Family
The Best Toys for 3 Year Olds — From a Mom of Three
If you’ve ever spent good money on a toy that your toddler played with for five minutes and never touched again, this list is for you. I’ve had plenty of hits and misses in the toy department. I’m about to enter this stage for the third time, with my youngest turning three in just a few short weeks. I know exactly what 3 year olds actually gravitate toward, and I’m sharing all my tried-and-true favorites right here. Of course, every kid is different — but these are the toys that have been a consistent hit not just in our house, but with the 3 year olds in our lives too.
The Best Toys and Gifts for 3 Year Olds
Whether you’re shopping for a birthday, the holidays, or just looking for something new to add to the toy rotation, I tried to include a mix of everything. From big ticket items worth investing in to smaller gifts that are perfect for just-because, this post has it all. These are the best toys and gifts for 3 year-olds.
Art Supplies
Gel crayons, markers, coloring books, and other crafts make great gifts for young children. Art supplies are truly one of the best things you can give to your kids. All three of my kids love to draw, so gifts like this are almost always a hit.
DUPLO
I love a DUPLO lego set for this age group, and I have found that building is the best way for me to really engage in play with my kids. At 3, kids love the simple satisfaction of snapping blocks together and building whatever their imagination comes up with. We keep all our DUPLO sets in a basket, and every so often, will go back and rebuild them.
Doctor’s Kit
At this age, kids love pretend play and love acting out the things they see in real life. It’s also a great way to help little ones feel less intimidated by doctor visits, which is an added bonus for parents.
Magnetic Tiles
Magnatiles are hands-down one of the most popular building toys for this age group, and for good reason. They’re one of my favorite open-ended toys that have gotten years of use in my house. My kids have always loved them more than wooden blocks which are great, but just not as fun. I love that they’re screen-free, great for hand-eye coordination, and so engaging that your kid will come back to them again and again. This is one of the best gifts that they will use for years.
Sidewalk Chalk
Your kids will have so much fun playing with sidewalk chalk. This is one of the most affordable gifts that delivers hours and hours of fun.
Dress-Up Outfits
Dress-up outfits are such a magical gift for little kids who love to play pretend. My kids are constantly dressing up, so much that I had to do a dress-up restock in sizes six and seven. I love this brand because the clothes are soft and very high quality, so they’ll last for years.
Melissa & Doug Patisserie
Melissa & Doug makes a few of these sets. We have the ice cream shop and my 5 and 7 year-old still play with it. My kids have spent hours “running” their own little shop with this set, and it’s one of those toys that sparks imaginative play every single time. The patisserie is so cute, and will get years of use. The wooden pastries and treats are beautifully made and feel so much more special than plastic alternatives.
Sensory Dough Kits
Sensory dough kits are a great quiet activity to pull out on a rainy day or whenever you need a few minutes of focused independent play. Three year olds love squishing, rolling, and creating while building fine motor skills. These will keep my kids busy for a good hour, which is just as much as gift to me as it is to them.
Wooden Play Food
Wooden play food is a staple gift for 3 year olds. At this age, kids love imitating what they see in the kitchen and will spend hours setting up pretend meals and playing restaurant. Wooden toys are sturdy compared to plastic, and they hold up beautifully through years of play.
Silicone Tea Set
A silicone tea set is such a fun gif. It’s perfect for pretend play, but what makes it extra special is that it doubles as bath toys and sensory play tools too. Silicone can go anywhere, and you’ll get so much more mileage out of them than a traditional plastic tea set.
Figurines
Figurines are one of those underrated gifts that kids love. At this age, kids are deep into imaginative play and will spend hours creating their own little worlds and storylines with their favorite characters. I went with Toy Story figurines for my son since he’s on a Buzz and Woody kick.
Games
Board games are such a great gift for 3 year olds because they help build skills like taking turns, matching, and following simple rules. The Bluey Shopping List Game is a perfect starting point for this age since it features their favorite characters and is simple enough for little ones to play independently, but still fun enough that parents genuinely enjoy playing too.
Baby Doll
My girls each got a Bitty Baby around this age, and since my oldest has outgrown hers, she’s been sharing it with her little brother who is about to turn three. Kids love nurturing and taking care of their baby just like they see the grown ups around them do.
Garbage Truck
If you have a 3 year old who is obsessed with trucks, a garbage truck is an absolute must, and this one has been a huge hit with my son. There is something about the dumping and lifting mechanisms that kids this age just cannot get enough of.
Train Sets
Train sets are surprisingly one of my favorite toys to play with my kids. I was into LEGO when I was younger, so this makes sense for me, but it’s fun and creative setting tracks up, and it is, for me, more enjoyable than playing pretend. Kids love setting up the tracks, loading the cars, and watching everything come together into their own little world. They’re also a great toy for building patience and problem solving as little ones figure out how all the pieces connect.
Die Cast Cars
I know more about Pixar’s Cars than I ever thought I would. My son has a garage full of these and hot wheels cars. They’re sturdy, the perfect size to carry around, great for playing pretend, and fun to race on this track.
Rubber Roads
Waytoplay rubber roads are one of those great toys that look simple but provide endless entertainment. The flexible rubber strips connect in any configuration your little one can dream up, making every play session totally unique. They pair perfectly with die cast cars and figurines, and the open-ended nature means kids come back to them again and again.
Screen-Free Audio Player
The Toniebox is one of those gifts that parents love just as much as kids do — it’s a screen-free audio player that lets 3 year olds listen to stories, songs, and podcasts by simply placing a character figurine on top. It’s incredibly intuitive for little hands to use independently, and it’s become a staple in so many households for quiet time and bedtime routines.
Hiking Playset
The Melissa & Doug Hiking Playset is the perfect gift for this age group that loves to play pretend and go on adventures. Itcomes with everything a little explorer needs to head out on an imaginary trail and is sturdy enough to actually be taken outside and loved hard.
Foldable Sandbox
Love it or hate it, Kinetic sand is both fun and fascinating for little kids. There is something about the way it moves and holds its shape that kids simply cannot put down. This foldable sandbox is a great (small) way to have your own little kinetic sand sandbox at home.
Fire Truck
If you have a Paw Patrol fan in your life (my son is obsessed), the Paw Patrol Fire Truck is going to be an absolute hit. It’s one of those gifts that gets played with immediately out of the box and stays in heavy rotation for a long time.
Wood Construction Kit
A wood construction kit is such a wonderful gift for 3 year olds who love to build — the chunky, easy-to-handle pieces are perfectly designed for little hands, and it all cleans up nicely in this little peg board box.
Dollhouse
A dollhouse is one of those big, exciting gifts that kids light up over. Kids love setting up little worlds and acting out everyday scenarios with their favorite characters and families. It’s a toy that grows with your child and can be added to over time, making it a gift that truly keeps on giving.
Nugget Play Couch
The Nugget Play Couch is honestly one of the best investments you can make for your kids. My older kids still use it all the time, so much that I added a Chunk to our collection and have debated getting a second nugget. This gets weekly use at our house and might not seem exciting, but just trust me on this one. It’s the best.
Play Tent
A play tent is such a simple but magical gift for little kids. They love having their own cozy little space to retreat to, read books in, or turn into whatever their imagination decides that day. And this one is great for small spaces since it’s easy to take down and folds up small. And bonus: it’s a great place to store stuffed animals if you leave it out like we do.
Play Kitchen
A play kitchen is one of the most classic and well-loved gifts for toddlers and preschoolers. Kids this age are fascinated by cooking and love imitating what they see happening in the real kitchen every day. It pairs beautifully with wooden play food and a silicone tea set, making it a gift that anchors hours and hours of pretend play.
Scooter
At around two or three, kids have just enough coordination to really take off on one and they feel so proud of themselves when they do. It gets them outside and moving, and it’s one of those gifts that the whole family ends up enjoying together.
Balance Bike
We tried a Strider balance bike, and then Guardian, and neither worked for my kids. But just a few days with the Woom bike and both were riding two-wheelers!
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