They’re at that delicate stage between toddler and pre-schooler and are typically more inquisitive than ever before. Yes, we’re talking about your 3 year old! If you’re stumped on what kind of toys your three year old boy wants to play with, we’ve got you covered!
Over the years we’ve covered a wide variety of toys for all ages and stages, have focused on things your 1 year old wants to play with, your 10 year old is into, and just about everything in between. But one of our favorite ages has to be 3 years old. We’ve been asked by our readers to come up with a unique list of toys and games that will perfect suit a 3 year old boy – and we’re happy to oblige, but since we’re not fully into labels around here we chose from of the best options for any 3 year old, regardless of their gender.
What Do 3 Year Olds Play With?!At three years old, your child is becoming more independent and has a growing interest in the world around them. They are also becoming more active, so it’s important to choose toys that will help them stay physically active. We consulted with the experts at The Bump who help us understand where your little one is at:
Your child will continue to make massive leaps in cognitive, social and physical development that you will take in with awe. Combine their natural curiosity about their environment with their greater physical dexterity, and you have a recipe for very busy days!”
Overall, here are some great toy options for three year olds:
- Remote Control Cars: These can be a great way for your child to explore their independence and get some exercise at the same time.
- Balls: Whether it’s a soccer ball, basketball or even a simple playground ball, three year olds love to play with balls. They are perfect for helping your child stay active.
- Dolls: Dolls are still popular with three year olds, especially if they are ones that can be dressed up and played with.
- Building Blocks: Building blocks are a timeless toy that helps with your child’s development. They can use them to build towers, houses or anything else their imagination can come up with.
- Puzzles: Puzzles are great for helping your child develop problem solving skills. Choose puzzles with large pieces for your little one.
- Art Supplies: Art supplies are perfect for encouraging your child’s creativity. Crayons, markers, paint and clay are all great options.
- Musical Instruments: Let’s face it, they love to make noise, so musical instruments are always a hit. Drums, xylophones and tambourines are all great choices.
- Toy Cars: Toy cars are another popular choice! They can use them to race around the house or play pretend games.
- Outdoor Toys: Outdoor toys are important for helping your child get fresh air and stay active. Tricycles, scooters and ride-on toys are all great options.
While those are some of the classic toys and games, we wanted to come up with a list that will incorporate some of the concepts above and mix them with something unique.
Check out some of the best games and toys for your active 3-year-old boy (so far) in 2022.
1. Take Apart Dinosaur Toys
FREE TO FLY
Just about every boy seems to be obsessed with all things dinosaurs. If yours is too, you may want to check out these take apart and “put back together again” STEM dinosaur set. Not only are they just plain old fun to play with, they’ll help with their fine motor skills (little fingers), imagination, brain development, and even critical thinking. This set comes with 3 dino toys in total: green Triceratops, blue Tyrannosaurus Rex, and the brown Velociraptor. Put a little extra roar into their playtime!
2. Magna-Tiles 100 Piece Clear Colors Building Set
MAGNA TILES
Definitely more on the expensive side ($126), you can basically never go wrong with Magna Tiles. This 100-piece clear colors set allows your little one to use their imagination and creativity to build just about anything they want! The tiles are magnetic (hence their name) and while playing with them (for hours!) really is fun, they’re going to learn and develop their math, science, spacial, and tactile skills all at the same time.
3. The Ladybug Garden Memory Game
FAT BRAIN TOYS
Personally we love a memory game and your 3 year old will too! All they need to do is turn over one lady bug and try to match the picture with another on the board. The ladybugs themselves are wooden and a great size making it easy for those little hands to grab them and turn them over. Overall, the game helps to encourage their fine motor skills, memory skills, and a little friendly competition. This one comes with 5 different puzzle cards – some are more difficult than others so they can grow with the game!
4. The Putt-and-Play Wooden Golf Set
FAT BRAIN TOYS
Four! More like three! Get them into the golf game early with this really cute and pretty fun wooden golf set. You can set up the game any way you’d like to make it easy for them or more challenging the better they get. It comes with five wooden obstacles, two holes with flags, two golf balls, two putters, and score cards. They’ll have a blast playing like the pros and it’ll really help them with their concentration skills and coordination skills too.
5. The John Deere Monster Light-Up Tractor
TOMY
If they love monster trucks, they’re going to love this light-up tractor from John Deere. They lights on the giant wheels will be activated when they roll the tractor forward or backwards. Speaking of the tires, they’re pretty durable so you can use them on all sorts of terrain – from your living room rug, to outdoor grass, mulch – you name it! It’s as tough as your three year old!
6. The Teeter Popper
FAT BRAIN TOYS
Get ready to keep them busy for a while with the Teeter Popper! How they play and how it works really depends on your kiddo. They can stand, sit, rock, tilt, wobble, wiggle, spin. Get ready for some laughs, some pops, and some proud moments. The Teeter Popper now comes in three different colors: blue, green, and pink.
7. The Toy Rocket Launcher
MOTOWORX
Get ready for the ultimate countdown to the colorful foam rocket that’s about to launch into space right from your very own backyard. Ok, well not actual space but it can shoot up to 100 feet into the air! This rocket launcher set comes with 6 colorful foam rockets and all they have to do is load it, stomp the launch pad, and see how high they can get it to go. They can actually learn a bit about STEM with this toy as well.
8. The Personalized “Monster Town” Adventure Book
UNCOMMON GOODS
Ok, so this one really isn’t a toy, but we loved this idea as a personalized gift for your 3 year old. First off, this adventure story book can be personalized with their name, and it’ll help teach them how to deal with and all sorts of emotions – knowing that they’re “ok” just the way they are. Need advice about their feelings, this is the book to help!
9. Squigz Suction Cup Set
FAT BRAIN TOYS
It’s the toy that sucks, but in a good way! This suction cup starter set comes with 24 pieces that can bend, suction together, and more to make all sorts of shapes and designs. They can just stick them together or challenge themselves to make actual “things” like rockets, vehicles, jewelry, an octopus – or whatever their imagination and creativity can take them.
10. The Construction Site Play Set
FAT BRAIN TOYS
If they like watching big trucks dig and construct, they’ll most likely love using their imagination and “pretend play” skills with this fun construction site play set. They can turn the crank of the truck loader structure to drop material down into the dump truck. The large crane site features crane, microphone, buttons that play dialogue, realistic sounds, flashing lights! There’s really so much they can do they’ll feel like they actually have a job. This play set can help with their fine motor skills, imaginative play, and even storytelling.
11. The Wooden “Brew and Serve” Toy Coffee Maker
MELLISA & DOUG
Since we start each morning with our own single-serve Keurig coffee maker, it only made sense for them to start their morning the same way too. This wooden coffee maker from Melissa & Doug comes with 12 difference pieces – including two mugs, three “k cups,” sugar, creamer, a spoon and more. They’ll be “making coffee” just like you and feel like they’re part of your morning routine.