My littlest baby turned 3 just a bit ago and this year’s Christmas shopping is no easier than lasts! The 2nd child conundrum is real!
What do you get a kid whose big sibling has it all?
Luckily with a little time and research I’ve found a ton of ideas that hit all the primary categories of toddler gift giving! I’ve got most of these saved on a list on Amazon so next week when the holiday deals start, I’ll be prepared to snag everything on my list! Hopefully, this list also helps you to get started on yours!
Fun and Affordable Christmas Gift Ideas For 3 Year Olds
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Role Play – Playsets
Three year olds are discovering their place in the world. They are struggling to be independent, but still in a place where they greatly need good old Mom and Dad. Providing them with toys that let them role play adult skills are a great way to foster that independence. And you can’t go wrong with a play kitchen!
My sweet girl is still obsessed with all things baby, so we got her a baby care center for her birthday and it was a big hit! I’m leaning towards getting her a grill toy because her Daddy loves to grill and I think she’d enjoy pretend grilling right along with him!
Art & Creation Toys
By now you’ve probably realized that toddlers are messy, and arts and crafts may not be your favorite thing. However, it is so incredibly important that they get the opportunity to create and explore.
That said, I try to pick crafts that aren’t super messy. Playdough is usually an easy clean up so we do a lot of that. My girls also got this play foam last Christmas and had so much fun with it! I’m adding these cool brushes to their stockings because we love to paint, but if you’re looking for simple no clean up projects Color Wonder is the way to go!
Educational Toys
I love a good educational toy! I try to throw one in to the mix at Christmas as a win-win for Mom. It looks like an extra toy at Christmas but it serves a dual purpose as both a fun, engaging toy, and as an educational opportunity.
These are the ones I’ve got my eye on this year. I always thought I’d make my youngest a Busy Board like the one picture, but I’ve never gotten around to it. I also love the quiet book and the amazing activities inside it!
The counting bears can be used for so many things! They are the perfect color sorting activity and make a great introduction to object counting. A bit later one they are great for teaching patterns also!
Outdoor Activity Toys
I’m super tempted to get the cute 4-wheeling ride on toy for my littlest. Big sis has one that’s much bigger, but is hard to turn so really only works for her. I’ve also toyed with the idea of a bike. She has a hand me down one, but it’s still a little big for her. She rides the devil out of her tricyle still though!
The sit and spin is a fun throwback to my childhood. I remember spinning round and round on one of these when I was a kid. We never had one of the Radio Flyer things but I know kids are like magnetically drawn to them when I’ve seen them out and about. A children’s museum we visit occasionally has one of these and both my girls love it!
Electronic Toys
Electronic toys can also be great educational toys as well. All of these have educational aspects that make them even more awesome as a toy!
We got the LeapFrog 2 in 1 Leaptop Touch as a birthday present and love it! There are so many different things you can do on it. She also got the VTech Kidizoom camera and has loved running around snapping silly pictures!
The Amazon Fire tab is a favorite in our house. We got that from Grandma. It took a little bit to figure out how to use it, but once she did she loved it! There are endless apps included for free for the first year!
Bath Toys
Bath toys are sure to be a hit with toddlers. If your child is less than eager to take baths these might also serve as fun encouragement!
Crayola bath crayons appear in our stockings every year. We’ve not yet tried the markers but I’m looking forward to using them this year! The tea set will also make a fun edition to our bath toys! Both my girls will enjoy playing with it.
Dress up & Role Play
I count myself lucky that both my girls still enjoy dress up. You can find us at home on lazy Saturdays chilling in fairy wings and princess crowns. They have a embarrassingly large dress-up collection just because it’s so stinking adorable to watch them play with!
I love all the sets I found for this category! There is so much potential imaginative fun to be had with these outfits!
Games
I love how toddlers this age are beginning to understand enough to truly play. One of my favorite things to do is watch her play with her toys. Sometimes I join in, but watching her truly puts a smile on my face.
This learning to play thing also gets me excited about our game playing future. The hubby and I used to play board games on nights in as young newlyweds. I’ve always wanted to start that tradition with my girls but either one of both of them has been to an age where it would be too difficult. However, our family game nights are on the horizon! These family friendly/toddler approved games on are my Christmas list!
I’m especially torn between the Elefun and the Pop the pig game. We have the dice rolling game and she is just at the age where she’ll best enjoy it.
Puzzles
At this age, kids are starting to have much better cognitive reasoning skills and are able to handle puzzles that are increasingly complicated. I love the complexity of both the matching egg puzzle and the wooden jigsaw puzzle.
Floor puzzles with smaller total pieces can be fun with this age. A 24 piece puzzle is a perfect family activity!
I have a love/hate relationship with the Melissa and Doug puzzle. I love how educational it is, and it’s perfect for working with her on letters and numbers but…I hate the thousand little pieces. I did see a puzzle rack to organize them which might help!
Books
Bedtime is getting a lot funner these days, as toddlers require more complex books to hold their attention. Shopping for books at Christmas is one of my favorite parts of Christmas. These are a few I’ve bought before or have my eye on now.
I love the Feelings book because it helps them put words to those big old emotions they are constantly feeling. If Animals Kissed Goodnight is the perfect sweet bedtime story! Though both board books, these two have a little more complex storyline perfect for your 3 year old.
We definitely don’t just stick with board books anymore though! We love Pete the Cat and other paper back books. The Wonky Donkey is also a favorite!
Whew! That’s a ton of ideas to help you find your Christmas gifts for a 3 year old! There’s more toys on here than are in my Christmas budget for sure! But…I’ve got a good idea of what we can afford, and I hope you do too!
Like these? I’ve got tons more coming for you as I amp up my holiday gift guides and consolidate them into a handy reference page! For now, check out my Christmas gift guide for 1 year olds. I’m also pinning lots of great guides and Christmas ideas on Pinterest so be sure to follow me there!
