Looking to find the best toys for kids of a certain age? We’ve got you covered here at Heavy. Below, you’ll find all of our ultimate toys and gift guides for kids separated by age. In fact, we’ve gotten entirely granular with it so that you can find the perfect toy for any specific age.
Best Toddler Toys
When shopping for toys 1 and 2 year olds, you’re going to want to select something that’s going to help their development – something to help them reach those yearly milestones your doctor gives you on a list at every yearly check-up. Toys that help with fine motor skills and their movement capabilities are strongly encouraged at this age. So, building toys and ride-on toys are super popular at this age.
Best Toys for 2-Year-Olds
At 2 years old, you should be looking at toys that encourage pretend play – things like toy food, play kitchens, toy shopping carts, and toy grills are a few great options. Check out our list for more.
Best Toys for 3-Year-Old Boys | Best Toys for 3-Year-Old Girls
At age 3, there are some important milestones that can definitely be influenced in a positive way with the use of the right STEM toys. For example, you’re going to want to get them some more colorful/color-themed toys. On top of that, pretend play should continue to be influenced here, especially things like dress-up clothes/costumes so that they can practice taking on/off their own clothing.
Best Toys for 4-Year-Old Boys | Best Toys for 4-Year-Old Girls
If you’ve ever had a four-year-old before, you’ll know that it’s one of the better ages – at least from a parent’s perspective. This is typically when they start developing their own likes/dislikes, becoming more independent, and generally more fun to be around. Toys that encourage independent play, art, and music here are of the utmost importance.
Best Toys for 5-Year-Old Boys
Five-year-olds are also typically fun to be around and play with, as they’re able to start understanding things like kids board games and basic problem-solving skills. So, buying your 5-year-old any sort of toy that challenges their skills is a great option to fuel his development. At 5, your child is also trying to figure out how things just work or why things are the way they are.
Best Toys for 6-Year-Old Boys | Best Toys for 6-Year-Old Girls
Because 6 is typically when a child will first spend his/her entire day in a classroom, finding ways to encourage physical activity is key. Of course, toys can play a big part in that. Of course, there are plenty of outside toys that you can pick-up for him/her that will do that. Continuing to encourage interest in art and music is also recommended.
Best Toys for 7-Year-Old Boys | Best Toys for 7-Year-Old Girls
7 is the age when your child should come out of it knowing how to ride a bike, how to handle transitions between activities better, and they’ll begin to find comfort in family activities (hooray!). Luckily, there are plenty of great toys you can pick-up to fuel that comfort in family activities. Family board games like Monopoly or Life are good for kids at the age. Even video games played with your child (in moderation, of course) are a great way to get involved with playtime. Checking out the more advanced LEGO sets and tag-teaming them with your child is also a great option. Pretend play is also important at age 7, so picking up things like dolls or playhouses are some other great options.
Best Toys for 8-Year-Old Boys | Best Toys for 8-Year-Old Girls
Your best bet at age 8 is to find toys and gifts that fuel their interests. If they’re showing interest in sports (which they often do at age 8), maybe pick up a basketball hoop or soccer goal – whatever he/she is into. If they’re budding little artists or crafters, art kits and craft kits are a fantastic option. Things that fuel their creativity make great gifts at this age, so you might want to consider music-themed toys and games as well.
Best Toys for 9-Year-Old Boys | Best Toys for 9-Year-Old Girls
9-year-olds are at a sort of tougher age when it comes to picking out new toys for them for birthdays and Christmas or other occasions. At age 9, they’ll begin to veer away from the pretend play stuff and go more towards creative toys and sports when it comes to their playtime. Board games are also big here, although they’ll mostly want to play with their friends instead of their family.
Best Toys for 10-Year-Old Boys | Best Toys for 10-Year-Old Girls | Best Gifts for 10-Year-Old Boys
10-year-olds are a lot of fun to shop for, as they’ve really made it known what their interests are by now. Helping to fuel those interests is the best route to go, whether he/she is into sports, movies, music, video games, computers, books – whatever.
Best Gifts for Tweens
Discover the best give for tweens 11-12 years old. At this age, it’s all about harnessing their interests. In fact, starting at age 11, you’ll notice that your child is dedicating more time to their preferred hobby of choice.
Best Toys for 11-Year Old Boys | Best Toys for 11-Year-Old Girls | Best Gifts for 11-Year-Old Boys
While many 11-year-olds will tell you they’re no longer a kid, but obviously, they’re still a “kid”. At 11, they’re still going to be interested in toys – action figures, LEGOs, robotics, and electronic toys, especially.
Best Gifts for 12-Year-Old Boys | Best Gifts for 12-Year-Old Girls
At 12, they’re moving away from the word toys, because they’re just too cool for school. Now, you’re going to want to look at other options when it comes to gift-giving for this age. Video games, video game systems, headsets, more techy items like ipads, computers, etc are all great options. Also consider things like skateboards, bluetooth speakers, and a good pair of headphones for them to enjoy their music loudly on.
Best Gifts for 13-Year-Old Boys
13-year-olds are very similar to 12-year-olds when it comes to gift-giving. Obviously, they’re mostly too cool for toys (with the exception of some of the more difficult LEGO kits or fandom-themed kits like something from the LEGO Star Wars line). You might want to look at other fandom-related gifts for whatever they’re into. Tech works very well here as well, including Chromebooks and tablets.
Where to Donate Toys for Christmas 2021
We appreciate the importance of giving back, and if you’re trying to find out exactly where you can donate new (or gently used) toys for the holidays this year, we’ve got you covered.
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