Christmas gifts for a 6 year old: 57 picks from a paediatric OT
Christmas gifts for a 6 year old: 57 picks from a paediatric OT
Here are my Christmas gift picks for six-year-olds, grouped by type of play. Strategy games, crafts, LEGO and STEM picks for kids who are ready for a bit more challenge.
Prices checked October 2026, and they change often. Some links are affiliate links, so I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. More at the bottom.
Board and strategy games
6 giftsGames with a bit more thinking in them: planning ahead, strategy and problem solving.
A great strategy game, with chances for strategic thinking, problem solving and turn taking. Being two-player, it's a good level while they're still getting used to games with rules.
I love the theme. An early board game linked to a real life skill, going shopping. That's a win.
A great strategy board game for kids who are showing more of an interest in board games, or dragons.
It's got some strategy to it, and you can work on it together. 40 challenge cards, from beginner to expert.
A cooperative one I bought recently, and it's been so loved by all the kids I've played with. Particularly successful for happy sibling sessions, with no arguing and everyone working together.
You may have heard of Ticket to Ride, a popular strategy board game. First Journey is the kids' version: claim train routes across the map to connect your cities. Planning ahead, strategy and turn taking.
Quick games and card games
6 giftsFast, easy-to-learn games that get everyone laughing.
Matching, counting, taking turns, and the very satisfying chain reaction when you line them up and knock them down.
Asking yes/no questions and narrowing it down. Great for thinking skills and communication.
This is always the type of game that gets people laughing and having fun together.
Quite a practical game. Easy to follow, easy to learn, and you don't have to wait long for your turn.
The same yes/no questions game, with Pokémon characters.
The classic buzzing tweezers game, and great for fine-tuning tool skills. In my OT brain, it links directly to using tweezers with more precision, and it's good practice for hand-eye coordination and the small hand movements used for writing and drawing.
Drawing, art and crafts
15 giftsFor kids who love making things. I find the more fun, different ways you have to draw and write, the better engagement you'll get than with just regular pencil and paper. And you can't go wrong with charm or friendship bracelets at this age.
Glowing reviews, and a great one to buy as an inexpensive gift or for travel.
Draw dry, then go over it with a wet brush and watch it change. Two techniques in one pencil.
Inexpensive and great for travel. It can be quite a mindful activity, but I'd only gift this to a child who will sit for a while and work on one crafty project, which probably isn't every kid.
A super cute activity where kids use their creativity to express their style. Relatively inexpensive, so great if you're on a budget.
Draw courses, trace bodies, play hopscotch, write letters. Chalk is one of those things that buys hours of outdoor creative play.
Great for kids who are into craft, and a good one to take out and about.
A great one for kids who are showing an interest in craft. Great for learning to follow instructions and practicing precision and folding.
A great make-your-own charm set. Also cute for making key rings or decorations.
A great comprehensive kit with pencils, textas, crayons and some paper. Pull it out, then pack it all away into the case when they're finished.
A fun one for making different designs, for kids who are really into their craft creations.
Decorate the little characters and give them personalities, then wash them off in the little bathtub and start again.
For craft lovers. They put tiny beads together to make a creation, then you iron it and the heat sticks the beads together.
A big kit of iron-on beads. Build the design on a pegboard, iron it, and the beads stick together.
Bracelet making is back this year, and it's fine motor work from start to finish.
Draw in the air and it sets solid. It uses a low-heat eco-plastic rather than standard filament, and 3Doodler rate it 6 to 13.
LEGO and building
7 giftsWhen they're ready to move up from big bricks, a box of LEGO is a good way to try it out and see if they're into it.
A pocket-money LEGO set that is very cute. Small enough to finish in one sitting.
A lovely alternative to ordinary blocks. Open-ended, so what gets made is up to them.
Smaller bricks for more complicated builds. It comes with a booklet of things to build, so they can try free play or follow the instructions. A well-priced kit to give LEGO a go, and if they love it, you can build the collection from there.
Suction cup building pieces that stick to any smooth surface: bathroom tiles, windows, the fridge. Really creative.
Bigger box for kids who've outgrown the starter set.
Cardboard construction for little engineers. Creativity, teamwork and sustainable play.
Science, coding and how things work
7 giftsFor science-minded kids, and the ones with a "how does that work?" brain.
An excellent lift-the-flap book for kids who are constantly asking how things are built. Lots of cars, trucks, planes and cranes, so great for more mechanically minded kids.
I find science experiments really engaging for a lot of kids. If your child likes mixing things and watching them react and change colour, this is a great pick: DIY volcanoes, and blowing up a balloon without using your breath.
Critical thinking, early coding and problem solving. Set up a puzzle or maze, then plan the instructions to give the mouse so it gets through.
Build real circuits that light up and spin. The box says 8+, but some reviews say six-year-olds had a blast with an adult helping. If they're super interested in science and putting things together, they might master it.
An upgraded marble run. Although it says 8+, reviews say six-year-olds have absolutely loved this set, so judge it on what your child is into.
A good step up for kids who are getting into robots, coding and STEM.
Build the tube system, drop a ball in, watch where it comes out. Then change it and try again.
Active and outdoor play
8 gifts
Throwing and catching a frisbee is harder than it looks. Expect a lot of chasing at first.
One of the most versatile cheap toys going. Lightsaber battles, tug of war, tow a scooter board, build forts, balance beams. Endless.
Lay them out and step through the rungs, then change the pattern. Works inside on a rainy day.
Two launch pads, two kids, stomp at the same time and see whose goes higher. Four rockets, no batteries, up to about 60 metres.
A fun one that not many people think of, because they're not really in the toy category. They can be used for so many games, and they're great for practicing clear communication.
A great way to get them moving while building skills: hand-eye coordination, aiming and the motor skills that go with it.
Backyard cricket for the summer holidays. Throwing, catching and hitting, and a great way to get everyone outside.
An Aussie summer backyard classic. Great for hand-eye coordination and getting them outside.
Sensory and calm-down
4 giftsFor kids who need something to squeeze, stretch, fidget with or flop on to stay calm and focused.
Silks for play are one of the most underrated toys, and a great part of any open-ended play kit. Floor is lava, tug of war, building a scene for role play. Endless uses.
Stretch them, wrap them, link them together. Great for kids who need tactile input and something to do with their hands.
This one is just the egg, but click through and look at related products: Crazy Aaron's has lots of different putties. I like the search and find ones, with little pieces hidden inside to look for. Quite mindful, as well as being a fidget. Great for kids who are into slime or benefit from having something to do with their hands.
A weighted plush that sits across the lap or shoulders. Heavy, soft, and it looks like an ordinary toy.
Stories and talking
4 gifts
Prompts to make a story around. Enough structure to get going, loose enough to go anywhere.
Roll the dice, see what you get, make up the rest. Great for kids who love a story, and for building one out loud together.
Screen-free audio player kids can control themselves. Stories, music, sleep sounds. Families love these.
Really popular. I don't have one myself, but I've seen countless parents rave about it. A great screen-free way for kids to listen to music and stories.
Next: Christmas gifts for a 7 year old →
Some links in this post are Amazon affiliate links, and Kidera earns a small commission if you buy through one. It costs you nothing extra and it doesn't change what makes the list. Nobody has paid to be here. Prices were read off Australian retailer pages in September and October 2026.
Brittany has been registered with AHPRA for nearly nine years and has run her own practice for five, working with kids and their families across homes, schools and her clinic. Clinical days are Monday to Wednesday. Thursdays and Fridays she builds Kidera, the child development brand she founded in Perth.
What she doesn't do here: diagnose anything, or tell you what your particular child needs. If something about your child's development is nagging at you, the person to talk to is someone who can actually watch them play, your GP, your child health nurse, or an OT who can do a proper assessment.
Kidera is at kidera.com.au.
Brittany is a paediatric occupational therapist who has been registered with AHPRA for nearly nine years, working with kids and their families across homes, schools and her own clinic in Perth.
Through Kidera she shares her toy picks alongside OT tips for supporting children through play, skill development and goals, drawing on her professional experience and her own opinion. The aim is a community where parents feel supported and confident navigating raising kids, and where other professionals can pick up something useful too.
These are general, evidence-informed strategies. They're not a diagnosis and not a substitute for assessment by a registered health practitioner.
