HABA Orchard (Obstgarten) cooperative game
3–6 years
A cooperative dice game with 40 wooden fruits: everyone picks fruit together before the raven reaches the tree.
Ages 6 and up
Gift ideas for 6-year-old girls and boys
Six is a big year, with school just starting or newly started. Here are gift ideas for 6-year-olds, sorted by type, plus tips for choosing well.
The links lead to Amazon. We receive no payment for them.
Games
noris Fang die Maus (catch-the-mouse reaction game)
4–8 years
A small reaction game for ages 4 and up, suitable as a small gift or a visit present.
Ravensburger Junior Labyrinth
4–7 years
The children’s version of the Labyrinth game from Ravensburger.
Zoch Zicke Zacke Hühnerkacke (Kinderspiel des Jahres 1998)
4–8 years
A race-and-memory game that won the German Kinderspiel des Jahres award in 1998.
Game Factory Die magischen Schlüssel (magic keys dice game)
5–9 years
A dice game about magic keys.
HABA Funkelschatz (Kinderspiel des Jahres 2018)
5–8 years
A game that won the German Kinderspiel des Jahres award in 2018.
Schmidt Spiele Kinderspiel-Klassiker (game collection)
5–9 years
A collection of well-known games in one box: a gift for families who like trying different games.
Schmidt Spiele Kniffel Kids in a metal tin
5–9 years
Kniffel for children in a metal tin: a take-along game and a small gift.
KOSMOS Catan Junior
from 6 years
The children’s version of the well-known game Catan: collect resources and build.
Die Schule der magischen Tiere: Nicht zu fassen! (German)
from 6 years
A game based on the German children’s book series Die Schule der magischen Tiere. The box is in German.
Building & construction
Ravensburger GraviTrax Junior Starter Set XXL Planet
3–6 years
A marble run set for beginners: children build the track themselves and see where the marble goes. A bigger gift for tinkering.
Magnetic building blocks, 120 pieces with 2 cars
3–8 years
A bigger magnetic set with two cars: build first, then drive them. Check the age rating, because swallowed magnets are dangerous.
Magnetic building blocks, 45 pieces
3–7 years
Magnetic blocks that click together by themselves, for towers, houses and imaginative builds. Check the age rating, because swallowed magnets are dangerous.
LEGO City Fire Rescue Boat 60373
6–9 years
A fire rescue boat to build and play with: act out rescue missions. For children who like vehicles.
LEGO City Rescue Plane 60465
6–9 years
A rescue plane to build and play with: assemble it, then invent missions. A bigger gift for vehicle fans.
LEGO Friends Cat Birthday with Treehouse 42666
6–9 years
A LEGO set with a treehouse and cats: build first, then play. A gift for children who like animals and stories.
LEGO Friends Horse and Foal with Trailer 42695
6–9 years
A set with a horse, foal and trailer: build, then act out horse stories. For any child who loves animals.
Learning & discovering
Ravensburger tiptoi starter set: My World (German)
3–6 years
Pen and book: children tap the pictures and hear sounds and explanations. In German, so good for bilingual families or learners of German.
Ravensburger Schulanfang pad: First Reading (German)
6–7 years
A practice pad for starting school on the theme of first reading. A small gift. In German, so good for learners of German.
Ravensburger Schulanfang pad: Concentration (German)
6–7 years
A practice pad for starting school on the theme of concentration. A small Einschulung gift. In German.
Crafts & drawing
Smowo Mega craft set with mixed materials
4–9 years
A craft box with mixed materials. Children can create freely and try out their ideas, which is good for rainy days.
folia fuse beads starter set
5–9 years
A starter set for laying out colourful patterns that are then fused with an iron. Ironing is a job for adults. A calm craft gift.
KOSMOS Knüpfstern (band-knotting craft kit)
5–9 years
A craft kit for knotting bands: a small make-it-yourself gift.
Pelikan K12 opaque paint box with white and 3 brushes
from 6 years
A paint box with opaque white and three brushes, also useful for art lessons.
Shuttle Art art set, 106 pieces
from 6 years
An art set with coloured pencils, pastel crayons and watercolours: lots to try out. In Germany it also suits a school-starter gift (Einschulung).
Smowo fuse bead set with 10,000 beads
from 6 years
A big fuse bead set with pegboards: plenty of material for lots of patterns, a bigger craft gift. Ironing is a job for adults.
Books
Leserabe: Dinoabenteuer (German early reader)
6–7 years
A German-language early reader for the first year of primary school, with dinosaur stories. Good for bilingual families or learners of German.
Leserabe: Monstergeschichten (German early reader)
6–7 years
A German-language early reader with monster stories. Good for bilingual families or learners of German.
Leserabe: Der verhexte Schulranzen (German early reader)
6–7 years
A German-language early reader about a bewitched school bag, fitting for starting school. Good for bilingual families or learners of German.
Outdoors & movement
ABUS Smiley 3.0 children's bike helmet
3–7 years
A children’s bike helmet and a practical gift for the Einschulung (first school day in Germany). Check the right size.
HABA Terra Kids LED torch
from 6 years
A torch for den builders and explorers. A small gift for Nikolaus (St Nicholas Day, 6 December) or any time.
Walkie-talkie set for kids, 2 units with battery
from 6 years
Two radios for secret messages in the garden or while playing outdoors. They make role play with several children more exciting.
Listening
Toniebox starter set with Creative-Tonie
3–7 years
An audio player that children can operate themselves. The Creative-Tonie can hold your own recordings, such as a bedtime story from Grandma or Grandpa. Check the language of any extra Tonies before buying.
Tech & cameras
Kids' camera with instant print and 32 GB card
from 5 years
A camera with instant printing: children take photos and hold the pictures straight away.
Small party favours
Kaleidoscopes as party favours for children's birthdays
from 4 years
A set of kaleidoscopes to hand out at the end of a party: small take-home gifts that show children colourful patterns.
Party favour set for children's birthdays, 60 pieces
from 4 years
A set of 60 small items for party bags: handy when many guests come and each child should take something home.
For many children, life changes noticeably around the age of six. In Germany this is when school begins, often marked by a Schultüte, a large paper cone filled with small presents. Wherever you live, there are new friends, new routines and longer days. The gifts below are grouped by type, so you can quickly see whether games, building, reading or something creative fits.
Gifts for girls and boys aged 6: start with the child
Whether a child sorts dinosaurs, makes friendship bracelets, kicks a ball or paints for an hour is a matter of personality, not of gender. If you are looking for gifts for 6-year-olds, the easiest route is to think about what the child last talked about with real excitement. Ask a parent, or simply notice what they choose to do when nobody is steering them.
What many children this age enjoy
- first simple games with rules, built around dice, colours or counting
- building and constructing with bricks, sticks or natural materials
- picture books with more text, and first books to read alone
- discovery boxes about animals, stones or the weather
- crafts, drawing and making things with lots of different materials
None of this is a rule. Some six-year-olds read fluently, while others prefer to be read to, and both are perfectly fine.
What to look for when buying
The manufacturer's age recommendation is a good first guide. If it is well above the child's age, the gift may frustrate; if it is below, it can feel babyish. A game with short rounds and clear rules usually works better for children who are only just learning to read than one with a thick rulebook. Gifts that two or three people can enjoy together tend to be played with more, because at this age many things are simply more fun with company. If younger siblings share the house, check for small parts.
Gifts you do not have to unwrap
Time together often stays in memory longer than one more toy. Think of a day at the zoo, a trip to the swimming pool, a tent night in the garden, a baking afternoon with grandparents or a visit to the library with a card of their own.
A practical note: the links go to Amazon Germany (amazon.de), which delivers to many countries.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a good gift for a child starting school at 6?
- Something that suits the new chapter, such as a first book to read alone, a family game or craft materials. A shared outing around the first school day is also popular with many children.
- Are there gifts that are only for girls or only for boys?
- No. What a child enjoys depends on their interests. It is more helpful to look at what the child likes doing than at colours or packaging.
- How do I use the age recommendation?
- You will usually find it on the box and in the product description. Treat it as a guide, since some children enjoy things made for slightly older ages and others stay with simpler games longer.
- Should I choose a gift with a screen?
- That is for the parents to decide, so ask them first. For many six-year-olds, games, books and craft supplies are plenty.
On wimolino you will also find colouring pages and learning games for this age. Go to the learning games · Go to the coloring pages