Made for Play
Explore child development through play, find inspiration for your next DIY project, and discover tips for selecting the perfect toys for your little ones.
Latest Articles
Kids Room Organization Ideas: How to Organize Kids Rooms
We firmly believe that a little mess in a kiddo’s room is a sign of a day well spent. But the transition from “a little mess” to “total toy tornado” happens fast. If you’re struggling to keep up with the chaos, we’ve got ideas to tame the most common mess makers in kids’ rooms: clothes, toys, books, and the bed. Clothes The “Too Small” Box Convincing a tiny human to put on pants is hard enough. Having to change them again because those pants were too small is downright grueling. Keep that frustration to a minimum by adding a “Too Small” box to your kiddos closet. When they’ve grown out of something, toss it in the box so it doesn't make its way back into their dresser. When the box is full, it’s time to donate the clothes or pack them away for the next kid! Dresser Dividers Is it just us, or do kids’ clothes come unfolded way too easily? Adding dresser dividers or baskets to their drawers helps you divide shirts, pants, leggings, etc. so you can and the kids can find what you need...even if nothing is folded. Toys Small, open toy bins Big toy chests can be great for large toys and toys that are out of the rotation. But keeping all your little one’s favorite toys (especially the smaller ones) in a large toy box? That’s just asking for a throw-ALL-the-toys-on-the-floor-style mess as your kiddo searches for the one they want. Small, open bins let them see and get exactly what they want without digging through the other toys. No guarantees that they still won’t end up on the floor sometimes, but they’ll be much easier to find and put away! Toy Caddies We’re all about toy rotations for keeping kids’ rooms and playrooms neat and organized. Our secret weapon for super easy toy rotations? Toy caddies with handles! They make swapping out activities fast and easy and look way cuter than plastic bags and bins. Even if rotations aren't’ your thing, caddies are a great way for kids to transport their favorite toys and projects around the house without losing all those little pieces. Books Raising a reader means keeping tons of books around. Unfortunately, as their library grows, so does the challenge of keeping all those books off the floor and in good condition. We think investing in a good book storage solution is well worth it –– it shows your kiddos that books are important and keeps their room from becoming a paperback obstacle course. Whether you go for a traditional bookshelf, a forward-facing sling, or a multi-purpose shelf, just try to keep it kid-sized so they can find and put away books independently. If a bookshelf isn’t in your budget at the moment, try the rotation method. Keep a few books out in a basket, and store the rest out of reach in a box or bin. Switch them out every week or so until you find a shelf that fits your budget. Bed A perfectly imperfect bed-making routine A neatly made bed gives any bedroom an instant facelift, but we think a kinda sloppy, imperfectly made bed is even better. Why’s that? Because it means your kiddo did it themselves instead of you. Bless. Teach and empower your child to make their bed themselves (or with minimal help), and try to work it into your morning routine. To make it fun, let go of perfection and let them take the lead. A kinda crumpled blanket? It’s fine. A bed decorated with 18 stuffed animals? Just go with it. It will still look better than a totally unmade bed, and the important thing here is building habits that stick. For more on toy rotations and organization, check out our full post on Toy Storage Ideas for Keeping Playtime Mess Free!
Best Developmental Toys for Kids
When it comes to toys, simple is usually best. Classic, open-ended toys that encourage building, movement, and pretend play are the time-tested winners when it comes to developing motor skills, growing imaginations, and – most importantly – having fun! Our list of developmental toys covers everyone from babies to big kids and is filled with kid-tested playtime favorites. Best Developmental Toys for Infants & Toddlers Shape Sorters The best developmental toys for babies turn those adorable chubby hands into fine-motor machines! Babies are also all about toys that display cause and effect and help them explore spatial reasoning skills (i.e. how things fit inside of other things). Shape sorters check all of the boxes! The shapes are perfect for the littlest littles who are just learning how to grasp objects of various sizes and shapes. As they get a bit older, they’ll love dumping the shapes out of the box and putting them back in through the large opening. And as they reach toddlerhood, they’ll actually play with it for its main purpose – sorting shapes into the matching holes. Themed shaped sorters like the Noah’s Ark Shape Sorter also work well for pretend play, meaning they’ll stay a playtime favorite into the preschool years. Push Toys Push toys like the Push Along Play Cart help those early walkers get their sea legs! Unlike baby walkers, which have actually been associated with delayed walking and dangerous accidents, push toys like wagons and carts let toddlers develop strength, balance, and coordination. Best Developmental Toys for 3 & 4 Year Olds Play Kitchens Pretend play helps your kiddo develop problem-solving skills, social skills, emotional regulation, and creativity. A play kitchen – and all of those adorable pretend dishes and foods – are a fantastic way to encourage dramatic role-play, an important type of pretend play. Kids develop independence and real-life skills as they pretend to do what adults do. Even tasks that seem mundane to us, like frying eggs for breakfast, are exciting to our littles when they get a chance to do (or pretend to do) them on their own. Play kitchens are also fun props for imaginative play and world-building, and your mini-chef will use theirs for everything from playing house to cooking up magic potions. Toy Train Sets Truthfully, a toy train set can be successfully introduced a bit earlier or even years later, but four-year-olds are right in the sweet spot. They’ve developed the fine motor skills necessary to build tracks on their own, but they’ll still be challenged by planning and assembling complex tracks. This type of constructive play –a fancy term for “building stuff”– is associated with better math skills even much later in life. Our Top Train Set Picks for Kids guide can help you find a train set that lines up with your child’s skill level and interests. Wooden Blocks Good ol’ fashion blocks are one of the most highly praised toys for developmental benefits. In fact, how many blocks a child can stack is used as one measure of their developmental milestones. Stacking blocks challenges their fine motor skills, and making more complex structures helps develop their spatial reasoning and creativity. Best Developmental Toys for 5 & 6 Year Olds Dollhouses All those benefits of pretend play we talked about? Dollhouses provide them too, and they’re particularly awesome in the areas of emotional and social development. If you’ve ever really listened to a five-year-old play with a dollhouse, you know what we mean. Those dolls have some pretty dramatic adventures and conflicts, all powered by the kids’ amazing imaginations. As they play the parts of multiple dolls, they’re learning how to see from others’ perspectives and slowly but surely gaining empathy. Inventing and acting out social conflicts preps them for the real thing and helps them learn to regulate their own big feelings. Building Bricks Your five year old can still benefit from constructive play, but they probably no longer find wooden blocks challenging enough. Plastic building bricks on the other hand? The perfect toy to create all those cool things they’re dreaming up. They’re ideal for creating more complex structures and objects they can pretend with like a garage for their toy trucks or a pretend cell phone. At their age, the possibilities are really endless – we don’t call them “clever creators” for nothing! Outdoor Play Sets Swing sets build gross motor skills, strength, endurance, and perhaps most importantly, encourage kids to get outside and be active! This is especially important for school-age kids who may sit a lot throughout the school day and are more prone to sedentary behavior than ever-wiggly toddlers. Want more ideas for brain-boosting play for your little ones? Be sure to check out our complete toy guides for three, four, five, and six-year-olds!
When to Transition from a Toddler Bed to a Twin Bed
Wait, wasn’t it just yesterday that you were lowering the crib mattress for the first time? And now your little snoozer is suddenly big enough for their own twin size bed...or are they? We can’t slow down time for you (if only), but we can help you figure out if your kiddo is outgrowing their toddler bed and ready for the next step. Before we talk about when to transition, let’s understand the difference between a toddler and twin size beds: What is the Difference Between a Toddler Bed and A Twin Bed? We see some confusion on whether a toddler bed is the same as a twin size bed… especially if that twin bed happens to be racecar-shaped or princess-themed. But the difference between toddler and twin beds is simply size. A twin bed uses a twin-sized mattress, measuring about 38” x 75”. A toddler bed uses a standard crib mattress, measuring about 28” x 52”. Most parents who use a toddler bed simply reuse the mattress they had in their crib. Many crib mattresses come with an infant side that’s extra firm and a toddler side that’s a bit softer. Even this softer toddler side is still quite firm, and as kids get older, they might prefer a softer, cozier twin size bed. Here are some signs that your kiddo is ready for the switch: They’re approaching the weight limit for their toddler bed That 50 lb weight limit seemed so far away when your child was just a squishy little newborn that it’s tough to believe they’re already so big. But if you have a preschooler now, they might be close to outgrowing their toddler bed’s safety limits. Be sure to check the safety guidelines of your toddler bed and make the switch before they reach the upper weight limit, which usually ranges from 35-50 lbs. If you’ve lost the manual you can usually find the information easily on the manufacturer’s website. They always want to get in bed with you While there are tons of reasons kids like to sneak into mom and dad’s bed at night, one may be that they simply find your bed more comfortable than the super-firm mattress of their toddler bed. Getting them their own big kid bed may not solve all their sleep issues, but it just might make them more comfy-cozy and excited about sleeping in their own bed. They seem uncomfortable If you’re hearing thuds and thumps throughout the night, your not-so-little one may be hitting the rails of their toddler bed as they try to get comfortable. If they can’t stretch out with plenty of room to spare, or if they mention that their bed is too hard, it’s probably time to level up to a kids’ twin size bed. They’re about to be a big brother or sister! One of the biggest motivators for making the switch is an impending new addition to the family. If you need to turn that toddler bed back into a crib for the new baby, it’s the perfect time to transition your older child into their own big-kid twin bed. Even if they have a standalone toddler bed that didn’t start as a crib, pregnancy is still a great time to make the switch. By the time their new best friend arrives, they’ll already be adjusted to the change of their new bed. You’re moving or redecorating Whether it’s a big move or just a redecorating project, many parents prefer to take care of all the new adjustments at once by starting their kiddo off in the new environment with their new bed. Of course, follow your own instincts about your kiddo here. If you think they might be extra sensitive and resistant to change at this time, it’s okay to wait a little longer too! They express interest in a “big kid bed” Sometimes, your kids will let you know exactly when they feel ready to trade their toddler bed for a twin, especially if they have older siblings who have big kid beds of their own. To pique their interest, try reading a few books about the transition to a “big bed.” Big Enough for a Bed (Sesame Street) and Liz Fletcher’s A Big Kid Bed Is Coming are some parent favorites. Although they do show the characters starting out in cribs, they work well for transitioning from a toddler bed too as most of the focus is on the new, exciting big bed. Ultimately, no one knows your child better than you do. If you think it’s time for a twin bed, then it’s probably time. To help your child get excited about the switch, check out our selection of kids’ twin size beds together. You’ll find classic, durable styles that look great in princess rooms, superhero rooms, and everything in between. Sweet dreams, big kid!
Buying Guide: Kids Kitchen Playset
Buying a kitchen playset can feel a little like a Goldilocks story. You’re searching for the one that’s just right – the design to make you and your little chef happy, the quality to last through the years, and all the features to enable fun, immersive pretend play. To help you find your perfect play kitchen fast, we’ve laid out all the factors you’ll want to consider before making the big purchase! Size & Counter Height First, be sure to measure the space you plan to put your new play kitchen – eyeballing it is not the way to go here! Even if space is tight, smaller play kitchens can squeeze into little spaces and are ideal for toddlers. As far as finding the right size play kitchen for your child, it’s tough to go wrong – even bigger kids will still enjoy playing with smaller play kitchen sets, and the littlest little will grow into larger kitchens. But if you’re looking for that perfect fit, go for a play kitchen with countertops that are about the height of their hips. Materials Most kid’s kitchen playsets are made of either wood or plastic. Plastic play kitchens often come in at a lower price point, but often at the cost of quality. Wooden children’s play kitchens tend to last longer, look more realistic to your kids, and (real talk) look better in your home. Color and Design Speaking of looking better in your home… there’s no reason you have to settle for a bright plastic eyesore in the middle of your playroom. Our selection of wooden play kitchens come in just about every style and color you could hope for means you can pick the perfect play kitchen to vibe with your home’s aesthetic. Your Child’s Interests Another thing you’ll want to match? Your kiddo’s interests and preferences! Maybe you want a gender-neutral design so your little guy doesn’t think of play kitchens as a “girl’s” toy. Maybe you’re looking to recreate your child’s favorite parts about the real kitchen like using the ice machine or looking through the window above the sink. Whatever the case, only you know the features that will make a play kitchen the perfect fit for your little chef. If you’re buying the play kitchen as a gift for someone else, be sure to ask their parents what special touches they would love to have! Accessories Most play kitchens come with at least a few accessories like pots, pans, dishes and play food. While those cute little fake cupcakes are something to consider, they shouldn’t make or break your decision. You can always add additional play kitchen accessories later. Extra Features Of course, the best thing about play kitchens is that they encourage good old-fashioned pretend play, but a few extra features like working light and sounds can make that imaginative play even more immersive. Beeping microwaves, working ice machines, and stovetop sound effects can add realism to your kids’ kitchen playset and make it even more engaging, though some parents prefer noiseless kitchen playsets (hey, we get it). From large corner kitchens to tiny toddler kitchens, from pretty pinks to calming neutrals, our line of kids play kitchens has something for every little sous chef out there. Explore our selection for 2-to-4 year olds and 3-to-5 year olds now. Or, browse our full collection of wood play kitchens to find the one that checks off your wishlist!
Best Toys for Six Year Olds
From graduating kindergarten to losing their first baby teeth, six is a big year for your little one. And their play is changing at this age too. Thanks to growing imaginations and planning skills, they’ll start creating more complex structures with blocks and bricks and immersing themselves in complex pretend play for longer periods of time. Their social play is developing too as they learn to work with their peers and siblings to set the rules for their pretend worlds. At this age, they’ll love toys that allow them to explore their growing art and building skills and toys that support realistic pretend play...especially when there’s room for a friend to play too! Need some inspiration? Our list of best toys for six year olds is sure to have something they’ll love! Best Toy for Pretend Play: KidKraft Alexa 2-in-1 Kitchen & Market Only on Amazon Play kitchens are a classic way for kids to engage in role-playing and develop real-life skills as they play. The KidKraft 2-in-1 Alexa Kitchen & Market takes those real-life skills into the 21st century, letting kids practice responsible technology use with kid-friendly Alexa (parental consent and Amazon Echo dot required). Alexa will guide them to develop real-world skills as they shop and pay for their groceries on the market side and cook on the kitchen side. Even without Alexa, this kitchen offers a wealth of pretend play opportunities with interactive sounds and accessories. They’ll feel like the real deal as they pretend to own their own shop, create a menu, and prepare all their favorite meals. Love the idea of a play kitchen but need a budget-friendly alternative to the Alexa 2-in-1? Check out the KidKraft Boho Bungalow Play Kitchen only at Target. Best Toy for Encouraging a Love of Music: Lil’ Symphony Guitar At six years old, your budding musician is beyond the “hitting and banging” stage of playing with instruments and is likely interested in attempting real music. With Lil’ Symphony Guitar, they can get familiar with the parts of a guitar and practice tuning and strumming. They’ll love that it has the look of a real guitar – just like their favorite musician’s. With strings, tuning knobs, and a realistic neck and body, this toy guitar is as close to “real” as you can get while still being a toy. Best Educational Toy: Building Bricks Play N Store Table While you might not think of building blocks as an educational toy, constructive play is actually highly beneficial for your child’s developing math skills. In fact, how kids play with building blocks as preschoolers have been found to predict their math skills, even well into the high school years. The Building Bricks Play N Store table makes it easy to incorporate constructive play into your kids’ daily routine – without covering your floors in a building brick minefield (ouch!). The table has ample built-in storage, making clean up a breeze.Need an option that takes up less space? The On-the-Go Building Block Set ($24.99) may be tiny, but it holds a surprising number of bricks (100 to be exact!), allowing your kids to get creative anywhere. Best Toy for Arts & Crafts: Create N Play Art Easel Six year olds are nothing if not creative. (I mean where do they come up with those stories, anyway?) And every parent knows they love expressing that creativity in paintings, drawings, and crafts. You may also notice that at this age, they get a bit more particular about their artwork, attempting to draw more realistic pictures or being extra choosy about their colors. A full-size art easel is a great way to put that creative expression front-and-center, encouraging them to explore and expand their skills. The Create N Play Art Easel lets them do it all – dry erase, chalk, paint, and color – while staying mess-free with built-in storage caddies and paint cups. The Tabletop Easel is another great pick, especially when space is limited. Best Toy for Six Year Old Girls: Charlotte Dollhouse with EZ Kraft Assembly Six year olds are reaching another level with their pretend play as their storylines and “characters” grow more complex, and they’ll appreciate the extra details of a high-quality dollhouse. With beautifully detailed backgrounds and furniture, the Charlotte dollhouse is a hit with kids of all ages but especially school-age girls who love the realistic details it provides for their pretend play. This dollhouse accommodates 12”, the perfect size for your six year old’s Barbies and other favorite dolls. At four feet high, the Charlotte gives them enough room to play with friends and siblings for hours of imaginative play. Best Toy for Six Year Old Boys: Everyday Heroes Play Set 209.99 Dollhouse play is highly beneficial for both boys and girls as they immerse themselves in imaginative play and practice social situations. Unfortunately, boys often face pressure to stop playing with dollhouses once they reach school-age years. The Hometown Heroes Play Set solves that problem, providing all the benefits of dollhouse play while aligning with your little guys’ other interests. Both boys and girls love the Hometown Heroes set, but we’ve found that it’s a huge hit among boys who love all things first responder. The included firefighter and police officer are ready for the call along with their trusty canine side-kicks. Your kids can help them spring into action at a moment’s notice, sliding down the fire pole, or hopping onto the motorcycle, firetruck, or helicopter. When they’re not saving the day, the Hometown Heroes can get ready in this four-story playset with eight different rooms. Want more toy ideas for the six year old in your life? Shop all of our bestsellers for kid-tested toys they’re sure to love! *Prices are correct as of the publication of this article.
Best Toys for Five Year Olds
Five is a year of independence and exploration. Many kids are going to school for the first time, developing their reading skills, and making more friends than ever. As their attention span and love of social play increase, you’ll notice that they can immerse themselves in pretend play for hours, especially when they’ve got a buddy by their side. These kiddos will always be excited about toys that encourage pretend play and line up with their interests – whether that’s the fire station on the corner or the checkout line at the store. Our best toys for five year olds will help them learn about the world around them, play with their pals, and develop that incredible imagination through imaginative play. Best Toy for Pretend Play: Ride Around Town Train Set & Table The Ride Around Town Train Set & Table is great for more than building tracks and pushing trains. With four real-life scenes, kids can learn about the world around them as they play with included characters and animals in a farm setting, a little town, a construction zone, and an airport. No room for a full train table? Opt for the Bucket Top Mountain Train Set. It stores away neatly in the included plastic tote and still provides plenty of inspiration for pretend play with character figurines, helicopters, planes, and a picturesque mountain setting. Best Toy for Five Year Old Girls: KidKraft Disney Princess Dance & Dream Dollhouse Ahh, those fun years of dress up and princesses. It’s a magical time, right? The Disney Princess Dance & Dream dollhouse is a guaranteed hit with any little princess in your life. This magical castle fits 12” dolls, the perfect fit for all of their favorite Disney princesses. Features like the winding golden staircase and grand piano add a little extra magic to playtime, and the rooftop dance floor lets dolls spin and twirl to three different songs. You just might find your little princess dancing along too! Best Toy for Five Year Old Boys: Mega Ramp Racing Set Gas them up, wash them off, and then race to the finish with this deluxe car racing set! The high-speed ramp launches cars into the air, making races exciting and fun whether your little car enthusiast is playing independently or with a friend. But the Mega Ramp Racing is much more than a ramp – the gas station, car wash, and garage with elevator add extra elements to encourage pretend play as your little guy cares for his cars after the big race. Want more toy ideas for the five year old in your life? Shop all of our bestsellers for kid-tested toys they’re sure to love! *Prices are correct as of the publication of this article.
Best Toys for Four Year Olds
Pretend play is in full swing at four years old! These kiddos are constantly mimicking adults’ daily behaviors and routines and imagining their own make-believe scenarios. All this pretend is more than just play – it’s helping them make sense of the world around them and develop the social skills they’ll need as they grow up. Our picks for best toys for four year olds are open-ended and perfect for all the pretending, building, and creating your little one loves to do! Best Toy for Constructive Play: 2-in-1 Activity Table with Board $109.99 What’s constructive play, you ask? Also known as construction play, it’s any type of play that involves building, assembling, and crafting something new, and it has documented cognitive benefits. Everything from blanket forts to sand castles to play dough can be categorized into constructive play, but the most famous example is classic building blocks. The 2-in-1 Activity Table enables multiple types of constructive play. On the building brick side, your child can use the 200 included building bricks to make anything their imaginations come up with. On the train tableside, they can construct tracks for a locomotive adventure. The table comes with a 30-piece train starter set and is big enough to accommodate larger sets as well. Best Educational Toy for Four Year Olds: Uptown Elite Play Kitchen Of course, that chef’s hat calls for another timeless toy for dramatic play: the classic play kitchen! Realistic play kitchens can foster hours of dramatic play and provide an ideal space for brain-boosting constructive play as well when kids create their own playdough foods. The Uptown Elite is one of our most popular play kitchens thanks to its sleek wood construction, gender-neutral design, and realistic details like a working ice machine and sound effects. It’s the perfect size for your four year old’s dramatic play as they play house and cook away. Or take a look at our full line of wooden play kitchens to find the perfect pick for the four year old in your life. Best Toy for Jam Sessions: Lil’ Symphony Electric Guitar Do you have a little rockstar on your hands? The Lil’ Symphony Electric Guitar will let them jam out with prerecorded beats and riffs. When they want to get creative and try out making their own song, they can switch modes to play individual notes. Since most four year olds love music but don’t have the patience or dexterity for real guitars yet, the Lil’ Symphony Electric Guitar offers a perfect middle ground – they get all the fun of pre-recorded music and the chance to experiment with playing an “instrument” on their own. Best Toy for Four Year Old Girls: Designed by Me: Magnetic Makeover Dollhouse If you’ve ever found your little girl “redecorating” her own walls with markers, crayons, or stickers, you’re both sure to love the Designed by Me Dollhouse line. She’ll love the creative freedom to customize their dollhouse, and you’ll love that she’s focused on designing the dollhouse instead of your house. The Magnetic Makeover Dollhouse offers endless chances to design and redesign with eight magnetic wallpapers and magnetic accessories. If markers and stickers are your girl’s design tools of choice, be sure to check out the Designed by Me: Color Decor Dollhouse and Designed by Me: Sticker Fun Dollhouse as well. Best Toy for Four Year Old Boys: Deluxe Workbench with Tools The Deluxe Workbench presents another fantastic opportunity for dramatic and constructive play that aligns with your little guy’s interest in building and tools. The working vise, wrench, nuts, and bolts mean he can do more than just pretend – he can really use his tools to customize his workbench and build with colorful wooden planks. All the while, he’ll be perfecting his fine motor skills! Want more gift inspiration for the three year old in your life? Shop all of our bestsellers for kid-tested toys they’re sure to love! *Prices are correct as of the publication of this article.
Best Toys for Three Year Olds
Need some toy ideas for your favorite threenager? Our list of best toys for three year olds has you covered. We’ve curated this list to line up with the skills and milestones your three year old is learning to perfect. No gimmicky toys or passive entertainment here – these toys are just as great for learning as they are for having fun! Best for Art & Creativity: Tabletop Easel $34.99 If you loved your child’s scribbles and fingerpaints before, just wait until they start attempting their first real drawings. Three is a special age for your child’s interest in arts and crafts. Whereas before they were mostly fascinated by the colors and textures of their crayons and paints, around 3 or 4 years of age, they’ll start attempting their first stick figures and other simple representations. They might be hard to make out at first, but just wait – you’ll be surprised by how fast their skills develop! A great way to support their drawing and writing is with a fun easel of their very own. They not only make art time more enticing; they help little hands develop a proper grasp of writing tools, an important pre-writing skill! We think the Tabletop Easel is a great size for little ones, but if you want an Easel that will grow with them into the elementary years, be sure to check out our full line of kids’ art easels. $34.99 Best for Musical Fun: Lil’ Symphony Wooden Drum $18.99 A toy that can take a beating! The Lil’ Symphony Wooden Drum is tough enough to stand up to the toddler treatment – a good thing because your toddler won’t want to put it down. The included neck strap means they can start their own one-man marching band. With sturdy sticks and real drum tones, this little toy is great for inspiring an interest in music and teaching basic rhythm. Best Toy for Fine Motor Development: On-the-Go Building Blocks Set Three year olds are still perfecting their fine motor skills, and building bricks are perfect for increasing strength and dexterity in their hands and fingers. Skills that we take for granted – like the ability to line up two bricks perfectly or the strength to pull bricks apart – are still challenging for your toddler. The physical challenge of working with the blocks and the creativity of building their own structures make this a toy that’s sure to hold their attention. The On-the-Go Building Blocks set is a great intro to building bricks for toddlers. It has just enough bricks to let them get creative but not enough to overwhelm or distract them. Plus, its portability makes it a great toy for meltdown-free road trips, plane rides, and meals out. Best Learning Toy for 3 Year Olds: 60-piece Wooden Block Set Yep, another block set! While building bricks are great for your three year old’s fine motor development, it’s still tough for them to build larger structures with them. With the 60-piece wooden block set, they can stack and connect pieces easily and push their building skills to the limit. Plus, half the fun of blocks at this age is that satisfying crash of knocking down a tower! But what exactly are they learning as they play with blocks? A lot! Block play is associated with improved spatial reasoning, enhanced language development, and even higher math scores. One study found that the types of structures kids built as four year olds could predict how well they performed in math classes later on, so three is a great age to encourage more block play for your little one! Best Toy for Three Year Old Girls: Lil’ Doll 2-pc. Play Furniture Set Three year olds love anything that gives them “big-kid status,” including caring for smaller babies and dolls. The Lil’ Doll 2-pc. Play Furniture Set lets them practice feeding their baby dolls in a high chair and putting them to sleep in a cradle. They’ll gain more than just entertainment too; research suggests that doll play helps kids develop social skills and empathy. Best Toys for Three Year Old Boys: Adventure Tracks Dino World T-Rex Tremor Cave $28.38 Only at Walmart Where do we even start when it comes to the benefits of toy train sets? The constructive play of building tracks is great for cognitive development as well as fine motor development. Pushing trains helps develop dexterity, fine motor skills, and grip strength. And that doesn’t even touch on the elements of pretend play – especially when you have themed train sets like the Adventure Tracks: Dino World line. The T-Rex Tremor cave is an ideal, budget-friendly introductory train set that ideal for your dino-loving little guy. For even more dinosaur fun, upgrade to the Dino World Rumble & Roar Complete Set. Want more gift inspiration for the three year old in your life? Shop all of our bestsellers for kid-tested toys they’re sure to love! *Prices are correct as of the publication of this article.
