First, let me say Happy Holidays! If you are here shopping for a birthday gifts for 5, 6, or 7 year old boy or girl this list should help you too!

Second, if your shopping for a 5-7 year old boy or girl I think your very wise to be looking for natural toys and gifts. While big box stores have lots of plastic that blinks and beeps, by now I am guessing you know those toys don’t tend to last a season, never mind a year or longer. Many of the items I love in the natural toy world however do last a long time and become treasured toys to pass down! Of course the bonus is that natural toys tend to help the environment.

The ages before and after the change of teeth are very special ones. If you are a waldorf inspired family though you already know this. Children go from being in a world of make-believe where the world revolves around them to making a jump into another world where they see things differently. Early childhood is 0-7 years and Middle childhood is 7-14. At the end of early childhood children should have mastered their bodies and be ready for the world of academics. In this list you will find items I think will help with movement so you can make sure the child is ready in body, and items that they are getting ready for that will help with their minds. You know the child best though and of course, feel free to leave a comment with your ideas and thoughts!

10 Best Natural Toys that make wonderful gifts!

Knitting Mushroom — This tool toy is great for a boy or girl, while knitting is often seen as a girl hobby in the waldorf world it is practical fun used to help children see the reality of clothing and warmth, and it helps with fine motor skills. Did I mention it is fun? The one we linked to is part of a whole kit and includes everything needed and more!

Balance Board Labyrinth — Gross motor skills are still a focus for this age group and this toy adds a great element for balancing fun. This one is for ages 5+ and can hold an adult up to 270lbs! Both young and old will love this and again, chances are you can pass it down!

Wooden Stilts! Moving is still a priority for this age group, and they need more of a challenge now so this could be perfect! If you’re like me you see the potential danger, a fall. When I look past the fear though I see that like a bike this could be worth the risk. Not to mention there is a quick learning curve with these.

Costumes! — Pretend play is very important for this age group, children especially seem to enjoy fairy tale pretend with knights and princesses, dragons and fairies! Play silks are still loved in these areas for many children for many reasons so wouldn’t overlook them!

Geometric Shape Tack Set – This set is interesting and I will say what should not have to be said anyway, it is a toy that needs supervision! It is fun, lets children hammer and they love doing this. I believe it meets a primal need in them. They can make very interesting things with the shapes and after putting all the other pieces away they can display their art on a mantel place or bookshelf!

Doll Houses! Well in this case a wooden tree house made from sustainable wood. Children at this age like to play house and small scale toys let them do it. Gather some cute gnomes or little wooden family members or felt animals and let them take it from there!

Candle Craft Kit — As this age group loves to create and does not yet have a lot of patience for sitting still this kit is wonderful. It is easy for them to roll candles and decorate as well and then they have a candle that can be burned at dinner that night even. Don’t just make them, use them!

Quality Water Color Set – One of the things our kids needed during our Waldorf inspired homeschool educational years was quality art supplies. This set has long been loved and cherished and the kids were always excited to use it! 

Co-operative board games! — This game is a game that lets all players win together, not a game against one another. There are a lot of these kinds of games if you know how to hunt for them, however, chances are you will not find any in a big box store so look online. I think as a society we overlook co-operation in our childhoods and instead jump right into competing with one another. In a workforce that is looking more and more for people who can work in groups and in a world where taking care of one another in community is a rare gift, I think these games are vital, especially for this age range.

Play with your children! If you find that you gifted a toy and it is not being enjoyed, play with it yourself, enjoy it, and when I do this inevitably I have children around me suddenly wanting to play too and sometimes even asking me if they can have a turn alone. There are many ways to bring life into new toys or back into old toys! Be creative. Play is important for grown-ups too!

Lastly, most of the above photos came from my favorite online shop, atoygarden.com and another lovely shop www.hazelnutkids.com and a few from blueberryforest.com. Please know that I have no connection to these shops other than as a customer who loves natural toys!