Best Toys for 3-Year-Olds
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"Curious" doesn’t begin to describe the average toddler. They like to experiment and ask questions, and are learning how to play with others, including older siblings and classmates — and the best toys for 3-year-olds reflect that.
What types of toys should I buy a 3-year-old?
The best toys for 3-year-olds engage inquisitive minds and give them the chance to make decisions, says Sarah Lytle, Ph.D, Director of Outreach and Education, Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences (I-LABS) at the University of Washington.
When shopping for 3-year-old toys, look for items that can be used in a variety of ways to get the most for your money and fire up your child's imagination.
What are the best toys for a 3-year-old?
Here are some of the best types of toys you should consider for your 3-year-old, plus a few features to avoid.
Books. Books for 3-year-olds can be longer, and both the illustrations and storylines can be more complex, Lytle says. “If you’ve read the same book 100 times, ask your child to ‘read’ you the story,” she suggests. Telling a story that matches the images is an important part of reading comprehension.
Puzzles. The best puzzles for 3-year-olds have smaller pieces and more of them. Use puzzles to start teaching your child about categories, says Lytle, by asking questions like, “Does this have a straight edge or not?” and “Is this the colorful side or the tan one?”
Toys to play pretend. Imaginary play becomes increasingly important as kids get older. “Imaginary play is a large part of a child's social and emotional development,” according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
Building blocks. A 3-year-old has the ability to work with smaller pieces and design more elaborate buildings, Lytle says.
Art materials. Art encourages a toddler’s fine motor skills, cognitive development, and math and language skills — all skills that will help him succeed once he starts kindergarten. A 3-year-old can use sidewalk chalk, stamps, paints with brushes and crayons.
Be sure to avoid: While 3-year-olds are able to manipulate toys with smaller items, you still need to be on the lookout for toys with small parts that can become choking hazards, particularly if your tot is still putting things in his mouth or has a younger sibling at home. When it comes to screen time, up to an hour a day is okay, but 3-year-olds still need to be supervised by their parents to “promote enhanced learning, greater interaction and limit setting,” per the AAP.
Ready to start shopping? Check out a few of our favorite toys for 3-year-olds.
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Best Cooking Toy for 3-Year Olds
Melissa & Doug Salad Set
This wooden set comes with everything your budding chef needs to make a fresh, yummy salad. After taking orders on the reusable menu, he can “chop” his ingredients on the cutting board, toss everything together and serve it up. And who knows — playing with veggies just might get your tot excited about eating them in real life!
Best Wooden Toy for 3-Year-Olds
Play22 Wooden Train Set
We’re guessing you remember something like Play22’s wooden train set from your own childhood and the toy is still a favorite for little hands today. This set includes engines, coaches, a cargo car, a tanker car and more train calls that all connect to one another via magnets. We especially like that the train set comes in a stylish wooden display and storage box to use after playtime is over.
Wooden box dimensions: 13 x 8 x 2 inches
Total weight: 2 pounds
Best Puzzle Toy for 3-Year-Olds
Petit Collage Floor Puzzle, Ocean Life Friends
Puzzles help toddlers enhance problem solving skills — and they’re perfect for pulling out on a cold or rainy day. At 3, kids are able to handle puzzles with actual pieces that fit together, so long as you stick to ones with fewer than 25 large pieces. This ocean-themed puzzle fits the bill, and you can start to teach him to sort by pieces that have a straight edge or not and by the colorful or plain side.
Dimensions: 24 x 18 inches
Best Lego Toy Set for 3-Year-Olds
Lego Duplo Classic Brick Box
As your tot turns 3, his block-building creations will become bigger, taller and more intricate. This big box of Duplos comes with 85 colorful bricks, a car with moving wheels, a roof, a window, flowers, a swingset and Duplo people for endless possibilities of castles, trains, fortresses and more. You’ll also love that it includes a durable box to store everything in.
Box dimensions: 14.57 x 10.32 x 7.09 inches
Total weight: 2.2 pounds
Best Ride-On Toy for 3-Year-Olds
Radio Flyer All-Terrain Balance Bike
Balance bikes are a smart way to teach your tot how to ride on two wheels — with no pedals, he can focus on the balance part as he uses his feet to go and stop. This one features a real dinging bell and all-terrain wheels that work equally well on pavement on grass. Watch out, world! (Just don't forget to also buy a bike helmet!)
Dimensions: 34.25 x 16 x 20 inches
Weight limit: 50 pounds
Product weight: 9.7 pounds
Best Books for 3-Year-Olds
Dr. Seuss's Beginner Book Collection
Dr. Seuss is always a good idea, but a 3-year-old will really start to appreciate the rhymes, fantastical tales and illustrations of the beloved childhood author. This set includes Cat in the Hat, One Fish Two Fish, Green Eggs and Ham, Hop on Pop and Fox in Socks. Get ready to have your tongue twisted.
Best Musical Toy for 3-Year-Olds
WowWee Pinkfong Baby Shark Dancing DJ
Can’t resist Baby Shark? This dancing shark DJ has technology that senses when your little one is moving — and starts to dance with him. The toy plays seven popular songs (including, of course, "Baby Shark") and three different games. All of these components work together to teach your toddler letters and counting and encourage him to use his imagination.
Dimensions: 6.6 x 8.7 x 12.1 inches
Weight: 2.89 pounds
Best Travel Toy for 3-Year-Olds
Colorforms Picture Play Set
You might remember playing with these classic reusable sticker sets back when you were a kid — and they’re just as much fun today. Your 3-year-old can peel and stick the pieces in the play scenes in endless configurations for hours of engrossing fun. And since the whole setup is compact, lightweight and easy to store, it’s perfect for bringing along on a trip.
Best Energy-Burning Toy for 3-Year-Olds
Gymnic Red Rody Horse
Bouncy horses keep energetic toddlers active indoors without taking up a lot of space. Your sweetie will love bopping up and down as he strengthens his balance and coordination skills—it's easy to see why this popular, Italian-made horse (known as "Rody") is a favorite with pediatric occupational therapists. You’ll also love that he comes with an easy-to-use air pump and the latex-free vinyl is free of chemicals like phthalates.
Dimensions: 14.9 x 9.7 x 5.6 inches
Maximum weight limit: 100 pounds
Product weight: 3.5 pounds
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