9 Best Toys for 6-Year-Olds 2022 (2024)

Kiwi Crate is the gift that keeps on giving: A monthly delivery of projects, puzzles, games, and DIY activities on a different STEAM-friendly theme like magnetism, flight, or color. Most months, the crate will contain parts and instructions to build something to play with, like an arcade-style wooden claw that fetches from a distance, and every delivery includes Kiwi’s cool science-y kids’ magazine, Explore! with more ideas for at-home educational fun.

Parents say

“We were gifted a Kiwi Crate for Christmas last year. The kids love it.”

“Just renewed my 13-year-old daughter’s KiwiCo Tinker Crate subscription. She loves it! “

Heads up

Some activities require parent assistance.

Specs

• Subscriptions include 3 months for $60, 6 months for $110, and 12 months for $205
• Recommended for ages 5-8
  

When you have a kid who needs to get the wiggles out, Swurfer is a great versatile toy. Made to hang from any sturdy tree or swing set, the Swurfer has wooden handles that can be adjusted up and down on the swing’s ropes, which gives kids something to hang onto whether they’re sitting and pumping with their legs or standing up to swing and sway. The Swurfer’s curved surface is comfy either way, and the maple wood is UV- and water-resistant so it’ll go the distance in your backyard.

Heads up

Some say the bottom part of the wood cracks over time if left outside in a wet climate.

Specs

• 11 x 32 x 6 inches
• 5.51 pounds
• Recommended for age 6 and up
• Maximum weight 200 pounds
• Comes with board, UV- and mildew-resistant rope, and 2 adjustable handles

Terrariums are objects of great fascination for young scientists, who are amazed that they can create and care for their very own ecosystem so easily. This kit makes the project cooler with glow-in-the-dark forest figurines to install in your child’s miniature garden, layers of phosphorescent sand, and dreamy planets-and-stars stickers to decorate the outside. The (included) chia and wheatgrass seeds sprout reliably and promptly, so little farmers won’t have long to wait for results.

Heads up

Some say the seeds took longer than expected to sprout.

Specs

• 10.5 x 3 x 12 inches
• 15.8 ounces
• Recommended for age 6 and up

Scooters are a must-have for any active kid, and this foldable and lightweight scooter will hold up for years. These scooters fold up and lock into a rectangle your child can easily carry into school or the library, then when your child’s ready to ride, the handlebars click into place and adjust to scooting height. It’s a lot less intimidating than a two-wheeler bike, and helps your child develop core strength and balance while they ride.

Parents say

“Last Christmas, we got both of our kids Razor A Kicks. They have used and abused them all year and they were totally worth every penny I spent.”

Heads up

Some say they have a hard time securing the handlebar clamp.

Specs

• 23.9 x 11.3 x 32.4 inches
• 4.62 pounds
• Recommended for age 5 and up
• Maximum weight 143 pounds
  

Kids build and test their own thrill rides in this cool game that’s part building toy, part intellectual challenge. The genius of ThinkFun is that each of the 40 coaster track design cards it comes with instructs players how to begin to set up each track, but doesn’t lead them through the build step-by-step. The card shows what pieces are needed for each design, then it’s up to the player to figure out where each piece goes to complete the pictured coaster. Meanwhile, the builds start off easy, and progress to more challenging; a great way to build engineering skills and stamina.

Heads up

Some say the pieces can be difficult to connect.

Specs

• 11 x 2.75 x 11.58 inches
• 2.35 pounds
• Recommended for age 6 and up
  

Budding YouTubers or filmmakers can create their own videos with this kid-friendly cam that takes photos and videos. The camera’s microphone is sensitive enough to pick up dialogue, and built-in special effects like animated backgrounds, photo frames, and time-lapse mode are intuitive and easy for kids to use. Kids love the tripod and selfie stick that allows them to appear in their own masterpieces; parents love that the camera is completely disconnected from wifi so there’s no danger of accidentally uploading anything (the camera’s USB stick plugs into your computer if you want to download anything).

Parents say

“Our 6-year-old daughter has begged and begged for her own YouTube channel. We bought this for Christmas.”

Heads up

It is best to shoot in good lighting lest the video come out dark.

Specs

• 1.47 x 2.4 x 3.58 inches
• 1.5 pounds
• Recommended for ages 5-10
• 1 lithium ion battery required, included
• Photo resolution: 5 megapixels
• Video resolution: 640 x 480 with internal resolution
  

A perfect toy for a rainy day or indoor play, this cool miniaturized take on soccer comes with two toy-size goals, a small inflatable soccer ball, and, the money piece, a disc with an internal fan that makes it hover and move over floors like an air hockey puck glides over its table. Kids can play a rowdy game of soccer indoors without the gliding disc marking up your floors, breaking glasswares, or careening into anyone’s face. The disc glides well over hardwood floors, tile, or vinyl flooring.

Heads up

Parents say the overall size of the nets is smaller than expected.

Specs

• Each goal is 18 x 9.5 x 10 inches; hover ball is 7 inches in diameter; inflatable ball is 4.2 inches in diameter
• 1.59 pounds
• Recommended for age 3 and up
• 1 lithium ion battery required, included

Chemistry becomes comprehensible with this cool lab-in-a-box that comes with the miniature scientific equipment kids need to conduct 10 different cosmetics-related experiments. Test tubes, a petri dish, a beaker, pipette, pH test strips, and other tools, plus the kit’s illustrated step-by-step manual, will introduce players to the basics of acids, bases, the way soap works on a molecular level, and more. After the experiments are over, kids can mold their own soaps and bath bombs, with or without color and fragrance.

Heads up

Not all necessary materials are included; for example, one experiment calls for dried flowers and another requires a coffee filter, not included.

Specs

• 8.4 x 3.2 x 11.5 inches
• 1.54 pounds
• Recommended for age 6 and up
  

Open this box to discover 12 smooth clay eggs, each with their own miniature chisel and brush that budding archaeologists can use to excavate the dino toy hiding inside. Each egg conceals a different dinosaur, from aggro apex predator Giganotosaurus to the marine reptile Plesiosaur (and including the mighty T-Rex and horned Triceratops, too), and the kit includes a color manual that instructs players on the finer points of each dino they uncover.

Heads up

This toy can be a bit messy.

Specs

• Each egg is 2.75 inches long
• Recommended for age 4 and up
• 12 clay eggs, 12 dinosaur toys, 12 chisels, 12 brushes, activity guide
  

Kids at 6 years old are moving and grooving. Whether they are skipping, dancing, or galloping, they are most likely on the go. Toys that allow your kids to continue being active while focusing on their physical development make great gifts: bikes, scooters, toy cars, or anything they can ride are favorite toys of 6-year-olds

In addition to toys that encourage physical development, kids are continuing to mature into their natural personality, so look for toys that zero in on their individual interests (Sports? Cooking? Computers? Crafts?) and work with your 6-year-old’s temperament: Would she prefer a game where she can quietly solve puzzles solo at her kitchen table? Or a boisterous one that leaves a group of players laughing and breathless? There are plenty of toys for each of these outcomes, and countless others.

Finally, since 6-year-olds are both becoming more independent from parents and more concerned with making and keeping friends, consider toys that help 6-year-olds play together happily: toys that encourage turn-taking, have enough pieces for every player to have a go at once, or ones that allow children to collaborate on a project will be appreciated, as will those that 6-year-olds don’t need an adult’s help to play.