Drawing for 2 Year Olds Bdays Boy Step by Step Easy Boys Step by Step
Under $20
A roaming robot
When my older son was about 6, he became swept up in the idea of building his own robot. We ended up signing him up for a one-time robot-building class at a local makerspace, and he came home with an adorable little robot crab that could successfully skitter across the dining room table, intelligently sensing the edge and reversing course. It wasn't until years later that I realized this beloved mini bot was actually from a simple, inexpensive set we could have easily bought ourselves. We've lost a couple of this little guy's legs, but the robot crab is still active and displayed with pride on a shelf in my son's room. We were later gifted a Tin Can Robot made by the same company. That was also a fun project, but the robotic results were less satisfying, and the crab remains my son's favorite.
A perfect fit
When Keewa Nurullah's son received the Puzzle Huddle Future Engineer Puzzle, it was a special moment. "It's such an awesome representation for kids of color," said Nurullah, owner of the children's shop Kido in Chicago. The puzzle is one of many Puzzle Huddle puzzles, which range from 15 to 200 pieces and feature Black children as doctors, scientists, astronauts, and other professionals. The puzzles help increase the visibility of Black people in prestigious careers—and they present an appropriate challenge for most kids this age.
A towering card game
This silly but tricky card-stacking game is perfect for playing in pairs or with a group of friends. Players take turns carefully stacking L-shaped "wall" cards and flat "roof" cards to build a tower. The challenge lies in following the symbols on the cards, which show you how to place the walls and when to move the wooden rhino figure to the upper story, increasing the card tower's instability as it grows taller and taller. The game is over when a player successfully places all of their roof cards or makes the tower topple. Rhino Hero offers both easy and expert modes (the latter requires you to place the cards in more-challenging, less-stable configurations), so this game can grow along with your children's skills. This is a favorite from our guide to the board games we love for kids, and it made the recommended list for the prestigious 2012 Kinderspiel des Jahres awards for the best children's board games.
Hide-and-seek
The delightful Where's Waldo? Deluxe Edition by Martin Handford features Handford's sprawling drawings and, of course, Waldo, dressed in his signature red-and-white stripes and tucked amid the scenery. Other characters—Waldo's dog Woof (but only his tail), his friend Wenda, and his foe Odlaw—are also craftily hidden within the scenes. Waldo addresses readers (aka Waldo-fans, Waldo-watchers, and so on) with a postcard on each spread, and then the fun begins. When my almost-6-year-old and I sat down to search, we got lost in the pages, sometimes finding Waldo immediately and other times not locating him at all. Handford's illustrations are terrific, packed with enough wacky detail, bustling energy, and stripes to throw off even the most sharp-eyed Waldo-spotter. For the truly ambitious, each scene has a foldout panel with a checklist of even more items to find.
Scratch art for crafty kids
Homemade scratch paper is a thing. But if DIY isn't for you, go for a Scratch and Sketch activity book. Available in an assortment of themes—Wild Safari, Fashion Show—the books are filled with surprises. Unicorn Adventure (pictured above) allows kids to either trace along with the story or doodle on blank pages with a wooden stylus, revealing multicolored swirls or gold and silver glitter. (Other titles aren't traceable, but they encourage duplicating basic drawings.) To let imaginations really go wild, Scratch-Art Paper for Students (from $6 at the time of publication, depending on the number of sheets) has no predecided designs, allowing for free drawing. Wirecutter senior editor Courtney Schley said her then 5-year-old and 7-year-old spent hours working on the pages, including on airplane trips.
Slime, as you like it
T his Cra-Z-Art slime kit has typically been priced under $20; the current price is the highest we've seen.
It's gooey, squishy, stretchy, and brightly colored. It's slime, and if your kid is 6, there's a good chance they love it. You can buy this sticky, ready-made Play-Doh concoction in a variety pack (it has six cans with five different slime textures, including traditional squishy, fluffy, crackly, super-stretchy, and foamy). Many kids, like mine, may prefer to make their own slime and have the creation be part of the fun. We like Cra-Z-Art Nickelodeon Super Slimy Slime. The kit includes everything you need to make slime and then some, allowing kids to customize their slime batches with glitter, neon colors, scents, and tiny beads for texture.
A royally engaging card game
This fast-paced card game involves a mix of math, memory, strategy, deduction, and luck. Not only is it ideal for kids ages 6-plus, but the Sleeping Queens Card Game was actually invented by a 6-year-old, who allegedly couldn't get to sleep herself because her brain was too busy brewing up the concept. (Her parents then helped her complete the vision.) The cards feature appealing drawings of royal characters with whimsical, unconventional personas (the Pancake Queen, the Tie-Dye King) who have fallen under a sleeping spell and must be "woken up" by players using the right combo of cards. Endlessly replayable, Sleeping Queens is subtly educational but mostly just fun.
Tie-dyeing made easy
The Tulip One-Step Tie-Dye Party Kit is meant to supply enough materials for a group to tie-dye together, but I like that one or two kids can get a lot of mileage and experimentation out of it on their own (with some grown-up supervision). The little plastic bin comes packed with squeeze bottles in 14 vibrant colors, along with gloves, rubber bands, and some step-by-step directions for achieving different effects. (Garments are not included.) New to tie-dying? Check out our guide for some helpful pointers.
Kid-friendly quilting
For crafty little ones, the Made by Me Easy-to-Knot Quilt Making Kit packs a lot of present for a modest price. After a couple of hours and a few dozen knots, 24 fabric squares (included) transform into an adorable blanket that's both display-worthy and large enough for kids to sleep beneath, if they desire. (The kit comes with a variety of stick-on icons and decals that kids can use to personalize their creations.) Because there are no needles or glue required to make this quilt, most kids can complete it independently once they've learned the ropes. Although the kit is designed for ages 6 and up, parents of some younger, craft-adept kids may find it age-appropriate, too, and the repetitive knotting helps kids practice fine motor skills. Multiple kits can combine to make a supersize quilt, like the one my daughter created for herself during the pandemic.
Bead bonanza
The Perler Beads Pet Parade Kit is a great rainy-day activity for kids who have the focus and fine motor skills to pick up tiny beads with an oversize pair of tweezers. It's simple: Junior crafters place the colorful beads on the pegboard to make animal designs (or get creative with their own patterns). Fusing the beads requires the help of a grown-up with an iron, but the bulk of the activity is solitary, self-directed fun. This kit includes 5,000 beads, five pegboards, 12 googly eyes, and one sheet of reusable ironing paper, plus instructions and tweezers. If you want to beef up your bead supply for cheap, add this set from IKEA to your collection.
A place to call "om"
Way back at the start of the pandemic, watching Cosmic Kids Yoga on YouTube helped save our sanity and keep us active when we couldn't be outdoors. The exercise program, starring ultra-personable host Jamie Amor, guides kids through yoga routines using themes and plot lines from pop culture hits like Disney and Harry Potter. This 60-inch Gaiam Kids Yoga Mat was the perfect accompaniment to our practice. (It's technically recommended for kids ages 5 to 8. But my then 3-year-old had no trouble rolling it out next to my mat, and loved trying to mimic Jaime's Frozen-inspired poses on its grippy, textured surface.) The mat is 3 millimeters thick, so it's a little less cushy but lighter and easier to roll than Wirecutter's adult yoga mat picks. It's made of the same rubber-free polyvinyl chloride (PVC) as Gaiam's adult version. And it has survived more than a year of tiny yogi feet, with no signs of wear or fading to the cute pattern.
Their new favorite card game
I have yet to meet a person—of any age—who hasn't been beguiled by Rat-A-Tat-Cat. (And if I ever do, let's hope we don't find ourselves cooped up together on a rainy day.) Like many of the best games, it's deceptively simple: Each player is dealt four cards ranging in value from 0 to 9. With every turn, the goal is to trade out your high-number cards for lower-number ones. When you're confident that your combined score is the lowest in the bunch, you knock on the table—drama is encouraged here—and declare "Rat-A-Tat Cat!" to signal the end of the round. Since the rounds go by fast, we usually keep a tally, and the first player to hit 100 is out. You can make the game easier by increasing the number of cards that appear face-up, which requires less memory. My husband and I initially started playing that way for the benefit of our son, and we quickly realized that it was our own feeble, time-ravaged brains that needed the crutch. The illustrations of mischievous rodents and their feline foes on the cards have a similar aesthetic to Sleeping Queens, another game in this guide; both are manufactured by Gamewright.
—Ingela Ratledge Amundson
$20 to $50
Clay play, plus an app
Hey Clay is a high-quality modeling clay that comes with app-based instructions, allowing young kids to create some truly adorable critters. Each kit includes 18 mini canisters of soft, brightly colored, nonsticky clay that's foamy and flexible, yet firm enough to produce cartoony, detailed creations. (The kits come in six versions, including animals, birds, monsters, dinos, bugs, and aliens, each with different instructions and color combinations.) A Hey Clay kit "allows young children an intro to professional clay-molding techniques," said Ann Kienzle, owner of Play, a children's toy shop in Chicago. Kids can mold on their own, or you can download an accompanying app that includes lively, step-by-step visual tutorials for creating specific animals or creatures. The straightforward voice instructions have fun sound effects and guide your young artist through each step; they also teach age-appropriate art techniques, such as making textures and sculpting facial features. The clay hardens fully in 24 hours, creating a permanent work of art that's officially ready for play.
A do-it-yourself terrarium
Even when my son is skipping or running 4 feet ahead of me, he always manages to stop and spot a ladybug crawling on a plant or notice a new patch of grass cropping up in an unusual spot. Nature slows him down, in a good way. As we first unpacked the Uptown Farmer Kids Night Light Terrarium, I talked to him about the little ecosystem we were about to grow, and he was unusually patient about waiting the several days it took for the chia and wheatgrass seeds (both included) to sprout. The kit's instructions are simple enough for many 6-year-olds to follow independently, with some oversight: You layer the soil, rocks, sand, and seeds, and then you spray the surface with water. While my son waited for the first sprouts to appear, I enjoyed watching him gently water and turn his mini greenhouse toward the sun each day. The terrarium doubles as a night-light, and my son likes the colorful stars and moon it projects onto his ceiling at bedtime. Once the grasses have outgrown their space, we can replant them outside, purchase replacement seeds and soil, and do it all over again. Uptown Farmer Kids also makes a unicorn-themed terrarium.
Trick shots
Just like its name suggests, Box & Balls is a set of eight nesting wooden boxes and eight bouncy balls that can be arranged in numerous configurations for games requiring a creative eye and a steady hand. Note, however, that it call for some preliminary preparation to fully enjoy: If a kid jumps in without orienting themselves, they'll be underwhelmed. Before getting started, carefully look over the game ideas printed on each box (they have names like Long Shot and Up and Over) with your kid. Once they find the ones they like and grasp how to play them, they're in for good old-fashioned fun that lets them make up their own games, too. I particularly appreciate the open-ended play the set encourages. I can see my son's wheels turning as he decides on the setup that will result in musical, xylophone-like sounds when the balls bounce squarely off the boxes.
A tall tube for tiny tinkering
By age 6, kids likely have a favorite building toy, whether it's Lego, Magna-Tiles, or classic wooden blocks. But the tiny, colorful Plus-Plus pieces offer kids something a bit different. Their unique, puzzle-piece-like shape (as the name suggests, they look like two connected plus signs) lets kids manipulate them into just about anything, from tiny figures to towering plinths. Ann Kienzle, owner of Play, a children's toy shop in Chicago, said the versatile nature of the Plus-Plus pieces makes them a good fit for creative young minds. Kids can puzzle together flat works of art or engineer three-dimensional constructions. Plus-Plus sells project-based kits (for building rocket ships, making jewelry, and more) as well as open-ended sets. We think this ultra-size tube, standing more than 3 feet tall and filled with 500 pieces, is likely to impress a young builder. (Note that the Plus-Plus pieces are tiny—about ½ by ¾ inch—and could pose a choking hazard for younger children.)
Party lights
What's not to love about a disco ball? This pair of small, inexpensive lamps can sit on a table or be mounted on a wall, giving you all the multicolor-light goodness of a classic disco ball without the huge hanging sphere and spotlights. The set even has sound-activated modes to pulse along with the beat of your kid's favorite songs. And you can use the included remote to change the lamps' light colors, patterns, and speed. (Note: Steer clear if you're choosing a gift for a kid who has seizures or photosensitivity.)
An on-track puzzle
The ThinkFun Roller Coaster Challenge is a puzzle that, when put together correctly, doubles as a working roller coaster. "The game gets kiddos working with their hands, thinking sequentially and logically, [and] problem-solving," said Jena Olson, president of the STEM educational nonprofit Kid Spark Education at the time of our interview. "It's also fun for grown-ups, which results in greater STEM learning due to having a mentor with the child." Strong readers who are up for the challenge can try following one of the 40 instruction cards by themselves, or they can play with an adult or simply use their imagination to construct roller coasters of their own design. The true test comes when a kid places the roller-coaster car on the tracks. Does it make it all the way down? Let the experimentation begin.
Catch the Hexbugs
Featuring the tiny, popular robotic insect called the Hexbug nano, Bugs in the Kitchen is a fast-paced board game that's all about strategy and speed. Each of up to four players chooses a corner as their bug trap. The game board is set up like a maze, with rotatable barriers in the shape of forks, knives, and spoons. Players take turns rolling a die to determine which utensils they can rotate, creating a path to trap the Hexbug in their corner, thereby winning the round. All the while, the automated Hexbug scuttles and jitters randomly across the board. Winning the game requires both forward thinking (planning out which maze pieces to turn) and quick reactions (to the constantly moving Hexbug). Shelley Simon, purchasing manager at Dr. G's BrainWorks in Champaign, Illinois, recommends this game for 6-year-olds because it's silly on the surface but teaches strategy—a new challenge for the big kid moving away from purely luck-based board games.
A DIY climbing wall
Some family friends have a super-active kid who loves obstacle courses and American Ninja Warrior–style shenanigans. To burn off some of that energy, they created a mini climbing wall over her bed using Climbing Monkey Rock Climbing Holds. The set comes with 25 colorful, multishaped holds and thick hex bolts you can secure to a compatible playscape or drill into a sturdy board for a DIY climbing wall. (The holds don't list a weight limit, but we found several reviews saying they felt secure enough for adults.) Just think: If you're willing to break out some power tools and get creative, you could turn your entire garage into a bouldering gym for the elementary-school set.
Over $50
Surf-style swinging
A family friend attached the Swurfer Original to their playscape last year, and our pack of high-energy little ones descended on it in a frenzy. Essentially just a sturdy wooden skateboard deck with ropes and handles attached, the Swurfer offers kids two options: Sit on it for a mellow, relaxing ride—or do what any junior thrill-seeker would do, and stand on the board to rock it to great heights. Control the ride's intensity by mounting the Swurfer to a standard swing set for younger kids or to a tree for older daredevils. The included 60-foot rope is long enough to hang the Swurfer from a 15-foot tree branch (10 to 15 feet is the optimum height; anything over 20 feet is considered "extreme"). It's easy to hang without a ladder by attaching a weighted object to the rope and tossing it over a branch (there's a demonstration video on YouTube). For a higher orientation, you can buy a longer rope.
A craft subscription box
KiwiCo Kiwi Crate (about $60 for a three-month subscription at the time of publication)
The Kiwi Crate, appropriate for kids ages 5 to 8, was our favorite of the boxed projects we tested for our guide to the best kids craft subscription boxes. Our kid testers found the activities in their Kiwi Crates engaging, and their parents thought they were clever. Parents also appreciated that some projects—like the mini pinball machine we tested—could be played with after kids made them, helping reduce useless craft clutter around the house. Rather than concentrating on traditional crafts, the kits focus on hands-on activities that explore science, technology, engineering, art, and math (an educational approach known as STEAM, which helps foster skills like critical thinking and problem-solving). For example, one kit used acids and bases to make art; another gave kids the materials to make a glowworm, so they learned about phosphorescence. We found that lower-elementary-age kids needed a grown-up's help with many projects, which overall we judged to be both appropriately challenging and original.
A rad pack
From metallic finishes to a simple yet distinctive strawberry-and-mint color block (pictured above), Kane Kids backpacks from State Bags make a practical but high-style gift for an elementary-school kid (they're a pick in our guide to the best kids backpacks for school). The 41 patterns and prints, feel more modern and sophisticated than those of backpacks typically geared toward children. The durable, 12-liter pack also offers plenty of space—enough to hold a 13-inch laptop—and a panel of pockets to organize a child's favorite little things.
The best scooter
We got my daughter a Micro Kickboard Maxi Deluxe scooter when she was around 6, and it quickly became as much a transportation tool as a plaything. She rides her scooter all around our hometown of Philadelphia, often for several miles at a stretch, as we go to parks or on other outdoor excursions. The scooter's large, smooth-rolling wheels, durable build, responsive steering, and accessible foot brake in the rear allow her to navigate city sidewalks and crossings safely and confidently. She also has plenty of fun zooming around the playground or joining neighbors for scooter rallies around our block. The Maxi Deluxe is Wirecutter's pick for the best kids scooter, and I'm confident it'll last us for many years, growing along with my daughter until she's well into her preteens and beyond (the scooter can carry 150 pounds, and the adjustable handlebar can accommodate a rider up to 5-foot-3). The Micro Kickboard Maxi Deluxe is also available in a foldable version (with LED lights), which is convenient for storing or toting around. You can see the full range of options on the Micro web site.
The speediest snow tube
The L.L.Bean Sonic Snow Tube offers the fastest, smoothest, and longest ride of all the snow toys we tested for our guide to the best sleds. Unlike most inner-tube-style sleds, the Sonic has a hard-shell bottom, allowing the rider to glide effortlessly over bumps and icy patches. Thanks to this sled's easy-to-grasp tow strap, even young sledders can haul it back to the top of the hill. The Sonic is easy to inflate, doesn't lose any air, and is just as good on icy snow as it is on fluffy powder. The one real hitch is the high price. But considering the sled's overall quality—not to mention the hours and hours of fun multiple Wirecutter families have had with this thing—we think it's worth the price for people who are going to be sledding regularly. The tube comes in large or extra-large and in six different fabric patterns.
A family membership to a local aquarium
An annual membership to a local natural history museum, zoo, or aquarium is a gift that can not only encourage family bonding but also support children's developing interests in specific subjects or critters. My son had already been fascinated by sea creatures, especially the predators of the marine bunch, for a couple of years when his grandmother gave him a membership to Chicago's Shedd Aquarium for his sixth birthday. At the time he carried one of a few shark toys with him everywhere, but visits to the aquarium—where they have more than 32,000 fish, sea creatures, and other animals—gave him a real way to explore the world of life under the sea. Like many aquariums nationwide, the Shedd doesn't just offer exhibits—it also provides experiences where kids can touch starfish, meet the sea otters, and even pet a penguin.
This article was edited by Ingela Ratledge Amundson and Kalee Thompson.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/gifts/best-toys-gifts-for-6-year-olds/
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