The best toys for 3 year olds Australia offers can be hard to find, one day they’re happy to play with a cardboard box then the next nothing seems to entertain them.
I’ve spent hours thinking of Christmas presents for toddlers and trying to decide on an awesome gift. Now, I want to save you the time and put all the best Christmas gifts for 3 year olds in one handy place!
I’ll break everything down into categories for you and give reviews of all the best gifts for 3 year olds Australia has to offer.
Whether you’re looking for the best toys for 3 year old boys or the best toys for 3 year old boys, you’ll find them all right here in my ultimate guide.
“This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link.”
Contents
- 1 Our Pick for the Best Toys for 3 Year Olds: 3 Wheel Scooter
- 2 Reviews of the Best Gifts for 3 Year Olds
- 2.1 Best Books for 3 Year Olds
- 2.2 Lets Play I Spy
- 2.3 Count the Animals
- 2.4 Simple Sums with Superheroes
- 2.5 Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls
- 2.6 Best Gross Motor Toys
- 2.7 Three Wheel Scooter
- 2.8 Kids Balance Bike
- 2.9 Best Games for 3 Year Olds
- 2.10 Educational Robot Game
- 2.11 WeDo Game
- 2.12 Charades for Kids
- 2.13 Best Educational Toys for 3 Year Olds
- 2.14 LeapFrog LeapPad Ultimate
- 2.15 Maths and Shape Sorter
- 2.16 Best Building Toys for 3 Year Olds
- 2.17 Magnetic Building Blocks
- 2.18 LEGO DUPLO Set
- 2.19 Best Creative Toys for 3 Year Olds
- 2.20 Crayola Art Case
- 2.21 Painting Kit
- 2.22 Best Car Toys for 3 Year Olds
- 2.23 Remote Control Car
- 3 3 Year Old Development
Our Pick for the Best Toys for 3 Year Olds: 3 Wheel Scooter
This 3 wheel scooter is my 3-year-olds absolute favourite thing in the world. She uses it every day and never gets tired of it. We have to haul it everywhere with us and it’s lightweight despite being super high quality and durable. I really feel like we’ll have no problem at all using it for our second child in a year or two time.
Reviews of the Best Gifts for 3 Year Olds
Take a look at our best gifts for 3 year olds and choose which one is the best for you personally.
Best Books for 3 Year Olds
Lets Play I Spy
This bright colourful book is perfect for introducing the alphabet to little ones. Each letter comes with its own activity, including riddles, counting and colour matching, meaning each is different and keeps interest.
It’s not only great for developing language skills though! The different activities also encourage numeracy and observational skills.
Click here to check price on Amazon
Count the Animals
Another bright interactive book, this introduces counting through a series of puzzles and animals. The puzzles involve counting different types of animals, different attributes, comparing two animals and more.
Introducing counting and observational skills, as well as lots of different animals, this is a lovely option for any young animal lover.
Click here to check price on Amazon
Simple Sums with Superheroes
Going further with the numeracy skills than the last book, this introduces addition, subtraction, multiplication and division to the mix. With bold characters and bright illustrations, this is a great option for introducing these concepts to young children.
Encouraged to try the sums for yourselves, this is interactive and fun, while developing key skills needed for later in life.
Click here to check price on Amazon
Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls
Forget fairy tales and made up stories, this book is full of real life female superheroes. This book is not only perfect for little girls who need strong role models to look up to, but also for little boys who need a variety of role models in their lives.
This book is beautiful and tells the stories of women from throughout history, from Ada Lovelace to Serena Williams. From astronauts to inventors, from artists to presidents, this book will open child’s eyes and minds to what they can achieve.
Click here to check price on Amazon
Best Gross Motor Toys
Three Wheel Scooter
We have this scooter and we love it! The colours are bright and cheerful, and it’s durable and safe for peace of mind. It’s super easy to set up, just take it out of the box and go, then It folds away for easy storage.
This scooter encourages balance and coordination, while the three wheels make it safe and easy to use. The adjustable handlebars mean it can last your child from two to five years, so it’s great value for money!
Click here to check price on Amazon
For more choices, take a look at our post on the best scooters!
Kids Balance Bike
Balance bikes are useful for introducing cycling to younger children and this one is no exception. It’s really easy to assemble and looks great once it’s ready to go. The colours are lovely and bright which is always a positive in my book.
The seat is adjustable, meaning it will last a while, which is good because your little one won’t want to get off it.
Click here to check price on Amazon
Take a look at our favourite balance bikes!
Best Games for 3 Year Olds
Educational Robot Game
This adorable robot is a huge hit in our house, we’ve had it since our three year old was 6 months old and it’s still played with! It’s super easy to set up and use.
There are so many different components to this toy, it can keep any child occupied. It sings, dances, records and repeats, lights up and more. It even plays guess the animal with you! It’s not just fun though, it also encourages language, fine motor and cognitive skills, meaning this sweet little robot aids your child’s development in plenty of different ways.
Click here to check price on Amazon
WeDo Game
If you’re looking for a game the whole family can get involved in, then this is a great option. Consisting of 30 cards with a different activity on each, it’s a lovely gift to help families spend time together.
Each activity is designed to last from 20 minutes to an hour and to encourage creativity, communication and imagination in a tech-free environment.
Click here to check price on Amazon
Charades for Kids
Another game for the whole family, this fun charades games encourages imagination and communication in a fun way. Each card features a simple act, object or animal with adorable illustrations for easy recognition.
This is a great game that children of all ages can play, with peers or with their families, with 60 cards and a spinner to ensure a unique game each time.
Click here to check price on Amazon
Best Educational Toys for 3 Year Olds
So much development happens at this age, everything is a learning tool, especially toys. So let’s have a look at the best educational toys for 3 year olds.
LeapFrog LeapPad Ultimate
This easy to use tablet comes with loads of preloaded content including music, puzzles, and reading materials. It’s designed especially for children, with a shatter-proof screen and energy-absorbing bumper.
The protected internet ensures safe browsing while your child develops core skills such as maths, reading, music, science, creativity, and more.
Click here to check price on Amazon
Click here to check price on Catch.com.au
Maths and Shape Sorter
This shape and number sorter helps develop fine motor skills, counting, and hand eye coordination, as well as shape recognition and critical thinking, all in the guise of a bright, tactile game.
Children are encouraged to be creative with the toy, with many different activities on offer. All pieces are made from wood and coloured with non-toxic paint, meaning it’s a great option for those who prefer non-plastic toys.
Click here to check price on Amazon
Best Building Toys for 3 Year Olds
Magnetic Building Blocks
These colourful blocks were a favourite for our kids between six months and 18 months. With over 100 tiles, there virtually no limit to the shapes that can be built, meaning there’s no limit to your child’s creativity and imagination with this game.
Plenty of skills are developed while playing, including colour and shape recognition, fine motor skills, manipulative thinking and design abilities. While children can play with this on their own, it’s also a wonderful game to play as a family, developing relationships.
Click here to check price on Amazon
LEGO DUPLO Set
What child doesn’t love Lego?! If you’re buying a gift for a three-year-old you can’t go wrong with this classic Lego Duplo set. Lego encourages learning through play, with fine motor skills, language, and imagination all being developed.
This train set is a lovely set, easy to build and manipulate and the app control makes it even more fun and engaging.
Click here to check price on Amazon
Best Creative Toys for 3 Year Olds
Crayola Art Case
If you’re looking for a gift for a budding artist, then this 140 piece colouring set is a great option. With crayons, pencils, markers and paper in a gorgeous carry case, this has everything your child needs to develop their creativity.
There’s enough, in this case, to keep the whole family busy, meaning this is as lovely for family time as it is for individual play.
Click here to check price on Amazon
Painting Kit
Painting is so much fun for a three year old, but the mess isn’t always fun for parents. With this set, which includes an apron and easily washable tools, cleaning up after paint time is a breeze.
There are brushes, rollers and sponges of all different shapes and sizes so there’s no limit to what can be created. The different tools all encourage different fine motor skills, including brushing, rolling, twisting and dabbing.
Click here to check price on Amazon
Best Car Toys for 3 Year Olds
All kids seem to go through a stage of loving cars! A remote control car is a great option but if you want something with a little more of a wow factor, take a look at our electric cars buying guide!
Remote Control Car
This is not your average remote control car, but a rolling and rotating stunt car. With 4WD and two powerful motors, this is the perfect car for inside and outside play.
With a colourful pattern and lights this is lovely to look at and great for girls and boys alike. The remote control encourages fine motor skills, imagination and concentration, as well as teaching children about cause and effect with their actions.
Click here to check price on Amazon
I’ve got a full list of the best remote control cars, check it out next!
3 Year Old Development
So much development happens around the three-year mark, that it can be hard to find presents for 3-year-olds, especially if you’re looking for a toy to encourage their learning.
Don’t worry though, I’ve got you covered. Before we look at the best toys, let’s have a look at the main developments happening at this age.
Fine Motor Skills
These skills are the coordination of small muscles, such as in the hand, to perform more delicate tasks, such as writing or holding small objects. As you can imagine, these skills are vital in a child’s development, and so if you’re looking for 3 year old gift ideas, toys that encourage this skill are always a safe bet.
Here’s a small selection of activities/toys that will help develop fine motor skills:
- Play-dough
- Colouring and drawing
- Building blocks
- Puzzles and jigsaws
Gross Motor Skills
Gross motor skills involve the larger muscles in the body, and activities such as walking, running and kicking. They require whole body movement, rather than the smaller movements involved in fine motor activities. As they will have developed the basics by now, the best toys for three year olds focus on control and strength.
As well as the toys I’ll you through below, here’s some other activities/toys that will help develop gross motor skills:
- Trampolines
- The floor is lava
- Scavenger hunts
Language Development
Language development really begins to take off around this age. Most children can now understand more and speak more clearly, in three or four-word sentences. There are plenty of toys and activities around to encourage language development, from books to alphabet toys, for 3-year-olds.
I’ll take you through the best books for 3 year olds below, but here’s a selection of other activities to help develop language skills:
- Interact with them!
- Play kitchens
- Mr (or Mrs) Potato Head
- Building blocks or puzzles with the alphabet
Social & Emotional Development
There is so much happening in the mind and heart of a three year old. Their imagination begins to take off, and they are able to play and share with others. Empathy begins to develop and they understand more how their actions can affect others.
They don’t always know how to control these new scary emotions so here are a few ideas on activities or toys to help develop these skills:
- Imaginative play
- Building blocks
- Doll role-play
- Reading books
If your child loves to dress up and role play they might love a doctor’s kit to play with or try this guide to the best dinosaur toys.
Have a younger kid? Take a look at our post on best toys for 2 year olds. Are you looking for other toys?