There’s nothing quite like the magic of Christmas morning, especially if you have young children bursting with Christmas spirit. But before we skip ahead to the big day, you’ve probably got a to-do list that’s longer than Santa’s naughty list!
Although we can’t help you untangle last year’s fairy lights or baste the turkey to perfection, we can help you pick the best gifts for your little one!
From climbing frames and trampolines to kids' scooters and ride-on cars, we’ve curated our top picks for kids of each age, as well as our favourite educational toys.
So, without further ado, let’s unwrap our best Christmas gifts for four to six-year-olds and get ready to make this year special!
This guide includes:
The best gifts for four-year-olds
The best gifts for five-year-olds
The best gifts for six-year-olds
The best educational toys for four to six-year-olds
Why do outdoor toys make the best Christmas presents?
Find the best gifts for four to six-year-olds at Outdoor Toys
The best gifts for four-year-olds
Four-year-olds will likely be bursting with energy, creativity, and curiosity about the world around them. As a result, toys that inspire imaginative play while encouraging their independence and physical activity are the way to go. Here are some of our favourite gift ideas for four-year-olds:
Playhouses
Playhouses are a fantastic way to encourage imaginative play. They provide a perfect little hideaway for four-year-olds and can inspire a whole range of roleplay scenarios. Whether it’s a house of their own, a fairy-tale castle, or a pirate ship, they’ll love having a space to let their imagination run wild and play pretend with friends.
Our 4ft, 5ft, and two-storey playhouses are great picks, while our playhouses with slides and monkey bars provide double the fun!
Shop the PolarPlay Kids Scandinavian Style Climbing Platform & Playhouse!
Balance bikes
Balance bikes are a great way to introduce children to cycling while burning some of their (seemingly infinite) energy! These bikes help kids gain confidence, practice independence, and improve coordination before moving on to pedal bikes.
If your four-year-old has mastered the balance bike, a bike with stabilisers is the Christmas gift to keep them pedalling along!
Mud kitchens
A mud kitchen is the ultimate gift for four-year-olds who love to get messy. Kids will love cooking up a storm with natural materials like mud, sand, leaves, and twigs. Best of all, a mud kitchen can bring even more excitement to snowy winter days! It’s the perfect space for building snow pies, castles, and even snow people.
What’s more, mud kitchens have the added gift of social, educational, and sensory development for kids. Read our guide to discover more about the benefits of mud kitchens.
The best gifts for five-year-olds
By age five, kids will be keen to explore new interests and try new things whilst still being full of imaginative ideas. This is a brilliant time to introduce unique toys that challenge them through physical activity.
Trampolines
When choosing a gift for a five-year-old, you can’t go wrong with a trampoline. What’s not to love about flying through the air and trying out tricks and games with friends? The physical and social development benefits of trampolining for kids are an added bonus - bouncing around is a great way of keeping active and playing with friends.
And best of all? If you choose a larger model, a trampoline can keep your young child entertained for years to come. 10ft, 12ft, and 14ft trampolines are suitable for five-year-olds and teenagers alike, so it’s the gift that keeps on giving!
A swing and slide set
A swing and slide set is a classic gift choice for young children. It enables them to work on their coordination and build strength while they learn new skills. Children will love soaring through the air and racing down the slide while they reap the benefits of swings.
Before you decide which to buy for your garden, find out how much space you need for a swing set. Then, before the big day rolls around, make sure to read our guide to swing set safety to avoid any nasty Christmas surprises in the form of grazed knees or bumped heads.
Scooters
Does your five-year-old have a need for speed? Then why not fuel their adventures with a scooter? Scooters are easy to master, so kids can enjoy the reward of independent learning. They also promote balance and muscle development.
Scooters are perfect for speeding up those chilly school runs. Our lightweight, portable models, like the Renegade Big Wheel Folding Scooter and the Renegade Folding Kick Scooter with Disc Brake, can fold up for the walk home, meaning you’ll reap the benefits, too! Opt for scooters with adjustable handles for a toy that can grow alongside your child.
Renegade Big Wheel Folding Scooter
The best gifts for six-year-olds
Six-year-olds will be eager to learn new skills and challenge themselves through new forms of play. At this age, kids are keen to show off and engage in a bit of friendly competition with their friends, siblings, and even adults! These toys are great for entertaining such interests:
Climbing frames
Climbing up rock walls, hanging from monkey bars, and soaring on swings are infinite activities and hours of entertainment packed into a climbing frame. These toys will challenge your six-year-old's abilities and provide a varied space for competing against others.
Not only is it a great source of fun, but the benefits of climbing frames for kids are fantastic: they support cognitive development, social well-being, and physical activity.
Ride on cars
A ride-on car is the dream gift for F1 drivers in the making and young motor enthusiasts. Our range of ride-on cars is second to none, featuring brands like Lamborghini, McLaren, BMW, Aston Martin, and many more.
With electric kids' cars in various colours, models, and sizes, you’re sure to find the perfect present for your six-year-old sprinter. They’ll love the independence of stepping into the driver's seat and taking the wheel, just like the grown-ups and their favourite drivers.
Football goals and basketball hoops
If your little one is a budding Beckham or a little Lebron, introduce some friendly competition and keep them running around the garden all year with sporting equipment.
Football goals and basketball hoops are perfect for sparking kids’ interest in the beautiful games(s) as they practise motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and social skills.
These toys will earn their rightful place in your garden for years. After all, we never outgrow our dreams of scoring that all-important goal!
The best educational toys for four to six-year-olds
Kids learn best when they’re having fun. For children aged four to six, learning through play can be very effective, so much so that they won’t even realise they’re doing it!
We’ve chosen a few of our favourite educational toys to keep young kids’ minds as busy as their bodies.
Potting tables
Potting tables are fantastic educational tools. They can teach kids basic science concepts, demonstrating how plants flourish from seeds into fully grown vegetables and flowers, showing them a plant’s life cycle up close. They also foster a sense of responsibility as children learn the importance of tending to their tables to keep their plants thriving.
Potting tables are ideal Christmas gifts, as the miniature greenhouses help plants survive the chilly, windy, and rainy British winter.
Rebo Kitchen Garden Kids Potting Table And Mini Greenhouse
Pretend play sets
Imaginative play, with toys like our ice cream sundae set or sandwich-making set, can teach your little ones basic mathematical concepts, like addition and subtraction, that they can apply to roleplaying games and real life.
Kids can pretend to run their own shop or cafe, serving customers with pretend food, counting out products, and charging them (real or fake) money. As their skills improve, encourage them to give their customers the correct change.
Sandpits
If you’ve read our 10 Creative Sandpit Play Ideas guide, you’ll know there’s so much more to sandpits than building sandcastles. This toy can be used for learning in many ways, making it a great educational gift.
Making a sandpit safari park can teach your kid more about their favourite animals, having a letter hunt can improve their spelling skills, and hiding numbers in the sand can gamify maths practice.
Rebo Wooden Sandpit Ball Pool with Folding Lid and Benches
Why do outdoor toys make the best Christmas presents?
Perhaps outdoor toys aren’t the first thing on your mind during the colder months, but they make excellent Christmas presents for a number of reasons.
Outdoor toys are great gifts for kids aged four to six because they:
- Keep kids active
- Help to reduce screen time
- Can be educational
- Improve mental and emotional health
- Provide socialisation opportunities
- Benefit sensory and motor skill development
These are just a handful of reasons why outdoor play is so great for young children. For more insight into the advantages of playing outside, check out our guide: The Benefits of Outdoor Play for Children: A Parent's Guide.
Find the best gifts for four to six-year-olds at Outdoor Toys
At Outdoor Toys, we have an exciting range of gifts to tick off every child’s wishlist!
Our range of kids' bikes, scooters, and ride on cars is second to none for young kids with a need for speed. Our football goals and basketball hoops are perfect for budding athletes, and our playhouses, sandpits, and mud kitchens will set the scene for whatever fantasy your little one dreams up.
Best of all, our range of play equipment, including climbing frames, swings, slides, and trampolines, will have your kids climbing, soaring and bouncing from one Christmas day to the next.
Find Christmas gifts for all ages with our other inspirational guides, The Best Christmas Presents for 7-9 Year Olds, The Best Christmas Gifts for 10- to 12-Year-Olds, and the The Best Toddler Christmas Present Ideas. Plus, browse toys that don’t break the bank with our best budget picks in: Best Kids’ Christmas Gifts Under £100.
And, with 48-hour delivery, there’s no need to brave the shops on Christmas Eve; our elves will deliver your gifts straight to your doorstep!