Ideas for a 3 year old

[FelixFelix]

Dd will turn 3 a few days before Christmas. I am trying to get organised and start buying, but I'm really struggling with what to get her. I'm trying to avoid buying character toys, as what she's in to now might not be flavour of the month in half a years time.

So if you have a 3 year old dd, what do they love to play with?

She already has a balance bike, trike, scooter, kitchen, push chair & doll (quite a basic one but she doesn't play with it much), swing, Wendy house and slide. She also has a small dolls house, but was very enamoured with her friends big dolls house which is the wooden one from Asda so I am considering getting this as her 'big' present. She's also got plenty of play doh.

DS is 3 a few weeks after Christmas and between his Christmas and birthday he is getting:

• More track and accessories for his Brio train set
• More Duplo
• Kukkia Oekaki wooden drawing house (like a wooden, Japanese version of an etch a sketch)
• Viga wooden dolls house with accessories
• Doctor play set
• More play food and accessories for his kitchen

DS also loves his sand and water table, we have a wooden one by Plum where the water table slides underneath the sand table for storage. He likes kinetic sand too with moulds and stamps.

Sorry forgot to put that she's already got a sand and water table!

I think she would love a doctors set actually so that's a good one, thank you.

DD is nearly 3 and she likes Happy Land stuff. She has a house, some cars, a zoo and DR's surgery. I'm getting her the London bus for her birthday. She also likes her IKEA tent, slide, mini trampoline. I'll also her her an easel for her birthday.

We've just bought the asda dolls house for DD who will be just 3!

You can also get the furniture and garden furniture and I've seen that ELC do lots of lovely sets which would go perfectly.

We're getting her a dressing up rail with lots of outfits / accessories for her birthday which is near Christmas.

Dressing up stuff is a fab idea. I'm hoping to turn our spare room downstairs in to a proper play room soon so a rail with dress up would be great.

Also good shout on the Happyland toys. She has the red bus and train set, and also some extra characters/animal ones which she loves so I might get her some more.

Dressing up stuff is a great idea. My children are much older now but the dressing up clothes still get played with regularly and is a particular hit with visiting children. We have it on a big rail with a box underneath of accessories like shoes, bags and jewellery.

Some simple board games would be good for this age too - orchard toys, pop up pirate, Galt whatever next.

Magnatiles are expensive but brilliant, musical instruments, a gym ribbon, slinky, stamping set, bath toys, plastic golf clubs.

Elc big builder, easel, peg board.

I could go on - such a great age to entertain because they can just do so much more.

Thanks Avebury, some good ideas there.

Dd got the elc cottage and furniture for her 3rd birthday. She loved it and it's well played with even now (March birthday). I got one in immaculate condition of eBay with local collection so have a look on there for bargains.
Shopkins is another huge huge hit here as well as games. She loves the orchard games, so shopping list, rocket game and incy wincy spider.
My little pony, barbies, and drawing sets also all go well.

Her older cousins have Shopkins and she never stops talking about them! It makes me feel really old as I just don't get them

Thanks, I will put orchard games on my list of things to look up. I remember my niece had some of their games/puzzle things when she was small (MIL might actually still have a load in her loft so I'll ask her) and she loved them.

Do you think Barbies are too old or OK for a 3 year old? That's another thing she loves to play with when she's at her cousins house. She also likes MLP so that's another option.

I really struggle with having birthday & Christmas within days of each other, as they grow up so much in a short space of time so things I wouldn't have thought were suitable for her when she's just turned 3 would be perfect for her, say 6 months later. It's very annoying

Shopkins are 5 plus but dd had some for her 3rd birthday, she's been fine with them, once I took them off her for putting them in her mouth but generally most 3+ stuff has small bits anyway. I don't get them either but we have a carry case, ice cream van, cupcake parlour etc. it's madness.

My dd inherited a huge amount of barbies, the original sindy house and associated toys. She's played with everything lovely apart from the barbie camper van which is in the loft. :)

Definitely orchard toys, by far the most played with presents we bought ds last year, even his older cousins are happy to join in. Does she like helping in the kitchen? Ds got his own baking set and kids baking book last year (he was 3.5) and he's loved having it and is getting really confident baking.

DS loved the Fishing Game last year, also a shop till and mountain of toy food (which I expect you already have). Imaginext castle and figures went down well too.

MLP toys will last her for a few years (our friends'8 year old still likes them), and the messages from the stories are quite good for young women, IMO.
Craft stuff will never let you down!
Fuzzy felts sound a bit old fashioned, but are great for this age group. In fact, there is a MLP one which is really nice.
Second the Orchard Toys recommendations. Something like Tummy Ache would be fun for this age group. Or the classic Shopping List.

We bought our eldest daughter a kidkraft wooden kitchen and loads of melissa and doug wooden food playsets for her 3rd birthday. It has all lasted and still gets played with now by her and her younger sisters.

The best present I ever bought ds was a saxoflute. It's a series of really sturdy tunes that got together in any formation. The flute version is noisy unless you hide the mouth piece pieces but you can get a bigger pack called tubations without the noisy bits.

The other thing that's been played with loads is Melissa and Doug gigantic blocks. They're actually cardboard but they've lasted two years and they're properly brilliant. My 11 yo plays with them too!

Here are the blocks Amazon link

And the tubations Amazon again

I was thinking about getting dd a Lottie doll as I thought 3 might be a bit young for barbie. They are designed to be for younger kids, bit smaller and without being skinny with make up etc. And you can get outfits/accessories for them too.

We are getting our 3.5 year old a big dolls house I think. No idea where we will put it, mind..

SimplyNigella - where are you buying the Kukkia Oekaki wooden drawing house from, please? Sounds fab! I've had a quick Google and can't find any UK stockists.