Birthday Gift Ideas for Boys (2-5ish)

This is a sponsored post and I received several items mentioned here as review items. All opinions are my own.

As you know, our firstborn son just turned the unthinkable age of… FOUR!

Which meant a birthday party and all that fun. Birthday parties mean birthday gifts, and you know I prefer birthday gifts that aren’t toys… but I suppose a toy or two will creep in, as long as it’s not the “battery-operated” variety!

Here’s what our son received for his fourth birthday, which I think makes a great gift guide for boys (or girls!) so I’m sharing it with you!

Books are great gift ideas for boys!

Especially for boys, gifting books sends a powerful message – “Reading is important!” and “Reading is fun!” And if you share with the child how the book you’re giving was a favorite of yours when you were his age? Well, that’s like super-gifting!

Here’s four books I recommend for four year olds:

One Busy Day – A Story for Brothers & Sisters by Lola M. Schaefer. I loved (was moved to tears by) the prequel: One Special Day, so I was delighted to receive this book for our son. The story is beautifully told cleverly through the pictures, but the brief text also shapes the story nicely. Spencer’s not that interested in playing with his little sister (most older siblings can relate!). But… with a little imagination and a lot of love, Mia might just be able to show Spencer that it’s a lot more fun to be busy together. I love the message of this book!

Usborne’s Illustrated Stories for Boys – I picked this book because it included some classic retellings and modern stories about robots and such – we’re just getting into it but the illustrations are great for younger kids!

Big Rig by Jamie A. Swenson – Can my little boy have enough truck books? NO, if he doesn’t have this book about Frankie the truck with a big personality! The illustrations are bold and vibrant, and I love the sound-effects! Both my boys spend long moments exclaiming over Dinosaur Land at the end of the book!

Curious Critters Volume Two by David Fitzsimmons – After seeing this book, I want to get Volume One! Close-up animal photos illustrate with riveting, colorful detail. The North American critters are specific: bluegill, striped skunk, cave salamander. The narrative for each animal is told from the creatures point of view, and depicts their “personality.” And… this book comes as an audiobook – you can listen to a sample here! View sample pages at www.curious-critters.com.

Unique clothing CAN be a fun gift (and practical!)

Peppercorn Kids gives you more choices for children’s accessories with their “unique children’s accents.” Their classic styles in modern prints and patterns will charm you! The head-to-toe fashions have fine details and are inspired by childhood, nature, and world cultures. I love my boys in their plaid neck and bow ties. And wish these adorable handmade wool indoor shoes came in adult sizes! You know I love my wool – these are pure felted with a non-slip suede outsole.

Toys for creative play

Yes, I said toys, but the kind that let’s kids have creative freedom, encourages inventive play and movement, and can be shared!

Safari Ltd – What kid doesn’t like animals? I bet you’ll be hard pressed! From TOOBs full of miniature animal replicas, to jumbo animal figurines, children can build a zoo, engage in storytelling, create elaborate scenes and more. (After I build a cake with those cute little animals first!). Each figure is life-like with detail and design to scale! I see these toys having imaginative play and educational uses as well!

Melissa & Doug Wooden Zoo Train – Every kid should have a wooden train, I think! The zoo train fit perfectly with our theme, but it’s also a small and simple train set that provides kids a set of tracks, three trains, and two animals. (Oh and it’s super cute around a Zoo Train Cake!).

Preschool Gear is always needed, and it’s pretty cool too!

Swim Goggles or Mask – Giving the gift of swimming lessons is a fantastic choice at this age. Kids generally find it fun to get in the pool and splash around, and you’re also teaching them a skill they can enjoy for life (as well as keeping them safe!). The Aqua Sphere Vista Junior Swim Mask fit our son well and I even tried it on – it’s comfy and adjustable!

Volume-Limiting Headphones – Did you know that children shouldn’t be listening to audio at the same volume that adults do? Their eardrums are still developing and delicate, so decibels higher than 85 can permanently damage their eardrums. It’s best to find a pair of volume-limited headphones so the kids can’t turn up the volume louder than necessary. After some online research, the Kazoo MyPhones came out ahead of the others as being the most truly volume limited, as well as sturdy for kids. Don’t you love the Frog design! A headphone set is a great gift because it can allow children to listen to audiobooks when you’re cooking or cleaning and can’t read to them!

What’s your favorite gift idea for boys?

Many items in this post were provided as review products, and I have used Amazon affiliate links in this post. All opinions are my own.