48 best gifts and toys for 3-year-olds

The best gifts for 3-year-olds provide plenty of opportunities to explore as toddlers grow and develop into more imaginative play. So if you're on the hunt for the perfect gift idea, we've got you covered.

Finally out of the "terrible twos," many are entering school for the first time and interacting with friends. They’re becoming increasingly verbal and able to answer questions and follow directions. (Or not: There’s a reason people call them “threenagers.”)

“Three-year-olds are getting to be more social and have ideas of their own,” says Tovah Klein, director of the Barnard College Center for Toddler Development and author of “How Toddlers Thrive.” According to Klein, “Open-ended toys such as blocks and building toys allow them to explore, discover and carry out their ideas."

They are deep in the “I’ll do it myself” phase, so they enjoy things that help them master the fine motor skills that might help them dress themselves, says Marie Conti, head of The Wetherill School in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, and a board member of the American Montessori Society.

From stuffed animals and dolls to books and educational toys, we found tons of giftable options for 3-year-olds.

Best building toys | Educational toys | Arts and crafts and music toys | Pretend play toys | Stuffed animals, dolls and figures | Cars, trains and vehicles | Play sets | Books | Meet the experts | How we chose

The options are endless when it comes to the patterns and designs your child could make with these vibrant geometric blocks, but they can also build the patterns that are already included with the set. Their problem-solving skills and natural curiosity will also be tested by shapes like hexagons, trapezoids, rhombuses and more.

With 100 pieces, this wooden block building set is meant for fun and play. They’ll get to use the colorful blocks and shapes to build their own architectural creations.

Watch their imagination bloom as they create their own garden with Byserten’s flower building set. Reviewers on Amazon say this toy is engaging and practical, but make sure to have a bag to keep up with the pieces. “The multitude of colors and arrangements you can make are fantastic. It is a great project for your lil one and their friends or by themselves, which is also a great plus,” one reviewer wrote.

Encourage early STEM development and fine motor skills with this interactive gear set that really works. According to the brand, this set will help them start learning about sorting, grouping, counting — and even putting physics into play with the spinning gears!

These magnetic tiles allow kids to create their own masterpieces and will captivate them for years to come. “Kids will play with those for hours,” Conti says. They’re also a favorite of commerce vice president Jen Birkhofer.

This stacking set will help 3-year-olds learn, build and grow as they can use the pieces to create a chair, stool and more. Shop TODAY associate editor Kamari Stewart shares, “I gave this set to my 3-year-old nephew. My sister set it up as a tower in their apartment and, without any prompting from her, he immediately took the stones apart and laid them out in a path to create walkable stepping stones (like the name of the brand!)."

Stewart adds that she was “surprised and impressed at how intuitive it was for him to play with these and love that he was able to figure it out on his own. It really speaks to the thoughtful design. Plus, my sister likes that they neatly stack in one place and aren’t an eyesore!"

Now they can work on their very own laptop just like Mom and Dad! This LeapFrog LeapTop has five different modes — ABCs, numbers, games, music and messages. It can also be customized with their name so they can practice spelling it!

Most little ones are familiar with the classic tale, "The Very Hungry Caterpillar." Now they can get a hands-on experience with the story! This sensory bin is loaded with 2.5 pounds of sensory sand, a Hungry Caterpillar toy, foam accessories, shovel, sand stamp and colorful clings, among other things.

They'll develop fine motor skills alongside shape and pattern recognition with this toy drill board. Each set comes with five reversible board cards that they can follow, or they can use their imagination to get creative.

With a magnetic stylus, reinforcing the ABCs and their handwriting becomes an easy task. It’s perfect for the young learner who is still practicing their penmanship.

Between the vibrant colors and cute animals (dinosaurs, dolphins, rabbits and bears, oh my!), these puzzles will keep your toddler entertained for hours. Not to mention, they will help them count numbers and refine hand-eye coordination while they play, according to the brand.

Landing on The Toy Insider's STEM 10 list in 2023, budding speedsters can design their own magnetic racetrack using the kit's translucent pieces, all while exploring development logic skills.

These mess-free coloring pages are perfect for travel (and for avoiding stains on every surface in the house). If they’re not into Bluey (but let’s be honest — what kid isn’t?), there’s also a Barbie option.

For a more artsy bath experience, your 3-year-old can color in these little pets, then wash them off and start all over again. Plus, they’re easy to clean off of other surfaces if your little one decides to get creative outside of tub time.

Little ones are unleashing their inner artist at this age, and this set lets them explore through touch and feel. It comes with 31 tools and six cans of Play-Doh to create animals, shapes and anything else they can dream up.

They can flex their musical talents with this DJ mixer toy that makes 12 sounds, has three pre-set beats, a record they can “scratch” to remix sounds and even a retractable microphone so they can jump on the beat themselves!

Prepare for hours of music play with this mini guitar that's just right for little fingers. “Musical toys can form a big part of a 3-year-old’s day,” says educational toy expert Lauren Leisk.

“The sandbox is one of the most popular activities on our playground, for all ages,” Conti says. This magic sand is a perfect indoor version. It’s sensory play at its best.

This automated bubble wand will keep any little princess entertained. It also has colored lights and plays music, making it the perfect party item.

If they’re into dinosaurs, they’ll love this set that will help them play out all of the Jurassic-style scenarios living in their heads. This set includes 12 realistic dinosaurs of all kinds, as well as their names and fun facts about each, to keep your little archeologist immersed for hours.

Kids may hate going to the dentist, but they won’t mind playing dentist! Landing on Walmart’s Top Toys list in 2023, the Melissa & Doug pretend play set comes with plenty of accessories to teach them about good oral hygiene.

This toy was designed to inspire hours of screen-free fun. They can change the color of the light in the lantern. Plus, it plays soothing noises like bird chirps, campfire sounds, ocean waves and more to help them feel like they’re on a real adventure.

For the 3-year-old with a budding green thumb, this gardening set is perfect for encouraging independent play outside. It comes with a watering can, gloves, a rake, a shovel and a fork all stored in a tote bag for easy cleanup after they’re done tending to their — real or imaginary — plants.

Whether your 3-year-old wants to run the house or help you around the house, this cleaning tools set is the perfect set. With a broom, mop, duster, dustpan and hand brush, the set has all the tools to keep an (imaginative!) house clean and your toddler running around. Shop TODAY editor Rebecca Brown watched her daughter spend countless nights using this set. “This became part of our bedtime routine. My daughter would get the mop or broom out and ‘help clean’ before bed by mopping the carpet. It was fantastic.”

Get them loving chores while they’re still young. With a working suction and twisting and turning capabilities, this mini Dyson vacuum replica works just like Mom’s and Dad’s!

Their imagination and motor skills will be developed simultaneously with this magnetic construction set. It comes with four animal figurines, nine squares, ten triangles, an arch and a pentagon, so they can practice shapes while reigning over their imaginary jungle.

Why should tea sets get all the fun? Baby can make their first "cappuccino" with this coffee set. With its 20 play pieces that include a "fill and drop" filter, as well as signal lights and realistic coffeeshop sounds, your tyke will have fun playing barista while potentially developing their fine motor skills. The drawer below opens to reveal doughnuts and other treats.

If Japanese fare is more your child chef’s speed, they can now “cut” sushi and then pick them up using (helpfully velcroed) chopsticks, thanks to this sushi “slicing” set.

Make bedtime just a little more exciting by letting little ones draw in glow-in-the-dark ink. In the daytime, this whimsical bear has soft white and yellow fur with shimmering purple details. Your tyke can choose to cuddle or, using the included LED pen, draw all manner of fantastical shapes right on the bear. This activates the fur's glow effect, which, in the dark, illuminates your child's drawings. (Not to worry: They fade away after two minutes, the brand says.)

If your little one was a fan of the new “Paw Patrol” movie, they’ll love having Marshall, Chase, Rubble and Skye to hang out with at home. They’re all in uniform and ready for their next rescue adventure!

This doll is huggable, machine-washable and dryer-safe, and comes with its own pet for extra fun. For instance, Harper, the little playdate friend featured on the bottom left, not only includes a white built-in onesie and adorable bow, but she also sports a cute removable dress and shoes!

As they start school, toddlers may become more interested in cozy friends who give comfort. These therapist-designed snugglers come with a story to help with stress management. According to Slumberkins, "Alpaca teaches children to articulate their feelings, manage their anxiety and share their worries with others."

This bestselling car carrier helps with fine motor skills and imaginative play. According to the brand, it’s made from recycled plastic and is even dishwasher-safe!

Let their favorite characters celebrate alongside them this year with this Lego Duplo set. This birthday train set includes a three-part train, birthday cake, number bricks and accessories.

This John Deere tractor might not help much on the farm, but it will do just about anything a child could want, with lights and sounds for extra appeal.

Is your 3-year-old enamored with all forms of transportation? It’s trains, planes and automobiles all in one in this 80-piece set, which also features construction trucks and toys, a fire station and more. We also like that the two-piece storage bucket turns into part of the landscape. Plus, all the pieces can go back in the bucket when you’re done.

Go fishing! The mini magnetic fishing rod can "catch" the set's three magnetic bobbing characters for endless "catch and release" fun. While the kids enjoy all the fun, parents will love that the magnetic bobbers simultaneously assist with developing hand-eye coordination.

Every 3-year-old has a little scientist in them. Allow them to channel their scientific urges with this water lab bath toy that creates double-chain reactions and effects.

Watch as little hands practice coordination and dexterity while assembling and taking apart this airplane. Brown says her daughter loved this. "It was incredible watching my then-3-year-old fumble with things like screws and a screwdriver. Over time she developed the confidence and control and got better at figuring it out."

With more than 500 vivid reusable pieces, your 3-year-old will have a blast creating endless combinations, sticking the pieces to the board, any glossy surface or each other! One Amazon reviewer said they “loved Colorforms as a kid in the ‘50s, I was so surprised that this creativity in a box was still being sold.” It’s gift that stands the test of time.

"Bluey is everyone's favorite show, from preschoolers to grade schoolers to parents," The Toy Insider's editor-in-chief Marissa Silva says about this popular TV show about the titular Australian Blue Heeler and their equally beloved family. This four-story Hammerbarn shopping center allows the characters (and kids) to explore the environment and curb their curiosity.

A dollhouse gives toddlers room for creative play, as well as a space to work through issues around separation as they head to school. This one has an open design that lets kids play on all sides, so there’s no elbowing for a spot.

Banana is waiting for his turn in this (mostly) rhyming fruit-counting book that keeps counting animals instead. This fun counting book will make little ones giggle.

As farm animals wait for the sun to rise, it seems to take a little too long. So they set off on a journey to the edge of the world to summon the sunrise. If your little one loves animals great and small, they’ll love this tale, which, according to Publisher’s Weekly, “appreciates creatures’ gentle ways and offers a quiet reminder about perceptions’ ability to mislead.”

Sylvie the spider watches over the tenants where she lives beneath a fire escape. Not since “Charlotte’s Web” has a spider been such a kind friend.

Finn’s parents just won’t stay in bed at night, so he’ll have to enforce their bedtime routine in this funny role reversal.

Brown is the color of leaves and black a dark puddle in this lyrical exploration of positive associations of black and brown. Paired with these verses are illustrations that are called “soft, rich and warm, evoking feelings of safety and calm.”

The pigeon first tried to ride the bus nearly 20 years ago. Now he’s ready for a roller coaster and can barely stand the excitement.

The Shop TODAY team works hard to find the best products and coolest gifts out there. We use our own personal experiences with brands and shopping to find the most unique gifts on the market that are sure to be a hit.

Don’t forget to check out Shop TODAY’s other gift guides to find the perfect present for every kid on your list including babies, 1-year-olds, 2-year-olds, 4-year-olds, 5-year-olds, 6-year-olds, 7-year-olds, 8-year-olds, 9-year-olds and 10-year-olds.