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, stepping stones, a yoga mat, a skipping rope, chalk for hopscotch, bean bags or a den kit. 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. For other ages from 3 to 8, start with our screen-free Christmas gifts guide, or the lists of gifts for 4 year olds and gifts for 6 year olds.

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 at least 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, mixing types of activity to build movement skills, muscles and bones.

The NHS pages for 5 to 18 year olds and for under-fives give the same figures. Moderate intensity raises the heart rate and means a child breathes faster and feels warmer: they can still talk, but not sing.

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

In England, most five-year-olds at Christmas are 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. The gifts below are sorted the same way.

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

A good Christmas present for a 5 year old matches a skill they're learning right now. For balance, a scooter or stepping stones. For strength and stretching, a yoga mat. For jumping and hopping, a skipping rope or pavement chalk. For ball skills, bean bags or a soft bat and ball. For imagination, a den kit or dressing-up outfit.

An active present is one a child plays with by moving, not by watching or tapping. All 12 below qualify.

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

A two-wheeled scooter 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. Spread them wider as they get steadier.

Good for: balance and co-ordination. Indoors.

3. A yoga mat with numbered poses (this one is ours)

A yoga mat gives a five-year-old a space of their own for stretching, balancing and animal poses, whatever the weather. Our Sun Salutation design has 15 numbered poses laser-engraved into the surface, so a five-year-old can start at 1 and work through to 15 on their own, with nothing to set up and no screen to follow. It's made for ages 3 to 8 and is full length at 183 x 61 cm, the size of an adult mat, so they won't outgrow it. Buying as a grandparent? That length means you can have a go at the poses too. If yoga is new to you both, our guide to kids' yoga at home explains how to start, or have a look at the mat itself.

Good for: strength, balance and stretching. Indoors.

4. A skipping rope

A skipping rope is cheap, fits in a stocking and lasts for years. Start by jumping over a rope laid on the floor. The NHS lists skipping as moderate activity for children.

Good for: jumping and timing. Indoors or out.

5. Pavement chalk for hopscotch

Hopscotch is hopping with rules and counting. Draw the grid together and the patio becomes a game.

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

6. 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 for throwing, catching and aiming.

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

7. A soft bat and ball set

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

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

8. 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.

Good for: kicking, running and passing. Outdoors.

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.

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.

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.

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

How do you choose Christmas gifts for 5 year olds?

The best presents for 5 year olds fit the child you know, not the age on the box. Here's how the 12 gifts 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.

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

We don't track the toy charts, and they change by the week. This list is sorted by what five-year-olds are learning to do, because hopping, catching and balancing don't go out of fashion by February. If the latest big name, or something with a screen, tops the list of Christmas toys for 5 year olds in your house, that's normal. Buy it, put one active present beside it, and let the active one be opened first.

What hazards should you look for in a five-year-old's present?

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). Three checks matter most here:

• Costumes and ribbons. The OPSS flags loose ribbons on toys and costumes as a risk 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.

If the present is one of our mats, it's non-toxic, PVC-free TPE, according to our supplier's specification, with 6 mm of cushioning. Lay it on a dry, flat floor.

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, not in a cupboard. On Christmas afternoon, stepping stones can become a river, bean bags get thrown into a basket from the far bank, and three animal poses on the mat finish it while the dinner cooks.

Presents with nothing to set up get used most. A mat with numbered poses on it is the easy case: on a rainy January Saturday, using it is just a matter of rolling it out.

After that, our gross motor skills activities and screen-free activities for 3 to 8 year-olds have plenty more to do with them.

Frequently asked questions

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 the aisle a toy sits in. A scooter, a den kit and a skipping rope suit any five-year-old who likes to move.

Which Christmas presents for 5 year olds work indoors?

Stepping stones, bean bags with a basket as a target, a den-building kit, a dressing-up outfit and a yoga mat all work indoors, which matters on a wet December afternoon. Move the breakables first, and the living room becomes a playground until the weather clears.

Is a yoga mat a good present for a 5 year old?

It is for a child who likes animal poses, stretching or copying you. A full-length mat lets a grown-up join in, and numbered poses give them something to follow without a screen. Ours is made for ages 3 to 8, so five is right in the middle. For a child who only wants to be outside, a kite or a scooter is the better choice.

What do you buy a 5 year old who has everything?

An experience, or something you do together. A voucher for swimming lessons, a day at the woods or a homemade ticket for an outing takes up no room in a full toy box, and it gives a five-year-old something to look forward to after Christmas, not just on the day.

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. Choose Sun Salutation if they want to move, or Freedom Flow, with floor poses, if they need to settle. Each comes in seven colours, for ages 3 to 8. Every mat is 183 x 61 cm and 6 mm thick, so there's room to stretch out at five and still at eight. It weighs 800 g and rolls up with a carry strap for taking to Grandma's. To clean it, wipe with a damp cloth and a little mild soap, then let it dry flat.

Buying for a sibling or a cousin as well? Two or more mats are 10 per cent off. As Becks, a yoga teacher and verified buyer, put it: "I just made the mistake of buying one, instead of two."

Pick their colour for Christmas morning from the Yogi-Me range. Every mat is £34.99 with free UK delivery, and anything bought from 1 November can be returned up to 31 January, so a present opened on Christmas Day is still well inside the window.

Sources

• UK Chief Medical Officers' physical activity guidelines
• 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
• 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