What's a good and yet modest present for a 5-year-old boy?

Legos are still popular with boys at that age. I would also say anything he can build himself simply and then play with: a balsa wood plane for example can still be a thrill.

Kapla apparently is a very popular toy for children in the Netherlands (Keva is a similar product in the USA).
What I bought for my ex’ son when he was around that age were a toy binoculars, microscope, and an insects magnifier.

A summer basket with bubbles, a kite, sidewalk chalk, a squirt gun and whatever else you want to toss in it.
– a bug basket/carrier with a flashlight and children’s book on bugs.
– as @Hawaii_Jake suggested Duplos

Meccano?

@Jeruba I really think a well chosen book is a delightful present for a child of that age. A wonderful story with beautiful illustrations that can be read with a parent is a joy for both the parent and the child. I still have books my children and I shared and some of them were gifts from other people. My children found a box of their old books the other day and sat reading through them with utter joy – like finding long, lost friends. They can also be kept and passed on to nephews, nieces and perhaps their own children or grandchildren.

I should say especially because there is a toddler in the house, a book is a one-on-one sharing experience between the parent and the child. Sometimes older children can feel a little left out with younger children around.

@Bellatrix I’m with you. A great book gets them hooked on reading early.

Regarding books, Richard Dawkins has written a children’s book titled The Magic of Reality: How We Know What’s Really True
It costs about 19 quid.

A “good” magnifying glass.

I vote for books also; how about the Maurice Sendak classics?

I just found “In the Night Kitchen,” passed on from my son John to my daughter. She had scribbled in pencil on the cover, “John is dum.”

I’m all for books. But I have no clue to what he already has, and I know he has a quantity of doting relatives, including at least two elementary school teachers. My message to the parents has gone unanswered. I think my best bet will be something that still has value even if it’s a duplicate rather than something that’s either unique or redundant.

This is pretty much of a family-duty occasion for me, and I’m mostly concerned with fulfilling the appropriate expectations.

If you can buy the books from a store near him, then his parents can exchange them if they’re dupes. That’s what we do for my little great-nephews. We buy books; they already own them; their parents then exchange them.

And oh the fun of choosing books for children. I would buy a book just so I could read through the latest offerings in the book store. I hope you find a wonderful present anyway @Jeruba.

What about a good old fashioned Playdoh factory or an Etch a Sketch or a game of Candyland…childrens classics!

I was going to suggest a gyroscope, as those things are fascinating to kids of all ages. But maybe 5–6 years old is still a bit young to really be interested in the apparent magic of a gyro. Along the same lines, I guess tops and yo-yos are still a bit out of his age range.

If you have any issues with the mother, then a drum set or finger paints would send a delightful message. (Delightful to the child, at least.)

CWOTUS saying gyroscope made me think of kaleidoscopes! I will always remember my dad buying me one when I had the mumps!

I normally I don’t vote against books but for a 5 year old… I think a 5 year old would rather have something they can do and play with. So… I am going to go with @Ela and the summer basket, particularly the bubbles and a bubble maker. I put together Easter baskets for my neighbor’s grandchildren this past Easter, they are 9, 7 and 5. The older two are girls and the 5 year old is a boy. I tried to personalize them, but to be fair. The 7 year old got a bubble maker in her basket and the 5 year old was really upset that he didn’t get one. It was actually kind of pitiful and I felt bad. At one point he crawled up into an armchair, with his Easter basket, and kept pawing through the plastic grass whimpering “Where’s my bubble maker?” as though there was still a chance there might be one in the basket and he just hadn’t found it yet. I just wanted to cry.

If the boy lives in the country, a slingshot would be a good toy. But it would have to be used under supervision. If he likes to fish you can get him his very own tackle box.

Oh, yeah, the tackle box. I want to go out tomorrow and get myself one, now! And I haven’t fished in decades.

I agree with some of the others that a kid of that age would rather have something to play with, and since summer is on its way and kids are playing outside a lot, I think an “outdoor fun” type of basket would be great! You could include some fun bubbles and sidewalk chalk as others have mentioned. I would also suggest an outdoor game (this one is a personal favorite) and toys like water balls that can be used at the pool. A beach toy set like this is also cheap and very fun, and it can also be used at the pool, in a sand box, or even in the back yard.

@CWOTUS Just keep the stuff in the tackle box. My garage and furnace room have somehow become minefields of these little buggers.. I’m not entirely sure how they escaped from my dad’s tackle boxes but they hide in nooks and crannies and attack me when I least expect it.

I would advise against a fully stocked tackle box for a 5 year old, particularly if there is also a toddler in the house. If the kid likes to fish, with a 5 year old, a parent or other adult, should bait the hook and then hand the rod to him, in my opinion, even if he is a country kid.

Playdough Fun Factory is a great idea. They have different themes and I think it’s a good gift for a boy or a girl.

I just had to buy a gift for a 5 year old’s party. Last night I was in the store and I bought one of those radio control cars, for about $20. Now I am reconsidering…....

Visit your local science museum’s gift shop, see what catches your eye. Maybe you can get him a geode or something like that.

I’m with @Nullo. Is there a Discovery store nearby? They have great stuff for all ages.