He’s ready for some sit-down instruction-and so is the guitar, which has stood up well to its status as a daily favorite. By the time he turned 5, he had “played” too many rock concerts with his axe to count. We didn’t expect him to play it (he didn’t), but we did want him to love it (he did). We listen to a lot of music, and his uncles all play the guitar, so I hoped that he’d be keen to connect with his very own musical instrument. When our oldest son turned 3, my husband and I gave him a glossy red Loog Mini Acoustic Guitar. To be honest, I’m not entirely sure why it’s so satisfying, but I do know that I could play with it for hours if my kiddo would only let me have a turn. Adults tend to appreciate the stress relief that comes along with spending more than five minutes on something that doesn’t involve a screen, not to mention the Wakka’s lovely, minimalist aesthetic. Children are drawn to its deceptive Gameboy appearance and then sucked in by the challenge of trying to spear plastic, floating rings using only puffs of water. But once you’ve got it in your hands, the Wakka immediately evokes flashes of those cheapo handheld plastic water games from the ’80s-with all the addictive, nostalgic fun and frustration that entails. From across a room, the Kiko+ Wakka Retro Water Game looks like a traditional, old-fashioned wooden toy-something a character from Little House on the Prairie might have received in her Christmas stocking with an orange, on a particularly good year. This is one of the weirder-and more delightful-things in my house. (Just keep in mind that kids develop at different rates, so all age recommendations should be taken with a grain of salt.) And please share your own best ideas in the comments below. We also have guides to gifts for tweens and teens. If you’re looking for more kids gift ideas, check out our guides to the best gifts for 1-year-olds, 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds, 4-year-olds, 6-year-olds, 7-year-olds, 8-year-olds, 9-year-olds, and 10-year-olds, as well as thoughtful stocking stuffers for kids. We relied on the advice of Tenuto and other experts-as well as that of parents and caregivers on our staff-to identify memorable and engaging gifts for 5-year-olds. Books to build their library are wonderful choices, and board games are also great, especially cooperative ones that require working together as a group. You could look for gifts that complement a child’s natural curiosities, whether they love to create art, grow stuff, play sports, make music, or get up close and personal with insects. Kids automatically get an educational benefit from any number of well-designed, engaging toys, says John Tenuto, a sociology instructor at the College of Lake County, in Grayslake, Illinois, who has studied toys and collectibles (and is an expert featured on the Netflix series The Toys That Made Us). Learning is at the center of a 5-year-old’s life, but that doesn’t mean they need so-called educational toys. Toys and kits that let them engage in project-based inquiry-such as performing simple science experiments and exploring nature-can help them make connections between what they’re exposed to in the classroom (be it virtual or in-person) and what they experience out in the world. Many 5-year-olds are starting kindergarten, and they’re exploring new subjects and ideas in school for the first time. By the time kids are 5, they’re developing skills and more-specific interests that open up new gift-giving possibilities.
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