Choosing The Best Nerf Gun For a Small Child
Finding the best Nerf gun for a small child can be challenging. Children as young as 4 and 5 tend to get shorted, however, even the 6 year olds are not exempt because the guns that are available have age restrictions that can act as a deterrent. This can leave parents second-guessing themselves as to whether or not their child will be able to use the blaster they’ve selected.
So I thought I would take a moment and bring to light some of the features you should be looking for to ensure your child will get the most out of their new toy. The last thing you want is to purchase a blaster that takes away from your child’s ability to have fun.
FINDING THE BEST NERF GUN FOR A SMALL CHILD IS OUR GOAL
Our goal here is to help you make the best possible choice and to put a Nerf gun into the hands of your son or daughter that they can enjoy. Success is measured in time spent running around being active, using their imaginations and just having fun. The last thing we want to do is hand them a toy they struggle to play with.
I’m going to show you how to narrow down your selection by looking for specific features that are child friendly. Many of these features are overlooked by consumers or perhaps never considered in the buying process.
If I keep you entertained long enough I promise to put some of my recommendations throughout this page. All will be well suited in the hands of your little ones. There will be some teasers along the way that even children as young as 4 & 5 years old will be able to enjoy.
THE BEST NERF GUN FEATURES FOR SMALL CHILDREN
Size & Weight
Don’t be fooled! The size and weight of the blaster does matter and can have an impact on the safety of your child. Start them off small and see how they adapt. If they’re running lopsided like a car out of alignment the gun is too big.
Loading & Reloading
Loading and Reloading a Nerf gun is something that will be done with absolute repetition. Knowing what to look for can help smooth out that process. Keep it simple, especially if it’s their first gun.
Priming & Operation
The process of priming the gun is a very important piece of the puzzle. If you get this part wrong it’s not the end of the world. I’m certain that your child will love their new blaster regardless.
SMALL & LIGHTWEIGHT NERF GUNS WORK BEST FOR SMALL KIDS
A BRIEF MOMENT OF HONESTY THAT ALL PARENTS KNOW TO BE TRUE
Children are prone to accidents. Never underestimate their ability to run full speed into the hardest object they can find. An unfortunate reality that we live in as parents and why the size & weight of Nerf guns are important. If not careful this feature alone can cause some safety concerns. It’s also much nicer to admire your children’s entertainment from this side of the emergency room doors.
The best Nerf gun you can put into a young child’s hands is one that doesn’t require both of them. Try to avoid large or bulky guns. Anything that requires two hands can be challenging at this age because it takes away from their natural coordination. A child with one free hand is a safer child at play. If they do happen to trip and fall (and they will, eventually) they have a free hand ready while they brace for impact.
THE BEST SOLUTIONS FOR KIDS ARE PISTOL STYLE NERF GUNS
Go with a smaller pistol style Nerf gun. This will alleviate the size and weight issue altogether. Small pistols can be held in one hand while the other hand helps them maintain their vertical integrity. One-handed blasters will feel less awkward for them to play with and will allow them to run around naturally without hindering to much of their mobility.
The MicroShots Hammershot shown here is a great example of a Nerf gun that’s small and only weighs a couple of ounces. This is one of the top blaster options for children 4 and 5 years old.
ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS TO CONSIDER ABOUT YOUNG KIDS USING NERF GUN PISTOLS
When the time comes to upgrade, and it will, handgun style Nerf guns will continue to be a vital part of your children’s collection. They may lose their luster for a short time but I guarantee before long these pistols will find their way back into the lineup. If I’ve learned anything over the years it’s this one simple fact. Bigger guns are not always more fun. Kids love to run and the best Nerf gun for a small child to have is one that won’t trip them up as they run full speed through the living room.
POPULAR MICROSHOTS NERF GUNS THAT WORK WELL FOR SMALL KIDS
MARVEL
"SPIDER-MAN"
Spider-Man has always been a safe bet as a gift and the wonderful thing about MicroShots is that everything you need to know can be seen from the image. This Nerf gun is small, single fire and has pull handle primer. It’s all there.
FORTNITE
"TS"
Fortnite has grown to be one of the most popular video games of the next 5 minutes. All kidding aside. These Nerf guns are highly popular and get awesome customer reviews. I’m fairly certain your child will recognize this gun.
OVERWATCH
"TRACER"
Overwatch is another video game that has gained enough momentum to spawn some Nerf guns. Very popular and super easy to use, however, at times the pull handles on these guns can be difficult for some 4 year old children.
THE TOP NERF GUNS FOR SMALLER KIDS ARE EASY TO RELOAD
NERF GUNS THAT ARE EASY TO RELOAD WILL KEEP KIDS PLAYING LONGER
Complicating the way a blaster is loaded can put a strain on your child’s ability to have a good time. It’s more noticeable with younger children as opposed to the older ones who are better able to handle magazine, drums other such obstacles. For this reason the best Nerf gun for a small child is one that’s easy to load and reload. The goal is to avoid a situation where your child has to find help every time they want to reload their blaster.
NERF BLASTERS THAT LOAD FROM THE FRONT ARE THE TOP CHOICE FOR CHILDREN
Front load blasters are your best choice. This feature allows them to load the darts directly into the barrel of the gun. This is much easier for a young child because it’s a one step process that requires little effort or coordination. Plus it’s safer for your child to run around with a pocket full of darts than to lug around a bunch of bulky magazines.
The idea here is to eliminate the hassle so that your child will spend more time actively running around shooting and less time reloading.
This section is more relevant to the 4 & 5 year old age group than it is to most children 6+. Older children are better equipped to handle more complex situations and multitasking. It’s better to error in favor of a Nerf gun that’s easy to reload, however, there is no better person to make that decision than you as their parents.
THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF A NERF GUN THAT’S EASY FOR SMALL KIDS TO RELOAD
The Firestrike shown in the image is exactly what you want to look for. The Nerf darts are loaded directly into the barrel and shouldn’t cause any issue for a child. Additionally, this style of blaster is a lot of fun, especially in a group setting where every child has the same Nerf gun.
TOP CHOICE NERF GUNS FOR 5 & 6 YEAR OLD CHILDREN
ASSEMBLER GEAR HAS SOME TOP RATED NERF GUNS FOR CHILDREN 5 & 6 YEARS OLD
Assembler gear is a great place to start if you’re looking for something to get a 5 or 6 year old child. These guns are a bit more challenging than the Microshots series and all right into the 5+ age recommendation. The entire series consists of themed blasters that were made to support the Marvel Universe franchise.
Nerf Gun Features
- SIMPLE CUSTOMIZATION
- 100’s OF VARIATIONS
- 15 MARVEL CHARACTERS
These guns will also challenge your child’s creativity and imagination. A topic I love and discuss at length over on the Assembler Gear page.
TOP RATED NERF BLASTERS FOR 5 & 6 YEAR OLD CHILDREN
GLOWSTRIKE
"IMPERIAL DEATH TROOPER"
GlowStrike Nerf guns are best known for their simulated Star Wars lights and sounds but it doesn’t stop there. These blasters will also charge up the Nerf darts so they glow in the dark when fired!
MECHSTRIKE
"STRIKESHOT SHIELD"
The StrikeShot Shield is an interactive Nerf gun that fits over the hand and is designed to be worn as a shield. The shield will both open and close along with the ability to fire a single dart.
MANDALORIAN
"ROCKET GAUNTLET"
The Mandalorian is extremely popular and most of the Nerf guns within this series are for older children, however, the Rocket Gauntlet is marketed to children 5+ and it’s well worth it.
The Best Nerf Gun For A Small Child is Easy to Operate
WHAT IS THE BEST PRIMER FOR A NERF GUN & HOW IT EFFECTS SMALLER KIDS
The topic of priming is an important piece of this puzzle we’re attempting to put together. It can be the determining factor as to whether or not your child will need assistance working their new toy or be able to play with it by themselves.
Priming is the process that’s required in order to fire the gun. There are a number of different methods used to achieve this, however, the style we want to focus on is a pull handle primer. These are handles that are typically found on the bottom of the grip or back of the blaster. This handle is drawn backward to ready the gun to be fired.
Experience has shown that these types of priming handles are easier to use for small children. They can grab onto these handles and use their entire upper body as leverage to pull on them. It usually doesn’t require much force to operate this style of primer, however, it’s certainly the best option available.
THE FIRESTRIKE HAS THE PRIMING HANDLE THAT BEST WORKS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
You can see from the example how easy this Nerf gun is to operate. The orange handle on the back of the blaster is pulled back to active (prime) the Nerf gun. Furthermore, it’s easy to see how simple this process is and how accommodating it would be for a younger child.
THE BEST NERF GUNS FOR 3 TO 4 YEAR OLD CHILDREN
THE BEST NERF GUN OPTIONS FOR CHILDREN 3 AND 4
I’d like to leave you with some final thoughts on a tough age group to cover and it’s the 3 to 4 year olds or children in that age transition. The best Nerf gun for a small child of this age is the N-Strike Elite Jolt. There is no other blaster that comes to mind that checks all the boxes we’ve discussed and is easier to use than the MicroShots blasters.
The Jolt is a fun little Nerf gun that only fires one shot at a time. It’s small enough for them to run around with and won’t interfere to much with their coordination. Additionally, you can usually find them for around $5 bucks.
Unfortunately when you get down to 3 years old or just turning 4 there are just not many options that are safe enough.
Hope this page has added some value and may the Lord bless and keep you.
TRENDING PAGES
