Hi all,

I, the muddle-headed god parent still need a present for my god child's fifth birthday and I have no really good idea what I should wrap into some nice colorful papers.

Any ideas? What does your grand child, god child, or own child like at that age?

Sorry, strictly excluded are electronic toys. But it can be a bit "freakish" in the end I am also the unconsidered god parent which can do a bit beyond the usual. For example last year he got a Swiss pocket knife (and a binocular for Christmas).

Another clueless aunt and godparent here.

At that age, the young'uns loved science or 'building' related toys. (Parents approved too.)

And dinosaurs.

So one of the big hits was a series of archeology toys, kits where the child excavates dinosaur bones and then builds the skeleton. At 5, perhaps best done with an adult, so along with the kit I took the kiddies to Chicago's Field Museum to see the dinosaur skeletons, along with an age-appropriate learning experience. Then we played archeologist together and built our skeleton. If the child is in Switzerland, the Dinosaur museum is fun.)

This isn't quite the same kit (as it was years ago) but similar:
https://pastorini.ch/de/A~231.309/Au...tops-11-teilig

The same concept can be done for any age-appropriate model kit, whatever the child finds fascinating. The Verkehrsmuseum and model trains, for instance.

A trip to Pastorini is always worth it - and whenever I felt lost, the sales people were always ready to help clueless tangentially related adults.


ETA:

Pastorini has a search by age function - mighty handy for adult gift givers. I took a peek at the 5+ suggestions, and one caught my eye that I wish had been available back then: Matador wooden element building sets, which allow the child to build planes, cars, fortresses, etc.
https://pastorini.ch/de/3~410600~sor...lter/5_?pno=22

Also recommended for kids 5+: Kites. Or stilts. Or a child's wooden bow and (rubber suction tipped) arrow set. My sisters would have killed me if I'd bought the last for my nieces and nephews... but I know the kiddiwinks would have been thrilled. That's the fun of being the 'cool' godparent.

Kapla is pretty good for that age. Not plastic and requires them to use their imagination.

https://www.manor.ch/de/shop/spielwa...yAAEgIch_D_BwE

I second dinosaurs

Sue is cool

Here we have the Saurier Museum Aathal and there is also one in the Frick.

In the past we went to a quarry to dig for ammonites.

Fun fact: Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago has a Swiss Jolly Ball which like the Tourist Flipper in the Swiss Verkehrshaus Lucerne was designed by Charles Morgan.

Right. Just reminds me that niece and nephew simply used parquet flooring tiles.

I'd second the dinosaur museum; also a present for the parents if you take him :-)

On the excavation toy, they vary in practicality. My daughter got one which came with a plastic hammer and chisel but the "dig" seemed to be made out of real stone. After we got very tired of incessant banging and no progress I had to help take it apart with the real tools.

I always prefer books as gifts for my son. There are some nice science-oriented ones for kids around 5 years-old (e.g. National Geographic kid's books, etc.).

Another gift idea would be a Rubik's Cube. It's not electronic (though it is plastic), and Rubik's Cubes can help kids learn some logic skills and would be something that they would still probably play with a few years from now.

Recently, we've really been getting into the ThinkFun games, like "Rush Hour," which also help teach kids logic skills and is something they can play by themselves.

Playmobiles are a must at my place. My kids usually go for a theme (at the moment it’s the construction site) and family members all offer a pack corresponding to the theme. They then pool their packs together and can have fun for ages. Even my 14yo is still playing!

Playmobil. Air drying clay. Lots of water toys and pool toys. Gun for blowing bubbles and liters of bubble soap. Board games that make noise or require funny role playing. A reading aid pen and books. Paints, apron, brushes. Anything to record oneself with and a microphone. Real music school xylophone. Simple keyboard. Harmonica.

Suggestion - An outing or activity together

Visit to the zoo, to a children's musical performance, on a journey by train or ship (limit the duration to be age-appropriate), a day building something together, a movie with a biiiig box of popcorn, etc. Go cycling (or teach the child to ride a bike), go swimming or to a water park (and teach the child to swim).

Oh, I forgot. Kinetic sand. Hard to explain, but kids can spend hours being creative with the stuff.

Kinetic sand is awesome.

With my kids you wouldn't have to go over the top. I know it might be overdone but my kids are into Lego building since they were very little (first with Lego Duplo then Lego City etc) and they're always happy to get new sets and mini figures. Other than that, books, puzzles, musical instruments, big stuffed toys, they can't have enough of them.

If it wasn't for covid-19, I'd have recommended you to take your nephew and niece to a show like this. Or to a Legoland. Maybe next year.

http://www.maerchenbuehne.ch

Lego.

KidiZoom Creator Cam


Now children like to shoot everything on camera. In addition, this toy can help develop a rather useful skill.


Or Lego. Lego is always good

Thank you so much for all your ideas and inputs.

I found something: A box with various experiments which we can perform together. https://www.kosmos.de/experimentierk...imentierkasten
this will be extended with a visit to the Technorama Winterthur.
https://www.technorama.ch/en/home


If he becomes interested in experiments and such we can drive it further and further.

I liked the chemistry kits. esp. the ones where you could make explosions or start fires.

Or the moonshining ones.

Seriously cool! He's one lucky kid.