What Should 6-8 Year Old Kids Play

These tips will help you choose toys and play activities for your child based on their age or stage of development. Think about sharing them with your child’s other caregivers, too. These tips will help you choose toys and play activities for your child based on their age or stage of development. Think about sharing them with your child’s other caregivers, too.

• Enjoy large-muscle activities like jump rope, bike riding, roller blade games, ball games and hopscotch

• Make use of reading, writing and simple math in games and toys

• Prefer to play with same-sex friends

• Like riddles, jokes and using secret codes

• Play well with others and want to play fair

• Do not like to lose and may cheat to win

• May collect things (cards, dolls, etc.)

• Like dramatic play and putting on shows

• May be ready for athletic and team sports

• May want to start lessons in music, dance, drawing or crafts

  Toys to Use

• Two-wheeled bike

• Skate board and scooter

• Jump rope

• Complex gym sets with rings, bars, swings, ropes and slides

• Sports gear and balls

• Ski, snowboard, sled and hockey gear (with adult supervision)

• Roller blades and ice skates

• Horseshoes, croquet and badminton

• Ping-pong and foosball (from age 8)

• Sand and water play toys