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Very soon in our house we are again going to have a little three year old running around. Let’s be honest, three is a trying age for parents and kids alike. A little sass starts to show, little kids have big opinions and it can be a lot to manage.
On the other hand, by age three our kids have become great little travelers- interested in so many things and able to understand so much more! One great aspect of having a three year old is that they are suddenly able to do a lot more quiet activities, like coloring and puzzles, for more than two minutes at a time!
Read on for our favorite gifts for age three and what we’re going to get our soon to be three year old.
Art Supplies for Age 3
Coloring books– Right around age 3.5 kids generally start to color inside lines. That means that three is a great age to start with coloring books.
Some of our favorites have been these simple ones like the Jake and the Neverland Pirates I repurposed for our Island/Pirate birthday party.
Another option is getting set up with color wonder coloring pages, that are great for travel. I talk all about color wonder in this post on gifts that are good for travel!
Water Wow Books– These are little books that you “color” with water and the white page turns colorful. I love these as a clean option that kids can handle on their own. They are especially great for travel! Once they dry you can color them all over again.
Melissa and Doug Reusable Sticker Pad– Not exactly art, but another great option for low mess creative play. These pads have reusable vinyl stickers, that kids can use to create a scene. We especially love this one with scenes from around town.
Favorite Toys for Age 3
24 piece puzzles– While one year olds are in the peg puzzle phase, at age two it’s like a little miracle occurs and our kids can suddenly put together small 12 piece puzzles.
For age three I like to challenge them with 24 pieces! These Melissa and Doug wooden puzzles are great quality. The large wooden pieces are great for small hands, and the tray helps keep the pieces together.
Train expansion set– The basic wooden train set, whichever one you choose, is great for two year olds that love rolling around wooden trains. At age three, our kids have really been able to put the track together themselves, and we’ve enjoyed having an expansion set to make interesting train combinations!
Construction vehicles– Something about age three make kids fascinated with construction. When my boys were little we would spend many long minutes stuck in the street staring at construction sites. Even our toddler girl is showing interest! We got a ton of play out of construction vehicles- bonus points for those that move and make noise. Also, cars! Any and all cars!
Outside Toys for Age 3
Scooters
Scooter– We have found that you can introduce a scooter anytime between the age of two and three. However, the three year old will pick it up and ride independently much quicker.
Around age three is when we start using our scooter instead of a stroller! So this is actually an essential in our house for city living! I do recommend spending on the Micro Kick brand– they ride so much better than other ones.
If you are insistent on starting younger- get the Micro Mini Deluxe which has a handlebar that goes lower. [Update- we ended up getting the deluxe for our daughter and it has gotten a ton of use].
Bikes
Tricycle– This particular model that we have is great. I love that it has the parent handle which is great for pushing and steering the little ones. By around age three, our average sized kiddos have been able to reach the pedals and use the tricycle on their own.
I love the independence this gives them and the metal construction of this trike. The kids love the storage basket for their treasures! [Update- all three big kids have used this trike when they were two to four years old!]
What about the balance bike? You can definitely get a balance bike for kids as young as two years old, but at that age they will mostly be walking with it. I suggest waiting until closer to 3.5 or 4 years for introducing a balance bike. At that age they will be able to use it as intended, for gliding, and prepare for riding a full on bicycle.
What are we going to get our 3 year old girl?
Headphones– These are the same headphones we have for our boys, and mentioned in our travel gear guide for kids. I think she will be SO excited to have a pair of her own, like the boys, and she’ll be able to use them during our upcoming travel. [Update- two years late, still going strong!]
Stuffed Animal Hammock– I really want to get our little girl a hammock like this to put in her bedroom. She is our first kid that really loves playing with stuffed animals and dolls, and we have so many that we need some place to corral them all! [Update- yes again! great buy!]
Frozen Color Wonder Pages– Our original color wonder set is in great condition, even after several years of use. So I am going to refill the coloring pages. I think Little A will love these Frozen themed ones.
Gardening Set– Three year olds love being big helpers. And one thing we need to refresh after years of use, is a little kids size gardening tools set. B already picked one out a little while ago that we have saved to give his little sister! This set is cute, inexpensive and perfect for a spring birthday.
P.S. Interested in other gift guides? See our favorite gifts for age six here! And more to come!
