Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

What did you buy your 3 year old for their birthday?

35 replies

Covidweddingday · 28/02/2021 20:20

DD just about to turn 3. I’m trying to think of presents for her that she will actually play with or use. What did your 3 year old get that they got a lot of use out of?

OP posts:
MrsTophamHat · 28/02/2021 20:27

My three year old really likes action sets now.

Train sets
Fire station
Pirate ship.

Things with little doors, windows and figures that have to do rescues all the time.

Mylittlepony374 · 28/02/2021 20:31

An easel and a box of art supplies. . She still uses it a year later. Also, kinetic sand.

HeyGirlHeyBoy · 28/02/2021 20:34

A ride on tractor and trailer, a trike, a scooter, a balance bike.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

3 year olds Behaviour & development
Gardenvisits · 28/02/2021 20:35

One had a scooter, the other had a bike.
They also loved play dough
Those aquadraw mats got a lot of use too.

HappyPumpkin81 · 28/02/2021 20:35

A Scooter, books, and a princess dress.

Ihatesandwiches · 28/02/2021 20:35

Grandparents bought a outdoor swing with a toddler seat (with a big kids seat for when they were older). I bought a little tykes slide. Godparents bought a plastic rocking horse for the garden. Do you see a theme!? They loved it. Got about 2 years use out of all of it and the swing lasted for about 3 years

Pascha · 28/02/2021 20:36

Ds1 got a big garden slide. Ds2 was a train track. Both got lots of use.

BunnyRuddington · 28/02/2021 20:37

My DD absolutely loved the play food sets from Melissa & Doug and the Lottie Dolls.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 28/02/2021 20:37

Crafts and colouring stuff
Scooter
....also prob one of the last yrs I could get away with presents she “needs” so got mine peppa pig bed sheets

BikeRunSki · 28/02/2021 20:38

A dolls house

Lostinspace23 · 28/02/2021 20:39

We’ve bought magnetic tiles with a ball run, books, dressing up outfits and a Moana doll because DD is obsessed!

TheMethodicalMeerkat · 28/02/2021 20:39

Hard to believe I’m going back 8 years Shock but I remember we got dd one of those pop up play tent things. It was a shop/mini market type thing. Also a play cash register and play food. She loved it, played with it for quite a few years!

My parents got her a 2 sided easel which also got lots of use.

Baublebox · 28/02/2021 20:43

A teepee. She still loves it 2 years on. Most of the time it houses some of her teddies in her bedroom but she also loves to take herself in there to read a book and uses it in the garden.
Play house and kitchen from my parents went down well too.

MissTheodore · 28/02/2021 20:44

A doll’s house with playmobil furniture. A Brio train set.

Everybodysaycheese · 28/02/2021 20:46

Washimals
A tonie box with figures (admittedly not for playing but gets a lot of enjoyment out of it)

ellenpartridge · 28/02/2021 20:46

Wooden train set and lots of accessories, doctors set, dressing up clothes, games like hungry hippos, art and craft stuff...

YukoandHiro · 28/02/2021 20:47

Yoto player is a hit

OhTheTastyNuts · 28/02/2021 20:48

A big marble run. Still gets played with now and they are 11 and 8!

OakleyStreetisnotinChelsea · 28/02/2021 20:49

Balance bike
Play tent
Sand pit
Mud kitchen
Brio
Duplo

mnahmnah · 28/02/2021 20:51

A scooter with flashing wheels

Magformers

A Scentos set - fruity smelling pens, pencils, play-doh etc

Marble run

EsmeeMerlin · 28/02/2021 20:52

My youngest son is 3 tomorrow. We got him a wooden pirate ship, kitchen accessories, an orchard toys game, a book and some Disney cars. His older brother chose him a fireman set. My nan bought him a wooden kitchen dh is currently putting together.

From friends and family who ordered from amazon straight to our address, he got more books, orchard toys games, puzzles, more role play sets and duplo. His great grandparents have also bought him a giant dinosaur box with dinosaur figures and a play mat.

DrunkBetch · 28/02/2021 20:53

There's a whole world of ideas. What's your budget?

iluvpickles · 28/02/2021 20:54

Her big presents were an 8ft trampoline for the garden and a big slide that u can attach water hose to so we put it in the paddling pool when it's nice.

Grandparents got her a Barbie house that came with 3 Barbies and other grandparents got her a baby doll with high chair/crib and accessories.

SkankingMopoke · 28/02/2021 20:56

My DCs are 4 and 6yo now, but for their 3rd birthdays they both got one of my childhood dolls houses (divorced parents so I had 1 at each house). I redecorated the inside and fitted carpet etc as they were very bare and replaced some of the furniture. They also got Sylvanian Families with the teeniest bits removed and stored until they are/were a bit older. The Sylvanian animals live in both the dolls houses and the actual Sylvanian sets. They get used a lot, and the collection of Sylvanians has been added to each birthday & Xmas since.
Polly Pocket, Playmobil, and Hot Wheels were also a hit at 3yo (and continue to be). Happy Land and Duplo was very popular at that point too, but I found they grew out of it shortly after.

3yo is a tricky present age I think, as they were done with the toddler stuff, but not quite ready for all the tiny bits that come with Paymobil etc, nor were they quite ready to move to the next stage bike or scooter.

user1493413286 · 28/02/2021 20:58

We got DD a slide and she also loved a Wendy house.
The Christmas she was 3 she loved a dolls house and ice cream cart. She’s turning 4 now and I’m struggling

Swipe left for the next trending thread