By: Jeremy Alden
When it comes to giving your children Nerf guns, you want to make sure that they are given a blaster that is safe for them to use and provides them with hours of entertainment.
Some Nerf guns are almost impossible to use incorrectly, whereas others contain parts that children can easily choke on or hurt themselves with.
For those of you who are considering purchasing a Nerf gun for your 6-year-old, use the buyer’s guide and Nerf gun suggestions below to help you choose the one that is best suited for your child.
Be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom of the page for the complete buyer's guide.
Our list:
The 5 Best Nerf Guns For 6 Year Olds
1. Nerf N-Strike Jolt Blaster
2. Nerf N-Strike Elite Triad EX-3 Blaster
3. Nerf N-Strike Elite Stryfe Blaster
4. Nerf N-Strike Elite Strongarm Blaster
5. Nerf Zombie Strike Doublestrike Blaster
- Fire 6 darts in a row from this quick draw, fast firing
- Nerf N Strike Elite Strong Arm blaster shoots darts up to 90 feet (27 meters) and includes 6 Nerf Elite darts
- Slam fire all 6 darts in a rapid blasting wave at targets by moving the slide back and forth as you hold down the trigger
- The Strongarm Nerf blaster has a rotating 6 dart barrel that flips open for easy dart loading and is hand powered no batteries required
- Ultra-small Jolt blaster packs a powerful punch
- Hide it in your pocket
- Comes with 2 Elite Darts
- Loading handle readies your shot
- Blaster comes with 2 Elite Darts
- Micro Triad EX-3 blaster has mega power
- Blaster knows which barrel is loaded
- Fires darts up to 90 feet
- Loading handle readies your shot
- Blaster comes with 3 Elite Darts and instructions
The Nerf N-Strike Jolt Blaster is a great option for parents or relatives who are just introducing a child to Nerf.
This Nerf gun is small enough to put in your pocket, only fires one dart at a time, and is simple to fire, only requiring your child to pull a small plastic stick at the bottom of the gun.
- Ultra-small Jolt blaster packs a powerful punch
- Hide it in your pocket
- Comes with 2 Elite Darts
- Loading handle readies your shot
- Blaster comes with 2 Elite Darts
Luckily, no one who has purchased this gun seems to have had any problems. The only potential downside is the inability to shoot more than one bullet at a time, which isn’t too much of a problem if you are only purchasing it for your 6-year-old to use.
Things We Like:
- Compact design makes it perfect for smaller children
- Easy to use loading mechanism
- Single round chamber and lack of accessories keeps gun light and safe
- Affordable price
Things We Don’t Like As Much:
- Nothing!
For those of you who want to give your child a Nerf gun similar to the one above but with a little more firepower to keep them entertained longer, the Nerf N-Strike Elite Triad EX-3 is the way to go.
- Micro Triad EX-3 blaster has mega power
- Blaster knows which barrel is loaded
- Fires darts up to 90 feet
- Loading handle readies your shot
- Blaster comes with 3 Elite Darts and instructions
Much like the Nerf N-Strike Jolt Blaster, the Nerf N-Strike Elite Triad EX-3 Blaster has a similar body and loading mechanism, but has a barrel that can shoot three darts at a time rather than one. This gun is also a little more powerful than its relative and can fire a dart up to 90 feet.
Here is the full Nerf N-Strike Elite Triad EX-3 review.
However, the kind of power in this gun can be dangerous. Some people claim that these guns can sometimes hurt because they are able to fire with such force. This should be taken into consideration before you purchase this Nerf gun for your 6-year-old.
Things We Like:
- Easy to use loading mechanism
- Hard, durable design
- Affordable price
- Able to hold more than one bullet in chamber
- Compact design make it perfect for smaller children
- Long range shooting for both indoor and outdoor play
Things We Don’t Like As Much:
- Powerful launching could hurt child
Unlike the previous Nerf guns mentioned above, the Nerf N-Strike Elite Stryfe Blaster has a larger ammo capacity and is a semi-automatic gun rather than one that needs to be prepared for each bullet.
- Motorized Stryfe blaster's Acceleration Trigger powers up the motor for blasting
- Tactical Rail is compatible with most N-Strike accessories (each sold separately)
- Quick Reload clip holds 6 Elite darts and works with any Clip System blaster (sold separately)
- Darts work with any N-Strike Elite blaster and most original N-Strike blasters (sold separately)
- Blaster comes with Quick Reload Clip, 6 Elite Darts and instructions
The Nerf N-Strike Elite Stryfe Blaster has an ammo clip that can hold up to six bullets, a battery-powered motor that launches the bullets instead of manually loading the gun each time you want to shoot; this gun can launch bullets up to 90 feet.
The downsides, however, are more numerous for this blaster than for the previously mentioned blasters. First, this much like other battery powered Nerf guns, this one runs on four AA batteries that will drain rather quickly and will end up costing you more in the long run.
Second, this blaster is a little higher price wise, which can be a bad investment if your 6-year-old doesn’t plan on using it frequently.
Third, the gun has a reputation of jamming and the parts that have a tendency to jam are the parts that are choking hazards.
Finally, this blaster has a pretty powerful blast and may hurt your child if used for close-range battling.
Things We Like:
- Semi-automatic firing prevents constant reloading
- Long range shooting for both indoor and outdoor play
- Bigger ammo capacity
Things We Don’t Like As Much:
- Requires batteries to function
- Hefty price tag for small gun
- Contains choking hazards
- Tendency to jam
The Nerf N-Strike Elite Strongarm Blaster is probably the most common type of Nerf gun, and is probably the one that you think of when you think of Nerf guns.
- FIRE 6 DARTS IN A ROW: Fire 6 darts in a row from this quick-draw, fast-firing Nerf N-Strike Elite Strongarm toy blaster that shoots darts up to 90 feet (27 meters) and includes 6 Nerf Elite darts
- FLIP-OPEN ROTATING 6-DART BARREL: The Strongarm Nerf blaster has a rotating 6-dart barrel that flips open for easy dart loading and is hand-powered -- no batteries required
- SLAM-FIRE BLASTING: Slam-fire all 6 darts in a rapid-blasting wave at targets by moving the slide back and forth as you hold down the trigger
- INCLUDES 6 NERF DARTS: Includes 6 Official Nerf Elite darts that are designed for distance, tested and approved for performance and quality, and constructed of foam with flexible, hollow tips
- EASY-OPEN, RECYCLABLE PACKAGE: Ships in simple recyclable packaging that’s easy to open and frustration free
The Nerf N-Strike Elite Strongarm Blaster (full review) can hold up to six darts in the chamber, uses a sliding loading mechanism to prepare the gun to fire, has a slide out barrel that lets you quickly and efficiently load your bullets, and can fire bullets up to 90 feet.
This blaster tends to be a little heavy and hard to load, but the relevance of this issue will depend on your child, as some children have trouble while others do not. This model also has been known to jam over time so you should only purchase this gun for infrequent play.
Things We Like:
- Durable design
- Affordable price
- Ease of use when reloading
- Long range for indoor and outdoor play
Things We Don’t Like As Much:
- Tendency to jam
- Could be hard to load for child
- Heavier than some other guns
Like the first two guns on this list, the Nerf Zombie Strike Doublestrike Blaster is small, easy to use, and holds only a couple of bullets.
- Doublestrike blaster fires 2 darts in a row
- Compact design for one-handed firing
- Comes with 2 Zombie Strike darts
- Includes blaster and 2 Zombie Strike darts
- Doublestrike blaster fires 2 darts in a row
Unlike the first two, however, this gun uses a hammer loading mechanism that can easily be reached with your thumb, eliminating the need to pull back a mechanism for each bullet that you want to fire.
There are also virtually no downsides that and is a great Nerf gun for a 6-year-old. This model is compatible with Zombie darts as well as Elite darts.
Things We Like:
- Easy-to-use hammer loading mechanism makes it simple for children to use
- Compact design
- Holds two bullets
Things We Don’t Like As Much:
- Nothing!
Nerf Gun Buyer’s Guide: The 5 Best Nerf Guns For 6 Year Olds
Here are some things that you should take into consideration before purchasing a Nerf gun for your 6-year-old.
1. Choking Hazards
As mentioned in the beginning of the article, Nerf guns tend to have many small parts that can easily be choked on. The Nerf darts, balls, and loose accessories that come off of the gun are all potential choking hazards.
If your child has a tendency to put things in their mouth, you should find a blaster that has the fewest number of loose parts and the largest bullets possible to prevent an accident.
If your child does not have this problem, then almost any Nerf guns will be appropriate for them.
2. Power
It is unlikely that your 6-year-old is going to need to a 6-foot-long sniper or a giant machine gun that will spit out hundreds of bullets at a time.
These types of guns are fun but can be a hassle to operate and can be painful if it is fired at a closer range than intended. This is especially true if you choose a nerf gun that needs batteries to launch bullets.
For a 6-year-old, a smaller gun that is easy to handle but still fun to play with will be sufficient enough. Keep this in mind when you’re researching Nerf blasters.
3. Size and Weight
Not all Nerf guns are built equally. Many of the newer models are rather large and require batteries in order to launch a greater amount of bullets. Between the bulkiness of the model and the number and size of batteries required to make it function, these Nerf guns can become quite heavy.
Smaller models will generally work better for younger children. However, if your 6-year-old is bigger and can handle a larger gun, then they may be able to work with the heavier models. You know what is best for your child.
4. Ease of Use
Although many of the Nerf guns on the market use a simple loading mechanism to launch bullets, there are a handful of guns that use more complex mechanisms. The more complicated the gun becomes, the more likely it is that your child will have a hard time operating it and will become more frustrating than fun.
The easier the gun is to use, the better.
5. Attention Span
There’s no need to purchase an expensive, high-end Nerf gun for your child if it is only going to be used a couple of times. Younger children are typically most excited when they first receive a toy and quickly lose that excitement the longer they play with it. If your child isn’t absolutely in love with Nerf, don’t get them a gun that will end up costing you money for no reason.
6. Durability
Let’s face it: 6-year-olds have a tendency to break things quickly. Most of the toys that they come into contact with will inexplicably shatter or pop within days or minutes, depending on the child. Look for the Nerf gun that will be most durable so as to prevent your child from breaking their toy quickly.
Some things to keep in mind when looking for a durable Nerf gun is to look for one that has a thick plastic body and almost no loose, moving parts.
7. Style
Children are more concerned about style than functionality. If it is colorful or if it is designed to resemble one of their favorite characters or shows, they’ll want it regardless of how it works. Luckily, Nerf has a variety of guns that feature some cool designs.
Seek out a gun that is simple for your young child to use, but also one that will keep them excited simply because it looks cool to them, all while being sure to choose a gun that works well.
8. Additional Costs
While you won’t have to worry about purchasing accessories for a younger child, you are going to have to worry about the amount of ammo you will have to purchase for your child. Children usually lose bullets pretty fast and this can become expensive if you are replacing them on a regular basis. Know this before you consider purchasing a Nerf blaster that uses a lot of ammo quickly.
Overall, the Nerf gun that we most highly recommend for your 6-year-old is the Nerf Zombie Strike Doublestrike Blaster. It’s the simplest to use out of the guns listed above and it’s one of the cheapest.
That being said, all of these guns are fantastic and well within a reasonable budget range.
Jeremy A
Dart Dudes
About the Author
Jeremy is the founder of Dart Dudes, the leading resource for parents looking to pick up a Nerf toy for a child. He grew up with his four brothers and two sisters where there was always a Nerf war taking place.
With a focus on safety, Jeremy has helped thousands of parents help chose the right Nerf toy for their kids or grandkids. He lives in California with his wife and family. Learn more about me. - You can email me jeremy@dartdudes.com