OK, I know some parents may be sick of reading the “good for brain development” stuff everywhere on the Internet. They would be like – and me too – “come on, give me a break”. I want my boy/girl to be strong and tough too.
Well, if we are on the same boat here, trying hard to bring up a healthy, smart and responsible next generation, the toys selected today will to the trick. Some of them stimulate muscles and bones, while others can help your little one get on track of STEM education in the future.
In the Post
- Best Toys for 3-Year-Olds
- 1. Fisher-Price Tough Trike (best for gross motor skills)
- 2. CozyBomB Magnetic Fishing Toys (best for hand-eye coordination)
- 3. Marble Run Track Toy Set (best for thinking and mental skills）
- 4. IQ BUILDER Stem Toys (best for creativity)
- 5. Battat Alphabet Pop-Up Toy (ideal for language and memory development)
- 6. Sigikid Little Patient (ideal for cognitive development)
- 7. Best Choice Products Musical Instrument Toy (best for interest in music)
- 8. Melissa & Doug Wooden 24-Piece Puzzles (best for problem solving)
- Why Do We Recommend These Toys?
- Consider These If You Wanted Other Toys…
- Final Thoughts
Best Toys for 3-Year-Olds
This list of toys is formulated after days of research considering both pediatric study results and lessons learned in real, everyday life, just in order to support toddlers’ growth in all aspects that we deem necessary. Want to know why we selected them? Take the “ladder” here.
1. Fisher-Price Tough Trike (best for gross motor skills)
Our rating: [usr 5]
This trike is an excellent option for those beautiful days in the sun.
Your little one will feel like the coolest kid on the block rolling up to the park, or around your backyard with their cool, rugged, and easy to maneuver trike.
Benefits
- Having fun and getting stronger
Not only is the trike tons of fun to ride on, but it is also always a great way to help develop gross motor skills. It has easy to grip handlebars, durable plastic wheels, and a robust triangle structure, making it easy for little riders to get going.
While still tender, muscles and bones of your 3YO are much stronger now, enabling them to keep balance on the trike.
Don’t worry that they might fall down accidentally because the seat is not too high off the ground, about 9 inches, and the coarse grain of the seat surface increases friction.
- High weight limit
Made out of sturdy materials, the trike carries 65 lb without noticable deformation in our test. That said, it’s always recommended to follow the manufacturer’s guide, i.e. keep in mind that the weight limit is 55 lb.
Things you might not like
Although the trike is not high, it is a bit long for some kids of 2~3 years old. It measures about 20″ from pedal to rear wheel.
That means some toddlers might not reach the pedal unless they sit closer to the handbar. But, they can always peddle around with their feet on the ground.
2. CozyBomB Magnetic Fishing Toys (best for hand-eye coordination)
Our rating: [usr 5]
With more than 30 pieces and ten colors, the fishing toy is perfect for birthday parties, playdates or just a quiet afternoon at home.
Targeting at kids of ages three to six, these lifelike colorful pieces will encourage toddler’s curiocity about ocean creature.
Benefits
- Magnetic design to boost body coordination
So, the best part of the fishing toy is that there’s a tiny magnet fixed to the hook and each toy fish.
Kids must precisely locate the magnet and control their hands to move, in such a way that the hook attaches to the tip of fish. While this is easy for bigger kids, your 2 or 3 year olds may find it challenging, and fun.
When kids rewind the wire, they also take exercises of fine moter skill.
- A good teaching material too
With the help of mommy and daddy, the toy also teaches colors, shapes, math, and interpersonal skills.
Things you might not like
This toy has a lot of pieces, and can get lost, stepped on, or broken.
3. Marble Run Track Toy Set (best for thinking and mental skills）
Our rating: [usr 4.6]
This is a modern take on a classic toy. With four difficulty levels, 70 blocks and 20 glass marbles, toddlers are sure to enjoy hours of fun building and creating new mazes.
The marble set is ideal for parents who want to promote their child’s thinking and cognitive skills. It is fun, but challenging.
Kids must think hard to develop new tracks and solve the problem, while still being safe and entertaining.
Worrying about the game is too hard and you little one may feel frustrated? The goodnews is, while the manufacturer said there’re levels 1-4 (see other three shown below), you can create level 0 or 1 for your little one by giving them even less pieces.
Benefits
- Pretty safe
It is designed with premium ABS plastic to create a 100% non-toxic marble track. Additionally, the edges of the marbles building set are smooth in order to prevent injuries.
Small Parts Alert
Yeah, that’s why I said it’s “pretty safe”, not 100% safe. We all agree that kids should play the toy with their parents or under supervision.
- Thinking wild
The charm of the toy set is that toddlers can build different tunnel systems following their imagination, without referring to the user manual, which comes with the set to help parents or grandparents out.
- A bond builder
Picture this: your little one and you sitting together in a lazy afternoon, you two or three work jointly all the way to the highest level of this game.
She or he may get upset because you don’t “follow their mind”, or laugh at something dumb you shared with them. Isn’t it the family hour you’ve been looking for long?
Of course, the story can be about them and their little mates, in which they both enjoy the sweet of friendship and teamwork.
This is also a popular toy in many daycares and kindergarten classrooms, as it stimulates several of a child’s developmental skills, but is also a great option for both individual and team play.
Things you might not like
There are no two ways around it; this set comes with a lot of pieces. Not only that but small pieces.
In order to get the most out of the track, it is essential that parents or caregivers should always be present when younger kids are using it to avoid choking.
4. IQ BUILDER Stem Toys (best for creativity)
Our rating: [usr 4.7]
This toy is a fantastic way to introduce your little one to STEM. It is recommended for kids between three and ten years old, to ignite children’s creativity.
Benefits
- Guaranteed material safety
The IQ BUILDER has so many benefits simply because of the subjects that it introduces to young kids. In addition, the set is tested by an independent US lab approved by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), proving it’s free of BPA, lead, and phthalate.
It’s also easy to clean, simply wash with clear water.
- Creativity booster
Using these simple beads, sticks, and plates, your toddler would love to let their imagination run wild and create literally any thing poping out of their curious minds:
Animals, vehicles, buildings, and something that may come into the real world in the future.
Not for Kids Younger Than 3 Years Old.
Things you might not like
Although I’m stressing the risk of choking all the time, parents might be feeling a bit relieved if your kids have celebrated their third birthday.
The question is these small pieces can get lost easily from careless toddlers and, while this set gives you more than 160 pieces to build, you may need more in order to create some larger, more complex stuff.
5. Battat Alphabet Pop-Up Toy (ideal for language and memory development)
Our rating: [usr 5]
It’s a memory game that also helps toddlers learn their numbers, animals, shapes, colors, and more. It has more than fifty color flaps and buttons and is sure to keep little ones entertained for hours.
Benefits
- Doing good to memory and cognitive development
This board also help children to learn the alphabet, colors and numbers in a way that they won’t get bored for a long time, espectially when the game becomes interactive (see my story below).
When they push the buttom, say, C, they will see a cat behind the tab; when they push the five-tree button, the number “5” pops out. This helps them build links with words and numbers.
- Find your way to have fun
You might think this toy is so simple and your kids will lose interest in like a minute. Well, I find a way to make this game more interactive.
I sit with my son, give him clues about what I’m thinking, and he should guess the answer to win a kiss if it’s correct; otherwise, I’ll tickle him for 30 seconds. We change roles then and the funny stories continues, and I’m sure this game is good for his memory.
Do you have your creative way? Leave a comment and share it with other parents!
Things you might not like
As to this portable, easy-to-clean educational toy, the only thing you might not like, I assume, is the repetitiveness. However, as I mentioned above, it can do more than you expected, we parents should be creative sometime.
6. Sigikid Little Patient (ideal for cognitive development)
Our rating: [usr 4.5]
Learning about their body is a natural part of being a kid, they are going to ask questions and wonder how their body does what it does, and why.
Teach your child about his or her body with this fun and age-appropriate doll. It is made out of microfiber plush and has a 100% polyester filling.
Benefits
- Making it easy to explain
These dolls provide parents and children with an easy and hands-on way of learning about their bodies, both inside and out. They are great for cognitive development. And make it easy for kids to ask questions about how their bodies work as they grow.
- Reliable material
Made with high-quality, non-toxic wood and metal, the “band” is a safe option for little ones; and as you can see, it also wipes clean easily.
Things you might not like
“O, M, G, it’s creepy”, some may say. Come on, this is how medicine works. Doctors do study anatomy because it’s of vital importance.
Why not help you little one build a small hospital in your home, and let them play responsible doctors or nurses to take care the patient?
7. Best Choice Products Musical Instrument Toy (best for interest in music)
Our rating: [usr 4.7]
This drum set is a fun and sturdy toy that your child is sure to love. It has a movable mic, and is nice for pretend play for hours.
The mic doesn’t speak well, but that would not be a problem for toddlers who are “crazy” about music. They’d just sit on the cute stool and stage their solo concert the moment you’ve helped them assembled the set.
Benefits
- A door openning to the world of music
Although the drum set is not a professional equipment, it is fantastic for parents to intrigue their child to have an interest in music playing.
It introduces kids not only to drums but singing as well. There are a bunch of background music options and light up buttons that provide even more ways to play.
Things you might not like
You need 3 AA batteries to power it and the stool may not stable when your kid grows into bigger size.
8. Melissa & Doug Wooden 24-Piece Puzzles (best for problem solving)
Our rating: [usr 4.5]
The jigsaw puzzle is a twenty-four piece puzzle made of sturdy wood. It’s an excellent option for carrying to grandma’s or church.
Benefits
- Be a problem solver
The puzzle is designed to help children develop strong problem-solving abilities. Of course, they might be frustrated sometimes and that’s when you step in to encourage them.
About Melissa & Doug
A highly reputable company, Melissa & Doug have been creating fun and educational toys for more than three decades. Many of their products are used in schools, daycare centers, and homes across North America.
Things you might not like
There is a risk of losing pieces and not being able to complete it in the future.
A lot of toys, including puzzles, involve a certain level of understanding, and sometimes become frustrating for children prior to their being able to fully grasp the task at hand. This in turn can become challenging for the parents.
When this happens it is important to remember that while there are developmental milestones in place for a reason, every child is unique and some grasp certain tasks faster than others.
It’s nice if you approve of our selections based on days of study, and we’d also like to invite you to check out our recommendations for babies and toddlers of 0-6 months, 1-year-old and 2-year-old.
Why Do We Recommend These Toys?
As much as we as parents worry about whether or not their kids have the toys that their friends have or the ones that they “should have”, the reality is that play itself is a learning tool – so the toys they play with ought to be used to support that.
Not every “cool” toy on the market is going to do good to your children or inspire them, but investing in those that do, such as those listed above, will significantly benefit your child in the long run, without break the bank.
About Your 3-Year-Old
These milestones, as well as the performance of my son, nephews, nieces, are guidelines of the selections above.
By the time your child is three-years-old, they are in a transition period between being a “baby-like toddler” to a “big-kid toddler.”
In other words, they are moving on from being a toddler to a real little person, with a distinct personality, with a mind of their own and an attitude. As the year goes on and your child inches closer to that four-year mark, these features will become even more distinct.
Developmental features of kids at this age
- Can mostly dress/undress themselves
- Demonstrates a wide range of emotions
- Copies those around them
- Turns book pages one at a time
- Runs easily
- Climbs well
- Can open doors
- Can do small, simple puzzles
Consider These If You Wanted Other Toys…
If the toys above are not exactly what you are looking for, the information in our extensive Best Toys for One-Year-Old guide is sure to help, where we addressed the following aspects in detail:
- Materials – At this age, some kids are still putting everything into their mouth, so ensuring that toys are made out of non-toxic materials is vital.
- Fun – Does my child like it? After all, the toy is to entertain, not to frustrate or challenge them.
- Stimulating – While this is optional, it’s not bad to hit two birds with one stone.
- Breaking down stereotypes – Is it really necessary to “obey traditions”?
- Second hand toys – What state is the toy in? Are any of the materials wearing out? Can it be cleaned?
- Is it a good idea to clutter the room with toys?
Final Thoughts
There is a real reason as to why so many schools are transitioning to play-based learning in kindergarten – because it allows kids to learn and explore in a way that they can understand. It is making the most of those formative years between birth and age five.
I hope that this has helped you to determine the style of toys that will best benefit your three-year-old.
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