Hobbies And Interests
Building Blocks
From the classic Legos and Mega Blocks to more contemporary building toys such as Trio sets, building toys are great for a child's imagination. As the child collects more blocks, he will have more options for what he can build. Some kids like to build things to put on display in their bedroom. Look at the age recommendations when shopping for building toys to ensure they are age-appropriate.
Cars and Trucks
At age 5, most boys still enjoy playing with cars. From Matchbox cars to Disney's Cars vehicles, cars and trucks come in all sizes. When shopping for cars or trucks, look for a new concept that they don't already have. Disney makes some cars you can shake for them to go by themselves. Imaginext makes vehicles that go with the turn of a key. Remote control cars and airplanes are other ideas. Whatever you get, this is one gift idea you can't really go wrong with.
Trains and Train Sets
There are so many options out there for train sets and trains. Most tracks are either wooden or plastic and have trains that are designed to go with the tracks. Both will last well; it's just a matter of preference. Some boys enjoy Thomas the Train; others won't mind what brand or characters. When shopping for train sets, try to stick to a general set that can be added to later on. For a bigger gift, get a train table to go along with it.
Action Figures
Action figures are great for boys to act out their favorite scenes from shows or characters they like. Boys like classic Marvel heroes, as well as characters from their favorite shows. Characters from new movies seem to be popular as well. Shop for characters your child has shown some interest in or add to sets they already own.
Art Supplies
Most 5-year old kids love to color and create works of art. As they enter kindergarten, art supplies can be put to even more use for completing school assignments. Look for basic art supplies to encourage creativity, such as colored and white paper, scrapbook paper, crayons, markers, glue, glitter, finger paint, stencils and stickers. Play Dough and Moon Sand are also art mediums.
Books
Kids can't get enough books, especially when they are the age to start learning how to read. Look for age-appropriate books with simple or repetitive phrases that the child can learn as they practice reading. Books with simple text and colorful pictures are best for this age.
Board Games
Kids at this age can learn to follow the rules of playing a board game and benefit from playing games as a family or with a group of friends after school. Toy stores have a large variety of kids board games and some adult board games have kid versions. Board games teach kids patience to wait their turn, playing fair and that having fun is more important than winning.
DVDs and Video Games
In today's technologically advanced world, a lot of kids are into movies and video games. There's a wide selection out there and it probably won't be hard to find something the 5-year-old would like. Look for movies or games they've expressed some interest in. There are a lot of options for more active video games that will encourage exercise as well.