The good news about shopping for six-year-olds is that they’ll love almost anything you give them. The bad news? That makes it surprisingly hard to choose something really good. Between the plastic toys destined for landfill and the ones that hold their attention for all of five minutes, it can be tricky to find something that actually sticks.

At this age, children are usually in year 1 or 2 at school, able to read a little, full of curiosity, and starting to focus for longer (as long as you’ve got their attention). Play still matters hugely; it’s how they learn to share, problem-solve and build resilience – all without realising they’re learning anything at all.

So, the best gifts for six-year-olds are the ones that capture their imagination and keep them coming back, day after day. As a parent, I know the holy grail is a toy that’s loved by your child and tolerated in your living room.

How I selected

I’m an experienced toy-tester – I’ve tested and written about toys many times as a consumer journalist. I’ve worked in children’s publishing and as a teaching assistant in a school, too, so I’ve spent a long time professionally observing kids play with toys. I’m also a parent to three children, so I’m aware of what works for kids – and for the adults in their lives, too.

You don’t have to just rely on me here, though. During the research phase of this article, I spoke to childhood and parenting experts to find out what they thought made great toys for six-year-olds. I wanted to really get into what toys and types of play will support six-year-olds – and, of course, engage them best.

Then, I took to testing in earnest. I recruited a band of merry six-year-olds to help test toys – unsurprisingly, I had many offers of help. My living room has seen all the tiny arts and crafts bits strewn under the sofa, fierce board game competitions, and hours of absorbed play.

For this roundup, I wanted to find toys that held sustained interest and repeated use. I thought about which toys would go the distance and still be interesting to a child a few years down the line. Toys that adapt and grow with your child are my favourites – from a sustainability and price-per-use point of view.

The best toys and gifts for six-year-olds in 2026

Absorbing crafts

“I like to gift children of any age things that support any form of creative expression, such as high-quality art materials,” says Laura Moore-Williams, an early years specialist and consultant. “These kinds of gifts go beyond the toy shelf; they nurture imagination, build confidence and create lasting memories.”

Aquabeads tested extremely well with my six-year-old testers. The idea is that you lay small colourful beads on a grid touching one another. Once your picture is complete, you spritz them with water and leave to dry, and the beads dry stuck together in the shape you set. Three testers were absorbed for an hour, following patterns before designing their own; they even came back to this activity for days after their initial project was complete. There are plenty of Aquabead sets out there, but I liked this one as it has on-board storage for all the beads. Aquabeads are great for developing fine motor skills and building resilience, too – the beads can have a mind of their own from time to time.

Aquabeads beginners craft studio set

Suitable for: 4+

House of cards

I’ve tested this game extensively. We took it on holiday with us, it’s been played during family game nights, and I’ve often given it to other six-year-olds (older kids and adults love it, too). “So much holistic learning and development can be supported through opportunities to play games together in small groups,” says Moore-Williams.

This game is quick and simple to play, and has lots of sneaky learning benefits. Players aim to get the highest hand, adding to their hand each round. However, if they get the same card twice, they’re automatically out. You can “stick” at any point. The game combines luck with decision-making and teaches unwitting kids about odds. At the end, you also have to add up the cards in your hand, which is fantastic for mental maths skills. The age rating says it’s suitable for kids aged eight plus, but we’ve found during testing that even kids of five handled it well when playing with adults or older children.

Flip 7 card game

Suitable for: 8+ for difficulty, but we successfully played it with younger

Fly away

Lego City sets are such a brilliant toy for kids of around six years old, with slightly bigger, more challenging builds such as this one that can keep them engrossed for hours. With the instructions available on paper and an app, my testers totally took the lead and I was relegated to finding pieces for the next step.

What I love most about Lego is that it offers an opportunity for adults to work alongside children on a project. After we’d built this set it kept my testers amused for ages, and they came back to play with it again and again. It has just the right number of play pieces, including air stairs, a catering truck and nine (nine!) mini-figures, which is like hitting the jackpot for a six-year-old.

Lego City Passenger plane set

Suitable for: Lego recommends 7+ for difficulty, but my six-year-olds handled it well

Game on

Most kids love sitting down to a proper game. During testing, my testers were mesmerised by this mancala game. It’s simple to pick up, fast to play and gets them developing strategic thinking. With younger children’s shorter attention spans, this game is an ideal match.

“Structured or rule-based toys, such as board games, build logical thinking, patience, resilience and social skills, such as turn-taking,” says Moore-Williams. “I like to gift children games that can be played as a family.” I liked that this traditional wooden game can be folded up and taken with you – there’s a fabric bag to store the glass beads. My kids also liked playing different games with the glass beads, using them as money in a game of shops.

Jaques of London mancala game

Suitable for: 6+

Ready, steady … scoot!

Statistics show that the time children spend on physical play is in decline. “Providing something that encourages us to take time to get outside as a family, or encourage independent physicality, is a great gift,” says Moore-Williams. Around six is when many children grow out of a three-wheeled scooter and are ready for two wheels.

I’ve tested Micro Scooters extensively over the years, and they stand the test of time. Many will last through numerous children, while replacement parts are easy to find, so you can keep them in good nick. This Micro Cruiser iteration has large wheels for a smoother, faster ride (cue parents racing after their kids on the school run) and they light up when spinning. The wider handlebars make the scooter easier to handle – and since it folds with a click, you can chuck it in the car boot or footwell, or hold it under your arm on the bus with ease.

Micro Scooters Micro Cruiser LED: Neochrome

Suitable for: 5+

Hit subscribe

There’s something magical about receiving post, especially if you’re six years old. This KiwiCo subscription is a great gift that keeps on giving. All the products are designed to foster amazement at the world through Steam (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) projects. One month, you might get an archery set that teaches your child about aerodynamics and trajectory, or a plane launcher with a booklet that includes information about forces. The idea is you make the toy using the kit supplied, and your child ends up with a lasting toy – made mainly from wood. Many kits have limited plastic and they’re shipped from the US – admittedly not ideal from a carbon footprint or tax point of view. We tested the Motorized Spin Art box, which our testers enjoyed making and playing with afterwards.

KiwiCo Kiwi crate subscription

Suitable for: 6+

It’s a match

“The type of play that’s most valuable for six-year-olds is problem-solving play and interactive games such as dominoes – games they can play independently and socially,” says Sydney Piercey, former au pair and nanny, and author of Sustainable Play.

This set saw lots of action from our testers of six and over. The smooth tiles arrive in a wooden storage box and are pleasingly tactile and built to last. My testers loved how easy this game was to pick up, quickly gaining the confidence to boss the confused adults playing, and it proved fast-paced enough to hold their attention. It’s a matching game at its core, but you can be more sophisticated in your play – our six-year-olds loved working out strategies to beat their parents. They also loved a chance to show off their subitising – an important maths skill they learn and develop in school at this age.

Jaques of London dominoes set

Suitable for: 3+

Take a closer look

This kit is great for those who have limited outdoor space. There are so many benefits – physical and mental – to getting children outside, and this entomology set is great for curious kids, teaching them how to interact with nature.

Inside the jute drawstring bag is an observation journal, a magnifying bug pot, a net, some insect identification cards, a paintbrush, an insect aspirator and an illustrated guide. We took this kit on a woodland walk, and my testers loved using the aspirator to collect bugs – letting them look at the creatures up close, without touching or harming them. The identification cards are pitched perfectly to inspire further interest – and while the notebook isn’t reusable once filled in, the rest of the kit will bring years of enjoyment out and about.

The Den Kit Co entomology kit

Suitable for: 3+, recommended for 6+

Life in the fast(ish) lane

I’m always dubious of big-ticket “wow-factor” gifts, because they often don’t offer long-term play value. However, our six-year-old testers were very excited to get outside and play with this go-kart – and, crucially, they returned to it again and again. It runs on batteries, and goes at an adult running pace (we tested this out!). There are accelerator and brake pedals, plus a reverse gear. Our testers loved feeling the control of “properly” driving. Your giftee will need a decent amount of space – ideally, a hard surface rather than grass. I strongly recommend kids wear a helmet while riding, too.

Renegade Prime kids electric ride-on go kart

Suitable for: 6+

A sense of wonder

Your heart might sink at the idea of messy play, but hear me out: kinetic sand isn’t that bad. It’s fine sand mixed with silicone oil, which makes it a texture that “flows” but can still be moulded. My sensory-seeking testers were real fans – it provides a calm sensory experience that seems to relieve any stress they’re feeling. Plus, playing with kinetic sand builds fine motor skills, “which are crucial at this age,” says Daisy Upton, author of the Five Minute Mum book series.

If you’re new to kinetic sand then this will be a nice introduction. Everything can be stored in the carry case and there are some moulds and toys included that can be used in a variety of ways. My kids like to add in their own action figures, too – which makes for wonderful open-ended play.

Kinetic Sand construction box playset

Suitable for: 3+

You spin me right round

If you have a six-year-old and have managed to avoid the hype around Beyblades, then please let me know how. I’m not a lover of trending toys, because they often end up abandoned after just a few weeks – but Beyblades offer lots of play value. I’ve watched my mini-testers and other children be totally absorbed by these glorified spinning tops for hours at a time. This set comes with a “stadium”, into which you launch Beyblades. Beyblades have different strengths and weak spots – a six-year-old could bore you for hours on the subject, trust me – and the aim is to spin them against one another until one Beyblade breaks apart (they’re meant to come apart, and can be put back together). While age suitability on the box is marked at eight years, my group of testers were able to play with them easily.

Beyblade X Drop Attack battle set

Suitable for: 8+

Feel seen

“Children learn so much through stories, books and literature, both being shared with them and read to them, and through independent reading,” says Moore-Williams. “It’s our job, as adults, to really promote reading for pleasure at these key ages and to support children in seeing themselves, their family, friends and community represented in text.”

This joyful celebration of families is a brilliant book for six-year-olds. There are so many things to look at on each page, keeping even the most lively children engaged while reading. The book explores diversity: what a family might look like, where families might live, and what festivals they might celebrate – with a range of skin colours, cultures and disabilities represented throughout the book. If that sounds a little forced for young kids, it’s done with such humour and warmth that it always brings a smile when I’m reading it to my children.

The Great Big Book of Families by Mary Hoffman and Ros Asquith

Suitable for: 5+

Snuggle down

The joy of pyjamas is not lost on children – and these Polarn O Pyret pyjamas are very lovely indeed. My group of testers said that one pair is never enough, and that they’re suitable attire for a whole range of activities, from a gymnastics lesson to a coffee-shop visit for cake. I particularly rate these pyjamas – which come in a lovely range of prints – because they’re made from soft organic cotton and wash beautifully, gradually softening over time and use. The cuffs are extra-long, which can be folded down as the child grows, meaning they’ll last a bit longer – and once they’ve been through one child, they’ll still likely be in good shape to hand down to the next snoozy six-year-old.

Polarn O Pyret pyjamas

Globe-trotting bedtimes

This book absolutely transfixed my testers. Six-year-olds are generally ready for stories longer than those found in many picture books, and this collection of 30 traditional stories from around the world is the perfect place to start. Each story is beautifully told over several pages, with words pulled out for extra interest; my testers loved showing off their phonics knowledge on these words. The illustrations are bright and absorbing, and each story includes notes on the culture and history of the story, which one six-year-old tester told me matter of factly was “completely fascinating”.

Super Great Kids’ Stories from around the world book

Suitable for: 5+

Level up

Our game-hungry testers returned to this double-sided board game, featuring snakes and ladders on one side and ludo on the other, again and again during testing. Made from sustainably sourced wood, and painted in bright playful colours, it will last for many years to come, handed down through generations, or donated and enjoyed by others. It was all our testers needed to enjoy a lively gaming afternoon on a rainy Sunday.

Jaques of London junior snakes and ladders/ludo board game

Suitable for: 3+

Find the missing peace

As six-year-olds’ attention spans grow, they’re able to take on trickier challenges, with jigsaw puzzles perfect for helping to build their fine-motor skills and resilience. A 100-piece puzzle was just about right for our group of six-year-olds, keeping them busy for some time in calm and peaceful play. While adult support was required initially for younger six-year-olds in our group, once they realised they could do it, one particular jigsaw fan returned to play it again and again.

Ravensburger The Planets jigsaw puzzle

Suitable for: 6+

What to buy for a six-year-old

“Developmentally, a child of six will be displaying growing independence,” says Moore-Williams. “They’ll be developing early problem-solving skills and learning to follow rules, as well as building resilience. They’ll enjoy simple board games, creative projects, early reading and outdoor play at this age.”

All the experts I spoke to about toys that six-year-olds should be engaging with suggested games as a key area to explore. “My best tip is to get competitive with your kids and let them see you compete,” says Upton. “Perhaps have a family games night where you get out the board games or a pack of cards and set up a tournament format to see who’s crowned the champion.”

“Rule-based play becomes more meaningful as a child turns six,” says Moore-Williams. “Board games, early strategy games and collaborative construction support patience, teamwork and persistence.”

Certainly, from my observations of our testers, I could see this. They all loved games; participating in group games as well as exploring some games quietly on their own. I also found this age group enjoyed the focused time and sense of achievement of attempting slightly more complex tasks, such as puzzles of about 100 pieces.

For more, read the best gifts for five-year-olds and the best gifts for four-year-olds

Zoë Phillimore is a journalist with 20 years of experience. She’s tested everything from mattresses to makeup, and she’s slightly obsessed with finding small new businesses to spotlight. Aside from this niche interest, Zoë loves travel, being outside – especially on the beach – and adding books to her to-be-read pile