5 Educational Toys for 5-Year-Olds

Five years old is an incredible age when children transition from toddlers to kids. Many children start school at age five, experiencing many new educational, social experiences, and potentially educational toys for 5 year olds. 

You want them prepared for what’s coming next; one of the best ways to do that is through play. There are thousands of educational toys on the market, from basic to high-tech. It can be overwhelming to decide what is best. 

Here are five educational toys for 5-year-olds that help develop the skills they need to take on the world. 

1. Building Blocks

Building blocks have many benefits for five-year-olds, including building skills they will use throughout their lives. 

Blocks encourage a child’s imagination. There are so many things blocks can be put together to make, including rocket ships, houses, and dinosaurs. Children who receive blocks can start with an idea and expand upon it, making a creation uniquely theirs. 

They’re also great for learning early math skills, like addition and subtraction. Blocks can be added or removed from a pile to show kids the difference. 

Playing with blocks also engages with a five-year-old’s spacial sense, as they can stand for an indefinite amount of time. They also engage both fine and gross motor skills. 

Early science lessons can incorporate blocks to teach five-year-olds about hypotheses and scientific reasoning. What do they think will occur if they shift a block from the tower’s center?

Block play also encourages children to learn teamwork. When multiple children play with blocks, they can learn about the fair distribution of materials and the importance of allowing each team member to contribute equally to the final product. 

2. Magnetic Tiles

Like building blocks, you can introduce magnetic tiles to enhance a child’s creativity. 

The flat tiles stick to themselves or other magnetic surfaces, allowing for a greater span of options when building their perfect creation. Magnetic tiles also come in various shapes and colors, adding to the fun and aiding visual discrimination skills. 

Due to their greater complexity, magnetic tiles also allow a child to develop focus and concentration by placing the desired tiles together correctly. 

Many magnetic tiles come with different types of triangles and squares, making them fun tools for early geometry lessons. 

Magnetic tiles also encourage independent play, as many parents and teachers use them with a magnetic table or station, which limits the number of kids that can gather around it. 

The tiles are also great for introducing patterns; you can lay the different shapes and colors down together. 

3. Jigsaw Puzzles 

Completing jigsaw puzzles offers many development skills to a five-year-old. 

Puzzles develop hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. They also help with spatial awareness. 

Jigsaw puzzles also improve a child’s short-term memory by reinforcing those neural connections. They also help them length their attention span and can even have a meditative effect on children. 

Children also develop vital communication skills when doing a puzzle with friends or family members. They learn to figure out who is taking on what task and how to help one another with words instead of moving another person’s piece. 

Completing a puzzle can boost a five-year-old’s self-esteem after overcoming that challenge. 

4. Puppets

Playing with puppets is a great way to get kids out of their comfort zone and grow as people through social interactions. 

Social skills are critical for young children to develop, and puppets are a safe, fun way to do that. 

Many five-year-olds are just starting to interact with kids their age outside of their family, and it can be intimidating. Puppets can help them open up and be a catalyst for more complex social interactions. 

Puppets are also great tools when learning about feelings. Kids can play with different emotions to understand the significance of each. 

Having puppets around encourages children to use their imaginations together. With different puppets, they can play through their storyline. Maybe, they’ll even put on a show!

5. Clay

Clay is a beautiful tool to engage a five-year-old’s senses. 

The clay’s look, texture, and smell serve as a learning experience for kids. 

Clay also develops a child’s motor skills and coordination as they learn how to form the clay into their desired project. 

Speaking of projects, clay is an excellent window for imagination. Children can form a variety of objects from clay. If it isn’t as they hope, they can break it down without evidence of their mistake. This also helps make using clay a calming experience for kids. 

Learning With Toys

There’s a vast misconception that learning has to be boring. By introducing educational toys, you are encouraging a child to grow while having fun. 

A toy doesn’t need to be fancy to aid your child in many skills. Playing with these toys will help send them on the path to success.