The 14 Best Toys for 5-Year-Old Boys in 2020

For budding brainiacs this set of educational toys will give them the challenge they crave. There are seven toys in all, including an IQ puzzle ball, four different plastic puzzle balls, a metal puzzle and a wooden cube puzzle. They’re all designed to get kids to problem solve through reasoning and develop mental stamina as they try, try and try again until they solve them all.

An instruction guide is sent to parents via email, so that they can help if children get stuck along the way (phew!). As a special incentive, if they solve two puzzles in a row, parents can email before and after shots to the manufacturer for a special prize.

Your 5-year-old will love controlling his own robot that can sing, dance, walk and shoots foam discs all at the control of a remote. When you turn him on he responds "Greetings Master I await your command!", which will give your little man a thrill.

He can set up a little obstacle course and watch the robot maneuver around it as he shoots off the flying discs that will wow the whole family. Six double A batteries are needed to operate and are not included so be sure to have some on hand when he opens this gift. 

If you haven't introduced him to the world of LEGOs now is as good of a time as any. This set is for lovers of the movie Ninjango and lets tiny hands create a training area with weapon stand, breakable blocks, spinning training dummy, motorbike with detachable flame and flag and a shark car with movable fins and dual flick missiles.

This set is age-appropriate for 4 to 7-year-olds so they will enjoy this for a few years and can use pieces on old or new sets to come. ​

Budding anglers are sure to get excited about fishing with one of these rod-and-reel combination sets, which come with designs such as Marvel's Captain America, Disney's Cars, and Thomas the Tank Engine (there are 12 options total). The 30-inch length is comfortable for small hands, and the rod has a round knob, thumb button, and finger guard to help kids practice proper casting techniques.

5-year-old boys who receive this toy also get a mission: Save the treasure hunter, as well as his weapon and cache of gems, from the belly of this slimy alien. The slime can be reused for future sensory play, and the brand's collection includes 18 different aliens, all with different characters and jewels, so don't be surprised if this gift kicks off a trend in your house.

The iconic game Connect 4, which you probably also played as a kid, teaches children about strategizing and predicting, as well as the importance of winning and losing gracefully. Parents will be glad to know that just like in the old days, you can still release the chips so they fall from the rack with a satisfying clatter.

This set comes together with more than 500 pieces, and it's perfect for 5-year-old boys who can't get enough of the blaze-battling heroes and Legos. Four mini-figures are included: A fire chief, two firefighters, and a Dalmatian dog. One of the coolest features is the truck's special brick that flashes lights and plays siren sounds. The garage door opens and closes to allow the truck to come and go, and there's a separate water scooter (with its own dock) as well as a toy drone.

Looking for the perfect gift for a 5-year-old boy? These tracks can be used with other Hot Wheels sets, and 5-year-olds can customize their own layout by setting up races and stunt challenges, such as a boulder avalanche and two loop-de-loops. It also comes with a pullback launcher and two-way booster that enables cars to move in both directions, as well as one die-cast Hot Wheels car.

Plus-Plus construction kits are made up of flat, jigsaw-type pieces that can be used to build both 2D and 3D creations. (Imagine a Tetris game brought to life and you've got the idea.) This set comes with 240 brightly colored pieces as well as two baseplates. A clear carrying tube corrals the pieces when not in use.

If you are looking for a toy for a 5-year-old that will inspire creativity and help hone those STEM skills this fort builder is the ultimate buy. Like peanut butter and jelly, shoes and socks or gin and tonic, kids and forts just go together perfectly. Yes, they could build a structure using dining room chairs or a table, but this versatile kit makes it way more entertaining, with poles, connectors and an illustrated guide with inspiring ideas like a castle or igloo.

Learning music can boost motor and academic skills as well as brain development, and a sturdy, colorful guitar like this one, which is made in France, will make kids eager to get started. At 1.5 pounds and 2 feet long, it's a comfortable size for young rockers, and a replacement string is included if the gig gets too intense.

There are only so many times you can play soccer or frisbee in the park. This stomp rocket provides an engaging alternative toy for 5-year old boys and older who will love leaping onto the launcher and seeing how high they can get the foam missiles to fly (in some cases, more than 200 feet).

Botzees are buildable, programmable robots that can be mastered by kids ages 4 and up. They start by building their bot, using either one of the six existing designs or making up their own. Using the company's free app, they can then use coding commands to make their creation move, drum, dance, make sounds, and light up. Additional puzzles within the app teach trickier concepts like sequencing, looping, and conditional coding.