Toddlerhood is certainly full of surprises and at 3-years-old, it may feel like your child is learning something new every day. If you’re looking for toys for your toddler, you need something that will keep them entertained while also helping them grow and learn. That’s exactly what you’ll find on this list of the best educational toys for 3-year-olds.
At this age, your little one is learning and gaining independence, while also still looking for frequent attention from you. 3-year-olds are also learning to socialize and play with others. Keep reading to find out what to look for in a toy for 3-year-olds and which toys might be the best.
©Maples Images/Shutterstock.com
What To Look for in Educational Toys for 3-Year-Olds
3-year-olds are a load of fun, but they can be a challenge to deal with as well. At this age, they’re learning many developmental skills and educational toys are a great way to make learning fun.
When picking out the best educational toys for 3-year-olds, it’s important to consider where they are developmentally and what they’re currently learning. Around the age of 3, your toddler is learning to:
- Socialize with other children
- Communicate with you and others
- State their first name
- Dress themselves
- Use eating utensils
Many of the developmental milestones at this age are a combination of physical skills, fine motor skills as well as social and emotional skills. There are so many important tasks for them to learn during this time and numerous educational toys out there that can help them learn and grow.
Ways to Engage with Your 3-year-old
If you’re looking for the right toys for your 3-year-old, it’s important to know some of the ways to engage with them while playing with these toys. Even though they can play with many of these toys independently, some are also perfect for socializing with friends or siblings.
As the parent, you’re the best teacher for your child and the behavior that you display is what they will model as well. Here are some effective ways to engage with your toddler and the educational toys they’re playing with:
- Find ways to talk about their emotions
At this age, they have lots of big emotions and part of what they’re learning is how to communicate them. Taking the time to discuss their emotions and help them practice using their words can be helpful. - Set some simple rules for playtime
Your child is bound to make mistakes or be too rough at times since they’re still learning how to play and interact with others. Setting a few simple and easy-to-follow rules can be one of the best ways to help your child understand what is appropriate behavior during playtime. - Encourage problem-solving
Some of the best educational toys and activities are ones that encourage your child to figure out things on their own. Critical thinking and problem-solving are such important skills that your child will continue to learn for many years to come.
Let’s move on to the top educational toys for children at this age and why they’re highly rated for 3-year-olds.
LeapFrog Prep for Preschool Activity Book
LeapFrog is one of the number one providers of educational toys for kids. The LeapFrog Prep for Preschool Activity Book is the perfect toy for 3-year-olds that’s both engaging and educational.
This interactive book helps little ones learn and prepare for preschool with counting activities, colors, shapes, and the alphabet. It also helps them practice their letter writing and recognizing words. Even once they’ve gone through the activity book, the activities and pages are perfect for reusing over and over again.
Teaches counting, colors, shapes, and words. Great for building phonics skills. Helps toddlers prepare for preschool.
Magnetic Drawing Board Sensory Activity
Sensory-based activities are perfect for 3-year-olds who love hands-on activities. This large magnetic drawing board is great for little ones who are ready to learn, engage, and grow. This activity comes with colorful beads and 20 different patterns for them to practice with.
Not only does this drawing board help young children develop their fine motor skills, but it also engages them in a fun way. The pen for this magnetic drawing board is safely attached to prevent it from getting lost and the magnetic beads are safely sealed inside the board to prevent choking.
- Promotes creativity
- Pen is attached to keep it from getting lost
- Safe for toddlers
Wooden Magnet Fishing Game
Letters, colors, and shapes are some of the skills that toddlers love learning at this age. This wooden magnet fishing game is perfect for little hands and those who are learning the alphabet. It helps them practice their fine motor skills by challenging them to pick up the fish. They can also use it as a way to practice their letters and colors.
As a wooden, Montessori-inspired toy, this toy is safe for children of all ages. It’s also durable and long-lasting, so you don’t have to worry about wear and tear as much as you do with some plastic toys. This is a great toy for learning letters, numbers, and colors.
For Toddlers, Montessori Fine Motor Skills Toy with Letters and Numbers, Preschool Learning ABC and Puzzle Educational Toys
Talking Flash Cards
It’s never too early to start engaging your child in communication and teach them different letters, words, and pictures. These talking flashcards are the perfect way for your child to begin learning about sight words. They allow your little one to pick up on simple words to describe different shapes, animals, or parts of nature.
The best part about these flashcards is your toddler can practice using them and learn independently. At the press of a button, each flashcard teaches your toddler how to pronounce the words in the picture. They’re also screen-free which allows them to safely learn without harming their eyesight.
- Screen-free educational toy
- Easy for toddlers to use
- Helps children build their vocabulary
Coodoo Magnetic Blocks
Magnetic blocks are all the rave nowadays and these blocks by Coodoo are perfect for little hands. The magnetic blocks are great for STEM Learning. As a versatile toy, you can use them to help children learn about math and science. They also promote problem solving and creativity.
Kids of all ages love magnetic blocks and they’re also an incredibly engaging toy for toddlers who are learning to explore and imagine. Your 3-year-old will love building with these magnetic blocks.
- Perfect for STEM learning
- Compatible with all brands of magnetic blocks
- Safe for young children
See & Spell Matching Letters
This See & Spell Matching letter toy by SpringFlower is another way for your toddler to engage with their letters and colors in a fun way. This toy includes 28 double-sided letter flashcards as well as wooden alphabet blocks.
There are 56 different designs and it allows them to develop a variety of skills. The Sea & Spell Matching Letter set helps with sight words, vocabulary, motor skills, and more. It can also help young children build self-confidence as they learn and grow.
- Easy for toddlers to use
- Develops sight-reading skills and color sorting
- Great for traveling
Matching Letter Game
This matching letter game by HahaGift has a tray with 8 letter cubes, 30 different picture cards, and 60 different words. This game makes learning fun for your toddler as they start to learn about different letters and how they can be joined to make a word.
This is a great gift for preschoolers or children around preschool age. It can help them build critical thinking skills, fine motor skills, and eye-hand coordination. When you engage with your child while playing the game, it can also encourage family bonding.
- Helps teach early word recognition
- Great for playing together
- Fun game for letter matching
Finding the Best Toys for Your 3-Year-Old
It’s not always easy to find the right toys for little ones, especially when you’re looking for something that’s both engaging and fun. The good news is there are numerous educational toys out there that are excellent for toddlers.
As they continue to grow and learn, toys like the ones on this list can help them develop essential skills and learn their letters, shapes, and numbers. You can’t go wrong with any of the toys on this list of best educational toys for 3-year-olds.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Natalia Lebedinskaia/Shutterstock.com.