30+ awesome holiday gifts for the 3-year-old in your life

3-year-olds can have some big feelings in those little bodies! And while their vocabulary is growing by the minute, finding the right words to communicate those feelings can be tricky. More than just a silky soft lovie, Slumberkins are lovable tools that help parents and caregivers build resilient, confident and caring humans. Designed by a therapist and educator, each creature is part of a collection that focuses on helping little ones with their emotions. There’s Fox who can help guide little ones through big changes like a new sibling or big move. Hammerhead is the pal for kiddos who struggle to take a breath and stay calm when things get frustrating. Consider your child’s personal needs and find their new BFF!

Time to graduate from the balance bike? Without a doubt, Woom is the gold standard of first pedal bikes. Not only are they the lightest on the market, but the kid-specific geometry makes learning to ride with pedals as easy a possible. The handlebars are nice and wide, offering confident control while low entry, low sitting position and a long wheelbase help them master balance. They also feature a detachable rubber ring steering limiter which can prevent accidents due to overcorrection and a chain guard to protect against cuts and pinches. And since learning how to stop is as important as learning how to go, Woom bikes feature a sophisticated freewheel pedal system (which allows them to pedal backward to balance) & kid-sized double hand brakes instead of coaster brakes which can send them sailing just as they get the hang of it. (Note that the 14” woom 2 bikes does ship with coaster brakes installed as it is a requirement of USCPSC regulations. Swapping for the hand brake system is an easy at-home fix.) Prices start at $359 for pedal bikes.

Balance boards are one of the most simple toys with an endless amount of use. They can help your child develop their equilibrium while making for a fun exercise routine, then flip it over and it becomes a ramp for cars or even a small slide. It can even become a prop for imaginative play. This balance board is made of curved plywood and can support up to 200 pounds.

Perfect for travel or playing on-the-go, this silly magnet set lets little ones get creative as they mix and match a gang of monsters. The tidy tin also contains two double-sided cards with fun illustrated backgrounds. Monsters not their thing? No problem. There are several awesome themes to choose from including space, princesses, dinosaurs and more.

With their hand-me-down quality, timeless designs and never-ending collections, you can never go wrong with Playmobil. This new set from the 1.2.3 line is perfect for little hands as they stack and sort the doughnuts and send them tumbling out the back. It’s a great way to kickstart a collection or simply gifted on its own.

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again. Magnatiles are one of the greatest toys of all time. For the littles, we love this farm set which is great on its own but also makes a fun addition to a growing collection.

Open wide! The realistic dentist play set from Melissa & Doug is a fun way to teach little ones good dental hygiene while also helping to assuage any fears they have of being in the chair themselves. From the oversize set of teeth they can “decay” with the dry erase marker to the vibrating cleaning tool with interchangeable heads they can use to polish them up, it’s a great gift for curious (and nervous!) 3-year-olds.

Made from colorful, thick and sturdy pieces, this is a great puzzle for toddlers who have graduated from the simple wooden puzzles of babyhood. Name the familiar woodland creatures as it comes together and work on vocabulary as well as patience, problem-solving and hand-eye coordination. (There are also other themes to choose from!)

When you’re three, butts are the height of comedy. In fact, “Knock, knock?” “Who’s there?” “BUTTS!” was a legit joke told in my household for a solid month or two. Harness the power of butts for good with this hilarious (and educational) memory game. It’s fun to play the traditional way but can also be used to create some brand new creatures that are sure to get a laugh. (Even more than that killer knock knock joke, I hope.)

Mindfulness, movement and language learning come together with the sweet Bilingual Yoga Cards from Metta Play. Each deck includes 15 matching pairs that illustrate yoga poses along with the name of the pose in two languages. The included guide book offers a description of each and fun preschool-level games to play. Choose from French, Spanish, Mandarin and Indonesian.

Yes, it’s a splurge, but every parent we know who’s taken the plunge will tell you a play couch is worth every penny. Not only do they save your grown up couch from being ripped apart on the daily, they also make your toddler’s imagination run wild as they figure out different ways to build a house, fort, or castle, or just some random mish-mash. They’re a place to read, snuggle and a watch a show. There are a lot of styles to choose from, but we’re partial to Figgy. The design is more customizable than other brands with four separate base cushions and two rectangles included with options to add on a variety of cushion shapes and even waterproof liners.

Simple, open-ended toys are always on the top of our list. These colorful stepping stones are an engaging addition to indoor play, challenging kiddos to jump from one to the next. The non-slip rubber edge helps them stay put on pretty much any surface, but we especially love them for obstacle courses!

Screen time can get a bad rap, but there’s a huge difference between a YouTube binge and engaged learning. Osmo turns your little’s iPad into a fun tool—that requires no WiFi!—and bring imagination to life. Pair it with the pretend play costume pieces and silicone rings to practice letter forming, early math skills, create costumes and make magic happen.

This beginner’s guitar is not just for playtime—it can teach your child how to play an actual instrument. Featuring just one string, the Tinkertar was designed by Brian Calhoun (a longtime guitar maker and musician) and Dave Matthews (yes, that one) as a way to get kids playing guitar from the moment they pick it up. Using the color and numbered finger positions as a guide, they’ll not only pluck out recognizable songs–they’ll also build skills that translate to the real deal later on.

For little ones who could spend the entire day lost in their own imaginary world, a dollhouse can be a solid investment. The oversize wooden Grand View Mansion Dollhouse from KidKraft comes with tons of high quality accessories and includes moveable features like a gliding elevator, doors, and windows to keep them engaged and enchanted for years to come.

If your little one sometimes has trouble regulating their emotions and finding calm (and who doesn’t), they might love (and learn from!) the experience of helping Purrble calm down. This fuzzy lovey has a dynamic heartbeat that subsequently slows down after sensing cuddles from your kiddo.

If you’re looking for breathable slippers that keep little feet warm and comfy, Garnet Hill’s boiled wool slipper boots are worth a try. Parents rave about the knit cuff that makes them a breeze to get on and off and the whimsical creatures and characters make them a time-tested favorite for kids, too.

Now that winter is around the corner, this Little Tikes trampoline is ideal for colder climates or if you have limited outdoor space. The sturdy construction and padded handle ensures they’re secure as they bounce their way to exhaustion. (Well, that’s the goal, anyway.)

My own 3-year-old loves these animal lacing cards, and I love that it’s a mess-free craft activity he can even bring in the car. Good for flexing those fine motor skills—and keeping little fingers busy.

Got a tiny foodie on your hands? Foster that fire with a mini sushi set. Little ones will love the velcro seaweed and chopsticks as they learn to make their own maki rolls.

Kids can explore their own emotions through play with this kit of 34 punch-out magnetic facial features. It’s a good vehicle for identifying feelings—or just making funny faces!

Your little one talks of nothing but diggers, skid steers and bulldozers—and is sure to adore this lift-a-flap book that goes into meticulous detail on building bridges, crafting roller coasters and digging subway tunnels.

Three-year-olds are primed for pretend play at this age, and this adorable doctor kit helps them get creative in the medical field. With tools made from sustainably-sourced rubber wood, kids can take up a residency and test out their expertise on their stuffed animals or willing siblings.

A play kitchen that’s pretty enough to leave out in the living room? Yes, please. This reversible wooden model has a retro kitchen on one side and a laundry setup on the other, meaning double the fun.

No sandbox, no problem with this ride-on excavator that can literally go anywhere. Kiddos will love digging up snow (or sand or dirt) and pretending the backyard is a big construction site.

A cheery place to call their own, this sweet fabric playhouse is ideal for indoor play now, outdoor play come spring. And even though we adore the artful design, we also love that it can easily fold up and be put away when not in use.

Why not start them young? Chess has big benefits for young thinkers, but teaching the game can be tedious. Story Time Chess transforms game play into a children’s book, so little ones can see gamepieces as characters and follow along with the story.

For the cool tot who has everything, these avant-garde chalks are out-of-this-world. An art piece in and of themselves their unique shapes make for beautiful sidewalk designs.

My toddler gets endless joy out of this LEGO Duplo train set, and especially gets amped up over the moveable tiles that direct the battery-operated train to turn on its lights, whistle, stop or fill up with fuel.

We love the Yoto player for endless hours of screen-free fun. The clever (and delightfully minimalist) audio player allows kids to listen to a huge and ever-growing library of bestselling audiobooks, music and singalongs, educational activities and kids podcasts through super cool content cards they can insert themselves. It even comes with a record your own card that’s perfect for personalized books they can’t get enough of. And if that’s not enough, it also functions as a night light, clock and sleep trainer!

This magnetic picture board is a great alternative when you’ve reached screentime limits for the day. Kids can select a scene and create their own image using the magnetic pictures–with endless possibilities.

Gift tiny astronauts their very own mini rocket ship as they blast off into pretend play. With a design inspired by actual space shuttles, this 4 foot tall play space is loaded with engaging features like a crawl through escape hatch, a moveable star viewer and an outside maintenance panel along with lights and realistic sounds. And because outer space can be a bit lonesome, there’s room enough for two to play!