Gifts for kids aged 5 to 10 that they’ll play with for months
The birthday or Christmas present that’s still being played with in the spring, whatever they’re into.
Price guide: £ under £15 ££ £15–£40 £££ over £40
More ideas: Gifts for kids
Between five and ten, children know exactly what they like, and it changes by the month. The presents that last are the ones that grow with them: something to ride, something to build, something to make things with and something of their own to read or play on.
Every pick comes from one of our top lists, where it was compared with the best of its kind, and each one suits this age. The ages on the boxes are worth a glance, as a few are made for seven or eight and up.
A two-wheel scooter
Price band: £££For the child who’s outgrown their three-wheeler: two wheels, a proper brake and a fold that hooks over an arm on the school run.
Our pick
Micro Sprite 2-Wheel Folding Scooter (ages 5–12)
£114.95 RRP
The step up once they've outgrown three wheels: a light aluminium scooter that steers like a bike, folds with one click and takes riders up to 100kg, so it lasts right through primary school.
- 2 wheels, 120mm PU
- Folds with one click
- Handlebar up to 95cm
- 2.85kg, riders up to 100kg
- Long rear brake doubles as a mudguard
What owners say: Owners find it great quality and well built, easy to carry folded, and a good investment that lasts years.
A closer look: Teach them to press the rear brake with the back foot before the first ride to school. Fold it and it hooks over an arm, or tucks under a café table.
A first smartwatch
Price band: £A first watch that tells the time, wakes them for school and has a torch and 18 little games for long car journeys.
Our pick
kaacly Kids Smart Watch with 18 Games
£10–£20 Price range
A simple first watch that younger children can manage on their own, with a torch, an alarm, 18 games, a step counter and a sleep tracker. The alarm is a gentle start on getting up for school by themselves.
- 1.83-inch colour touchscreen
- 18 games
- Step counter and sleep tracker
- Alarm, torch, stopwatch and calculator
- 3–5 days a charge
What owners say: Owners call it a lovely first watch that children can use by themselves, with games that are fun and educational, good step and sleep tracking and impressive battery life for the price.
A closer look: The frame is aluminium and the strap soft silicone, and it charges from the USB cable in the box. Set the language and the 12- or 24-hour clock before wrapping it.
A waterproof remote-control car
Price band: ££Puddles, grass, sand and the paddling pool: a stunt car that doesn’t mind where it’s driven, and flips back over by itself.
Our pick
MaxTronic Amphibious 4WD Stunt Car (waterproof)
£20–£30 Price range
Fully waterproof, so it drives through puddles, over grass, along the beach and straight into the paddling pool. Flips, spins and charges without taking the battery out.
- Amphibious: land, water and sand
- 360° spins, drives both ways up
- Built-in battery, USB-C charging
- LED lights switch on and off
- Ages 3–12, 2-year warranty
What owners say: Owners find it robust and lots of fun, easy to handle and good value, though the remote gets mixed comments.
A closer look: Rinse it with fresh water after a trip to the beach, as sand and salt wear the wheels. Keep the remote on dry land with the driver.
A glow-in-the-dark marble run
Price band: ££An afternoon of building, then races with the lights off: a motorised lift keeps the marbles going, and half of them glow.
Our pick
JOYIN 236-Piece Glowing Marble Run with Motorised Elevator
£30–£50 Price range
A motorised elevator lifts the marbles back to the top, so a finished run keeps looping on its own, and 30 of its 60 marbles glow in the dark for lights-off races.
- 176 track pieces
- 60 marbles, 30 glow in the dark
- Motorised elevator
- Runs keep looping on their own
What owners say: Owners find it fun and mostly easy to put together, like the quality, and say children and grandchildren keep coming back to it months later.
Heads up: Push every joint fully home and build on a flat, hard surface, so the taller towers stay steady.
A closer look: The glow marbles shine brightest after a few minutes under a bright light, so charge them up before switching the lights off. With the elevator doing the lifting, it's a good one to build together as a family.
A Kindle for kids
Price band: £££For the bookworm reading under the covers with a torch: a proper e-reader in a tough cover, with no games or videos to wander off to.
Our pick
Amazon Kindle Kids (16GB)
£150–£200 Price range
A proper Kindle with a cover, six months of Amazon Kids+ books and a two-year promise to replace it if it breaks.
- 6-inch glare-free screen
- Cover included
- 6 months of Amazon Kids+
- 2-year replacement guarantee
- No apps, videos or games
What owners say: Owners find it easy to use, a good size for small hands and good on battery, though some find it slow and the book selection limited.
Heads up: After the first six months, Amazon Kids+ is a paid subscription.
A closer look: It only does books, so there are no games or videos to wander off to mid-chapter. Kids+ books are picked by age range, from 3 to 12. The cover helps with knocks, and the two-year guarantee covers breakages.
A drawing tablet
Price band: £££For the child who fills every scrap of paper: a tablet made for drawing, with apps and tutorials ready and no computer needed.
Our pick
PicassoTab A10 Standalone Drawing Tablet
£150–£200 Price range
A 10-inch Android tablet made for drawing, so there's no computer needed: sketch on the sofa, in the car or at a grandparent's. Drawing apps and beginner tutorials come ready to go.
- 10in drawing screen, no computer needed
- 4,096-level pressure pen
- Drawing apps and lessons included
- Case, glove and screen protector
- Android 14
What owners say: Owners find it performs well, is easy to use and good value, and like the smart-looking case.
Heads up: The screen is 1280 × 800, so it's made for learning and sketching rather than detailed professional work.
A closer look: Wear the drawing glove that comes in the box: it stops your palm registering as a touch while you draw. It's a normal Android tablet too, so set up parental controls before handing it to a child.
A proper football
Price band: £A tough training ball for the garden, the park and Saturday mornings at club, whatever the weather.
Our pick
Mitre Impel L30P Training Football
£10–£20 Price range
A tough, all-weather training ball with Mitre's Hyperseam seams, bonded as well as stitched, so it takes on almost no water on a wet pitch. The textured cover grips the boot, which helps young players learning close control.
- PU cover with soft foam backing
- 30-panel build
- Hyperseam bonded and stitched seams
- For grass or astroturf
- Sizes for children and adults
What owners say: Owners find it great value and a good size for training, and say it's especially good for younger players.
Heads up: Mitre's own shop now sells the six-panel Impel Evo in its place, though this 30-panel Impel is still easy to find.
A closer look: It's happy on grass or astroturf in all weathers, so it earns its keep at club training as well as in the garden. Rinse off the mud and let it dry naturally, away from radiators, so the cover stays grippy.
Binoculars
Price band: ££Birds, boats and squirrels up close on family walks, in a pair small enough for their hands and narrow enough for their face.
Our pick
Hontry 10x25 Compact Binoculars
£20–£30 Price range
Palm-sized at 260g, and the eyepieces close up narrow enough to fit a child's face as well as an adult's, so the whole family can share them on walks.
- 10x magnification, 25mm lenses
- 260g, palm-sized
- Fits children and adults (60–75mm)
- BAK4 prisms
- Bag, strap and cloth
What owners say: Owners find them sharp and light, ideal for birdwatching and walks, and good for children.
Heads up: They're splash-resistant rather than waterproof, so keep them in the bag when the rain sets in.
A closer look: Keep them in the car glove box for walks and days out: small binoculars that are always there get far more use than big ones left at home.
A sleeping bag for sleepovers
Price band: ££Sleepovers, camping in the garden and their first proper trip away: a roomy bag they won’t outgrow.
Our pick
MalloMe 3-Season Sleeping Bag
£10–£20 Price range
A roomy rectangular bag, comfortable from 10°C to 25°C and long enough for a six-foot adult. MalloMe sells it as a spring-to-autumn bag, and it doubles as a sleepover bag the rest of the year.
- Comfortable from 10°C to 25°C
- Fits a six-foot adult
- Snag-free two-way zips
- Drawstring hood and zip strap
- Compression sack, machine washable
What owners say: Owners find it comfortable, warm and great value, and handy for sleepovers as well as camping trips.
A closer look: Pull the hood's drawstrings in on chilly nights, and fasten the strap over the zip so it doesn't creep open. Wipe the shell with a damp cloth after a muddy weekend; for a proper clean it can go in the washing machine.
A big set of colouring pencils
Price band: ££Sixty colours, neons and metallics included, for the child who colours in every spare minute.
Our pick
Faber-Castell Classic Colour Pencils (60 colours)
£22.95 RRP
Sixty colours, including neons, metallics and pastels, in a box that folds out into a stand so every shade is in view. Faber-Castell has made pencils since 1761, when a cabinet maker called Kaspar Faber opened a workshop in Stein, in Bavaria.
- 60 colours, including neon, metallic and pastel
- Bonded leads that resist breaking
- Stand-up box
- Wood from certified forests
- Made in Germany
What owners say: Owners love the range of colours and how easily they blend, and find them soft and smooth for mandalas and colouring books.
A closer look: For smooth, even colour, build up two or three light layers rather than pressing hard once. Metallic and neon pencils show up best on white paper, so save them for the last details.
A watercolour paint set
Price band: ££Painting at the kitchen table without a jar of water to knock over: the brush pens hold their own water.
Our pick
ARTISTRO 50-Colour Watercolour Paint Set
£19.99 RRP
Fifty colours, including metallic and luminous shades, in a slim case with its own mixing palette and water brush pens, so there’s nothing else to buy.
- 50 colours
- Metallic and luminous shades
- Built-in mixing palette
- Water brush pens included
- Slim travel case
What owners say: A lovely colour range, great value, and everything needed to start in one compact box. Owners say it suits beginners and more experienced painters, and travels well.
A closer look: Water brush pens hold water in the handle, so a gentle squeeze wets the paint without a jar, handy on a train or a park bench. Start with a light wash and build colour in layers, letting each one dry first. The metallics look best on top of dry paint as a finishing touch.
A gaming headset
Price band: ££For older children who play online with friends: a light headset with the volume and mute right on the cable.
Our pick
Turtle Beach Recon 50 Wired Gaming Headset
£10–£20 Price range
A simple, light headset for chatting with friends on Xbox or PlayStation, and cheap enough that a lost or sat-on one isn't a disaster. Volume and mic mute are on the cable, right by their hands.
- Works with Xbox, PlayStation, PC and phones
- 40mm speakers
- Removable mic
- In-line volume and mute
- Light
What owners say: Owners find it well made, with clear sound and good value for money.
A closer look: Plug it into the controller's headphone socket and it's ready. Take the mic off when they're just watching or listening to music. It's wired, so there's nothing to charge.
Tips for kids’ presents
- Charge anything with a battery before wrapping it, so it works the minute it’s opened.
- For a tablet, watch or anything online, set up the parental controls first.
- A helmet makes a good extra with a scooter, and a pack of paper with pencils or paints.
Photos are illustrative. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. How we pick · How this works.
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