There are dozens of great toys for holiday gift-giving this year so if you have a little on your list you’ll have plenty to choose from! To help you narrow down your choices, I’ve selected my top 11 big kid toys for kids 4-6 years old.
I’m big on balance – a good mix of fun, education, reading, and creativity. You’ll find all those categories on my list in the form of STEM toys, action figures, entertainment-inspired options, and crafting sets.
I’ve tried to research the best prices and provide you with the affiliate shopping links to help you locate them. Feel free to look for them at your favorite local retailer if you prefer to shop in-store!
Top Big Kid Toys for 2016
Build & Imagine Building Sets – I have worked with Build & Imagine for years now and we absolutely love their products. We’re not the only ones, apparently, as this year Amazon has selected Build & Imagine as one of their hot toys! This year we’re adding the Marine Rescue Center to our collection of magnetic building sets.
We’re also adding Build & Imagine’s newest addition to their lineup: the Draw & Build Dollhouse. Each magnetic panel is basically a mini white board ready for kids to add their own designs with dry erase markers. I love that it adds another dimension of creativity and play making this a great STEAM toy.
Dinotrux Figures & Playsets – Dinotrux is a Netflix exclusive show for kids that features “dinosaurs” that are half dino, half truck. What I love about these toys is that because they’re a mashup of vehicles and dinosaurs they’ll appeal to a wide range of kids. Kids can share adventures with the crew while playing along with their own Dinotrux Rock & Load Skate Park.
You can also pick up some of the characters from the show, like the Revvit & Turtool Die-cast 2-Pack, D-Structs Vehicle Pullback, or the Reptool Control Ty Rux. Our friends from Dinotrux sent us a few of the options I listed and they’re really cute.
Imaginext Playsets – I admit that while we’ve always loved Fisher-Price toys, prior to this year their Imaginext line hadn’t really implanted itself in my mind. But Bubbles was drawn to the sets and figures each time we visited a toy store causing me to pay more attention.
There are many sets to choose from but two of my favorites are the Imaginext Shark Bite Pirate Ship and the Imaginext DC Super Friends Transforming Batcave. There are hours worth of imaginative play to be had with these playsets, and you can pick up different figurines to add into the mix too.
Kohl’s Cares Books & Plush – I’ve been a big fan of Kohl’s Cares items for years. Each item costs just $5 and 100% of the net profit from the sale of the items in the collection are donated to support children’s initiatives worldwide.
Offerings rotate about quarterly, so if you see items you like definitely buy them when you see them. Right now they have a few different toy & book sets like Paddington, Curious George, Corduroy, and Madeline. There are also a few seasonal items, like the ‘Tis the Season Cookbook for kids and a “Home for the Holidays” Christmas CD.
Little Passports Subscription – With a Little Passports subscription kids will receive a monthly box of fun from around the world. The first package arrives in a cute suitcase and comes with a world map to document the places about which they’ll learn. I like subscriptions for kids because it prolongs the fun and excitement when they get to open something in the mail each month.
Crayola Emoji Marker Stamp Maker – If you have a child on your list that loves art and design I definitely think this Crayola Emoji Maker will excite them. Not only will they have the fun of stamping with a variety of emoji-face markers, but the set allows kids to create their own colors and choose which stamp should match.
What are your favorite big kid toys this year?
About Liza
Liza is a mom (5-year-old daughter, 20-year-old stepson, and 24-year-old stepdaughter) and wife living in Louisville. She loves spending time with her family, visiting the local zoo and parks, as well as planning travel adventures. Cooking and baking, DIY projects and crafts, and coffee - lots and lots of coffee - round out some of her other hobbies.