Little boys are enthusiastic, busy, and curious. These are the best ideas for gifts and toys for 3 year old boys. They want to expand their minds, but they also need the security of knowing mom and dad are close by. There are a lot of toys out there that are sure to catch their eye, but not all of them are good choices for him. If you aren’t sure where to start, we’ve put together a list of ten of the best gifts and toys for 3 year old boys to give you a helping hand. All of them help him practice valuable skills without being boring. We’ve also answered a few questions you might have about what’s going on in his world right now. Let’s take a look.
10 Best Gift Ideas And Toys For 3 Year Old Boys
1. Kinetic Sand – Finding Dory – Dory’s Adventure Sand Set
Kinetic sand is the perfect tactile experience for kids this age. They love things they can roll over in their hands, and the morphing nature of the sand is the perfect bit of wonder. It really is one of the best toys for 3 year old boys.
They can mold the sand into the shapes provided with the molds, but once they let them go, the sand slides back into its original position with the touch of a finger. It never stops moving and is easy to get off little hands once the fun is over.
It’s made from 100% natural sand, but it never dries up. It sticks to itself but won’t track all over the house stuck to little fingers. This kinetic sand playset is an essential tactile experience they can play with for hours and never have the same experience molding, stacking, and breaking down. This is one of the best educational toys, encouraging basic STEM learning as kids explore how the sand works, why it works, problem solving and imaginative play.
2. 42 Piece Tegu Magnetic Wooden Block Set, Blossom
Your little one probably loves stacking things but hates when the building blocks fall. Tegu’s high quality magnetic blocks make stacking and building with natural wooden blocks easier, because they stick together with magnets!
It’s a 42 piece building block set that’s compatible with all other Tegu blocks if you have them. Your little one can build his creations for hours while they stay together, whether they stay on the table or he picks them up to show you his creation. These great building set kids toys are a fun variety of STEM toys, that any little guy will love to build with.
The blocks help him with his fine motor skills, picking things up, and even categorization. He can recognize patterns and learn how to build. It’s a fun, unique way to practice some of the schemas of a three-year-old without the frustration of things continually falling apart. It’s a fun alternative to common LEGO building sets. Don’t get me wrong, LEGO is awesome, but the parts are a bit small really, even at this age, with the exception of LEGO Duplo.
3. VTech KidiBeats Kids Drum Set
VTech’s drum set is a durable and satisfying way for him to get out some energy. It has three different drum pads that light up, plus a cymbal. They each provide their own unique sounds. Choice is great for little ones, as they learn how to make decisions, and they get to choose here if they have imaginative play, creating their own songs, or play along to one of the built in tracks.
The kit comes with nine melodies in different music styles. It has four modes of play including free play, numbers, letters, and a follow along mode. It comes with two drumsticks, and the sounds and colors should keep him entertained for hours (if you can handle it).
Three AA batteries are included in the demo, but you should replace the batteries for regular use. It has a volume control to preserve mom and dad’s ears and an automatic shutoff to conserve battery life.
4. Little Tikes Gas ‘n Go Mower
He sees daddy mowing the lawn on the weekends so give him the chance to be just like his hero. The Little Tykes mower is a great gift and a great way for your little guy to get out some energy and engage in dramatic play.
The push mower has sounds from popping beads rather than a soundboard. There are no batteries needed. You can hear the sounds by pulling the cord. It has a removable gas can and a real turning key.
Dramatic pretend play is critical because it can help him work out problems in his head. A lot is happening in his world. Although he’s still little, he is noticing things happening around him more and more. He likely wants to be just like his daddy and do things daddy does. It will also encourage some healthy active play time, as if they need any encouragement at this age! He won’t burn as much as on a scooter or a bike, but he may well surprise you just how many miles you can put in with a pretend mower.
Little Tykes toys are durable plastic and can withstand a fair amount of enthusiastic little boy play.
5. The Original PlasmaCar by PlaSmart Inc.
It’s essential that he get plenty of exercise. Give him the chance to get out some of those wiggles with this fun ride on car. But this is no ordinary ride on toy car. It uses the movement of his wiggles to propel forward, and until he masters that movement, he can use his feet to push off.
The original car is safe and low to the ground so he won’t’ accidentally turn over. Under the right conditions, it can reach speeds of up to six miles per hour. It works best with a flat, smooth surface, but don’t operate it on a hardwood floor because the wheels will probably scratch it.
It doesn’t use batteries or a motor, so it’s very quiet to operate. These racers are great fun for little people. There are a few different ways to ride it, and it supports up to 220 pounds so the parents can get in on the fun.
A toy that he sees his parents enjoy will give him a strong bond and a sense of community. It’s a valuable experience to have with a parent since they are his primary source of inner security right now.
6. Educational Insights Design & Drill See-Through Creative Workshop
Speaking of open-ended play, boys at this age love nothing better than interactive toys, where they get to take things apart and put them back together (even if it’s poorly). This drill set is a kid-friendly drill with three different heads. He can drill bolts and un-drill them into the clear activity board until he gets sick of it. You may want to clear them a bit of workbench space so they can really get into the pretend play workshop role play mode.
It can help you teach him colors, patterns, numbers, and a host of other STEM related things. It’s also just hours of so much fun by itself. There are 120 plastic bolts in a variety of colors, a hand wrench, and a screwdriver. The drill takes three AA batteries which are not included.
In addition to teaching the above skills, it also helps him practice hand/eye coordination and fine motor skills as he manipulates the drill.
7. The Original Stomp Rocket Stunt Planes, 3 Planes
This is a straightforward concept. The harder you stomp the rocket launcher, the higher the rocket goes. It’s right up a little boy’s alley. He can experiment with the power of his stomping or compete with his family or friends to see who can send the rocket the highest.
It has three different type of rocket, a glider, a looper, and a wildcat. They all fly in different ways. It’s an excellent way to get him out of the house and playing outside. Each is designed by aeronautical engineers to do amazing stunts.
The launch pad is adjustable. The air hose and stomper is durable and can withstand all the enthusiasm of an excited little boy. This is a great toy to bring much fun to playtime, but be sure that you supervise all the activities to make sure that no one gets hurt.
8 .Kiddey Knight’s Castle Kids Play Tent
This polyester pop up tent is an easy to store and easy to assemble castle gives him the chance to play like the knights he loves. It comes with a bonus sword and shield for dress up pretend play. It uses sturdy poles to provide structure after it pops open, and when you’re done, it’s just as easy to fold back up.
The play tent comes with a carrying case for secure storage. It’s 40 inches in diameter and 53 inches high. He’s got plenty of space to play. It can be used indoors and outdoors. There are some stakes to provide stability if you use it outside.
It folds up to just 18 inches by 2 inches. Dramatic play is an essential function of his play time and gives him a chance to use his imagination.
9. Fisher-Price Imaginext DC Super Friends Batbot Xtreme
At this age, your little boy is likely becoming familiar with superheroes, particularly DC and Marvel superheroes. Batman has always been a firm favourite with little kids and big kids alike. This super awesome Batman robot is a two-foot tall pose-able toy. The superhero figure has wings and punching fists, as well as launches projectiles at enemies. It even has a voice changer.
When he turns on power mode, it springs into action by extending wings. When he squeezes the trigger, the fists flail out. Also on the power pad, you can set the trigger and open the chest to reveal Batman’s headquarters. When he turns another power pad, he reveals the motorcycle.
There are so many different things he can do with his Batman toy. He can pretend to be Batman or the enemy. He can play with the figurines and the inner world of the robot. It’s an open-ended toy where he can take on a lot of different roles.
10. Everybody Poops – Taro Gomi
Little boys love gross things. This book is a great, fun learning resource all about a body function he probably wants to know all about (but might still be scared to do). Poop.
The book goes through different types of poop from different animals. It uses fun illustrations and simple language to explain how things work. He’ll get a kick out of the size of the elephant poop, and have fun trying to find the little bug poop.
If he still has fear about pooping on the toilet, the book might help him get his head around what’s happening. It’s a silly and gross (in a good way) book that might help him laugh about something that everyone does.
It might spark a love of reading that stays with him. Reading to him is one of the most important things you can do for his development.
Parents Guide For Buying Gifts And Toys For 3 Year Old Boys
At this age, his play is a little more purposeful. He’s practicing his fine motor skills and mimicking things that he sees mommy and daddy do. Many of his games may involve doing things that others do around him as he figures out where he is in the world.
If you’re going to get things for him to play with, there are a few things you should consider.
Dramatic Play
Anything that allows him to try on different types of roles is a good idea. It lets him get inside what other people are thinking and play out different behavior. He can learn empathy and critical thinking skills.
Toys that support that dramatic play are good choices. Costumes, props, and things that mimic real life like lawn mowers will be great to aid that kind of play.
Physical Activity
Three-year-old boys have boundless energy. Helping them build healthy habits now will help them in the long run. Give them toys that help them to get all that energy out. They can practice balance and gross motor skills.
He probably still enjoys all his push and pull toys, but he’ll be ready for some bigger things. Ride on cars or things that push him to experiment with his coordination will keep him occupied for hours.
Focus
He’s beginning to build his focus. While he can’t focus for very long and might need some help with lengthy instructions, he can start to develop the patience he’ll need later on with school and as he gets older.
Give him toys that encourage him to focus for a little bit longer than he usually would. Toys that build on his creativity or help him recognize patterns are good choices.