Best Toys & Gifts for 6-Year-Olds (Tried and True!)

Kelly R.:  I love that this family card game was created by a 6 year old girl! Earn points by playing your cards to wake the Pancake Queen (my personal favorite), the Rainbow Queen, and all of their friends. The manufacturer recommends the game for age 8+, probably because there is some strategy and math involved, but my son played at age 6 and my daughter played with help at age 3.

Beth Wood:  The classic game from the 60s where the battling robots try to knock each other's blocks off! Start placing your bets now! Who will win, red or blue?

Kelly R.:  My son received this as a 6 year old, played with it every single day, and actually still sometimes pulls it out now at age 12. It's been fun over the years to watch him problem solve as he gets better and better at designing the marble runs. The set is heirloom quality, and a variety of other sets and add-ons are available so you can continue expanding the collection.

Kelly R.:  This is a set of handheld trampoline-like disks that are used to catch, bounce and throw balls up to 150 feet. They're versatile outdoor toys for kids that inspire inventive, active play, and boost hand-eye coordination.

Kelly R.:  Rockets with a kid-powered stomp launcher that blasts them up to 200 feet in the air. Great for outdoor fun with friends. This kit includes 4 rockets and a launch pad.

Brittany Kozielski:  My twins just turned 6 and guess what was on their wish list? Elephant and Piggie books. This Biggie volume collects five favorite Mo Willems Elephant and Piggie stories into one hardbound book. These stories are funny reads with a lot of expression. Piggie and Gerald entertain my kids and gave them confidence in their reading with expression. Win-win!

Kelly R.:  Six is the age where my son really got into LEGOs. Find a set with a theme that will appeal to the kid you're buying for, or choose a classic kit, like this one, that will let them use their imagination and add on to the sets they already have.

Katie G.:  It's hard to find a 6-year-old (or 7 or 8 or 9...) that doesn't love Nerf blasters. There are so many different kinds to choose from that you can't go wrong. Be sure to buy extra bullets because those little guys seem to get lost and found by Mom or Dad months later.

Kristy Pepping:  Fashion Plates have been around for a long time, and it still a great toy today. The design set inspires creativity and fashion. This comes with different plates that you child can mix and match to make almost endless combinations.

Brittany Kozielski:  Ty Beanie Boos are this generation's twist on Beanie Babies. These cuddly stuffed animals have special names and birthdays. There are so many fun different ones to chose and 6-year-olds love to show these off! Ty even makes mini key chain versions kids love hanging from their backpacks. A fun collection to start!

Age 6 is about when kids can appreciate a little magic, and this kit is perfect to get them started on their magician's journey!

This fairy kit offers kids the chance to grow their own fairy garden (or superhero garden, or Lego garden) in a contained space with lovely mini furniture to complete the look. Many tiny plants sold at nurseries are easy and fun to grow, making this a toy that'll keep them engaged throughout an entire growing season.

Jennie Utsinger:  This model contains squishy organs, bones and muscles for your child to remove and fit back into place, including a squishy brain and intestines that can even be unwound! As they play with the body parts, kids can learn what they do by reading the included booklet, in which you follow a bite of pizza through the human body. Younger kids will also enjoy using the tweezers and forceps to remove the body parts and matching them to their pictures on the poster.

Kelly R.:  My son loved this book that is more creativity book than coloring book. Armed with their imaginations, kids complete half-drawn pictures with prompts like "how will you escape from a crocodile" and "what's under the bed?" These books are great gifts for 6-year-old boys, and check out The Girls' Doodle Book if you're shopping for a girl.

Joni Monacell:  Connect 4 has been a favorite game of my 6-year-old's for some time, and was always a favorite of mine growing up. It would make a great gift for any child who doesn't have the game.