42 Best Gifts for 3-Year-Olds

Tim Ponisciak:  These magnetic building toys for kids are endless fun. Kids can try to make what they see pictured on the box, or they can let their imaginations run wild and build anything they can dream! This set comes with a lot of pieces so it is a good toy that can be shared by multiple kids.

Amy S.:  Are my kids the only ones who hate using regular crayons? At least in the hands of my 3- and 5-year-old boys, basic crayons seem difficult and unsatisfying to use. They’re always breaking and it’s tricky for younger kids to lay down vivid color. These gel crayons, however, are super fun to draw with. The colors are rich and vivid, and with a just a light touch they go down smooth and thick. The neon colors have a beautiful translucent quality. The chunkier body of these crayons makes them fairly easy for little hands to manipulate. Yes, they’re more expensive than a 24-pack of Crayolas, but they’re also way more exciting to use.

Erin P.:  This is a great pretend play toy with lots of fun pieces that may be familiar to your little one from visits to his or her doctor's office! It is so fun to see what they remember and imitate when you return home. This toy has the added benefit of possibly relieving some of the stress and fear that may surround visits to the doctor!

Does your kid wake up at 5am and come into your room, eager to peel your eyelids open? Put a stop to that in a way they'll enjoy with this alarm clock, which tells them when it's an appropriate time to get out of bed and start the day, and when they should probably hit their internal snooze button.

Bristle Blocks are versatile building toys for toddlers and preschoolers made of soft, flexible plastic with tiny bristles on all sides. They connect in any direction, allowing for endless creative possibilities and helping children develop fine motor skills, spatial awareness, and problem-solving abilities.

Vanessa M.:  Stackable cups, an automated spout, and spinning suction cup gears allow kids to create different water effects for endless bathtime fun.

Jennie Utsinger:  We love everything made by Green Toys, but the helicopter is one of my son's favorites! Made from 100% recycled plastic milk jugs, it withstands crashes and is a great size for flying around. It's also dishwasher safe, so easy to clean.

Kelly R:  My kids both loved having a little tool set at age 3, and still played with it years later. Whenever my husband or I would fix something around the house, my son would grab the toolbox and come running to help.

Kelly R:  This creative hands-on book is a great quiet time activity for young kids. It is filled with interactive components (zippers, buttons, buckles, etc) for fine motor and sensory play. The entire book zips closed to safely contain all of the pieces, making it a perfect toy for car or plane rides!

Brittany Kozielski:  Water tables are great gifts for 3 year olds that encourage active outdoor play. This combo sand and water table will give your kids a fun outdoor activity all summer long! My nine year old still enjoys playing with the same table she got when she was three. The little umbrella will help to protect them from those very sunny days.

Kelly R:  Squigz are silicone building toys that use suction cups to stick to each other, to the windows, to a table, to your forehead...you get the idea. They make excellent mold-free bath toys because they don't take on water, and also work great for entertaining kids on airplanes or road trips.

Sarah Calamita:  If you have a 1-5 year old, this is the best gift! Pair with some fun fake food (Melissa and Doug has great produce, boxed goods, pizza pie, ice cream scoops and cupcakes). Hours of entertainment!

Alexandra F.:  I cannot overemphasize just how much my 3- and 5-year-olds love this toy. They played with it pretty much the entire day they got it, and the day after that, and the day after that, and have kept playing with it every day since! It is just so much fun for them to "scoop" and prepare ice cream treats for our entire family all. day. long. They love food toys and pretend play generally, but this has been, by far, their most used pretend play toy.

Alex F.:  My two youngest boys are only a couple of years apart, and starting when each of them was about 3 years old, all they ever want to do is "battle". Of course, they are happy to use any objects they find on hand for their battles, but these foam swords are my preferred choice. They are really soft and silky, and unlike some of their other impromptu choices, no one gets hurt when they use them to battle!

For young readers, the Yoto Player is a screen-free audio player that uses physical cards to access audiobooks, music, and other audio content. A large library of cards and practical accessories will make great add-on gifts for future occasions.