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TL;DR: There are many different types of gifts for a kindergarten graduation. Choose from financial gifts, gifts for summertime, gifts that help prepare for the first grade, or gifts that help remember these wonderful times.
Graduating from kindergarten is a major milestone in every child’s life.
And like most milestones, it deserves celebrating with great gifts!
What’s appropriate to give as graduation gifts for 5 year olds?
What are the best gifts before starting the first grade?
We put together a list of our favorite gifts for graduation, either kindergarten or preschool.
Up Ahead:
By the time kids graduate kindergarten, they start understanding what money is.
It’s time for them to have their own!
Having their own money can help them build a good relationship with money.
They can learn how to spend and to save for bigger goals. They can even start learning about making their own money.
The only question that remains is how much to give for a kindergarten graduation.
The answer depends on how close you are to the child and the type of gift.
This is similar to other graduation gift amounts.
Anywhere from just $10 to $20 would be a fortune to a five year old.
If you’re giving the gift directly to the child, for example as cash, lower amounts are ok.
Anywhere from just $10 to $20 would be a fortune to a five year old.
If your goal is to give a gift for a bigger purpose, for example for the child’s college fund, you can give a bit more.
Give larger amounts to the parents to make sure the funds go towards the child's future.
A good range could be anywhere from $20 to $100 and more, depending on how close you are to the child.
Grandparents typically give the most, followed by aunts, uncles, and close family friends.
Here are a few ways you can give financial gifts to kids to invest in their future.
Greatest Gift’s financial gifting platform turns cash gifts into investing in a child’s future.
It lets you easily send cash as a gift with purpose in a personalized way and set up a child for future success.
Gift receivers get to choose how to use the gift funds and are encouraged to save for the long term.
Monetary gifts can help kids and their parents reach financial goals. like saving for college, a future house down payment, a Disney trip fund, or general savings for the future.
Greatest Gift aims to empower parents and children through financial education and to drive gift receivers to action - save, invest, and teach.
With Greatest Gift you have the power to kickstart a kid’s financial future.
Send cash gifts with Greatest Gift
Giving cash is a tried-and-true way to give financial gifts.
Five-year-old kids value cash and find it easy to understand.
It’s hard for young kids to understand digital banking. They can definitely understand holding dollar bills.
You can choose to give a small amount in cash to the child just for the gift effect. Then give a more meaningful amount to the parents with Greatest Gift.
That way you get the excitement from the kid, but also get to invest in the child’s future.
A piggy bank or money box is a great gift option.
Kids can start saving their own money.
A piggy bank has the power to teach kids about saving money for bigger purchases.
Pretty soon their parents may start giving them an allowance, and they’ll need a place to keep it.
A piggy bank has the power to teach kids about saving money for bigger purchases.
Piggy banks come in all shapes, from cute and colorful to elegant and timeless.
Some money boxes even have separate containers for spending, saving, and giving.
Classic mid-sized plastic piggy bank
Save, spend, & share three piece savings box
A wallet can make kids feel accomplished and grown up.
From their perspectives, wallets are for grown-ups.
Graduating from kindergarten and receiving their own wallet can signal that they are ready to become big kids.
Classic velcro wallets for kids
This may be the last summer before real school work starts. Make it a memorable one!
You can give gifts to be used for the entire summer before first grade.
Summertime is the best time to get active.
Get kids started with a set of their (or your) favorite sport gear.
A basketball, soccer ball, baseball glove are all great options.
Anything parents can play with them in the park will work.
First baseball glove with foam ball for young players
A kite is a classic summertime toy that provides hours of fun at the park or the beach.
A great way to encourage children to get outside and enjoy the sunshine.
Easy to fly kite for beginners
Who doesn’t want a cold drink on a hot summer day?
Instill good work ethics and entrepreneurship in kids with a lemonade stand kit.
A lemonade stand is a fun summer project parents can make with their kids.
It teaches them all about work, customer service, and even how to make their own money.
Find a kit that has a banner, cups, and a pitcher.
Or you can make a kit yourself!
Don't forget to check out our list of lemonade stand ideas and tips.
Lemonade stand accessories - juicer
Pool and beach gear is a must for every summer.
Kids around the ages of five and six should be familiar with swimming.
Toys and gear for water activities will get kids excited about being in the water.
Beach balls, pool floats, and water guns are just a few of the items that can make a day at the pool or beach even more enjoyable.
Browse sand castle sets for the beach
Kids can start learning to play instruments when they turn five or six.
That’s when they have the attention span, dexterity, and finger strength to start playing.
If the child is interested in music, giving them their first instrument can be a great gift.
They can spend the summer learning how to play beautiful music.
Popular, appropriate instruments for young kids include keyboards, ukuleles, and recorders.
Graduating kindergarten and starting first grade is an exciting milestone for a child.
It’s the time for them to take their first steps into the journey of formal education.
Celebrate the milestone and help children prepare for the next phase with the following gifts.
A new backpack is an exciting and practical gift for an up and coming first grader.
It can help them feel prepared and organized for the school year ahead.
Ask the parents for help to find the most exciting backpack for the kid.
Workbooks can be fun and educational.
They help children review and build on what they learned in kindergarten.
They prepare them for the challenges of first grade.
They also provide hours of activities for the long summer break.
Make sure to get age-appropriate workbooks that cover subjects such as math, reading, and writing for end of kindergarten level.
You can also get first grade level workbook for kids who want to get the upper hand on their education.
Summer brain quest series book for kindergarten summer break
Summer Bridge Activities workbook before first grade
School Zone series book for kindergarten and first grade
Hidden pictures puzzle workbook
Similar to workbooks, coloring books offer hours of joy for kids.
They can color in their favorite characters. Some coloring books also offer additional activities and educational content.
Choose books with themes the child knows and loves for the best effect.
Browse target's collection of coloring books
Kids at the end of kindergarten can start practicing to read on their own. Take any kid to a bookstore or library and watch the excitement happening.
Some books are made especially for kids to practice reading with an adult. Before the first grade, look for the level one reading level books.
For Younger kids look for My First Shared Reading level books.
You’ll find kid favorite characters like Pinkalicious and the Berenstain Bears.
Level one reading book - Berenstain Bears
Level one reading book - Pinkalicious
Collection of level one reading books
Reading games can be a fun way to help children develop their reading skills.
There are many games that focus specifically on improving children’s reading skills.
From recognizing letters, to learning new words, reading focused games provide education and entertainment.
Some gifts help create memories from special occasions like a graduation. These keepsake gifts serve as reminders of one of the best periods of children’s lives.
Stuffed graduation bears, Barbies, or even a graduation Pikachu are a fun way to commemorate this special day.
They’ll serve as reminders of the day and the people they celebrated it with – yourself included.
Browse graduation bears on Amazon
A polaroid camera is a fun way for kids to capture memories on their own.
It’s also a fun activity to do with friends and family.
A great gift for kids that love doing everything themselves.
They can use it to capture memories all summer long.
Photo albums can be filled with their pictures of treasured moments.
If you have pictures from the past year with the little graduate, you can develop some of them and add in the album.
Photo albums are a beautiful and timeless way to preserve memories of your child's kindergarten graduation.
Disney is known worldwide for enchanting stories and beloved characters.
It's also a popular choice for introducing kids to the world of investing.
Many adults choose buying and giving Disney stock to plant the seed of financial literacy early on.
With these kindergarten and preschool graduation gift ideas, you're sure to find the perfect way to celebrate this milestone.
Show kids how proud you are of their accomplishments with a great gift.
With Greatest Gift, you can also give the gift of savings and help set a child up for a secure financial future.
Activities and workbooks provide hours of entertainment.
Gifts for the long summer are fun and fill up the summer with tons of activities.
Keepsake gifts will remind kids about their early childhood later in life.
Whatever gift you choose, enjoy this day, and celebrate with the little graduate.
Happy gifting!
I love how easy it is to give a meaningful gift to the kids and tots in my life!
It means a lot to me that I can contribute to their future, and Greatest Gift makes the experience seamless and fun.
Alana S.
Our son just turned two. We created his gifting page with Greatest Gift and shared it on the birthday evite. The results were amazing! We received 12 gifts that will be going to his college fund and savings.
Love this platform.
Daniel A.
We have a 2-year-old and another baby on the way, and we love Greatest Gift’s discover section. I look forward to learning about the right financial tools to help build their future and set them up for success financially.
Hillan K.
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