Ideas on What to Gift 3-5 Year-old Boys.
We do boys in this home. We know what they like, we know what they need. If you’re stumped on what to gift a boy who is between the ages of 3 and 5, keep reading below. And, please note, that many of the gifts work for girls. I am not trying to say that only boys like Paw Patrol or trucks…I am just trying to share my knowledge on what kind of Christmas gift a preschool aged boy may like!
Christmas gift ideas for young boys…
1. Paw Patrol
Paw Patrol is huge in our home, with fire dog Marshall being the very favorite, followed by police dog Chase. While I don’t like buying loud plastic toys, I will succumb and get an item or two as a Christmas gift for my guys. My favorite Paw Patrol-themed gifts include:
- Paw Patrol Paw Patroller. This is the vehicle that transports the entire Paw Patrol crew. It comes with Ryder and his ATV vehicle. The toy comes with batteries. Right now, this costs $41.50 on Amazon.
- Paw Patrol Launch N Roll Lookout Tower Track Set. Build the track, play with the Lookout Tower…perfect for the vehicle-loving boy in your life. On sale on Amazon for $28.99.
- Paw Patrol Coloring Books – 2 Pack. A little easier on the budget, and great if you want to gift Paw Patrol, but don’t want all that shiny plastic. $5.79 on Amazon and ships for free as an add-on item.
- Paw Patrol My Size Lookout Tower. If the big present were going to be Paw Patrol related, this is hands down what I would get my boys. And then I’d set up in our downstairs play area because it looks big and noisy and big. But I know my boys would drool over it and love, love, love it. $79.99.
- Paw Patrol Marshall Fire Truck Playhouse. My two little firemen would love this playhouse that is shaped like a firetruck and comes with a fire extinguisher and shovel. $67.95.
2. Bruder Trucks
My boys haven’t tired of rescue vehicles or construction vehicles. And instead of getting them small versions of these (which we seem to accumulate everywhere we go even though I never buy any), I like to splurge on the Bruder brand for holidays and birthdays. We have had a lot of luck with the Bruder vehicles lasting longer than other brands.
- Bruder Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon. My dad drives a Rubicon, and this Bruder version looks just like it, but smaller.
- Bruder Fire Truck. This vehicle is quite the splurge–another main gift. Our oldest actually received it last Christmas, and it is in great shape and has been a favorite toy.
- Bruder Fork Lift with Pallet. At $24.99, this is a less expensive Bruder. I cannot vouch for how long it will last your little ones, but I do know that fork lifts that look this cool are super unusual for kid’s vehicles.
3. Caldecott Medal Winning Books
We read lots of books in our home, and I love gifting books to the boys. I don’t feel guilty and I love introducing new books to the boys on occasion. Caldecott Medal Winning books are a great holiday / Christmas gift…we still read the Caldecott books that my mom gave me when I was young. Favorites that we already own include:
- Locomotive by Brian Floca, 2014 winner. Let me warn you, this book is long. And my oldest has loved it ever since he was 2. (Back then we would skip over a couple of spookier passages about train wrecks and finger accidents.) But it has taught our family an awful lot about trains and westward expansion. This book is a classic in our home. (And I recommend all of Floca’s books if your kids love transportation.)
- This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen, 2013 winner. This is such a cute book, it has a moral message, and it is a joy to read. I love it!
- The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats, 1963 winner. Since we live in Colorado and want to get the boys into winter sports, we really talk up snow. So this book is a perfect winter read, plus I enjoy the illustrations.
4. Play Kitchen and Accessories
The boys have acquired some play food over the years, and love “grocery shopping” and “cooking.” This year we’ve decided to gift our youngest with a play kitchen and some accessories. Ideas include:
- KidKraft Uptown Natural Kitchen. A fun kitchen set that isn’t awful to look at. This one is big enough to let multiple kids play with it an once. $149.26.
- Teamson Kids — Little Chef Wooden Toy Play Kitchen. Another wooden-ish looking toy! While it isn’t quite as cute as the previous option, it is a bit more compact and currently costs half as much. And it comes with a few accessories. $85.90.
- Melissa and Doug Waffle Set. I support Melissa and Doug toys, mainly because many of them are wooden! This waffle set comes with 23 pieces (which is a bit more than I’d prefer), but our boys love waffles, so this is the perfect gift! And it can be used without a kitchen, so it works as a nice stand alone present. $15.99.
- Playkidz: Super Durable 11 Piece Stainless Steel Pots and Pans Cookware Set. A cool gift for play kitchen cooking success! $20.99.
- Melissa and Doug Felt Food Mix ‘n Match Pizza Play Food. Who doesn’t love pizza?! Another great way to augment a food kitchen, but can also be used as a stand alone gift. $15.99.
5. Art Supplies
In addition to supporting creativity through art, I also like gifting things that will be used up to help prevent the accumulation of STUFF. So art supplies make the perfect Christmas gift! Plus, they are affordable.
- Crayola Broad Point Washable Markers–Pack of 2. This box features 8 markers. Since my boys are still learning to put the lids back on, 8 is the perfect number in a pack. $6.00
- Melissa & Doug Sketch Pad–50 Sheets 2 Pack. Finding pads of paper for drawing has been surprisingly hard for me. These Melissa & Doug pads take care of it for a reasonable price. $7.99.
- Melissa & Doug Jumbo Coloring Pad: Vehicles. Yes, another Melissa & Doug item. My boys love this coloring book, and we’ve had a few copies of it grace our art cabinet over the past two years. $4.99.
- Crayola 24 Count Washable Watercolors. What’s more exciting than coloring with markers?! Painting! And these Crayola watercolors make it easy and stress-free for parents. $2.92.
6. Games
Let’s all play together! Games make a great Christmas gift since they encourage family bonding and interaction.
- Connect 4. A classic that my older son is just beginning to get. $7.99.
- Chutes and Ladders. I prefer this retro series version to the newer edition that is out there. My four year-old enjoys playing this game, although I do offer a bit of assistance. $14.99.
- Let’s Go Fishing. I don’t know what to say about this game, except that every time my boys come across it, they get excited. $6.67.
- Hape Animals Wooden Memory Game. We have a couple of memory games based on cartoon characters–this set is way more calming and cute. $18.95.
7. Camping Gear
Between the grown-ups and the kids, everyone loves quality camping gear.
- Big Agnes Kids’ Little Red 15 Sleeping Bag. It gets cold in Colorado at night. Especially if you do any September or October camping. Although our boys have done okay with their cheap Walmart sleeping bags, I’m the one who has lost sleep over how warm they may or may not be. I think it is time to invest in nicer bags for them. $69.95.
- Black Diamond Spot Headlamp. We’ve bought all sorts of headlamps for the boys, and none of them last. Skip the headlamps marketed for kids, and just go for the big guns. The Black Diamond Spot gets an all around great ranking, and it isn’t terribly expensive if a child loses it. $29.96.
- Small Binoculars. These get a great ranking on Amazon, and after all of the issues we’ve had with kids’ headlamps, I’d rather get a real pair of inexpensive binoculars. $22.99.
- MPOWERD Luci Solar Powered LED Lantern. These solar-powered lights that break down flat are perfect for our rafting trips where space can be a concern. So giving each boy one of these to light the tent or camp table for reading in the dark is perfect. $19.95.
