Gifts for 3 year olds

Here's a few ideas that hit the mark for my daughter's 3rd birthday!

1) Dress ups

Picture from costume.net

We are at the stage now where my 3 and a half year old changes her clothes a few times a day, typically removing her street clothes and replacing them with her fairy costume, complete with tutu skirt, fairy wings and sparkle shoes... no big problem other than its freezing cold and fairies don't wear warm cardigans or leggings apparently!

Picture from bestpricedtoys.com

The other issue is these dresses can cost over $50, particularly if you start looking at the commercially made Disney characters. I would search eBay and local markets as its possible to get really cute ones that have been handmade. We were fortunate enough to receive a dress and a tutu skirt as gifts at different times.

Of course, dress up costumes need not be limited to fairy outfits but for some reason in our house its all about fairies... !

2) Puzzles

Jigsaw puzzles are a great way to keep littlies entertained and my 3 year old goes nuts for them! Good for their problem solving skills too! Doesn't matter what's on it. This one is from ELC and costs $17.50. www.elctoys.com.au

3) Magnetic scenes

These toys keep 3 year olds occupied for hours! We received a dress up doll set but this one from Tiger Tribe looks great too! It includes a fold-out A3 magnetic board with a busy market scene including a cafe, ice-cream stand, cake stall, fish shop and bakery! With over 30 magnetic pieces the picture and story can be different every time. It is fun to play with them or to encourage them to play on their own.

It is great that all the bits come in a lightweight tin - good for travelling. A word of warning, I do have to pick up all the little bits that don't make it into the tin, but I feel like picking up bits of toys is my main role in life at the moment!

I found this one at the Early Learning Centre for $19.95 (http://www.elctoys.com.au).

4) Felt Creation Boards

Along the same line as the magnetic scenes, the Felt Creation story boards are wonderful for keeping pre-schoolers quiet! The littlies stick the felt pieces onto the felt board and rearrange to create a different story every time. This was another fabulous gift we received that my 3 year plays with regularly and for long bursts. They are quite inexpensive too. It carries a warning with it about all the "bits" and trying to keep them altogether! I keep ours in a closed container and out of reach until playtime.

The boards measure 38cm x 32 cm and some of the varieties include Princess Castle, Pirates, Pet Shop, Construction, Boutique Clothes Shopping, Aquatic Diving, Dinosoars, Science Lab, Fairy Garden, Dancing Ballerina and On the Farm!

You can pick them up for as little as $12.95 from brightbuttonstoys.com.au (excluding postage).

5) Drink bottle

Another great present we received that was a welcomed change from all the toys was a good quality drink bottle. Bobbleart has some cute designed stainless steel drink bottles that are BPA free, lightweight and durable and don't scratch or dent easily. The twist top is easy for drinking yet leak-proof too which is good news for my handbag! As far as size goes, 600ml is a good size for 3-4 year olds.

I saw this one as moowoohandmadecardsandgifts.com.au for $24.95.

As an aside did you know that aluminium drink bottles need to have an internal lining in order to be safe as aluminium is not a food safe material without the lining. SIGG appears to be a safe brand of aluminium bottles. Stainless steel on the other hand does not require a lining as it is considered food safe. Read more at www.bpafreedrinkbottles.com.au.

7) "Today is" weather chart

We attempted to make one of these using cardboard and contact but it didn't last very long once the baby sister became a toddler! My 3 year old loved it though so I found this more robust one online... it is a little exxy at $45 (ex postage) but I have seen something similar in the shops for nearly twice the price. It measures 60 x 43 cm and is recommended for 3-6 year olds. I found it at www.whowwhatwhycom.au. They also have a magnetic one that is slightly cheaper at $30.

8) Doctor kit
Early Learning Centre has a great doctor's kit for $35.  It is a little on the pricey side compared to other options out there but the bits and pieces are a better quality and come in a solid case for storing. www.elctoys.com.au