such a fun one for kids who love to seek and find. If you’re a camping family, it’s a blast to bring on camping trips!
Glider Airplanes: Our boys throw and chase these glider planes all over the place.
Zebco Fishing Rod: The rod all of our boys used to learn to cast and fish.

IMAGINATION:

Pop-Up Play Tent: The hit of Rhett’s birthday this year! Pops up SO easily and fits a few kids. It also comes with colorful LED lights they can control which adds a lot to the fun of this one!
Mini Remote Control Monster Truck: I have a visceral reaction to most remote control cars because they all break and die so quickly but this little guy has held on for a few years and continues to amuse the boys.
Play Kitchen: I ordered this last year for a giving tree gift based on your #1 play kitchen recommendations! Plus some toy food, pots and pans, etc. to make it extra fun.
Cash Register: They’ll get years of play out of this one! Our boys use it to “sell” tickets to their concerts, animal rescue center and zoo and also as a grocery store/shop cash register, etc.
Picasso Tiles: These will make every kid gift guide I create for all time. The BEST. If you don’t have magnetic tiles for your little one, let this be the item you get them this year. I recommend getting a pack with at least 100 tiles because your child(ren) will play with them for years and make increasingly impressive creations! Pair them with this Idea Book filled with 200+ pages of inspiration.
Warmies Stuffed Animal: Because kids love stuffies! These are adorable AND you can warm them up in the microwave to make them extra snuggly.
Amazon Retro Video Game: The cheap Amazon game our 3 boys think is super cool. Filled with retro picky-parent approved games. We save this one for travel only and it’s a big hit! (Note: Our kids don’t play a lot of video games so it might be one I’d pass on if your kids are used to “cooler” more legit games! For kids who don’t get a lot of video game time, it’s awesome! )
Flat-to-Fast Car: A big-hit stocking stuffer. A car shoots out of a flat launcher and instantly morphs into a race car.
Squishmallows: These adorable, super-soft and squishy pillow-liked stuffed animals are huge right now.
Hot Wheels Transporters: This one for a splurge + This one for a lower price point. And if you’re looking for the ultimate Hot Wheels gift, the Hot Wheels Ultimate Garage is a monstrosity but also truly the hit of Christmas 2 years ago!
Bitzee: A little interactive pet Ryder thought was the coolest on Christmas morning last year.
Blanket Fort-Building Kit: If your kids are as into fort-building as ours, this kit includes a large blanket, clamps and small weighted sand bags so they can come up with amazing for creations. We’ve also used this kit to make incredible forts, though this one usually involves the help of a grown up to make the forts taller.
Costumes: You can never have enough! Costumes are the gift that keep on giving for hours of imaginary play.
Musical Instruments: Another idea that will be used for years and years.
Foamnasium Couch: Our kids drag these cushions everywhere. So great for fort-building, story time relaxation, imagination play, clubhouses, etc.
Walkie Talkies: For a three-pack of inexpensive walkie talkies, these have held up great for us over the years!
Flexible Race Track: Kids can build and re-build these flexible race tracks to make a million different tracks. Our boys adore watching the cars fly around on their creations and they’re compatible with most other flexible tracks out there, so they’re a great gift you can build on over the years.
Pokémon Cards + Ultimate Pokémon Handbook: I don’t get the hype on these cards at all but our boys are so into them it’s insane. If your kid is the same way, I cannot recommend the Pokémon Essentials Handbook enough. Our boys pour over it to learn more about their cards, Pokémon characters, damage points… and whatever else Pokémon cards mean to them that I don’t understand. They also heavily rely on their Pok é mon binders to keep everything organized.

Educational + Creative:

Brain Flakes: Amazing for open-ended play, especially if your child likes building/creating. Our boys love using this book for creation inspiration and these wheels and axels to create vehicles!
Giiker Super Decoder: This is going under the tree for Ryder (7yo) this year! He loves puzzles and cracking codes and I think this will be great for road trip/travel/restaurant entertainment.
Rush Hour Jr.: An incredibly fun and engaging brain-teaser game kids can play on their own. If your kids are older or a puzzle whiz, I also recommend the original Rush Hour!
Games: Walk the Dogs, Sleeping Queens, Outfoxed, My First Dragon Adventure, UNO, Trouble, Crazy 8s, Clue Jr., Don’t Break the Ice, Ticket to Ride Junior, Zingo! — all big hits in our house!
LEGOs: My goodness, the Lego obsession is real over here.
Paint-Your-Own Light Up Gingerbread House Craft: Ryder loved the Halloween version of this $5 Target craft so much that I bought the holiday version for all the boys and their cousins to do together over Thanksgiving. (Honestly, all the holiday Target crafts are worth checking out and priced very well.)
Learning Block Construction Kit: Our boys (ages 5-10) ALL adore these and the idea book that comes with it is easy for them to follow on their own.
Loom Bracelets Kit: Chase’s second grade class was so into these and got our boys into making bracelets, necklaces, etc. to wear and gift to friends and family.
No Sew Blanket Kit: Great reviews for this affordable find on sale for $10 right now! I ordered one for Ryder because he loves a crafty project.
How To Draw 101 Things Book: Easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions on how to draw 100+ things for little artists.
Puzzle Track: Instant fun! Kids assemble puzzle pieces to make a track for a little battery-operated toy to zoom around. One of Rhett’s favorite birthday presents this year and one he and Ryder both enjoy a lot!
Mini Bluetooth Karaoke Machine: I cannot tell you how many “concerts” we’ve watched since we gave this one to Ryder a few years ago.
Sticker WOW!: Your kid will fly through this but they’ll also love it! Great for road trips/travel entertainment.
Melty/Perler Beads: You knew this one would make the list! For years our boys have been obsessed with melty beads! Our kids love this kit with the beads divided into separate sections based on color. Just make sure you get boards and a pattern book, too!pbfingers.com/fall-soup-recipes
Diamond Painting: Perfect for a quiet activity and one I enjoy doing along with our kids! The boys also really like the diamond stickers that go along with favorite characters and put them on their school folders.
Marble Run: Marble runs are absolute magic to kids. They entertain our boys for a LONG time which is a win in my book!
Lincoln Logs: A toy I loved as a kid that holds up! My aunt got our boys two tins (and I’d recommend doing the same so they can maximize their creations — they all actually can be consolidated into one) and they are still a hit years later.
Light-Up Terrarium: For any nature-loving kids out there, this terrarium is one that our boys loved and really enjoyed watching come to life.
Projector Digital Camera: Our big kids love filming their own movies and I couldn’t resist ordering this one for them this year to make it easy to watch their movie creations!
Crayola Air Brush Marker Painting Kit: Easy to use and so fun!
Screwdriver Toy Set: Please don’t hate me for the tiny pieces in this one, but if you have a kid who likes to build things and play with tools, this screwdriver play set is one our kids love.
Create-Your-Own Window Art: For the crafty kids. Our boys enjoyed making these and tying them onto gifts for friends/family.
Lite Brite: This retro toy is still an absolute gem! Rhett (5) and Ryder (7) love it so much. They also sell refillable templates for new designs if you already have this one an want to give it new life!
Puzzles: We do puzzles in our house daily! The 100-piece Mudpuppy reversible animal puzzles are some of our favorites.
Amazing Mazes Book: Another travel fav our maze-loving kids find very entertaining!
Ant Farm or Live Butterfly Lifecycle Habitat: For animal lovers! These kits are the coolest and had our animal-loving kids in awe.
Science Experiments Kits: If you ask our boys if they want to do a science experiment at any time, their answer will always be yes! We’ve loved the National Geographic interactive experiment kits.
Surprise Inside Bath Bombs: Bath bombs still feel like a treat even as kids get older! We gifted this unicorn bath bomb kit to one of the boys’ girlfriends and I cannot tell you how much her mom raved about her loving it! Our boys actually have a collection of their tiny bath bomb surprises saved in a box that we bring with us to sports’ games, restaurants, etc. for on-the-go entertainment.
Loom Weaving Kit: One of the boys best friends taught them how to do this during our trip to the mountains together and they got so into it!
Instant Print Camera: Love that this rechargeable digital camera prints the pictures, too.

SOMETHING THEY NEED

Reading Light: Our kids all flip through books before bed (even before they can read) and a reading light makes a great useful stocking stuffer!
Silicone Snack Box: We use our snack boxes every afternoon for healthier on-the-go after-school snacks.
Bike Basket or Handlebar Bag: Going under the tree for all of our boys this year to keep snacks + store treasures during our family bike rides.
Bike Bell: For safety but also for fun! These twistable bells are our boys’ favorites.
Tangle Teezer Hairbrush: Easily glides through knots!
Art Supplies: I highly recommend one of these storage containers with deep bins for art supplies organization!! I gifted this to my nieces last year filled with some of our favorites: KwikStix Fast-Drying Paint Pens (the best for making posters/banners — we use our butcher paper roll all the time), Retractable Markers (to eliminate the frustration of losing caps), Crayola Twistables Crayons (for kids who get easily frustrated by broken/dull crayons), Gel Crayons
Rainbow Marker/Pen/Colored Pencil Organizer: A small but adorable way to keep craft supplies organized.
Kids Camping Chair: Whether you’re camping or heading out to watch a sibling’s soccer game, kids love having their own place to sit!
Color By Number Coloring Book: I cannot tell you how much Ryder and Rhett love these right now! They somehow make coloring feel a little more fun. (They’re currently making their way through this Christmas color by number!) We also love this Christmas-themed big-picture coloring book!
Headphones: Our boys’ school requires headphones for computer work and the iClever headphones are comfortable and affordable and also Bluetooth compatible.
Pottery Barn Loungers: If your child is in need of a larger (but still kid-friendly) chair or place to lounge, I cannot recommend these loungers enough. We have a pair in our living room and in our play loft and sit in them all the time. They’re the boys’ favorite spot to curl up with a book and the large size works for our whole family. (You may see ours in action in this post.)
A “You” Day Coupon: The boys LOVE this one! They can use their coupon in what ever way they choose — for one-on-one time with me and Ryan, to select our family’s activities and meals for the day, etc.
Daily Task Charts: Our boys are majorly motivated by these charts and they’ve been great for teaching responsibility.
Clear Backpack: This is one of my ultimate travel hacks. It makes it a million times easier for little ones to find whatever they might need on the go!
Wallet and/or Electronic Safe: Our boys love their electronic safes for keeping their money and other treasures “secure.”
Water Bottle: Our big kids like the 24-oz Owala water bottles and the 26-oz Reduce bottles. Pair this with a silicone water bottle name band so they’ll always be able to identify their water bottle in a sea of kid water bottles!
Sporting Goods/Activity Supplies: A new soccer ball for a soccer player, a new leotard for a dancer, etc.
Activity Bag/Kid-Friendly Luggage: For kids to keep their activity stuff organized (Etsy has adorable personalized options!) or for kids in families who like to travel. My mom got Chase his own suitcase one year and it was such a hit! We use it for travel but the boys like to use it for imagination games, too. (For those with girls, this heart-print 5-piece luggage set is too cute!!)
Kid Umbrella: We have this one and it blows their mind because it changes color when it gets wet!
Children’s Knives: For kids who like to help in the kitchen, these children’s knives let them safely slice softer foods (hard boiled eggs, toast, peppers, strawberries).
Visible Task Timer: For kids who are motivated by a timer. We still use this all the time (especially for piano practice) and I swear it helps with battles/expectations so, so much.
Activity Bag/Kid-Friendly Luggage: For kids to keep their activity stuff organized (Etsy has adorable personalized options!) or for kids in families who like to travel. For a splurge gift that’s sure to be a hit, these scooter suitcases seem amazing! We also swear by this hardside carry-on for everyone in our family.
PackIt Freezable Snack Pouch: Makes taking on-the-go cold snacks a breeze.

SOMETHING TO WEAR

Snow Boots or Rain Boots: If you have adventurous kids who love to explore and get muddy, rain boots are a must. We’ve had great luck with Western Chief rain boots. For snow boots, we’ve been impressed with the quality of our boys’ BOGS. Both Western Chief rain boots and BOGS snow boots have passed the hand-me-down test for our boys.
Crocs: Are Crocs not just THE BEST shoes for kids? They can put them on and take them off all by themselves, they can get them as dirty as they want, wear them with or without socks and make them fun and unique with little charms. Our boys’ favorite shoes! Rhett especially loves his lined Crocs during the colder months.
Target Shearling Slippers: I got these Target slippers for the boys last year and the next size up this year because they were such a hit.
Cozy Joggers/Sweatpants: If you have slim kids, we’ve had great luck with these sweatpants from Amazon for a slimmer fit. I know it says “girls’ sweatpants” but they’re super gender neutral. They also come in a 2-pack.
Shearling-Style Boots: All 3 of our boys have these Target boots. They’re so cozy and the side zipper is genius for little ones and makes them easier for them to get on and off on their own. The sole is also harder/more substantial than other similar boots we’ve tried in the past, making them more durable. LOVE them! (Note: At first glance the reviews are bad but it’s because Target majorly increased the price from last year. They go on sale a LOT — I got them for $16 this year! — so just be on the lookout!)
Rain Jacket: We’ve had great luck with Target’s rain jackets.
Pajamas: We’re a sucker for matching holiday jammies in our house! This print has been a favorite 2 years in a row in our house! I also couldn’t resist this print from Old Navy this year, too.
Robe: I didn’t think our boys would care about a robe until they all started asking for one when they noticed me wearing mine all the time in the winter months. They adore their robes and I’ve had good luck finding them at Target or a local consignment shop. For a splurge-worthy robe, Pottery Barn Kids has some adorably plush and cozy options.
Winter Jacket: We’ve had good luck with Patagonia jackets (they majorly pass the hand-me-down test), these packable Amazon jackets and these Amazon ski jackets.
New Underwear/Socks: Not that fun but often necessary! I’ll add new underwear (our boys love this modal underwear) in the boys’ stockings and also love including fuzzy holiday socks for something a little more festive. (I almost always get them on sale on Black Friday online at Old Navy.) For more traditional crew socks, these have been a great find on Amazon!
Winter Accessories: Hats (love that these are sherpa-lined, warm and not itchy), gloves, scarves, mittens… whatever they need!

Something To Read

Young Reader Chapter Books:

Press Start (The kindergarten, first, second and third grader obsession with these books is REAL. Perfect for reluctant readers because they’re so engaging for kids.)
Owl Diaries (Lots of pictures and text bubbles to hold the interest of young readers)
Unicorn Diaries (If your kid loved Owl Diaries, they’ll love this series by the same author, too!)
Dragon Masters (A dragon lover’s dream series. Lots of not-so-scary adventure.)
Ballpark Mysteries(For baseball lovers who enjoy solving mysteries)
Magic Tree House (The first chapter book series both of our big kids loved)
Diary of a Pug (Another cute series our kids love)

Picture Books Big Kids Love:

Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree (a holiday favorite in our house with whimsical illustrations and adorable rhyming)
The Sweet Smell of Christmas (one of my favorites as a kid that our boys love, too! Scratch-and-sniff stickers make this one interactive and fun.)
Elephant & Piggie (Perfect for 5 and 6-year-olds — these books crack them up!)
Otis and the Kittens (Our fav of all the Otis books. Stunning pictures and our kids like the story a lot.)
The Circus Ship (A gem of a book! I cannot recommend this one enough.)
Dragons Love Tacos (A fun and goofy book)
Those Darn Squirrels (Our kids laugh so hard at this book)
The Snail and the Whale (Because all Julia Donaldson books are a hit)
Any of the “How to Catch a…” Books (A silly series of books our boys enjoy)
Cat in the Hat Learning Library Books (Educational and fun!)

Question of the Day

Any big-time winners in your house for big kids ages 5-7? Please share your best gift recommendations below!