Looking for the best toys and gift ideas for 3-year-olds? This article will bring you some inspiration.
3-year-olds are parents’ sweethearts. They are affectionate and fun-loving. What are some favorite toys of other 3-year-old boys and girls? We spoke with pediatric psychiatrists and visited some top daycares in the country, and these are the best age-appropriate toys for 3-year-old kids.
Whether you are buying a birthday gift, a holiday gift, or just looking for some toy ideas, there’s sure a pick below that your sweet toddler will adore.
More Toy Ideas:
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- Best Bubble Guns for 3-Year-Olds
Best Toys and Gifts for 3-Year-Olds
Best Spaceship Toy for 3-Year-Olds
Why We Love It?
- Featuring 5 characters and 3 compartments
- Easy to organize and store away
- Safe design for 3-year-olds
Children and adults alike are fascinated by traveling to the universe. That’s why this Space Mission Rocket Ship is a huge hit among 3-year-olds. When your little one opens up the three compartments, he will be excited to explore the inner layout of a space ship. But that’s not all. He will also be greeted by the astronauts and some alien friends. Rocking a 4.5 star on Amazon, this rocket ship is one of the best age-appropriate rocket toys for 3-year-old kids to learn about the world through pretend play.
Best Pegboard Toy for 3-Year-Olds
Why We Love It?
- Helps kids learn engineering and geometry
- Promotes kids to be hands-on and creative
- Keeps kids focused for a long period of time
STEM toys are all the rage today and every parent wants to find the best STEM toys for their kids. This 3D Construction Pegboard is undoubtedly the best engineering-themed toy for 3-year-olds. Your kiddo will be thrilled to give a shot at a working drill that not only screws and unscrews, but also have interchangeable tips. In addition, the colorful pegs allow your child to use her imagination and build all the cool stuff she can think of.
Best Table Toy for 3-Year-Olds
Waterfall Mountain Train Set and Table
Why We Love It?
- Keeps kids interested for many years
- Promotes problem-solving and logical thinking
- Spacious enough to share with friends and siblings
If your little one loves trains, tracks, and cities, this Waterfall Mountain Train Set and Table will promise not only hours of entertainment, but years. Besides having lots of vivid figures and sophisticated parts to piece together, this table can also host other toys such as Legos or pretend-play expansions. Measuring 48 inches long and 32 inches wide, this play table is loaded with fun things that will go the distance for years of play.
Best Water Toy for 3-Year-Olds
AQUAPLAY Mountain Water Playset
Why We Love It?
- Teaches kids about water movements and physics
- Encourages kids to stay off screens and be outdoors
- Made in Germany with high quality
What’s the best way to encourage your 3-year-old to get off the screen and stay outdoors to get fresh air? Offer an alternative that’s more fun! This Aquaplay Mountain Water Playset will quickly become the new favorite in your household because it offers a wide range of things to do. Not only that, but your kiddo will also learn how water moves and how boats slide, drift and climbs in the water. In addition, this toy is made in Germany and doesn’t have leakage problems even when used indoors.
Best Flower Puzzle for 3-Year-Olds
Stackable Garden Flowers STEM Puzzles
Why We Love It?
- Comes with flowers, stems, leaves, bases, pots
- Promotes kids’ motor skills and design thinking
- Unlimited combinations to encourage creativity
When it comes to age-appropriate toys for 3-year-old girls, puzzles are always a popular choice. These Stackable Garden Flowers are just as entertaining as they are attractive. With 149 pieces of flower puzzles, your 3-year-old daughter can build many different types of gardens while practicing her hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills. Plus, all the parts are made with non-toxic and BPA-Free material that are toddler-safe and eco-friendly.
Best Block Puzzle for 3-Year-Olds
Why We Love It?
- STEM Montessori toy features a city
- Promotes hand-eye coordination and increases attention span
- Made with high-quality BPA-free wood and water-based paint
Wooden building blocks are the most age-appropriate stacking toys for three-year-olds. They are not too small and don’t have sharp edges. This Wooden Building Blocks Set is an exceptional Montessori STEM toy that will are beneficial for your toddler’s motor skills and imagination.
There are 115 pieces of colorful blocks of different shapes, sizes, and characters. Putting together, your little one can build a modern city that features hospitals, city halls, schools, and hotels. There are also cars, trucks, and ambulances for your kiddo to have a pretend-play with her friends, which teaches coordination and team building. Additionally, all the pieces are made with BPA-free non-toxic wood that is safe for your child as well as the environment. It’s a perfect gift for three-years and they will adore it for years to come.
Best Car Toy for 3-Year-Olds
Steering Wheel Toy For 3-Year-Olds
Why We Love It?
- Interactive steering wheel with many commands
- Realistic sounds and indicators
- Keeps kids entertained during road trips
Road trips with your three-year-old can be stressful thanks to their susceptible to boredom. Well, if your little one is high-maintenance during long drives, this Toy Steering Wheel will save your day. It features many commands, sounds, indicators that simulate the real one in your hands. Plus, the interactive instructions will teach your little one to recognize directions. It is one of the best age-appropriate toys for 3-year-old kids that keep them behaved on a road trip.
Best Toy Microscope for 3-Year-Olds
Why We Love It?
- Trains kids to focus and pay attention
- Encourages kids to explore through scientific experiments
- Cultivates curiosity
If you have a little scientist at home who loves to observe things, there is nothing better then the Microscope by Kidtastic. Designed for preschoolers, this STEM kit comes with a complete set of tools your child will need for a learning adventure. Not only will she be fascinated by the amazing structures of nature, but she will also learn to focus better and pay attention to details.
Best Bath Toy for 3-Year-Olds
Why We Love It?
- Automatically lights up and changes colors
- 12 adorable animals and fish
- Great size for 3-year-olds to grab
Bathtime is getting increasingly difficult as your 3-year-old doesn’t want to miss out on any fun. The 12 Light Up Animals will save your day by keeping your little toddler entertained. These lovely little figures can light up automatically once placed in water. Better yet, the colors can change! Measuring about two by three inches, they are also natural for your 3-year-old’s tiny hands to grab.
Best Magnetic Tile for 3-Year-Olds
STEM Educational 3D Magnet Blocks
Why We Love It?
- Mess-free and easy to connect magnetic tiles
- 120 mega set with unlimited building possibilities
- Durable material and rounded edges for safety
When it comes to building blocks, magnetic ones are generating lots of popularity lately. This 3D Magnet Block Mega Set has everything your child needs to build any type of creative constructions. This block set comes with 120 pieces of tiles with a wide range of colors and shapes. Your little one can build castles, geometry shapes, and even cars and trucks. What a great way to get a head start in learning STEM subjects.
Related: The Ultimate Guide to STEM Toys for All Parents 2020
Best Workbench Toy for 3-Year-Olds
Step2 Workshop Playset For 3-Year-Olds
Why We Love It?
- 50 pieces of accessories and tools
- Working electric drill and shop vac
- Plenty of compartments for storing accessories
If you are looking for a toy that teaches your little one to use their hands to solve problems, the Step 2 Workshop Playset has everything you will need. This toy comes with 50 accessories and tools including working electric drills, shop lights, and foam blocks. In addition to learning how to use hand tools, your little one also practices how to sort and organize things. This toy will help lay a foundation for the future when he needs to use real hand tools to build cool projects.
Best Toy Binoculars for 3-Year-Olds
Educational Insights Binoculars For 3-Year-Olds
Why We Love It?
- Comfortable eyepieces specifically designed for toddlers
- Breakable neck strap that prevents tangling
- Cultivates toddler’s curiosity in nature
If you are looking for the best gift for an outdoorsy toddler, the Kidnoculars by Educational Insights is a fantastic option. What we love the most is how these binoculars are designed with little toddlers in mind: soft eyepieces that protect their eyes, breakable neck-straps to prevent rangling, and a weight of 8.5 ounces. With this little tool, your kiddo will be more excited about going outdoors and explore nature.
Best Paw Patrol Toy for 3-Year-Olds
Why We Love It?
- Can transform from a jet to a command center
- Cool sounds, light effects to promote imagination
- Decent size to hold toys inside the vessel
The Paw Patrol 2-In-1 Jet Center will sure become your little toddler’s favorite toy because it has a lot going for it. Not only will it transform from a muscular jet to a high-tech command center, but it also invites your kiddo to take on various missions. In addition, this vessel is spacious to hold lots of toys for pretend plays. That’s why this is one of the best age-appropriate toys for 3-year-old Paw Patrol lovers.
Best Jigsaw Puzzle for 3-Year-Olds
My Town Jigsaw Puzzles And Blocks
Why We Love It?
- Open-ended pretend-play toy without noise
- Enhances kids’ spatial reasoning and imagination
- A combination of jigsaw puzzles and blocks
While kids may be attracted to toys with flashlights and loud noise, many parents don’t appreciate them. The My Town by Fat Brain Toys is both a jigsaw puzzle game and an open-ended make-believe toy. After building the landscape of the busy town, your toddler will then create houses and buildings using blocks. In addition, your little one will become an excellent storyteller when she attends to various businesses in her little town. That’s what makes this combo set one of the greatest age-appropriate toys for 3-year-old toddlers.
Best Toy Globe for 3-Year-Olds
Why We Love It?
- Teaches kids geography
- Trains kids’ fine motor skills and spatial recognition skills
If you prefer playtime to be more educational and your little one is obsessed with geography, the 3D Geography Puzzle by Learning Resources will be a wonderful birthday gift that your little one will adore. In addition to piecing together the 6 continents on the spinning globe, your little one can also mark his favorite places using label stickers.
Best Dinosaur Toy for 3-Year-Olds
Why We Love It?
- 6 cool dinosaurs that are also pull back cars
- Helps kids to learn about dinosaurs
- Perfect size for toddlers to grab and operate
Dinosaur toys are a huge hit among three-year-old kids. This toy set is more than just dinosaurs but also pull back cars, each measuring 5″ long. Your toddler can hold the toy car and pull it back while applying some pressure, then he lets go of his hand and the dinosaurs will travel forward. Each dinosaur weighs less than two ounces. With six dinosaur figures, your little one can have a car race with his friends, both indoors and outdoors.
Best Musical Toy for 3-Year-Olds
Why We Love It?
- Features a working microphone and keyboard
- Can record and playback
- 40 options of various types of songs
Musical toys are great learning tools to promote a sense of art and help build confidence for 3-year-old boys and girls. The Kids Studio by VTech is more than just a keyboard but a full-blown studio with a drum, a cymbal, a scratch disc, and whammy bar. But that’s not all. There is also a working microphone that can record your toddler’s singing and playback so that she can make improvements. There are five buttons for her to manage the recording and playback. In the middle are sliders to control the column, microphone voice, and melody tempo. Additionally, there are music options on both sides of the studio. When your baby girl is done playing, she can take a break while enjoying the built-in songs. This toy measures 18 inches long and 12 inches wide, however, it weighs only 3 pounds. Your toddler can use it on the floors or place it on a table.
Best Lego Puzzles for 3-Year-Olds
Why We Love It?
- Your toddler can build 4 vehicles
- Compatible with other LEGO blocks
- Enhances fine motor skills and logical thinking skills
3-year-olds are starting to get a hang of puzzles and blocks. The LEGO My First Car Creations is a great LEGO set that your toddler will fall in love with right away. With the 34 pieces of blocks, your little one can build 4 adorable vehicles. It’s proven that the level of complexity won’t frustrate his little mind yet keep him entertained for hours on end. What a fun way to strengthen his motor skills and train him to think logically.
Guide to Selecting Toys and Gift Ideas for 3-Year-Old Kids
To select the best toys for 3-year-old kids, we need to first understand their developmental milestones and find out what toys are age-appropriate. But if you are looking for a birthday gift or holiday gift, then being age-appropriate is not enough. The best gifts should bring a surprise and be memorable. Here are some guidelines and tips that you use:
#1 Select toys that are popular among their friends
At this age, 3-year-olds no longer throw tantrums over small things. They are becoming more affectionate to family members and friends. In addition, they start to form a more solid friendship and begin to realize the importance of being part of a group. Therefore, they want to have what other kids have. Many times, it’s not because they like a specific toy, but rather to be like his friends.
#2 Select open-eneded toys that have a fair amount of complexity
In addition to their ever-growing emotional intelligence, your little prince or princess is also becoming a better thinker. This year, your busy toddler is ready for more complex toys that promote and challenge their little brains. They will be able to do puzzles with 3 or 4 pieces, copy circles with a pen, build towers of more than 6 blocks, and work with simple tools such as levers door handles.
#3 Select toys that encourage them to be active but with ample safety features
Three-year-olds are busier than ever. At this age, your little one enjoys pedaling tricycles, running, and climbing up and down stairs. Though many kids are attracted to digital screens such as TV’s and tablets, if you provide them with interesting outdoor toys, or involve them in entertaining outdoor activities, they can be easily distracted. Bikes, sports toys, outdoor activity centers are great options to keep your little one off screens and get some fresh air outdoors. However, always keep in mind that kids at this age can’t fully identify what is dangerous. That’s why you need to choose age-appropriate toys for 3-year-old kids to place safely.
What Skills should Three-Year-Old Kids Learn?
The main way for a three-year-old toddler to learn is through playing with toys, interacting with friends, and observing from their parents. This is the age when developmental toys and learning toys can diversify your child’s skill sets. These are the main capabilities your toddler can develop through playing with toys:
- Learn to distinguish and correctly name colors
- Develop the basic understanding in spacial relations
- Follow simple commands that don’t exceed three steps
- Pretend and fantasize a scenario and play it out with toys
- Count numbers
- Sort objects by shape, color and number
- Solve a simple puzzle
Summary
The best toys for three-year-olds should be entertaining, educational, and help shape a child’s passion. At this age, parents have a lot more options as three-year-olds have learned not to experiment just anything in their mouths.
While trying to keep your little one engaged and entertained, toys can also help you discover your child’s interests, passion, and strengthens. That’s why we recommend that you provide a broad range of toys to let your toddler play with.
Cecilia Yeung is a successful entrepreneur and product researcher. She has a background in psychology and children’s education. As a working mother of two, she loves to write about children’s education and development.
