These Are the Best Toys for 3-Year-Old Boys, According to Our Preschool Testers
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When 3-year-olds play, they're learning how to interpret the world around them. "That's why they enjoy all kinds of blocks, people and animal figures, and vehicles," says Rebecca Parlakian , M.A., E.D., a parenting expert from Zero to Three , "so they can build structures and worlds of their own like houses or zoos, test exactly how high a structure can go, or solve problems like how to build a roof." She adds that their growing memory and emerging self-regulation means they are ready for simple board games, too.
Our Top Picks
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Best Overall Gift: Crayola Light-Up Activity Board
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Best for Pretend Play: Melissa & Doug Flip & Fry Grill Play Set
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Biggest "Wow" Factor: PAW Patrol Megasaurus Dino Vehicle
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Best Musical Toy: Fisher-Price Deluxe Rockin' Record Player
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Best Tech Toy: LeapFrog My First Gamer
The best gifts for kids this age help them build high, expend their energy, or delve into their make-believe worlds, all while having a blast. But 3-year-olds can be finicky and abandon things quickly if they don't have the fun factor. With that in mind, the Good Housekeeping Institute tests toys , getting real feedback from kids (and their parents) about which ones held their interest the most. We put those recommendations together with trendy best sellers and editor picks for these best toys and gifts for 3-year-old boys.This year, those preschoolers are so lucky!
LeapFrog My First Gamer
For little kids who want a handheld gaming experience, this device from LeapFrog brings gaming down to their level. The 20 included games are designed for learning,and also for the skill level of a preschooler. "Both my 3-year-old and 5-year-old picked this up very quickly and figured everything out on their own," one parent tester said. "They have been coming back to it multiple times a day." Ages 3+; four AA batteries required
Crayola Light-Up Activity Board
Kids can make new designs by layering colored shapes on this light-up creation board. When little artists use and combine shape clings, they learn more about basic shape recognition and color mixing. The board includes easy storage in the back for its washable markers, making cleanup simpler and easier. Ages 3+; three AA batteries required.
Goodyear Kids' Car Engine Mechanic Replay & Play Set
In Good Housekeeping Institute in lab tests, kids lined up to take apart this pretend car engine and put it back together again. They used pretend tools on the engine, turned the steering wheel, and even tended to the tires. "My 4-year-old has taken it apart and put it back together more times than I can count," one parent of an at-home tester said. Ages 3+
Paw Patrol Megasaurus Dino Vehicle
This PAW Patrol vehicle comes with a big surprise: Hit the light bar, and a two-foot-tall dinosaur inflates!It can be removed from the truck and played with, and deflated when it's time to put the toy away. The dino had a big "wow" factor with our testers. "The size was a definite plus for [my son]," one parent tester said. Ages 3+; four AA batteries required
Fisher-Price Deluxe Rockin' Record Player
This set comes with six playable records in different musical styles,and the songs on them cover topics like counting, wordplay, and following directions. In Good Housekeeping Institute tests, though, what kids really loved most was the process of taking a record, removing it from the sleeve, putting it on the turntable and putting the "needle" on it to make it play, just like adults do! Ages 3+; four AA batteries included
Magna-Tiles microMAGS Travel Set Deluxe
Perfect for taking on the go,this set comes with 55 tiny Magna-Tiles pieces that can be packed up into a tin that fits into a purse or backpack. "We are excited to take this with us on an international trip we have coming up soon!" one parent tester said, adding that they know it'll fit perfectly into the carry-on. Ages 3+
BRIO World Space Station Set
With this 40-piece play set, Brio moves from the terrestrial world of trains to outer space.The rover can roll around the track and pick up carts of mineral pieces, and it also comes with an astronaut figure and an alien figure. Our kid testers loved the little details. "He liked that the space ship opened and the characters came with little wings he could put on or take off while playing," one parent said. Another wrote, "He thought the bridges and signs you could add were fun." Ages 3+
Hasbro Transformers Rescue Bots
Preschoolers will have an easy time flipping this set of Transformers from vehicles to robots and back again— they're designed to transform in one easy step.The four included are: a fire truck, police vehicle, helicopter, and a construction truck. Ages 3+
Quirk Books 'Snuggle Season' Book
This book is perfect for lap reading, bedtime, and any time a cozy moment is in order.It details all the different ways a family hunkers down together. "Even when it was 100 degrees outside, this story helped us look forward to the snuggly winter days ahead," said a parent tester (a mom of three). Ages 2+
Crayola Scribble Scrubbie Dino Glow Mountain Play Set
Good Housekeeping Institute engineers and parenting experts are longtime fans of the Scribble Scrubbies pets, since they can be colored, washed off, and colored again— a reusable art toy that can also be used for imaginative play.This one has a prehistoric theme, with four glow-in-the-dark dinosaur pets and a mountain with a working catapult and a dino skull that charges up the glow. "She loved the glow in the dark feature," said one mom of a 4-year-old. "When it got dark out, we turned off the lights and she was amazed and kept wanting to close the lid to make them brighter." Ages 3+; three AA batteries required
Fat Brain Toys Teeter Popper
The bottom of this curved board is covered in strong suction cups. When kids sit or stand on it and wobble or rock,they stick and unstick, making a delightful popping sound. It's good for balance and coordination, and also is a fun sensory experience. Ages 3+
RELATED: Our Favorite Sensory Toys
Melissa & Doug Flip & Fry Grill Play Set
Good Housekeeping Institute kid testers were wowed by the way water made the pretend food in this set look like it went from raw to cooked,and they had fun serving up everything from burgers to pancakes. "He really liked that he could 'cook' me food and put it in the little to-go bags provided," one parent said. Ages 3+
Upbounders 'Alma's Way' Wooden Bodega Pinball
For just a little something, this on-the-go pinball toyfeatures their favorite characters from Alma's Way. In addition to playing the pinball game, they can also try to spy all the items in the bodega. Ages 3+
Goliath Jelly Blox Creative Kit
This previous Good Housekeeping Toy Award Winner has 20 jelly blocks that can be stretched and squished.Some have stars inside and others have sand to create a more fun sensory experience than your traditional building blocks. In lab testing, even the adults found themselves squishing the blocks. Ages 2+
Melissa & Doug Blockables Farm Set
Blockables are interlocking blocks with connector pieces that let kids build up and also horizontally,giving them another dimension of play. The farm set comes with pieces that will let them build a tractor, trailer, cow, sheep, pig, horse, chicken, and hay that they can play with—or kids can get really silly and mix them all up to make their own creations. The box serves as a backdrop. Ages 2+
LEGO DUPLO Mickey & Minnie Mouse Birthday Train
There's so much celebration packed inside this Seal-holding LEGO set. Kids can build the train, stack and count the presents, and use the Mickey, Minnie, and Pluto figures for imaginative playinvolving the balloons and cupcake. It's a great gift for any Disney fan or LEGO collector. Ages 2+
Creativity for Kids Construction Zone Sensory Bin
If he's the type of kid that loves construction vehicles and love digging in sand, this toy combines the two in one convenient bin that you can slap the lid on when he's done. He'll have a sensory experience digging through moldable sand,using the roller, and driving with the construction trucks. There are also themed bins available, including a dinosaur dig with toy bones. Ages 3+
B. Toys Balance & Groove Set
Kids who need to expend some energy can work on their gross motor coordination with this stepping-stone-and-beam set. One of the stepping stones is musical and lights up,which gives them even more ways to play. "The multisensory aspect of this toy was a big hit," one parent tester told us. "It's fun to step on the bumpy beams and get the lights and sounds when you step on the base." Ages 3+; four AA batteries included
Little Tikes TotSports Grab N Go Golf
Fore! Kids can work on their putts without having to go to the mini golf course with this sports set. It comes with a tee, a putter, a wedge, and a holewith a little flag, and it all stores away in the included golf "bag." Ages 2+
VTech Storytime with Sunny
This bright lamp comes with four disks filled with stories, songs, jokes and other fun read-alouds. But the real magic happens when kids put one in the base of the lamp—its face becomes animated as it tells the tales,which has a big "wow" factor. Good Housekeeping Institute testers were also pleased that Sunny can be used as both an alarm clock and a nightlight. Ages 3+; six demo AA batteries included
hand2mind Numberblocks 1-10 Activity Set
Family testers marveled at the amount of math kids were able to absorb with this set,which is modeled after the characters on the Netflix show Numberblocks . It comes with activity cards that show kids how to build numbers and do simple counting, adding, and subtracting, among others. Ages 3+
Slumberkins Hammerhead Kin and Board Books Bundle
Slumberkins are designed to help kids name and recognize their emotions; in the case of Hammerhead, he's working on anger and conflict resolution. But even if kids aren't taken in by the social-emotional aspect, they'll love how extra-soft Hammerhead is. Ages 0+
Micro Micro Kickboard Mini Deluxe LED Scooter
We named a Micro Kickboard Mini scooter the best scooter for toddlers and preschoolers because it has a stable ride and lean-to-steer capabilities that make it easy for a 3-year-old to learn how to ride,keeping them outside and active longer. Plus, the glittery deck and LED wheels give it rocket-ship vibes. Ages 2+
Melissa & Doug Fire Chief Role Play Dress-Up Set
Help them engage their imaginationsby giving them a dress-up closet worthy of the stage. This Fire Chief set comes with lots of items that'll spark his pretend play, including the jacket, helmet, badge, fire extinguisher, and bullhorn. You can also get costumes for a chef , a doctor , or a construction worker , among others. Ages 3+
John Deere Build-A-Johnny Toy Tractor
This unmistakable John Deere tractor comes with a battery-powered drillthat puts kids to work. Three-year-olds can assemble the 13 pieces, create the tractor and then use it as a push toy before taking it apart again. Batteries are included. There's also a John Deere activity board that uses the drill. Ages 18 months+
Do-A-Dot Art Do-A-Dot Art Washable Paint Markers
For families looking for some more art supplies to add to the stash, these "paint markers" are easy for 3-year-olds to use: Just unscrew the cap, and they can easily dab a circle of color onto their canvas. It's amazing the number of different designs they can come up by stamping circles, and they can even experiment with color-mixingby stamping the circles on top of each other. Amazon reviewers say they appreciate the way the markers last a long time without drying out (so long as you remember to put the caps on). Ages 3+
Learning Resources Pretend & Play Calculator Cash Register
This is a classic toy that continues to be a hit with kids year after year. They can play store and use this cash register to ring up purchases, collect money and give change. The calculator really works and issolar-powered, it makes a satisfying ch-ching sound when it opens, and it comes with pretend money: 30 bills, 40 plastic coins, plus a pretend credit card. Ages 3+
Skillmatics Guess in 10 Junior Animal Kingdom
This game is played similarly to 20 questions, only you get 10, which will get them to work on their logic skills.The clues are all geared to a certain animal, but if kids get stuck, there are some no-reading picture tiles that help them come up with good questions to ask, like "Where is it found?" or "How many legs does it have?" You can also get Guess in 10 Junior for food or common household items . Ages 3+
Jazwares Spidey HugMee
As the name suggests, these plush have their arms open wide so they're always ready for a hug.And, when it's Spider-man doing the offering, what kid could refuse? In addition to Spidey, you can get characters like Bluey or Stitch , among others. Ages 3+
RELATED: Gifts for Kids Who Love Bluey
Hand2mind Express Your Feelings Sensory Bottles
As any parent would tell you, 3-year-olds have big feelings. These fidget toys give preschoolers a heads-up on social-emotional learningby helping them to name and explain their emotions. It comes with four bottles each designed to represent a different feeling—happy, angry, scared, or sad—and the liquid moves through the bottles differently in order to match the emotion. Ages 3+
Fat Brain Toys Bilibo by Moluk
A seat for lounging? Check. A stool for standing? Also check. A turtle shell, a construction helmet, or a mask to look through? Check, check, and check. Flip it upside down, and even more possibilities emerge, like a tunnel to drive cars through. Basically, the Bilibo is whatever kids want it to be,and the open-endedness is the crux of appeal (as is its sturdiness, since it's strong enough for adults to stand on). Ages 2+
Educational Insights The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game
In this game, players race to fill up their tree stump with every color of acorn. But they have to use a tweezer-like squirrel to grab each acorn and place it in the stump, so it works on their fine motor coordination. Ages 3+
Tonies Cuddle Simba Audio Toy
Kids who have a Toniebox at home will thrill to the new Cuddle Tonies, which can be toted around like stuffed animals and have peaceful, wind-down contentloaded on. The Simba has 35 minutes of Lion King-themed stories and songs and also features Timon, but there are also Cuddle Tonies for Mickey , Stitch , Olaf , Winnie the Pooh , and others. ["My 20-month-old son] loves hugging Simba and also hearing from him—he interacts with this Tonie more than any of his others," says Elspeth Velten , Good Housekeeping's editor-in-chief, in our Cuddle Tonies review . Ages 3+
Peppa Pig Joke & Sing George
Peppa may be the star of the show, but George Pig has a few tricks up his sleeve, too. This 8-inch George figure tells jokes, sings songs, and makes splashy muddy puddle sound effectsin order to entertain kids—a total of more than 50 sounds in all. It also features George's hearing aid, which is a central storyline on the show. Ages 3+; two AAA batteries included
RELATED: Families React to Seeing George Pig's Hearing Aids on Peppa Pig
KiwiCo Water Pump Play Set
Kids can experiment with gravity and cause-and-effect and get wet at the same time. The set includes suction-cup ramps, along with a tippy cup and water pumpthat kids can use to move water (and strengthen their hands with each pump). They can use it to send included boats and ducks down the chutes . Ages 3+
Why trust us
Before including most of these picks in the article, the Good Housekeeping Institute does rigorous toy testing to ensure we're only recommending the best. Many of our choices come from our yearly Toy Awards, where we test each item for:
✔️ Safety:Our engineers and analysts check against the most recent safety standards, including checking for pinch points or small toys that could be choking hazards.
✔️ Ease of use:We ask parents, kids, and adults for feedback on how easy the toy is to assemble and how durable it is.
✔️ Kid approval:Aside from testing each toy for skill-building attributes, all of our final decisions are based on the feedback of hundreds of kids, ages 1 to 15, who assess the fun factor!
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