These 25 Gifts & Toys Will Grow With Your 3-Year-Old

Since some of the best goys for 3-year-olds involve pretend play, you can’t go wrong with accessories for their baby dolls. Consider things like clothes or a stroller, crib, or shopping cart with a baby seat. The Wonder & Wise by Asweets Dreamy Doll High Chair is also an excellent option. It has a rainbow-shaped chair back, a cloud-shaped tray, and stands 12 inches tall, the perfect height for a 3-year-old and their baby. The chair can be easily cleaned with a damp towel, it’s made from pine and plywood, and it’s covered in non-toxic paint. Not to mention, it’s also very, very cute.

“Bonjour, Bluey!” Fans of Bluey will love the Bluey & Jean Luc’s Caravan Adventures Playset inspired by the adorable episode, “Camping.” It comes with nine pieces including a camper that pops up to open, a table with two chairs, a little campfire, a marshmallow on a stick, a set of stairs to get into the camper, and Bluey and Jean Luc figurines. If your kiddo isn’t a fan of this particular episode, there are plenty of other fun Bluey toy sets like the Bluey Family Home Playset , the Bluey Deluxe Park Themed Playset, and the Bluey Pool Time Playset. Basically, if it’s a toy that features Bluey, it’s among the best gifts for 3-year-olds.

If you’re looking for toys for pretend play, another great idea is a little tea set like this Rainbow Fairy Tin Tea Set by Floss & Rock. It comes with two teacups, two saucers, two small plates, two spoons, a teapot with a lid, and a little carrying case to store everything when it’s not being played with. Tea sets are so much fun for kids to play with, but since you’re looking for a gift for a 3-year-old, be sure to look for one that isn’t breakable (stay away from the ceramic sets), and if the recipient is a younger 3-year-old, steer clear of any sets with super-small parts.

Magna-Tiles allow kids to build objects using the colorful pieces. Each piece has magnets along its edges, so they can all attach to each other to create amazing 3D structures. Magna-Tiles are really popular so there are a lot of different purchasing and set options, like this one with 100 tiles in a rainbow of colors. It has a mixture of different sized square and triangle pieces so kids can build rocket ships, castles, and anything else they can think up. This is definitely one of the best gifts for three-year-olds who love to create and already have a knack for problem solving.

Shape sorters are great for kids around three years old for a number of reasons. First, if they haven’t already learned to identify all of their shapes, this will certainly help them. Second, shape sorters are really good for color matching and identification. And, third, these toys encourage problem-solving, strengthen fine motor skills, and are just a lot of fun. This shape sorter house includes 12 different shapes that go beyond the traditional circle, square, and triangle to include a car, music note, tree, and more. Plus, when it’s not in use, all of the pieces stow away into the house for easy cleanup.

Little kids love playing pretend, and they especially love play kitchens, so it’s definitely one of the best gifts for 3-year-olds. There is no shortage of great toy kitchens out there, but the B. Toys Wooden Play Kitchen stands out because of its cute design and fun colors. It also comes with more than 30 toy accessories like a pan, a pot with a lid, cooking tools, serving ware, plates, cups, bowls, and even salt and pepper shakers. The kitchen and accessories are plenty to keep a 3-year-old busy alone, but if you’re looking for some bonus points, pick up some pretend food for them to “cook” as well, and they will be in pretend-play heaven.

Among the best gifts for 3-year-olds is an art easel like this Mala Easel from Ikea. It stands 46 inches tall and features a chalkboard on one side and a dry erase board on the other. There’s a tray under the chalkboard side that is large enough to hold plenty of chalk and markers as well as a couple of erasers for cleanup. Under the whiteboard side of the easel, there’s also a spool for a big roll of paper, giving kids one more option for their art. Finally, the easel is made from wood, is super lightweight, and folds in half so it can be carried around from room to room.

Princess Cupcake Jones has her own book series and is seriously beloved by kids. She also happens to be a very cute doll, as you can see here. The Princess Cupcake Jones plush doll measures 14 inches tall and is dressed to match the character in her book, Princess Cupcake Jones and the Missing Tutu (so if you’re looking for more than one gift, the book, and the doll would make for a fun pair). It’s obviously an adorable doll on its own, but what’s really great about plush dolls is that they’re perfect for snuggling and for pretend play, both of which 3-year-olds love.

Playing with a baby doll is fun for 3-year-olds no matter what, but kids may love the Baby Alive Step ‘N Giggle just a little bit more because she has fun light-up shoes that will activate when she walks or jumps (well, when kids help her walk or jump). The doll also comes with a bunch of accessories like her cute glasses, a diaper that she “wets,” a bottle that can be filled with water to “feed” the baby, and a few other fun accessories. To make her seem all the more realistic, she also talks, saying phrases like “now I’m thirsty” and “look at my shoes.”

By the time they are 3, kids are really getting into pretend and imaginative play, so dress-up costumes make for a perfect gift for a 3-year-old. There are a lot of different, fun, options out there, such as this Magic Wand Cape and Hat Set by BaileyandAvaBespoke that comes with a cape, hat, and a wand. Every piece is handmade and can be purchased as a set or individually (and you can even choose to personalize the hat if you’d like). The cape is made from high-quality but lightweight fabric and features a Velcro neck strap so that it can be adjusted to fit, and the wand features a cute, glittery star at the tip that’s perfect for casting (pretend) magical spells.

Again, some of the best toys for 3-year-olds allow for some kind of imaginative play, and a playhouse is no different. What kind of playhouse you get will depend on where you plan to put it (outdoors or inside), how much space you have for it, and whether or not you’re looking for it to come with bells and whistles. For something simple that can be set up inside or outside, this beauty salon playhouse is a great option. It has wood framing and fabric covering that’s printed to look like a little spa. The house also features window cutouts with roll down shades and plenty of space to play.

Traditional LEGO bricks are typically pretty small and not easy for little hands to put together. LEGO DUPLO bricks, on the other hand, are great for younger kids because they’re made a little bit larger so that they’re easier for kids to build with (plus if there are any little siblings in the house, DUPLO bricks are too big to be swallowed). You can find LEGO DUPLO sets that feature favorite characters, or have everything needed to create colorful and unique builds, or you can also get this LEGO DUPLO Classic Brick Box which comes with 65 pieces that let kids build whatever they can dream up.

If your 3-year-old loves to follow you around while you sweep, mop, or dust and just begs you to let them “help,” this Melissa & Doug Dust! Sweep! Mop! set comes with five cleaning tools makes for a great toy. It includes a broom and dustpan, mop, cleaning brush, and duster. Each of the toys is made from high-quality materials including wood and soft fabrics and is designed to look (and work) like the real thing, so your little one will feel like they really contributed to cleaning up whenever they play with these toys (even if the only thing they’re cleaning up is a mess they created in the first place).

A table and chairs set that’s sized just right for young kids is the perfect spot to color, work on puzzles, paint, and sit down to have a snack during playtime. You can find sets in a variety of colors and styles, but the LÄTT Children's Table and 2 Chairs set with a minimalist design using natural wood and white is among the best gifts for 3-year-olds because it’s a parent favorite. It’s lightweight, wipes clean with a towel and some soapy water, is easy to put together, and at 24.75” x 18.87” x 17.75” it offers plenty of room for kids to play without taking up a lot of floor space in the house.

There’s just something about power tools, screwdrivers, and hammering nails that is so much fun for kids, so a pretend toolset is always a great gift for a little one. There are all kinds of sets out there, so finding the right one depends on what you're looking for. For something basic, this Small Foot Wooden Toys Toolbox Playset is a perfect toy for a 3-year-old. It comes with all of the essentials like a level, ruler, hammer, wrench, pliers, and a screwdriver as well as a bunch of different nuts and bolts. When it’s not being played with, all of the tools and accessories tuck away into a little wood box for easy storage.

Young kids who love animals can pretend to check them out, bandage them up, and treat their illnesses with this super cute eight-piece Plan Toys Vet Set. It comes with a thermometer, a stethoscope, a little vial of medicine, a syringe, a bandage, a cat x-ray image, a dog x-ray image, a little cone (to keep animals from licking their wounds), and a little doctor bag to carry everything in. The set is absolutely adorable, and each piece is made from high-quality wood and/or fabric materials that are easy to wipe clean with a towel and some soapy water. It’s no wonder it’s among the best gifts for 3-year-olds.

Wooden blocks are a timeless toy. Not only are they basically indestructible, but they’re also great for kids who enjoy using their imaginations and creating things. Depending on what you’re looking for, you can find wooden block sets in various colors, sizes, and quantities at a lot of stores. This Wooden Blocks 40 Piece Set comes with 40 pieces in different sizes and shapes made from high-quality wood. Kids can use the blocks to build a castle, a skyscraper, or simply just stack one block on top of another to see how high up they can go before it topples over. Either way, they’ll have a great time.

Pretend shopping is a favorite game for preschoolers, and the Perfectly Cute Cash Register has everything they need to make the transaction as real as possible. It features a working microphone (perfect for announcing a “clean-up in aisle one”), a calculator for adding up purchases, a little scanner that actually beeps, a conveyor belt, and a cash register that opens and closes and can be locked with a little key. The register also comes with a bunch of accessories including a shopping basket with pretend products, play money, and a credit card. Once kids have this toy, all they need to do is set up a little market with their toys, and they’ll be ready for shoppers.

Whether they use them for some silly back-and-forth talking while playing outside or for some epic taunting during a competitive game of hide-and-go-seek, a set of walkie-talkies makes for a great present for kids of any age. These Selieve Toys Walkie Talkies are available in a wide variety of colors, have a range of up to one mile, can change channels for better sound quality, and even have a parental locking option. The best part is that walkie-talkies are one of those toys that kids continue to love as they get older, so they won’t be quickly tossed aside and forgotten.

It doesn’t matter how old a kid is, water play is always fun. For 3-year-olds, this Building Bath Pipes set of five water “pipes” makes for a great water-fun gift. Each tube has its own unique size, shape, and color and comes with a suction cup attached to it so that it can be mounted on the shower or bath wall. Kids can make the pipes connect, create chain reactions, build a whole water system, or just line them up on the wall to see how the water slides through each one. Either way, as long as the pipes are mounted to the shower wall, then the water will be sure to stay in the tub.

For young kids who have developed a love for playing with dolls, it doesn’t get much better than a huge dollhouse like the Melissa & Doug Hi-Rise Doll House and Furniture Set. It’s made completely out of wood, has four different stories, and stands 30-inches tall (which is about perfect for an imaginative 3-year-old). The house also comes with 15 pieces of furniture as well as three play figures. There are six different rooms in the house, as well as a foyer and a garage (which has a door that opens and closes), and it even has an elevator so dolls can quickly get from the first floor up to the top with ease.

Everyone loves a good game of bowling, and it’s especially great for a 3-year-old because on top of being fun it’s also great for helping them strengthen their hand-eye coordination. There are plenty of fun toy sets out there that feature famous characters, funny monsters, or that look like the real thing. This Blush Wooden Bowling Set is made completely from birchwood and comes with six pins and a ball. The pins stand five inches tall, so they’re just the right size for young kids who want just a little bit of a challenge. If pink isn’t your color of choice, this set is also available in grey, turquoise, or black.

Remember taking the cushions off the couch to bounce on or to build epic forts when you were a kid? It’s still just as much fun for kids now as it was for you then, but with a play couch like this, you don’t have to sacrifice your nice sofa for the fun. The Children's Factory The Whatsit Kids Couch is one of the best gifts for 3-year-olds and consists of six separate pieces that can be stacked in various ways for different kinds of play. If this isn’t the color, material, or model for you, there are a lot of other ones to choose from and they all offer the same benefits of open-ended play and an opportunity for kids to bounce around to get some of their energy out.

This Stacking Coral toy is fantastic because it allows kids to explore stacking and balancing and there isn’t just one single way to play with it. The set comes with one large piece of “coral” as well as 18 smaller stacking pieces including a shrimp, hermit crab, a squid, a starfish, four coral pieces, two eels, a crab, a sea anemone, a seahorse, and a sea urchin. Each part of the toy is made from high-quality wood that’s easy to wipe clean with a towel and some soapy water. This set is really great for kids who seem to have a natural interest in building and engineering, but it can be easily enjoyed by just about anyone.

Dress-up is perfect for encouraging imaginative play and it allows kids to dress up as their favorite character, person, or profession. You can find dress-up clothes all over the internet, but Melissa and Doug have some of the best costume sets including doctors, firefighters, and chefs. The Melissa & Doug Astronaut Role Play Set is a kid favorite and comes with a jumpsuit, a pair of gloves, and a little helmet. Whether you pick this costume set or another from Melissa and Doug, you can be sure that it will be made from high-quality materials and designed to fit kids as young as 3 years old.

Puzzles are always great for kids because they encourage problem-solving, help with spatial awareness, and are so much fun (nothing beats the pride on a little kid’s face after they’ve successfully finished a project). By 3 years old, kids can start to take on puzzles with more pieces or that present a little more of a challenge, like this Giraffe Wooden Puzzle. It’s shaped to look like a giraffe and comes with 12 pieces. When the pieces are out, the puzzle board isn’t color-coded, so kids have to figure out where the pieces go just by looking at the shape, which may be new for some of them.

Little kids love pretending to take care of babies, and it’s absolutely adorable. There is no shortage of toy options for baby dolls, but for something simple you can’t go wrong with this Mini Olli Ella Dozy Dinkum Doll. It’s a plush doll made from super soft materials, so it can be played with or used as a stuffy for naps or bedtime. This specific doll is particularly great for younger kids because it’s mini-sized, measuring 12” by 10” by 3” and super lightweight. Basically, don’t be surprised if you gift this to your 3-year-old and they begin taking it with them wherever they go.