Shopping Guide 3 years old
At 3 years old, there is so much kids can do and are interested in.
Chances are pretend play is getting stronger and I definitely recommend having building toys available at this age.
At 2 years old we could introduce the first tabletop game, and the selection increases so much more at 3 years old.
Puzzles can also get more complex and increase the amount of pieces for jigsaw puzzles
Arts and coloring might become a stronger interest and a variety of materials can be provided.
As well, more options can be presented for music and practical life activities.
As children keep working on their Gross Motor skills, new toys can be introduced. Balance, and climbing are two activities that little kids inherently enjoy and thrive on as they develop their motor skills .
Practice pedaling, balance, climbing and do some open ended play with outdoor toys.
This guide introduces new categories that reflect these evolving interests while also revisiting some themes and toys from the 2-3 year old guide, as they remain relevant.
Building Toys
Building toys are a great category to have at this age. This type of open ended play (where there’s no final correct result, unlike a puzzle) can lasts for years to come.
Playing with building toys offers various developmental benefits. These materials encourage creativity and imaginative play. They enhance fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and dexterity, while reinforcing problem-solving abilities.
These materials encourage kids to stay focused and engaged.
Magnetic Tiles: Magnetic building sets are very popular and this is for good reasons.
The excitement comes from the way the magnets effortlessly connect and disconnect, making the construction process easy and engaging.
There are 3 popular brands.
Picasso Magnetic Tiles: Most budget friendly. These are the ones we started our collection with and we have never had issues with them in our regular play. We did a stress test on them and they did break which others have also reported. They are lighter than the rest.
Magna-Tiles: Best for durability. When stress tested these are the only ones that didn’t break at all. As for strength of the magnets they sit right in the middle of the other two brands.
Connetix Tiles: Best for big builds. These are heavier than the rest and the magnets are stronger, resulting in solid builds. When stress tested this took more force than the Picasso tiles to break.
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2. Mini Magnetic Tiles: This mini version of the magnetic tiles are a great to bring on the go. We love them at restaurants while we wait for our food and when in hotels.
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3. Micro Magna Tiles: This micro version of the magnetic tiles are compatible with the regular size. A quarter of them exactly. This makes them a great compliment to a current set, but also great on their own for on the go. They are too small for under 3 years old.
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4. Plus Plus Big: These simple interlocking blocks are great for little hands.
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5. Bristle Blocks: These building blocks feature soft, interlocking bristles that stick together at any angle for frustration-free building.
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6. Little Bricks: These little bricks are adorable, very heavy and just a great sensory input. When not used for building they are use as open ended pieces.
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Unit Blocks: There’s a lot of blocks out there, and block play is always great.
We love unit blocks because of the mathematical relations between the pieces. The main size is called the unit and all the other sizes and shapes are created based in the unit measurements.
I recommend to look for sets that have a good amount of the unit size.
Another reason I love these unit blocks, it’s because you can always add to your block collection by purchasing individual pieces. Different brands might have quality differences, but the measurements should be the same, allowing to mix and match brands.
There are two brands I know that offer great quality and which sets have a good mix of sizes:
7. Construcive Playthings (use code HALFWAY23 for 15% off)
Beginner Set: A great set to start with if you just want to try unit blocks out.
Super Saver: If you’re limited in space or budget, this set includes a good amount of the basic shapes and some more advanced ones. It does leave out some of the bigger pieces.
8. Guidecraft (use code HALFWAYMONTESSORI for 10% off)
Unit Blocks - Different Sizes: From 28 to 218 pieces sets.
Puzzles
At this age, most puzzles will be a variation of Jigsaw puzzles of different levels.
However, there are some other options like this nested puzzle (1) and this logic puzzle (6).
Interest on puzzles can vary greatly from child to child (specially as they get older), so keep that in mind to focus on your specific child and avoid comparison.
In our home, we had more interest with stacking and nesting puzzles than more traditional jigsaw puzzles. And we went from the 4 pieces to no interest to 48 pieces at 4 years old.
The following puzzles are great alternatives of different levels and formats that can be presented.
1.Seasons Layered Puzzle // 2. 4-in-1 12 Piece Puzzle // 3. 32 Piece Floor Puzzle // 4. 4 in a box Puzzle // 5.Rhyming Puzzle // 6.Building Puzzle
Tabletop Games
Our best first tabletop recommendation is in the 2yo gift guide and we have kept enjoying it at 4 years old.
The list below includes non-cooperative games (some wins) and cooperative games (everyone wins together)
Non-Cooperative: 1.The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel // 2.HiHo! Cherry-O // 3.Guess in 10 Jr. // 5.Pete the Cat - Buttons // 6.Candy Land
Cooperative: 4.Pete the Cat Cupcakes // 7.Count Your Chickens // 8.Snug as a Bug
Guess in 10: Love this game for vocabulary and concept development. We play it without keeping track of who has how many cards.
Pretend Play
Below you can find some suggestions and ideas for pretend play.
There are a lot of offerings out there. In our home, we have a couple of pretend play materials, but we also encourage the use of loose parts as stand ins to use with imagination.
1.Wooden Animal Barn // 2.Rainbow Streamer // 3.Ice Cream Set // 4.Tea Set // 5.Animal Figurines // 6.Play Silks // 7.Vet Set // 8.Open Dollhouse // 8.Classic Dollhouse
Play Silks: A completly open ended toy. It can feel weird to offer it without a purpose, but kids can use it to wrap toys as part of the envelopment schema, to play peek a boo or hide and seek, for pretend play, for fort building as they get older
Barn, Dollhouses and Spaceship: All of these lead to the same kind of play.
Arts & Crafts
A big interest in all things crafting began at 3 years old in our home.
Here are some great materials to support this interest.
1.Boogie Board // 2.Erasable Doodle Book // 3.Themed Coloring Books // 4.Buddha Board // 5.Sketch Pad // 6.Brush Markers // 7.Skinny Washable Markers // 8.Dot Markers // 9.Multi-talented Pencils // 10.Watercolors
Music
1.Lovevery Music Set // 2.Harmonica // 3.Tambourine // 4.Desk Bells // 5.Kindergarten Recorder
Kindergarten recorder: This recorder has only 5 holes on the front and can play 6 different notes. It’s design for small hands.
Gross Motor
Balance is fundamental at this stage. Children often engage in activities such as walking along low benches, jumping from small heights, or attempting to walk on a balance beam. These exercises help enhance their coordination and spatial awareness.
Climbing fosters gross motor skills and builds strength. Climbing also instills a sense of accomplishment as children overcome challenges, boosting their self-esteem.
Customazible Balance Beam (Use code HALFWAY10 for 10% off) // 2.Sensory Balance Beam // 3.Stepping Stones // 4.Play Couch // 5.Pikler Triangle
Stepping Stones: These stepping stones weren’t around when we were 18 months old, and the ones we had tried we didn’t really love. These ones however are an amazing gross motor/open ended toy. We get a lot of use from them at 5 years old.
Pikler Triangle: At 18 months we introduced the Pikler Triangle and it worked great for us. We first used it by itself and then added a ramp to it. This material can be used for years with most children outgrowing it sometime after 5 years old, and you can add features like a ramp for toddlers and up.
Outdoors
3 years old is a great time to introduce a play vehicles to your child if you haven’t done so.
Pedaling is another critical skill that kids love to practice. Riding tricycles, balance bikes, or push scooters allows them to experiment with momentum, steering, and control while gaining confidence in their mobility.
A mud kitchen allows your child to do some open ended and pretend play outside.
1.Balance Bike // 2.Tricycle // 3.Scooter // 4. Mud Kitchen // 7.Dome Climber // 7.Pikler Triangle // 8.Stepping Stones
Practical Life
1.Crinkle Cutter // 2.Nylon knives // 3.Grape Cutter // 4.Measuring Cups // 5.Citrus Juicer // 6.Toddler Tower [CODE halfway10 for 10% OFF] // 7.Silicone Baking Cups // 8.Tovla Kitchen set // 9.Watering Can // 10.Little Vacuum
Toddler Tower: Our most used item daily.
Nylon Knives: These knives are our favorite child-friendly knives, we introduced closer to 2yo, but you could start them sooner depending on your child.
Tovla Kitchen set: This set includes the nylon knives.
Crinkle Cutter: Ours is not sharp, but I would test to make sure. These can cut a lot of things, but I would suggest to use them for semi-soft things for safety (like apple pieces).
Grape Cutter: This one is a favorite in our house. It saves us time and everyone loves using it.
Citrus Juicer: Another favorite tool to use, specially in the summer. This small Juicer is perfect for independent use.
Watering Can: For watering plants you can use a regular pitcher, but we like using this one to learn yet a different type of pouring
Little Vacuum: This is a real vacuum, but the perfect size for kiddos that love to vacuum. Much better than a toy vacuum in my opinion
Notes & disclaimers:
*Some of this products are affiliated. This means, I get some commission when you buy them from the link posted in this page. This is at no cost to you.
*No products in this guide have been sponsored or given in exchange for being part of this gift guide
*This gift guide is broken down by ages with the hopes of give you a better idea of what’s developmentally appropriate and of interest based on a child’s age. This is information I’ve gathered from child development learnings, personal experience, as well as feedback from other parents. In any case, specially as children get older, interest and skill levels might vary. Please have the particular child you’re shopping for in mind
*We don’t own all these products in our home. I do my best to bring the best alternatives to you from feedback I’ve gathered from multiple places. You can see which ones are our personal fa
