The 14 Best Educational Learning Toys For 3 Year Olds & 7 Factors

What Kind Of Toys Should A 3-Year-Old Have?

Plenty of 3-year-olds love to socialize and play with new friends, but don’t be surprised if your little one prefers to play on their own. Kids develop at different rates and have varied personalities.

According to child development experts, preschoolers (3-4-year-olds) begin to develop their social skills at this age. When they notice other children playing, most are likely to readily join these other kids even if they don’t know them. (1)(2)

Toys for this age group are ideally those that can be shared and played with other children, such as jumbo building toys for little hands, simple board games, interactive toys for pretend play, and age-appropriate learning activities.

You might also notice that many developmentally friendly toys for 1-year-olds and 2-year-olds are still great for 3-year-olds.

These toys can grow with your child, and you might be surprised that they’ll find new ways to play with these old toys. Older kids (5-7-year-olds) might even find these toys interesting, especially educational toys that continue to challenge their problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.

Why Should You Choose Learning Toys For 3-Year-Olds?

Your child is getting ready for preschool or might already be in school at three years old. One way of encouraging them to learn is to make the experience fun.

The best learning toys can be used to develop their cognitive skills and learn basic math, science, and language concepts.

That’s why STEM toys (science, technology, engineering, and math) are among the best learning resources and toys you can pick for your child.

These will introduce them to the basic concepts and let them develop hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills as they prepare for preschool.

Our Top 14 Picks For The Best Educational Toys For Three-Year-Olds

You can find our top 14 recommendations for the best learning toys for three-year-olds and other young children, grouped based on:

STEM & Montessori-inspired toys
Educational building sets & blocks
Words, ABCs, numbers, & colors
Puzzles & matching toys
Imaginative play & role play
Musical toys
Toys for learning life skills
Creative & sensory toys for learning new skills

Continue reading to learn more about each toy below.

STEM & Montessori-inspired Toys

Melissa & Doug My First Daily Magnetic Calendar

Pros & best features: Magnetic calendar with 80 magnetic pieces to teach kids the basic concepts of date, weeks, months, special events, and weather
Materials: Not disclosed on the company product page
Type of toy: Learning materials
Educational value: Basic math and time concepts,
Recommended age range: 3+ years (still ideal for up to 8-year-olds or even older)
Extra features: Fabric-hinged (sturdy cord), dry-erase boards (for the calendar template and magnet storage
Certification: FSC, US, and EU (European Union) conformity certificates
Product recall: None
Cons: Some complaints on Amazon about the magnets being too weak and the pieces easily falling off the board

Skillmatics Educational Game: Search & Find

Pros & best features: Set of learning materials (write and wipe activity mats) for different learning concepts
Product safety: Passed US child safety tests
Materials: Certified child-safe
Type of toy: Learning materials
Educational value: Reflective thinking, problem-solving, reading and comprehension, writing skills, focus, and attention
Recommended age range: 3-6 years
Extra features: Includes duster cloth and pens
Certification: ASTM and CPSIA (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act)
Product recall: None
Cons: Some complaints over the product being too pricey

Osmo Little Genius Starter Kit + Early Math Adventure

Pros & best features: Introduces core kindergarten subjects (including shapes, counting, early literacy, language, and communication) with fun games for kids
Materials: Silicone, plastic
Type of toy: Learning material set designed for use with a compatible device (iPad or Fire)
Educational value: Fine motor skills, cognitive development, social-emotional skills, and early literacy
Recommended age range: 3-5-year-olds
Extra features: Learn 300+ words
Product recall: None
Cons: The set can be pricey and requires a compatible electronic device.

Educational Building Sets & Blocks

Dado Fat Cube Toys

Pros & best features: Hollow building blocks that can be connected using slits along the sides
Materials: BPA-free plastic
Type of toy: Building blocks set
Educational value: Planning, engineering, visual-spatial skills, fine motor skills, creativity, experimentation, and self-esteem
Recommended age range: 3+ years old
Extra features: Deluxe pieces that add a twist to the classic building blocks
Product recall: None
Cons: Some complaints about sharp edges. It’s made of plastic.

Soyee Magnetic Blocks (100pcs)

Pros & best features: 100 magnetic block pieces with different shapes, number blocks, and alphabet blocks
Materials: ABS plastic
Type of toy: Building blocks set
Educational value: Architecture, STEM toys, hand-eye coordination, and physics spatial reasoning
Recommended age range: 3-6 year-olds or even older kids
Extra features: Ferris wheel components
Product recall: None
Cons: Some complaints about weak magnets and missing pieces. It’s made of plastic.

Gigi Bloks 100 XXL Building Blocks

Pros & best features: Jumbo building blocks to create child-sized forts, castles, etc.
Materials: Strong, durable, and finished cardboard made of unbleached softwood pulp
Type of toy: Building blocks set
Educational value: Imaginative play, architecture, engineering, gross motor skills, and spatial awareness
Recommended age range: 3+ years old
Extra features: Paper-based materials that your child can draw or paint on
Certification: Certified food-safe
Product recall: None
Cons: The blocks need adult assembly

Words, ABCs, Numbers, & Colors

Lego Duplo My First Alphabet Truck

Pros & best features: Building blocks set with 36 block pieces, a toy truck, and small people
Materials: ABS plastic (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)
Educational value: Role play, cognitive skills, and learning ABCs
Recommended age range: 1½ years old and over
Extra features: Small people and a bear are included in the set
Certification: US and EU standards
Product recall: None
Cons: Some complaints about duplicates or missing letters. It’s made of plastic.

Inchimals by Fat Brain Toys

Pros & best features: Blocks with 12 pieces that have exact inch segments and cute prints for the representative animals
Materials: Wood
Type of toy: Wooden blocks and STEM toys
Educational value: Math and pre-algebra skills
Recommended age range: 3+ years old
Extra features: Comes with a write-on-wipe-off puzzle book with 100 puzzles
Certification: US and EU standards
Product recall: None
Cons: Some complaints about the wooden blocks arriving with some paint already chipping

Puzzles & Matching Toys

Thames & Kosmos Robot Engineer (Level 1) by Kids First

Pros & best features: Multi-award toy set with 53 pieces designed for STEM learning by making non-motorized but movable robots (with a matching storybook)
Product safety: With safety warning for choking hazards for kids under three years old
Materials: Plastic
Type of toy: Building set
Educational value: Fine motor skills, visual-spatial skills, science and math skills, and reasoning and concept development skills
Recommended age range: 3+ years old (can also be ideal for 6-year-olds or older children)
Extra features: Storybook
Product recall: None
Cons: Some complaints about the pieces not staying together like they’re supposed to. It’s made of plastic.

Educational Insights Design & Drill Take-Along Toolkit

Pros & best features: 60 big, colorful bolt pieces with three screwdriver bits to create different patterns on the board
Product safety: With safety warning as a choking hazard for children under three years old
Materials: Plastic
Type of toy: STEM toy
Educational value: Fine motor skills and creativity
Recommended age range: 3+ years old
Extra features: The screwdriver bits have different designs (flat head, Phillips, and socket)
Product recall: None
Cons: The screwdriver piece requires batteries, but some parents complain on Amazon about the toy not working even with fresh batteries. It’s made of plastic.

Imaginative Play & Role Play Toys

LOVEVERY The Storyteller Play Kit

Pros & best features: Montessori-based materials to introduce different learning concepts
Materials: Sustainably harvested FSC-certified wood, water-based paint, and finishes
Type of toy: Learning materials
Educational value: Engineering, problem-solving skills, imaginative play, and real-life skills
Recommended age range: 40-42 months
Extra features: Puppet theater set and child-sized squeeze & spray mop
Certification: FSC
Product recall: None
Cons: It can be pricey.

Musical Toys

Hape Learn With Lights Electronic Ukulele

Pros & best features: Playable ukulele with flashing lights as a guide to teach your child how to play music
Product safety: Passed all toy safety tests (sharp point, bite force, tensile, small parts, drop, and chemical tests)
Materials: Solid wood, plastic toy finishes are non-toxic according to the brand’s product page
Type of toy: Musical toy
Educational value: Pretend play and musical learning
Recommended age range: 3+ years old
Extra features: With instruction sticker, booklet, and handle for easy carrying
Certification: ASTM
Product recall: None
Cons: Requires batteries

Toys For Learning Life Skills

The Big Dig Sandbox Digger Excavator Crane

Pros & best features: Working crane designed for little hands to shovel and move dirt, sand, snow, etc.
Materials: Metal, base with capped ends
Type of toy: Pretend play
Educational value: Logical thinking, reasoning, imaginative play, hand-eye coordination, and fine motor skills
Recommended age range: 3+ years old
Extra features: Seat for your little worker
Product recall: None
Cons: Some complaints about the metal being too soft and easily bending

Creative & Sensory Toys For Learning New Skills

Step2 Flip and Doodle Desk With Stool & Easel

Pros & best features: Activity center with medium and large-sized bins for art supplies
Product safety: Free from heavy metals and phthalates
Materials: Polypropylene and/or polyethylene plastics
Educational value: Fine motor skills, creativity and visualization, self-expression, and coordination
Recommended age range: 2+ years but also ideal for 3-6-year-olds
Extra features: Easel flips down to turn into a desk
Certification: ASTM
Product recall: None
Cons: Requires assembly, made of plastic

How To Choose The Right Educational Toys For Three-Year-Olds?

Here are seven factors to consider in choosing your little one’s toys:

Recommended Age: What Does A 3-Year-Old Need?

Although kids develop at different rates, most toys tend to be ideal for different ages. Three-year-olds (or around the same age) need education toys and learning materials to introduce them to basic learning concepts while they’re having fun.

Child development experts acknowledge that kids can learn a lot through play. Your child can develop any or a combination of the following: (3)

Social skills
New vocabulary
Cognitive skills
Literacy skills
Physical abilities

Learning Ability, Interests, & Skills

It’s good to pick toys that fit their developmental milestones, learning abilities, skills, and interests.

Developmental milestones for 3-year-olds include the following: (1)(2)

Running and jumping easily
Stacking 10+ blocks
Walking upstairs unassisted
Easily drawing straight lines or copying circles
Concentrates on tasks for 8-9 minutes
Say around 500-900 words
Makes two or three-word sentences
Names colors
Knows some numbers and letters
Joins other kids in play

Kids also have different interests, sometimes depending on their gender. For example, some toys for 3-year-old girls might not seem interesting to boys of the same age.

Skills Development & Benefits

Kids this age might already recognize colors, shapes, numbers, and letters more quickly than younger ones. These new skills can make them more interested in educational toys.

Note that many educational toys for 2-year-olds can still be a great option for 3-year-olds and older kids.

Safe To Play

Although most toys with small parts have warnings that indicate they’re unsafe for children under three, avoid choosing them if your child still loves to put things in their mouth even at 3+.

Choosing toys made of child-safe materials free from toxic chemicals like lead and other heavy metals, phthalates, and BPA is also good.

Engagement & Fun

It’s tempting to give “advanced” toys to help your kids learn more. However, toys that offer too much information or have many different things going on might seem too complex for your child.

They could lose interest if they don’t grasp the essential elements of a certain activity.

Sometimes, it’s best to pick a fun and engaging toys that are simple and fit for their age but let them use their imagination.

Educational Value

Consider offering your child toys with different educational values so they can develop various learning aspects and find new ways to have fun.

Building toys, musical instruments, crafting kits, and other learning materials can let them learn without sacrificing entertainment.

Value For Your Money

Will your kids outgrow the toys after just a few months? Thankfully, that might be true for some toys for 1-year-olds, but many educational toys for older children might still be interesting as they grow older.

It’s also good to check for the toy’s quality because some toys might be cheaper but can be unsafe or easily break and get damaged.

FAQs

What Can I Buy My 3-Year-Old Daughter?

Dolls and toys for imaginative play are popular for 3-year-old girls, but you can also pick building blocks, musical instruments, learning sets, cooking sets, and other unisex toys.

If unsure, you can always ask them to pick the ones they like before you checkout.

What’s The Best Gift For A 3-Year-Old Baby Girl?

The answer will usually depend on the child’s interests. But because kids this age are getting ready for preschool, you can never go wrong with picking educational toys.

Is A 3-Year-Old A Toddler Or Preschooler?

According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), 3-year-olds are preschoolers. Toddlers are kids starting from 1-year-old until they turn three. (4)

Can 3-Year-Olds Write?

Although some can already write a few letters or numbers, most 3-year-olds can’t do that yet. However, many might show interest in holding a pencil or any writing material to create lines. (5)

How Far Should A 3-Year-Old Count?

Most 3-year-olds can count up to four objects, while some can reach up to 10. (2)

What Should A 3-Year-Old Draw?

Kids this age can draw straight lines and copy circles. (2)

How Do Educational Toys For 3-Year-Olds Differ From Those For 2-Year-Olds?

Many learning toys for 3-year-olds can have more numbers, letters, or features than educational toys for 2-year-olds.

Toymakers might also design these toys for sharing and socialization because 3-year-olds are developmentally ready to improve their social skills by sharing and playing with others. (1)(2)

Other Learning Toys For Different Age Groups

Toy Recalls To Monitor

REFERENCES:

(1) https://www.understood.org/en/articles/developmental-milestones-for-typical-3-year-olds

(2) https://www.choc.org/primary-care/ages-stages/3-years/

(3) https://www.unicef.org/sites/default/files/2018-12/UNICEF-Lego-Foundation-Learning-through-Play.pdf

(4) https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/positiveparenting/preschoolers.html

(5) https://www.pbs.org/parents/learn-grow/age-3/literacy/writing