14 Toys For 6 Year Old Boys (Cool & Development-Friendly)

What Kinds Of Toys Do 6-Year-Olds Like?

Middle childhood begins at six years old and is often the time when kids start primary school after completing preschool and kindergarten.

Most kids this age enjoy large-muscle activities and toys that develop their gross motor skills: (1)

Ball games with peers
Rollerblading, skateboarding, biking, etc.
Playing jump rope and hopscotch

They might already begin collecting things like toy cars, dolls, cards, or stickers.

Because most kids this age are already in school, educational toys such as STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) or science kits can be great as birthday gifts.

They can also grasp more concepts than, say, 2-year-olds or 3-year-olds, so they’re likely ready for cards or board games with the whole family.

Some toys for 4-year-olds or 5-year-olds can also be ideal for them, as long as these have adjustable seats (or are also rated for older kids).

You might even notice that your 9-year-olds and 10-year-olds might still like playing with these toys from time to time. This is especially true for educational toys, art kits, and building sets.

Developmental Milestones At Six Years Old

In trying to find a great gift for a 6-year-old, it’s often important to check the label if you’re unsure.

Most of the time, toys designed for much younger children, such as 1-year-olds, might be too simple or boring for older children, even if these were their favorites when they were younger.

It’s good to consider the developmental milestones of your 6-year-old, so you’ll understand what your little one might like.

Most kids this age: (2)(3)

Show independence
Pay more attention to teamwork and friendships
Want to be liked or befriended by others
Show rapid mental skills development
Learn to read and write
Develop confidence in their schoolwork
Like to paint and draw
Learn to ride a bike
Know simple math, including one-digit addition and maybe some subtraction
Want to learn and practice skills to become better
Stay busy

Check out our gift guide below to find the perfect gift to give your little boys for hours of fun.

Our Top 14 Picks For The Best Toys & Gift Ideas For Six-Year-Old Boys

We picked our top 14 recommendations for age-appropriate toys for 6-year-old boys and grouped them according to the following categories:

Montessori-Inspired Toys
Other STEM Toys For Cognitive Development
Problem-Solving Toys For Critical Thinking
Toys For Fine Motor Skills & Crafting
Toys For Hand-Eye Coordination
Role Play & Imagination Toys
Musical Instruments
Outdoor Toys
Toys For Social Skills & Family Game Nights

Continue reading about each one of these cool toys below. You can get them from their official websites or through Amazon, Walmart, and other popular retailers.

Montessori-Inspired Toys

What’s The Best Gift You Can Give To Your Child?

Kiwi Crate for Science, Art, & More by Kiwi Co.

Best features: Box with toys for imaginative play, different art projects, and science activities

Product safety: Materials passed safety standards

Materials: Mix of paper, wood, and cloth or yarn (depending on the crate)

Type of toy: Educational toy

Educational value: STEM learning, cognitive skills, fine motor skills, memory, imaginative play, and creativity

Age range: 5-8 years old

Extra features: Subscription to a random crate that contains different materials for hands-on learning

Certification: Passed internal safety standards and those of the different countries they ship to

Product recall: None

Cons: You don’t have to option to choose which items should be included in the subscription crate.

What’s The Best Gift For A 6-Year Boy?

Lakeshore Build-It-Yourself Woodworking Kit

Best features: DIY (do-it-yourself) project for your child

Product safety: Child-sized tools and materials that are third-party tested to be free from toxic chemicals

Materials: Wood without paint to reduce the risks of lead contamination

Type of toy: DIY crafting tool

Educational value: Imagination, learning new skills, fine motor skills, and hand-eye coordination

Age range: 4-11 years old

Extra features: Comes with a crate to keep the materials in one neat place before and after creating a project

Certification: Certified by a third-party testing laboratory

Product recall: None

Cons: Some parents complain that the wood is too hard for children to put the nails in without adult assistance.

Other STEM Toys

Crayola Marker Mixer Art Kit

Best features: DIY craft kit for learning colors and creating as many as 45 color combinations

Product safety: Free from toxic substances

Materials: Washable markers and reusable plastic marker mixer barrels

Type of toy: Crafting and educational toy

Educational value: Cognitive learning skills, fine motor skills, and imagination

Age range: 6+ years old

Extra features: Includes a color mixer

Certification: ACMI (Art and Creative Materials Institute) AP (APPROVED PRODUCT) seal

Product recall: None

Cons: The product requires batteries.

Playz Coding & Computer Science Kit

Best features: Basic coding tools without using a computer

Product safety: With proper warnings against choking hazards

Materials: Plastic

Type of toy: STEM learning and basic coding tools

Educational value: Hands-on learning of basic coding

Age range: 6+ years old

Extra features: Includes activity guides

Certification: Not indicated

Product recall: None

Cons: Some complaints about the product being too simple and having fewer features needed for applying the basic coding and binary skills their children learned from the project

Problem-Solving Toys For Critical Thinking

Learning Resources Tumble Trax Magnetic Marble Run

Best features: Different pieces to create DIY projects that follow the activity cards

Product safety: Proper warnings against choking hazards

Materials: Magnetic foam pieces and marbles

Type of toy: STEM toys

Educational value: Critical thinking, engineering, and problem-solving skills

Age range: 5-9 years old

Extra features: Activity guides are provided

Certification: Not indicated

Product recall: None

Cons: Some complaints about the foam parts easily falling apart

Fat Brain Toys Box & Balls

Best features: Set of boxes and balls designed for different games and difficulty levels

Product safety: Free from lead or toxic paint

Materials: Unfinished basswood and bouncy rubber

Type of toy: Educational toy

Educational value: Problem-solving skills, hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, imagination, engineering, and cognitive learning

Age range: 5+ years old

Extra features: Lots of game configurations for individual or family/group games

Certification: International Council of Toy Industries, ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials), CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission), and European Safety Standards Commission

Product recall: None

Cons: Some complaints that the game is too hard to play

Toys For Fine Motor Skills & Crafting

Kinetic Sand Sandisfying Set

Best features: Kinetic sand with 10 different tools

Product safety: Hypoallergenic product, free from toxic chemicals, gluten, wheat, and casein

Materials: Kinetic sand and plastic tools

Type of toy: Educational and sensory

Educational value: Fine motor skills, STEM learning, imaginative play, and sensory learning

Age range: 3-8 years old

Extra features: Includes 10 different toys for creative learning and an instruction sheet

Certification: Spin Master Care Commitment

Product recall: None

Cons: Some complaints about this being a messy toy and staining their children’s hands, clothes, and play area

Toys For Hand-Eye Coordination

Top Race (Old-Fashioned Police) Remote Control Car

Best features: 1:16 scale remote control police car with realistic sirens and LED lights

Product safety: Not indicated

Materials: Plastic and rubber

Type of toy: Remote control car

Educational value: Hand-eye coordination and imaginative play

Age range: 5+ years old

Extra features: Uses AA batteries

Certification: Not indicated

Product recall: None

Cons: Some complaints that the batteries don’t last long

Toys R Us Sonic Green Hill Zone Playset

Best features: Kid-powered playset that doesn’t require batteries

Product safety: Without sharp parts

Materials: Plastic

Type of toy: Playset

Educational value: Imaginative play, hand-eye coordination, and fine motor skills

Age range: 3+ years old

Extra features: Includes rings your child can display on the peg plus options to get other action figures (sold separately)

Certification: Not indicated

Product recall: None

Cons: Some complaints that the playset and Sonic’s legs easily break apart

Role Play & Imagination Toys

Toys R Us Marvel Avengers Iron Man Action Figure

Best features: Iron Man scale model and playable action figure

Product safety: High-quality iron material

Materials: Iron

Type of toy: Action figure

Educational value: Imaginative play

Age range: 4+ years old

Extra features: Collectible item

Certification: Not indicated

Product recall: None

Musical Instruments

Melissa & Doug Learn to Play Classic Grand Piano

Best features: Child-sized playable piano

Product safety: Free from lead and phthalates

Materials: Non-toxic, sustainably sourced wood

Type of toy: Musical instrument

Educational value: Creativity

Age range: 4+ years old

Extra features: Comes with a songbook with a color-coded key chart

Certification: FSC, US, and EU (European Union) conformity certificates

Product recall: None

Cons: It can be a pricey toy.

Outdoor Toys

Nerf Super Soaker Dino-Soak Water Blaster

Best features: Dinosaur-shaped water blaster

Product safety: Non-toxic ABS plastic

Materials: ABS plastic

Type of toy: Outdoor toy

Educational value: Imaginative play

Age range: 6+ years old

Extra features: Large water tank capacity

Certification: Not indicated

Product recall: None

Cons: Some safety risks if not used properly (such as blasting others in the eyes), but this can be avoided with adult supervision and safety instructions before the game starts.

Razor A2 Kick Scooter

Best features: Adjustable, foldable scooter

Product safety: Non-toxic

Materials: Aluminum frame and urethane wheels

Type of toy: Outdoor toy

Educational value: Gross motor skills

Age range: 5+ years old

Extra features: Easy to fold toy with a wheelie bar

Certification: Not indicated

Product recall: None

Cons: Adult supervision may be required, with the toy potentially becoming a safety hazard if used improperly (driven in the street or sloping areas)

Monopoly Junior Board Games

Best features: Junior version of the bestseller Monopoly board game

Product safety: Non-toxic

Materials: Paper, cardboard, and plastic

Type of toy: Board game

Educational value: Social, cognitive, and problem-solving skills

Age range: 5+ years old

Extra features: Simplified version of the Monopoly game with an instructional guide

Certification: Not indicated

Product recall: None
Cons: Might require adult supervision, particularly if the kids still don’t know how to play the game

Factors To Look For When Buying Toys for 6-Year-Old Boys

Safety

Many safety factors to consider in choosing toys for 1-year-olds can also apply to toys for 6-year-old boys. These include checking for safe, non-toxic materials and parts that could potentially cause injury.

Educational Value & STEM Skills

Toys with educational value can help your school-age kid understand their lessons or concepts while having fun.

Complexity

Toys should be complex enough to challenge your child’s mind without being too difficult for them to use or understand.

While simpler toys are easier to play with, your child might easily become bored if they don’t find a challenge.

Language & Reading

While your child can learn about language and reading in school, toys that teach them how to do it in fun ways might be interesting and help them understand their lessons more easily.

What Does Every 6-Year-Old Boy Want? Action Toys & Activities For Gross Motor Skills

Kids love action games – it’s not just a gender thing (although you might notice your little boy being more active than your little girl).

Letting them play with these games, particularly those designed for outdoor fun, helps them develop their motor skills and encourages them to play more with physical games (as opposed to computer and other sedentary games).

Collabolative Play

At six years old, most kids enjoy social interaction and collaborative play. So, toys that can be shared or played with others are a good option for this age.

Imaginative Play

Your child’s cognitive skill development doesn’t just stop with toys usually classified as educational.

Studies show that pretend play also helps with your child’s brain development. (4)

Aside from traditional toys, you can also opt for a night light with stars or other patterns in their nursery or room.

Recommended Age

The toys’ age recommendations are often based on the children’s developmental milestones and relevant safety features.

Still, many toys are great for a wide range of ages, while others might be rated for older kids but can still work for younger children as long as they’re used with adult supervision.

For example, while the Crayola Arctic Color Chemistry Set is rated for 7-year-old boys and girls, you can introduce your child to this color and science set as long as you’re there to assist their simple experiments.

Some toys for 5-year-old boys, such as the Fat Brain Toys Box & Balls or the Top Race (Old-Fashioned Police) Remote Control Car we recommend above, are also great options for 6-year-olds.

Even some toys rated for 18+ months old are also still applicable for much older children.

Fine Motor Skills

These toys and activities help your child develop the skills they need for drawing and writing.

At this age, kids can already empathize with how others feel and begin to understand that their actions can impact others.

What Do You Buy For A Child’s 6th Birthday?

Here are other options to buy for 6-year-old girls and boys as a birthday or even Christmas gift:

FAQs

Where Can I Take My 6-Year-Old For His Birthday?

It would likely depend on your child’s interests and preferences, but some popular options include:

Ballpark
Water park
Disney or other amusement parks
Game arcade

Other Learning Toys For Different Age Groups

Toy Recalls To Monitor

REFERENCES

(1) https://www.seattlechildrens.org/health-safety/keeping-kids-healthy/development/toys-and-play-6-to-8-year-olds/

(2) https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/positiveparenting/middle.html

(3) https://www.choc.org/primary-care/ages-stages/6-to-12-years/

(4) https://ecrp.illinois.edu/v4n1/bergen.html