How to Choose the Best Educational Toy for Your 3-Year-Old
Toys can provide more than fun to 3-year-olds—they can help little ones learn. The best toys for 3-year-old boys and girls are both educational and entertaining. So, how does one choose a learning toy for a 3-year-old?
Knowing a child’s developmental milestones and what he or she is capable of doing is a great place to start. Below, you’ll find the best kinds of educational toys for 3-year-olds, from building sets to shape sorting toys.
Building Sets
Once a child turns three years old, a building set can be a fun and educational toy for them. While you don’t want to pick out a building set that is too complicated, basic building sets with simple steps will provide plenty of amusement for your little one. Along with creative thinking, building sets can help improve little ones’ attention spans and problem-solving abilities.
In addition to building 3-year-olds’ comprehension skills, building sets also allow their imaginations to grow wild when they choose to make their own designs with the pieces. While you can purchase toys that are specifically marketed as building sets, children can also play with wooden blocks, magnetic toys sets, and Legos to build their own designs.
Alphabet Toys
By the age of five, most children can name all the letters in the alphabet; however, you can start teaching your child letter recognition as early as three years old. Electronic toys that narrate the alphabet can be a great place to begin with this endeavor. There are a variety of electronic alphabet toys, including electronic backpacks and tablet games.
If you’d prefer to find an alphabet toy that isn’t electronic, letter blocks, alphabet puzzles, and magnets are alternative options.
Activity Desks
Activity desks are a favorite amongst parents because of their ability to keep little ones occupied while also teaching them new words and improving shape recognition. Activity desks come with a range of activities and songs that three-year-olds can navigate on their own.
Along with improving children’s vocabulary and providing a visual experience, many activity desks also provide the opportunity for auditory learning. Songs, phrases, and narrations are examples of how activity desks offer an auditory experience for three-year-olds.
Color Matching Boards
It’s no secret that 3-year-olds are attracted to bright colors. This comes in handy when it comes time to teach them about sequence recognition and matching. Three-year-olds can use color matching boards to pair together different shapes and learn about patterns.
Color matching boards are also a favorite amongst parents because they allow children to experience hands-on problem solving.
Puzzles
Large jigsaw puzzles with colorful illustrations can be an excellent way for 3-year-olds to problem solve while learning about the subject of the puzzle—whether that be animals, letters, colors, or something else.
While traditional puzzles with hundreds of pieces will be too difficult for 3-year-olds, wooden puzzles with four to 10 pieces are ideal. If you’re a particularly ambitious parent, you can even make your own puzzle with styrofoam pieces and unique designs.
Sorting Toys
Sorting and number counting toys come in a wide range of styles, colors, and shapes. They serve as learning toys by teaching children how to count. They can also help little ones improve their depth perception if they require the child to fit a piece of the toy through a specifically-sized hole.
Always be sure to choose sorting toys that are large enough not to pose a choking hazard. Additionally, look for sorting toys that are bright and colorful to get the most attention and playtime from 3-year-olds.
Play Sets
Toy doctor sets, toy kitchen sets, and toy garage sets all work to improve children’s imaginations and boost their creativity. Three-year-olds enjoy mimicking the adults around them, which is why play sets are so popular amongst little ones.
Along with providing 3-year-olds the opportunity to use their imaginations, play sets also allow visual and auditory learning to occur if there are labels and auditory buttons included with the toy. Even if a play set doesn’t have distinct markings or sounds, there’s still plenty of fun to be had for years to come with these toys, including grocery, restaurant, doctor, mechanic, and household role playing games.
Resources— BabyCenter, MindWare
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