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The best toys and gifts for 6-year-olds are those that take into account their stage of development. Kids aged six have a lot going on: they are starting “serious school”, learning to deal with big emotions, experiencing the thrills and challenges of friendship, trying out their independence but are still very attached to their families which mean the world to them.
Awesome toys for 6-year-olds help them unleash their creativity, keep active, work on their focus and concentration skills and improve their capacity to retain information. They also help feed their curiosity, explore ideas, try out new things, and identify where their strengths and interests lie.
How to choose the best toys and gifts according to your 6-year-olds’ level of development
The best toys and gifts for 6-year-olds take their emotional intelligence into account
Before age six, many children struggle when it comes to dealing with big emotions. After this age, they become better at controlling their emotions and this has an impact on their behavior. For instance, they are less likely to go into meltdown are have long tantrums just because they got three slices of apple instead of the usual four, or are better at sticking to the rules of a game even if they disagree with those rules.
Although your child is better at dealing with strong emotions at age six, they still require practice to increase their ability to deal appropriately with emotion provoking situations, and toys and games are an easy way to achieve this. Toys that require your child to respect rules, learn to cope with winning or losing, or learn to wait for their turn are great toys and gifts for 6-year-olds.
Good toys and gifts encourage 6-year-olds to work on strengthening their acquired skills
At age six, many children have already acquired several skills. They have better memory, a better capacity for focus and concentration and they are better at following instructions and completing tasks.
That said, they are still in the process of perfecting these skills, meaning that any toys that can help them strengthen the development of specific capacities such as keeping information in mind and retrieving it, focus and concentration, using their imagination, following instructions, and so on are great choices for them.
Great toys and gifts for 6-year-olds help them learn about teamwork and cooperation
Kids at age six are starting to learn about the rules of friendship, and toys that promote teamwork and cooperation are great toys for this age group. These could be:
- Toys that let them play with others (family or friends)
- Toys that expect them to play as a team
- Toys that require team work to solve a problem
- Toys that help them practice social skills such as negotiating
Good toys and gifts for 6-year-olds teach them new things
Children at age six are curious, but not in the same way that they were before. They may want to know more about distressing news and have more questions about the world in general and about the things they see or hear. Toys and gifts that explain events to your child and help them make sense of things are great for 6-year-olds.
At this age, your child is also very interested in “cause and effect” situations because they are curious about what specific actions lead to. Great toys for 6-year-olds provide them with opportunities to experiment.
Great toys and gifts for 6-year-olds help them improve their language skills
Most children learn to read at around age six – and being read to regularly helps them increase their vocabulary. That said, any toys that help your 6-year-old improve their vocabulary is a great gift option. That may be books or even other toys that encourage them to make up stories or even read and follow specific instructions.
The best toys for 6-year-olds help them improve their gross motor skills
Whether your child has a gross motor delay or not, toys that encourage them to jump, hop, balance, catch and throw balls, skip, and so on are great for keeping them active and helping them strengthen their gross motor skills.
Good gifts for 6-year-olds help them develop their fine motor skills
Fine motor skills refer to your child’s ability to use the muscles in their fingers, wrists and hands to accomplish tasks. This could refer to tasks such as:
- The ability to hold a pen or pencil appropriately in order to write legibly
- The ability to use scissors with ease
- The ability to dress and undress themselves (use buttons and zips)
- The ability to use cutlery appropriately, and so on
Great toys for 6-year-olds help your child engage in activities that strengthen their small group muscles.
The best toys for 6-year-olds give them hands-on experiences
At age six, your child is learning a lot and they learn best when they have an opportunity to try out experiences by themselves. This is a great time for them to try out new things, to experiment and to explore.
The best toys for 6-year-olds that spark creativity and learning and cost under $ 15
Art and creativity toys are a great gift idea for 6-year-olds because they are at an age when they enjoy using their imagination and coming up with their own creations.
What you’ll love about this toy
- Your child can make countless creations
- They can imagine stories about their creations
- They can display their creation in their room
- The instructions are easy to follow
Art activities are a great toy option for 6-year-olds
What you’ll love about this toy
- It will keep your child engrossed in the eight pictures that they can create
- It is a great toy for helping them work on their creativity and imagination
- It will make a great rainy day project
- It is mess-free
What you’ll love about this toy
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It helps develop your child’s fine motor skills
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It teaches your child about balancing
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It helps your child practice focus and concentration
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It is a great toy for practicing stacking
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Your child can play with it alone or in a group. This is one of our favorite family games that everyone enjoys
What you’ll love about this book
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A great moral story for 6-year-olds about not judging books (people) by their cover
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Great illustrations
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Great words that will enrich your child’s vocabulary
Books are great gift ideas for 6-year-olds and good one’s have just the right vocabulary (not to easy and not too hard) and teach your child something. Here are other great book ideas you may want to read together:
What you’ll love about this toy
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Its price – this is one of our favorite games and the one that cost way under $25!
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It will help your child sharpen their concentration, visual perception and observation skills
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They are many different options available so you can pick a theme depending on what your child likes (Harry potter, camping, beach, Halloween etc.)
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It is a great family game
What you won’t like – it’s small so might work better as a stocking stuffer
The best educational toys and gifts for 6-year-olds that cost under $ 25
6-year-olds are at an age where they love experimenting so any toys that propose a hands-on approach will make great gifts.
What you’ll love about this kit
- A hands-on approach to learning more about dinosaurs
- The kit includes dino eggs, chisels, brushes and all your child needs to feel like a paleontologist
- It comes with 12 full color learning cards to teach your child all about dinosaurs
Scientific Explorer My First Mind Blowing Science Experiment Kit
Age six is the perfect age to introduce your child to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) toys
What you’ll love about this kit
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Your child will get to practice 11 simple science experiences
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They will learn the basics of science
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The kit has all the ingredients your child needs to perform experiments
What you’ll love about this toy
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The looping, hooking and pulling is great for developing your child’s fine motor skills
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It has everything they need to complete a full project and feel a sense of accomplishment
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It is easy for your child to learn
Downside – the instructions can be a bit tricky at first but there are great YouTube videos on how to latch hook.
What you’ll love about this game
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It will help your child practice strategizing
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It is a fun game the entire family will enjoy
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Play this fun and exciting game with family and friends
This award-winning game costs under $25 dollars.
What you’ll love about this game
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It has a beautiful finishing and bright lovely colors
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It will help your child practice strategizing and think forward
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It will help your child work on their planning skills
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It is a fantastic game for families. This is the game our family takes everywhere because everyone loves it!
What you’ll like about this toy
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It has easy-to-master magic tricks for your child
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It will provide hours of endless fun
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It is perfect for both beginners and budding young magicians
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It has all the accessories your child needs to perform “professional” magic tricks
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It comes with all the props which are designed to enable your child to develop their fine motor skills
Why you’ll love this toy
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The entire family will enjoy this game
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It will help your child work on their concentration
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It will help your child work on their visual perception skills
What you’ll love about this set
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It includes everything your child needs to unleash the artist within
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It will help your child work on their fine motor skills
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It is ready for wall hanging so you can easily display your child’s artwork
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It uses high quality products
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It comes with its own storage kit
Why you’ll love this toy
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It will help your child cope with issues such as social skills, empathy and anger management
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It provides them with coping strategies when faced with difficult situations
PlayMonster Science4you — Water Science
What you’ll love about this toy
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It provides hands-on activities for your child
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They will be able to experiment with water
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23 activities are included
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Your child gets enough materials to get started immediately
The best educational toys for 6-year-olds between $25 and $ 40
Board games make great toys for 6-year-olds and they are a lovely gift idea for this age group because they teach them many things such as sharing, waiting one’s turn and being patient.
What you’ll love about this game
- It is a fun family game
- It will help your child practice strategizing
- You only need to assemble it once (once assembled, everything can remain in the box)
Arts and Crafts supplies 
What you’ll love about this toy
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It proposes a large variety of craft supplies (over 1000 pieces of craft supplies)
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It comes with its own case
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It is the perfect toy to unleash your 6-year-old’s creativity
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It makes a great indoor activity
What you’ll love about this toy
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It will help your child practice marble painted art
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It has all they need to get started right away
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It proposes a special painting process that lets your child practice painting on water
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It is fun science project so it will make a great gift for a 6-year-old
What you’ll love about this toy
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It is perfect to introduce your child to chess
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It is magnetic so the chess pieces stay on the board
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It is easy to carry around and travel with
What you’ll love about this toy
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The shooting practice will help your child strengthen their fine motor skills
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They can adjust the level of difficulty
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Your child can play with it both indoors and outdoors
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It is a great game to play as a family
Amerous Shut the Box Dice Game
Why you’ll love it:
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It will teach your 6-year-old simple math
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It will help them strengthen their logical thinking skills and their focus and concentration
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It comes with a storage bag
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It is possible to customize the rules
Best toys that promote creativity and learning in 6-year-olds and cost between $40- $ 60
Fort building kit (creative forts)
Why you’ll love it:
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It makes it possible to create many varied play structures
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It will help your child practice their imagination, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills
3D Pen Set for Kids by 3Doodler
Why you’ll love it:
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The pens are safe for kids
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It is a tactile toy so it will help your 6-year-old strengthen their fine motor skills
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It sill help your child work on skills such as creativity and spatial recognition
Why you’ll love it:
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It is flexible and your kid can take it everywhere
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It comes with a Play-By-Color song booklet
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It is perfect for beginners
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It is great for developing your child’s fine motor skills
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It has volume control 😉
Why you’ll love it:
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This set is the toy your 6-year-old needs to unleash their creativity! It comes with 529 connectors, rods and wheels that they can click together easily to make any 3D creations that they can imagine
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It is great for developing your 6-year-olds hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.
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It has easy-to-follow instructions
Why you’ll love it:
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Your child can make multiple and varied creations
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This is a great toy to help your 6-year-old strengthen their finger and wrist muscles
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This kit is guaranteed to give your child hours of play
Educational Insights Circuit Explorer Rover Space Toy
Why you’ll love this toy
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Your child will learn about circuitry in an easy and fun way
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It proposes safe circuits that they can build by themselves
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It comes with everything your child needs to build a communication station
Best toys that promote creativity and learning in 6-year-olds and cost between $60 – $ 100
LEGO Super Mario Adventures with Mario Starter Course
Why you’ll love it:
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Your child can use the bricks to make their own creations
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They will enjoy playing with their friends
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It is possible to build more challenging levels
Downside – Needs batteries
Educational Insights Artie 3000 The Coding Robot
Why you’ll love it:
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It will teach your child coding in a creative and fun and way
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It is a perfect tool for beginner coders
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It comes with pre-coded designs and advanced coding apps
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It comes with options for both beginner and more advanced coders
What you’ll like less: it requires batteries
A craft subscription box
Why you’ll love it:
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Craft subscriptions boxes are a great gift idea for 6-year-olds because they propose fun and creative activities that your child receives every month
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Your child will get their own box with new thoughtfully crafted activities every month in the mail
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The boxes focus on proposing hand-on activities
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You can choose a subscription depending on your needs (3 months, 6 months, 12 months, etc.)
Here are a few subscriptions you may want to check out
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Subscriptions for the book lover: Bookroo or Reading Bug Box
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Subscriptions for the nature lover: Green Kid Crafts
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Subscriptions for the arty kid: We craft Box
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Subscriptions for the kid into coding: Bitsbox
Little Tikes Tobi 2 Director’s Camera
Why you’ll love it:
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Your child will be able to take photos and make videos
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They can use the built-in backgrounds to imagine their own scenarios
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They can make stop-motion videos which are guaranteed to keep them busy and to help them unleash their imagination
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You kid will enjoy taking selfies
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It is fun and easy to use
What great toys for 6-year-olds did we leave off the list? Let us know in the comments section below.
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