Perfect birthday gifts for a five year old!

Every year we’re trying to refine how we celebrate birthdays and what would make a meaningful, useful, and yet FUN gift idea for our children as they grow. This year our youngest turned five, and WOW the gifts at this age are SO incredibly exciting! Five year olds are on the cusp of… just about everything: going to school, growing their literacy, learning to bike or swim (if they haven’t already), incredible independence, and so much more. So I put together this short list of perfect birthday gifts for a five year old (but not to worry, the fours, and sixes, and sevens would enjoy these too!).

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Perfect birthday gifts for a five-year-old!

Bixbee ergonomic backpack

Whether your kid goes to school or is homeschooled, five definitely is the age at which they are big enough to cart their own things around (they may have already started!). Kids can carry their water bottles, snacks, school supplies, and favorite toys around in the Bixbee ergonomic backpack. Designed specially for a child’s unique measurements (and tailored to three sizes!) Bixbee backpacks use a patented horizontal design to create a bag that carries the weight above the waist level, keeping unnecessary weight off your child’s back. Now there’s no more digging down a long narrow backpack – all your child’s items are at “top-level”!

Padded back panels allow for relief from pressure points and a comfortable carry. Other features include: reflective accents for safety, water resistant, and reinforced base and corners, because kids can be tough on their gear. And, buy a backpack from Bixbee and their “One Here. One There.” initiative means a child in need will be provided a Bixbee pack with school supplies included!

Our son is sporting the dino camo pack, which has the added interest of being covered with zillions of dinosaur shapes – kids can play a game at finding certain species of dinos on their pack! Look at that boy – he’s so ready for an adventure!

Find a wide range of patterns and sizing at Bixbee.com. Backpacks start at $31.99.

Lil Gadgets Connect+ Pro Headphones

Most five-year-olds are using technology these days… and as much as our family strives to be as “low-tech” as possible, we have branched into letting the boys listen to audiobooks and classical music for limited periods. So a quality pair of headphones designed for little kids makes a lovely birthday gift! Little kids eardrums are still highly sensitive and can be damaged by too-high volume. Lil Gadgets Connect+ Pro headphones are Volume Limited with Adult Worthy, Quality Audio (so you can share their ‘phones!). Max volume is 93db with internal 40mm drives and a range of 20 Hz to 20kHz (for technical details!).

My favorite feature is how the headphones fold up to fit into the microfiber travel pouch, adding a little protection. And there’s a SharePort integrated, so your kids can “plug in” to each others headphones and listen to the same story without the potential for stretching and breaking a single pair of headphones.

My boys don’t yet have TWO pairs of these to share together, so they took turns modeling because they both LOVE these headphones!

Lil Gadgets Connect+ Pro Headphones come in 5 different colors (black, blue, pink, purple, green). Buy on Amazon (affiliate)!

pediped Flex® Gehrig Night – Vegan, Machine Washable Shoes

We’ve been through every range of the pediped footwear system, from the earliest Originals which mimic barefoot walking, through the Grip ‘n’ Go that gives children stability. Now both our boys are in the Flex® level shoes. pediped Flex® have cushioned arch support and a flexible rubber sole (perfect for climbing up the slide!). These shoes will provide comfort as your kids grow, and promote healthy foot development. Plus, the pediped Flex Fit System™ lets you adjust the shoes to extend their wear – each pair come with  a 2mm insole to customize the shoe fit to your child; this insole can reduce shoe size by nearly half a size for a snug (not tight) fit.

My five-year-old is wearing the pediped Flex Gehrig Night style, which is made from vegan materials and is machine washable – perfect for our busy boy who took these out to the muddy swingset as soon as he got them on his feet! The double velcro allows him to easily put his own shoes on, and tighten them up to fit. Isn’t the bright blue with orange a striking combo as well? His feet will stand out in a crowd for sure!

Shop pediped shoes – sneakers, dress, casual, sandals – for all your kids footwear needs (birthday, back to school, sports!).

Stuck on You personalized pajama sets

By age five, most kids can recognize or even spell their own name. My son loves spotting his name on papers and other personalized gifts! Personalized pajamas can be designed in so many ways! We chose a pirate icon pajama style with his name because he loves dressing up like a pirate. Plus, we have our family legend of the Tooth Pirate as well that makes being a pirate at bedtime even more exciting! I love seeing my newly minted five-year-old bounding out of bed in the morning dressed in his adorable striped personalized pajamas!

Although Stuck on You no longer offers pajamas, you can shop their site for other personalized gifts!

Animal Themed Bathrobes from Arctic Paw!

What do kids love more than animals? I think the answer is nothing! These amazingly soft bathrobes for kids from Arctic Paw will be a winning gift for any child. Sharks, bears, dragons, piglets, and… of course, we chose the PENGUIN! Yes, my little penguin-lover has been having a blast with his penguin bathrobe, even sliding down our chaise lounge like a penguin in this robe! These robes are made from a plush terry with detailed embroidery that is durable, even machine-washable!

Besides being perfect for getting cozy just out of a bath, these robes are also great for quick costumes and dress-up play! Or, try bringing them to the pool for those chilly summer mornings. Find over a dozen animal characters and even a fireman and policeman style for kids ages 1-13! The Artic Paw line also includes hats and earmuffs to keep your kids warm during wintertime! Visit Artic Paw online to see all their styles! Find these bathrobes on Amazon (affiliate link).

More great birthday gift ideas for five-year-olds:

Boogie Board e-writer – lets kids doodle to their hearts content without wasting paper!

Terra Kids Crank Powered Camping Light – get some of that energy out and create light for your campsite (or pajama party) at the same time!

Skill-building craft kits for kids – encourage their blossoming creativity and hands-on abilities!

My Wonderful Walls room decor – let their personalities show without having to over-commit to a room theme!

Experience gifts that build memories – enjoy priceless moments with your child – these gifts don’t sit around!

Board games that boost brain power – mind-challenging games that kids can play alone or with friends!

Each gift idea here is a low-tech gift that encourages kids to be creative, develop skills, and express themselves! These are gifts that promote growth of your child, not just entertainment. Plus, each of these will last a span of years (minus the clothes they’ll outgrow!), meaning they have extended play and usage value!

What kinds of gifts do you enjoy giving to young children!? 

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Thanks to the brands mentioned in this post for providing samples to facilitate this post! All opinions are my own. Affiliate links have been used; purchases made through these links may generate a small commission for me.