The Best Gifts for 3 Year Olds
Based on Age and Development and Notes on Why They Work
Toniebox
A tried-and-true Gift Guide Go-To favorite, the Toniebox audio player is an innovative and immersive screen-free listening device that inspires and entertains children — now, and in the years to come. This easy-to-operate system is designed with young listeners in mind; after the initial configuration with the help of an adult, a child can simply place a Tonie Figurine on top of the box and enjoy its content, pinch an ear to adjust the volume, and tap the side to skip tracks. This starter set comes with a Toniebox, Peppa Pig Tonie, George Tonie, and Playtime Puppy Tonie who plays popular children’s songs. The long list of available Tonies is sure to please every child: from Disney Princess favorites to Dr. Seuss, from Daniel Tiger to The Hungry Caterpillar, from Llama Llama to Doc McStuffins, and the list continues on for dozens more options, ensuring this gift is a long-term favorite. And as the child grows, they can enjoy “big kid” favorites from books like Matilda, non-fiction narratives from National Geographic, and movie classics like Toy Story.
Crayola Scribble Scrubbie Arctic Pets Snow Explorer
The Crayola Scribble Scrubby line is a color, wash, and play activity that combines art and sensory play with water. Children can color and customize their animals then wash them off and start again. These adorable arctic animals come with a bus for imaginative adventure play and storage for the pieces when not in use. The animals, which have a flocked fuzzy coat, change color with temperature, so children can experiment with this concept by placing them in the freezer or in the sun for fast color change fun.
Wooden Doctor and Dentist Playset
This 18-piece medical kit is a great toy for any aspiring doctor or nurse or any imaginary play fan. These high-quality pieces have interactive components, such as removable teeth and a stethoscope that transmits sound. This toy innately provides opportunities for social and cooperative playtime and wonderful opportunities for language development, but it can also serve another important purpose: familiarizing children with the doctor’s or dentist’s office. Being able to practice and play “check-up” before they have a doctor visit helps them to navigate their world and can reduce tears about the unknown.
Melissa and Doug Learn-to-Play Piano
Melissa and Doug’s Piano and color-coded songbook is a child-sized solid wooden instrument that can stand the test of time — we at GGGT know! With 25 keys and two full octaves of notes, it provides opportunities for young musicians to explore high and low notes, soft and loud sounds, and even to build up to using the songbook to practice favorites like “Old MacDonald,” “Twinkle Twinkle,” and “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.”
Magna-Tiles 32-Piece Magnetic Building Tiles
Another Gift Guide Go-To Favorite that stands the test of time, Magna-Tiles are unique 3-D magnetic building tiles that allow young minds to build both flat creations and three-dimensional structures. This starter set comes with 32 translucent tiles and includes various iterations of squares and triangles. Promoting open-ended, imaginative play, durable Magna-Tiles empower children to build whatever they can dream up now and will remain a favorite in the years to come.
Hape Doll Family Mansion
A doll house is more than just a toy. It resembles a child’s world and provides opportunities to reenact routines from daily life like sleeping, eating, cooking, and playing with friends. In addition, it is a safe space, one within their control, to play out emotions and make sense of challenges from the day. This dollhouse by Hape has multiple rooms, a mat to extend the playing into the “yard,” seven pieces or rearrangeable furniture, a family of four dolls, a working doorbell, and LED lights in each room that can be conveniently moved to different spaces within the house via the magnetic system.
Blippi - My First Science: Sink or Float
This exciting all-inclusive science kit for children as young as 3 explores the magical world of physics. Providing opportunities for scientific skill development and, of course, fun, this unique gift strengthens hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, and it encourages questioning and scientific predictions all while exploring the concepts of density and buoyancy in an age-appropriate way.
The Dyson Cordless Vacuum for Children
Three-year-old children love to help out around the house. This Dyson cordless vacuum replica is an interactive toy similar to that of the adult version but the perfect size for tiny hands. A realistic play toy (this one even has suction) like a vacuum is a great way to foster a sense of independence and responsibility; children can help out around the house just like a grown up.
Mudpuppy Fuzzy Rainforest Puzzle
This 42-piece fuzzy puzzle is beautifully illustrated with a colorful rain forest theme and is embellished with soft accents throughout the puzzle. The fuzzy texture helps develop sensory skills in young children. Plus, the chunky pieces are just right for a three-year-old’s hands to practice fine motor skills.
Little Tikes 3 Foot Round Trampoline
This simple but exhilarating gift is perfect for young children who need to get out their wiggles. Designed for indoor use only, it is a wonderful addition to any playroom providing opportunities for practicing gross motor skills, balance, proprioception, and of course having fun!
Bouncing Horse
Apple Round’s horse hopper is a stable four-legged bouncy toy that facilitates hours of fun. Appropriate for ages three and up, with this toy, children work on their proprioception (where they are in a space) and learn balance and coordination, all while having fun. The horse hopper comes deflated but includes an easy-to-use pump and takes only minutes to inflate.
Heads Talk Tails Walk from Think Fun
We love Think Fun games for their integration of logic and problem solving skills across age levels. This hilarious matching game combines sound, movement, and memory skills to get everyone on their feet while little ones work on thinking skills like making plans and organizing visual and physical information simultaneously.
Kinetic Sand Construction Site Folding Sandbox
An engaging sensory toy for children ages 3 and up, this all-in-one construction site includes 2 pounds of kinetic sand and will ensure hours of fine motor and sensory fun. Sensory play helps to develop nerve connections in the brain’s pathways which in turn develop the ability to complete more complex tasks. With a working crane, kids can interchange attachments to build with a scoop or demolish with a wrecking ball, and when they are done, everything neatly folds up and fits inside the built-in case.
36-Piece Wooden Stacking Rocks
Unlike traditional blocks, these polyhedrons are different sizes and weights, adding a challenging new twist to “building a block tower.” Not only do these blocks build visual-spatial reasoning skills and logical thinking skills, but they also promote a better sense of persistence through play.
Winter in the Forest - A Lift-a-Flap Book
This beautifully illustrated and interactive book follows around two little raccoons as they adventure through the snowy woods meeting new woodland friends and experiencing the changes and challenges of the season. It will warm the hearts of little ones.
Sustainable Bubble Tree Bottles and Wands
Here at Gift Guide Go-To, we love to highlight brands that put a sustainable spin on a classic product — Bubble Tree does just that. By age 3, children enjoy creating bubbles on their own, making these high quality, non-toxic bubbles (conveniently stored in sturdy reusable aluminum bottles) a great fit for tiny hands. Plus, they have an attached wand – and this wand is the most durable we have tested, staying firmly attached to the cap refill after refill. Add on the eco-friendly Bubble Tree Refill Station, which has 3L of solution (enough to refill 26 aluminum bubble bottles) all stored in a cardboard box with auto shutoff valve and know that every part of your purchase is recyclable.
Eyelike stickers
These photo-realistic stickers reveal exciting worlds for children to explore. Eyelike books are filled with high-quality reusable stickers that leave no residue behind, making them a great fit for young children. Inspiring storytelling, critical thinking, and curiosity, children can collect and reuse stickers of all kinds. From dinosaurs to puppies. From the ocean to the farm. From letters to colors, the offerings seem endless.
Melissa and Doug Wooden Sandwich Counter
This 52-piece sandwich counter consists of wooden and felt food pieces inspiring creative and interactive play. Endless opportunities for learning activities include: ingredient sorting, play money, step-by-step sandwich making, and practicing language and listening skills while taking orders and talking to customer. Hours of authentic learning abound.
HABA Doorway Puppet Theater
Three-year-olds love to experiment with dramatic play. This space saving, portable, and easy to set-up (and clean-up) puppet theater lets children dive into creative play with storytelling or act out familiar experiences from their own lives.
Kids First Automobile Engineer Kit from Thames & Kosmos
A creative take on learning basic engineering skills, this kit includes an engaging storybook in which the protagonists’ adventure leads them to different people and problems in their community. As the story progresses, the child is tasked with creating models of 10 different vehicles to help the storybook characters overcome the community’s challenges. The large and colorful plastic building pieces make this an approachable task for small hands to have fun and build their fine motor skills, visual-spatial reasoning skills, and even foundational concepts in math and science.
Wooden Peg Board Beads Game
This toy will evolve with children as they grow, fostering practice in fine motor, hand-eye coordination, problem-solving, and spatial reasoning along the way. Younger children can simply practice moving the colored balls to their matching baskets, strengthening their sorting, matching, and pincer grasp. As their skills develop, the pattern challenge cards can be inserted between the wooden layers of the play board so children can complete a more advanced matching game. Finally, when they are ready, the challenge cards can be removed from between the play board and children can translate a two-dimensional picture (the challenge card lying beside the board) to a three-dimensional object. Translating this information takes great skill and builds many foundational skills for the school years.
Radio Flyer My 1st Scooter
Young children love the sense of freedom that comes with riding a scooter. This scooter from Radio Flyer is designed to support beginning riders as they develop balance and coordination. Its two front wheels provide a clear kick path, and the wide deck gives plenty of room for a child to stand. The texture of the deck adds an additional layer of support providing traction and stability.
