Christmas Gifts for 5 Year Olds That Keep Them Moving

The best Christmas gifts for 5 year olds give them something to do with their whole body: a scooter and helmet, a skipping rope, chalk for hopscotch, bean bags, a den kit or a kids' yoga mat. Five is when children are busy learning to hop, skip, balance and catch, so a present that feeds one of those skills keeps getting used after the wrapping paper has gone.

Below are 12 ideas for parents, grandparents and godparents, sorted by the kind of movement each one builds. Every one works for a girl or a boy, and none needs batteries.

Why does age 5 change what makes a good present?

Five is when UK activity guidance changes shape. The UK Chief Medical Officers ask 3 and 4 year olds for at least 180 minutes of activity a day, including 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity. From age 5, the 180-minute total drops away and the target becomes an average of at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity a day across the week.

The UK Chief Medical Officers' guidelines (updated on gov.uk on 10 July 2026) add that children aged 5 to 18 should do a variety of types and intensities of activity, to develop movement skills, muscular fitness and bone strength. The NHS pages for 5 to 18 year olds and for under-fives give the same figures.

Moderate intensity activity is movement that raises the heart rate and makes a child breathe faster and feel warmer. The NHS test: you can still talk, but not sing.

What is a five-year-old learning to do?

In England, most five-year-olds this Christmas will be in Reception or Year 1. The Department for Education's Development Matters guidance (updated 4 September 2023) says Reception children are refining jumping, running, hopping, skipping and climbing, building strength, balance and co-ordination, and developing ball skills such as throwing, catching, kicking and aiming. That makes a good shopping list, and it's how we've sorted the gifts below.

What are the best Christmas gifts for a 5 year old?

The best gifts for a five-year-old match a skill they're learning right now. For balance, a scooter or stepping stones. For jumping and hopping, a skipping rope or pavement chalk. For ball skills, bean bags or a soft bat and ball. For strength and stretching, a kids' yoga mat. For imagination, a den kit or dressing-up outfit.

1. A scooter, with a helmet in the same parcel

A two-wheeled scooter is the classic upgrade from a three-wheeler, and it turns the walk to school into balance practice. Wrap the helmet with it, so the rule arrives with the toy.

Good for: balance and leg strength. Outdoors.

2. Balance stepping stones

Plastic stepping stones make an instant "don't touch the floor" course. Line them up, spread them wide, add a cushion to jump from at the end.

Good for: balance and co-ordination. Indoors, which matters in December.

3. A skipping rope

A skipping rope is cheap, fits in a stocking and lasts for years. Start with jumping over a rope laid on the floor, then a slow swing turned by two grown-ups. The NHS lists skipping as moderate activity for children.

Good for: jumping and timing. Indoors or out.

4. Pavement chalk for hopscotch

Hopscotch is hopping with rules and counting. A tub of chunky chalk, five minutes drawing the grid together, and the patio becomes a game.

Good for: hopping and balance. Outdoors, on dry days.

5. Bean bags and a target

Bean bags are easier to catch than balls because they don't bounce away. Add a washing basket as a target and you have throwing, catching and aiming in one present.

Good for: hand and eye co-ordination. Indoors, with the breakables moved.

6. A soft bat and ball set

A light foam bat and a big soft ball give a five-year-old a real chance of hitting it, which is what keeps them trying.

Good for: ball skills and timing. Garden, park or a long hallway.

7. A pop-up football goal

A small folding goal turns any patch of grass into a match. Choose one that pegs down and folds flat for the boot of the car.

Good for: kicking, running and passing. Outdoors.

8. A kids' yoga mat

A yoga mat gives a five-year-old a space of their own for stretching, balancing and animal poses, whatever the weather. Ours is full length at 183 x 61 cm, so a grown-up can join in, with 15 numbered poses engraved into the surface to follow.

Good for: strength, balance and stretching. Indoors.

9. A den-building kit

Clips, poles and a big sheet let a five-year-old build, crawl inside, knock it down and start again. It's lifting, stretching and climbing in disguise.

Good for: big-body play and imagination. Indoors on wet days.

10. A dressing-up outfit that moves

Pick a costume that asks to be acted out: an animal, a superhero, a firefighter. Add a playlist and it becomes a living-room dance party.

Good for: dancing and role play. Indoors.

11. A kite

A small single-line kite is the easiest way to get a five-year-old running across a field on purpose. Pick a sturdy one that lifts in a light wind.

Good for: running, and an outing that isn't the shops. Outdoors.

12. An experience instead of a thing

A voucher for swimming lessons, or a homemade "ticket" for a family day at the woods, takes up no space under the tree. Swimming is on the NHS list of activities for children aged 5 to 18.

Good for: whole-body movement and time together. Anywhere.

Which gift suits which five-year-old?

Match the present to the child you know, not the age on the box. A five-year-old who never stops climbing wants something different from one who would rather act out a story. Here's how the gifts above pair with six common types of five-year-old.

• Always on the move: a kite, a pop-up goal or a scooter.
• Loves a challenge: a skipping rope, stepping stones or hopscotch chalk.
• Wants you to play too: a soft bat and ball, bean bags, or a yoga mat long enough for both of you.
• Lives in their imagination: a dressing-up outfit, a den kit, or animal poses on a mat.
• Short on garden space: bean bags, stepping stones, a den kit or a yoga mat, all of which work indoors.
• Already has everything: an experience voucher.

How do you check a toy is safe before you wrap it?

Buy from a seller you trust, follow the age label, and check for small parts, loose ribbons, magnets and button batteries. That's the core of the Office for Product Safety and Standards' advice, Buy toys safely this Christmas (15 November 2021). Our screen-free Christmas gifts guide has the full list.

Three checks matter most for this list:

• Costumes and ribbons. The OPSS warns that loose ribbons on toys and costumes can pose risks to young children.
• Magnets and button batteries. Button batteries should sit behind a screwed-down flap. The OPSS's button battery and magnet warning (4 April 2022) says that if you think a child has swallowed either, take them straight to A&E.
• Recalls. Search the gov.uk list of product safety alerts, reports and recalls for the toy's name.

How do you stop a present gathering dust by January?

Give it a first outing and a home. Join in the first few times, and keep it where your child can see it rather than in a cupboard. Christmas afternoon, Boxing Day and the first wet Saturday of January are three good moments to plan for, before the novelty wears off.

Three illustrative plans that put a few of the gifts together:

Christmas afternoon, indoors. Stepping stones become a river. Bean bags get thrown into a basket from the far bank. Finish with three animal poses on the mat while the dinner cooks. Fifteen minutes, no screen.

Boxing Day, outdoors. Take the scooter or the kite on the walk you were going to do anyway, and draw a hopscotch grid at the end of the path for the way home.

A wet Saturday in January. Put the den up in the living room, get the dressing-up outfits on, and use the yoga mat as the den's front door.

Once the presents are open, our gross motor skills activities and screen-free activities for 3 to 8 year-olds have plenty more to do with them.

What if they only want something with a screen?

That's normal, and you don't have to choose. A screen-based present can sit under the tree beside something that gets them moving. The aim is balance, not a ban. The UK Chief Medical Officers ask children to break up long periods of not moving with some activity, and an active present makes that easier. If the tablet is the big present, let the active one be opened first.

Frequently asked questions

What's a good Christmas present for a 5 year old?

Something that matches a skill they're learning right now: a scooter or stepping stones for balance, a skipping rope or hopscotch chalk for jumping and hopping, bean bags or a soft bat and ball for catching and aiming, or a kids' yoga mat for stretching and balancing indoors.

What is a good Xmas gift for a 5-year-old boy?

The same as for a five-year-old girl. Nothing on this list is gendered. Choose by what the child enjoys doing, whether that's running, building, pretending or playing with you, not by which aisle a toy sits in.

What's the hottest toy for 5 year olds right now?

We don't track the toy charts, and they change by the week. Our list is sorted by what five-year-olds are learning to do rather than by what's trending, because hopping, catching and balancing don't go out of fashion by February.

How much exercise does a 5 year old need?

The UK Chief Medical Officers recommend that children aged 5 to 18 average at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity a day across the week, with a mix of activities that build movement skills, muscles and bones. Moderate means breathing faster and feeling warmer.

A mat they can grow into

If a yoga mat is on your list, ours has 15 numbered poses laser-engraved into the surface, so a five-year-old can follow along without a screen. It's 183 x 61 cm and 6 mm thick, made from non-toxic, PVC-free TPE, with a carry strap for taking to Grandma's. Mats are £34.99 with free UK delivery, and 10 per cent off two or more.

Have a look at the mats in our shop.

Sources

• UK Chief Medical Officers' physical activity guidelines (gov.uk, updated 10 July 2026)
• NHS: Physical activity guidelines for children and young people, 5 to 18 years (reviewed 23 October 2024)
• NHS: Physical activity guidelines for children under 5 years (reviewed 27 October 2025)
• Department for Education: Development Matters, non-statutory curriculum guidance for the early years foundation stage (updated 4 September 2023)
• Office for Product Safety and Standards: Buy toys safely this Christmas (15 November 2021)
• Office for Product Safety and Standards: Hidden danger in your home, button batteries and powerful magnets (4 April 2022)
• gov.uk: Product safety alerts, reports and recalls