The little kid has suddenly become a big kid and more playful adventures await! They like to tell and show what they have been through. Storytelling is a big part of a 5-year-old's life and they have probably started to find their favorite fairy tales. "The cat was stuck in a tree and the fireman saved it!". Curiosity bubbles up and they explore the world through play and fun inventions.
Toys for children who are 5 years old
The child and the game develop together. That's why it's important that the toys do too! Toys for children who are 5 years old can have many uses and it becomes important not to limit play. The child uses play as a tool in their development and through it they can create understanding and learn new things about themselves and their surroundings.
We differentiate between physical development, cognitive development, language and social & emotional development. Different toys have different uses!
Physical development when the child is 5 years old
Children who are 5 years old develop their gross motor skills every day. They slowly but surely learn to balance, swim, ride a bike and bounce a ball. The body grows quickly and it can be difficult to control its movements. Therefore, the child must readjust their balance. There are many toys for children who are 5 years old that help the child readjust their balance. Bicycles, obstacle courses, jump ropes, stick horses and play tents are just a few examples.
Fine motor skills for children aged 5 are mainly about smaller and finer movements. They can build with small parts, sew, bead, snap buttons and tie shoes. Children at this age begin to draw in more detail and can carve simple things together. They have a strong will to create and want to see results in their tinkering. Micki has good toys for children who are 5 years old that train fine motor skills. For example, you can use carpentry toys, puzzles and games.
Cognitive development at age 5
Children aged 5 starts to have more abstract thinking. They are interested in the clock and understand how time, days and seasons are connected. The child understands the difference between past, present, future, short and long time. They can sort between bigger, biggest, smaller and smallest. At the same time, their memory develops and they can recognize things they have seen.
Good toys for 5-year-old children are, for example, figures and cars in different sizes or memory games to train their memory. Even things that show time and date such as calendars and clocks can be good to use in the game.
Language development for children who are 5 years old
A 5-year-old often begins to learn to write, spell and read little by little. The language is more and more similar to that of an adult. They understand that stories have a beginning, middle and end. "Who is it?", "What happened then?" are examples of questions that can be asked during story time.
Here are the best toys for 5-year-olds that encourage the child to talk, tell, ask and repeat. It can be pictures with questions, social games, talking puppets or books.
Social and emotional development for 5-year-old children
Identity and empathy begin to develop little by little in children who are 5 years old. They are proud of their body and what the body can do. While they become more independent, they also become dependent on others.
At this age, the child becomes more sensitive. They learn about their feelings, what they mean and can talk about them. The child is constantly getting better at living in other people's thoughts, feelings and experiences. The understanding that people can think differently about different things and situations becomes clearer.
Dress-up clothes, play worlds and dollhouses, social games, doll accessories such as beds, carriages and furniture are examples of toys for 5-year-old children that support their social and emotional development. Use toys and games that encourage play together! Rubens Baby is a perfect companion for this.
How Micki develops toys for children aged 5 years old
As a product developer, there is a lot to think about when developing new toys for children who are 5 years old. For us, it is important that the toys we develop are fun to play with, but also that they support the child's developmental phases.
What should the child feel when they play? What experiences should they have? Our Design Manager Anne Avgrim explains more:
- Making products that strive to be with and support the child in the natural stages of development but that also challenge the child's curiosity has long been our focus. If we can also make the child want to play longer and to discover new things with the product the further they get in their development, that would be fantastic! says Anne and continues:
- Working more focused on this particular theme has strengthened our products so that they can support and guide the child in their development even more, which felt important but also fun and playful!