The Best Toys for 6-Year-Old Boys To Fuel Their Curiosity and Creativity (2024)

• Our Picks

• How We Selected and Tested

• What to Look For

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If your 6-year-old is a fan of Mario, then he’ll have so much fun putting together this 231-piece LEGO set that brings the Nintendo game to life. It’s made for kids 6 years old and up and comes with everything they need to build a course, like a Goomba, a mystery block, and so much more.

The set also includes a Mario figure that has LED eyes with sensors, so he talks and reacts as he goes through the course. It’s an awesome set that brings together video games and LEGO builds. Plus, dozens of parents in our survey recommend LEGO sets for their kids because it enhances their fine motor skills, creativity, and more.

The 3Doodler Start + 3D Pen Set tops our list because children will love watching their own creations come to life. Safe for kids as young as 6 years old, this pen makes 3D creations without any hot parts that can cause injury by burning. It comes in a set with 48 strands of starter plastic (in eight different colors), an activity guide, and a micro USB charger. Once your kiddo uses up their starter plastic, you can purchase filament refills for under $20.

The pen also has a one-year warranty, and there is a 24/7 customer support center if caregivers need some help troubleshooting problems.

What’s cooler than robots? This one is safe for kids as young as 3 years old, comes with a remote control, and features a motion sensor on the chest that allows it to move by following hand commands. In addition to the pre-set controls, kids can also program up to 50 of their own motions for the robot to follow.

The robot also has patrol mode that allows it to walk around without running into obstacles, it can sing, and it has a rechargeable battery (and comes with a USB cable).

This might look like just a piece of furniture, but it’s so much more. The Nugget Play Couch includes four foam pieces (two triangle pillows, a cushion, and a base). In addition to being set up like a couch, the Nugget can also transform into forts, slides, climbing adventures, and more. It’s a toy that’s designed for open-ended play and will be one that kids will come back to again and again.

All of the pieces are covered in a microsuede fabric, which is available in a wide variety of colors and is removable and machine washable.

Perfect for playing outside and for kids with a lot of energy, this toy has two small poles that kids are supposed to jump over as they spin around. The poles have three height settings and there are two rotation speeds to make the jumping more or less challenging, and kids can choose to play with or without music.

When they’ve exhausted their energy, they can convert the toy into a ring toss game for some more low-key fun.

This scooter is made for kids as young as 5 years old and up to 220 pounds. Parents we surveyed recommend scooters for kids because they provide children with physical exercise without sacrificing fun. As for this scooter, the handlebars have strong grips for traction, can be set to various heights, and feature limited steering to give kids better control when riding.

The scooter's deck is covered in non-slip material and designed for stability and safety. When it’s not being played with, this scooter folds in half for easy storage.

This remote control car is designed for some serious jumping because it can get up to 22 inches in the air. It has the ability to roll over small obstacles and is equipped with soft wheels so it can crash into walls without damaging them.

It’s safe for kids as young as 4 years old, is made from durable materials, and has a rechargeable battery (the remote requires 2 AAA batteries, though).

Marble runs are always fun, but this one stands out because instead of interlocking pieces, it’s constructed out of magnets on a magnetic board (or a fridge door). It’s safe for kids as young as 5 years old and comes with 14 magnetic foam pieces and four marbles.

The set also includes 10 activity cards with instructions for making different marble runs, but there’s no telling how many cool paths kids can create on their own using their imaginations.

You don’t see big pinball machines very much anymore, but kids can still play the game using this tabletop version at home. It works just like a big game and features fun lights and sounds, and it even vibrates and keeps score.

This game requires 3 AA batteries that are not included.

With this toy, kids get two cars in one because it’s designed to transform into two different models. Before using the car, kids get to build it using the included instructions, and it comes with a single, easy-to-use remote control that allows the car to drive, spin, and turn on flat surfaces.

It’s designed for kids between 6 and 12 years old. The car requires 3 AA batteries, and the controller requires 3 AAA batteries.

Kids as young as 5 years old can safely play with this 52-piece set of magnetic toys. They come in various shapes and click and bond together to create cool 3D figures. It’s a great toy for fine motor skill development, critical thinking, and problem-solving. Not to mention, it’s a lot of fun and a good opportunity for creativity.

If you have a box fan at home, then this air fort is something you should definitely consider for your 6-year-old. The tent measures 77 x 50 inches and is made from breathable, durable fabric. It’s designed without a floor to make getting in and out easy, it has a window so that parents can easily peek in to check on the kids, and there is a mesh divider between the tent and the fan so that kids don’t accidentally hurt themselves.

When the tent isn’t in use, it folds up into a compact carrying bag and weighs only 24 ounces.

With this set, kids 6 years old and up can start practicing their archery skills in a safe and fun way. It comes with a freestanding target that stands 36 inches tall, an adjustable tension bow, five suction cup arrows, and a carry quiver.

Kids can play with this inside or outside, and the target is easy to set up and tear down between uses.

6-year-olds who love to build things will have a lot of fun with this 212-piece LEGO set. It’s made for kids as young as 5 years old and has all of the parts necessary to build a helicopter, a motorbike, a power station, and fire flames, plus it comes with three LEGO figurines.

The best part about LEGO toys, though, is that after your kiddo has finished the build and played with it, he can take everything apart and create something all his own using the same pieces.

This toy is so much fun because kids can either sit on it to rock back and forth or stand on it for a balance challenge. Regardless of how they use it, though, they’ll get a real kick out of it because the bottom is covered in suction cups that pop with every move of the board.

This board is safe for kids as young as three, can hold kids weighing up to 110 pounds, and is made from strong, durable plastic. It’s a great toy for open-ended play or for kids who need to get a little bit of energy out.

With this purchase, you get two cute plush cats that are small, soft, and sensory-friendly. The cats are filled with beans, giving them a little bit of weight and making them great for fidget play or pretend play. Plus, with each purchase, you get a name tag for each cat with a name and bio and a QR code for a free game download of Cats vs. Pickles.

Perfect for kids who love science or are just full of curiosity, this little microscope is made for kids as young as 5 years old and comes with 15 round slides, all of which have four separate pictures that kids can view by rotating the slide on the microscope tray.

The microscope magnifies images three times larger, and it’s equipped with all kinds of adjustable features so that kids can get the perfect focus. In addition to the microscope and slides, this set also comes with a science guide that’s packed with hundreds of fun facts.

Yes, bikes are cool and all, but this scooter and bike combo is particularly awesome. It comes in a few different colors and is safe for kids as young as 4 years old and up to 150 pounds. To ride it, kids sit in the seat, hang on to a hand brake, place their feet on the bar in front of them, and then push it back and forth to get going.

It’s made from high-quality materials, is easy to set up, and is a great way for kids to get outside and get some energy out.

How amazing are these gloves? They come in three colors and three size options and include a battery pack that brings them to life. Each set of gloves features three different colored lights and has six different flash settings.

They turn on and off easily with the wearable battery packs, and they come with four replacement batteries to keep the fun going longer. One note: these gloves use very small batteries that are not safe for kids under 3 years old.

There are so many different ways kids can play with this set of 8 nesting boxes and bouncing balls; we can’t even begin to list them all. Each box comes with its own suggestion for play, but with a dash of imagination, it’s the kind of toy that kids can play with in multiple ways.

Each box is made from an unfinished basswood design and comes with its own ball that can be tossed, rolled, bounced, hidden away, and more. This toy is safe for kids as young as 5 years old.