3 Year Old Birthday Gift Ideas

I always struggle with birthday gifts for kids!  I find myself scouring Pinterest and Amazon recommendations trying to find some ideas, both for my own son and for his friends' birthdays.  Here are some of our favorite gifts for 3 year olds, both to give and receive!

1.  Golf Set

My in-laws gifted C this Little Tikes TotSports Golf Set, and he loves it! It comes with 3 golf balls, a hole, 2 golf clubs, and a wheeled golf "bag".  He loves playing golf, and I love that it is developing his coordination!  There is a pink version of the golf set too, if that's your thing.

2.  Magformers

Magformers are my go-to birthday gift for all of C's friends (both boys and girls).  They make a classic (primary color) set, as well as a neon set and a girly (pink/purple) set.  This is a great starter set!

3.  Magnet Shape Board

C received this Mindware Imagination Magnet Board from my college roommate's parents, and it is so fun!  It would be great for travel (road trips?) too, since the pieces are magnetic and contained within the carrying case.  The case opens up to reveal 2 magnet boards; included are different magnetic shapes and cards that depict various puzzles for your kiddo to create.  This is another one that falls into the "educational but fun" category!

4.  Play Place Gift Card

C is really into activities these days, especially play places!  National chains like Gymboree or The Little Gym, as well as local places like Play Street Museum and The Play Date Co., all provide fun imaginative play for preschoolers.  This is a great gift that doesn't take up room in your house!!

5.  Books

We can never have enough books!  Some of C's current favorites are Dragons Love Tacos (and the sequel, Dragons Love Tacos 2) and The Day the Crayons Quit (and the sequel, The Day the Crayons Came Home).  On his wish list are Adam Rubin's other books (author of Dragons Love Tacos), Those Darn Squirrels, Secret Pizza Party, and Robo-Sauce.

Although these books are all gender-neutral, there are a few I especially love to gift to girls!  Rosie Revere, Engineer, What Do You Do With an Idea?, and The Most Magnificent Thing.

6.  Dress-Up / Pretend Play

Dress up isn't just for girls!  I love the Melissa & Doug dress-up sets - they come with adorable costumes and props, including several that little boys will love!  The fireman, police officer, construction worker, doctor, race car driver, pilot, and pirate costumes are great for pretend play!

7.  Play Tools

This Black & Decker tool box and this play drill get tons of play from C when we are at our local play place, so I had to get him some to play with at home, too.  He loves to "fix" things around the house.

8.  Doodle Pro

This one is a throwback to my own childhood, except I think they were called MagnaDoodles back then.  C loves his Doodle Pro - mostly the ability to draw something and erase it, over and over and over.  I like that the magnetic "pen" is attached, and the 4 magnet shapes all have designated storage spots, so we never lose the components.

9.  Dot Art

These dot art markers are really fun and provide a different art format for preschoolers!  While we usually use our dot markers on plain paper, there is also a line of coloring books especially made for use with dot markers - plenty of themes for boys and girls, including rainbows, mermaids, farm animals, princesses, ocean, zoo animals, and dinosaurs.

10.  Mini Trampoline

We got C this Little Tikes 3' Trampoline for his 3rd birthday - with a summer birthday, it is a great way to run off some energy indoors!  It was easy to assemble and doesn't take up TOO much room.  I like that the handlebar provides added stability.