It’s that time of year again — the holidays are right around the corner! If you’ve got little ones on your shopping list this year, don’t stress because we’ve got you covered. While it’s true that some toddlers are easily entertained, what parents really want for their kids at this stage are toys that double as educational items, developmental tools, and toys that really speak to their preschoolers‘ budding interests!
Check out our list of top toys for 3-year-old kiddos below and be sure to check out our complete 2023 Holiday Gift Guide for more hot toys!
JOOKI MUSIC & STORIES PLAYER FOR KIDS
Jooki is the screen-free audio entertainment device kids love. It encourages independent play and group fun through singing, dancing, listening, and story-time. Parents can program endless content using Jooki reprogrammable tokens — no need to constantly buy new 'stuff'. Simply assign Spotify playlists or mp3 files to Jooki tokens and edit, delete, or replace content…
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BUILD-A-SLICE PIZZA CART
Kids can ring the bell on this interactive pizza cart to hear a customer's order. They'll learn about colors, shapes, numbers, and food names as they build a pizza with the included toppings and accessories.
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JET PILOT DASHBOARD
Aspiring pilots can prepare for takeoff with this interactive dashboard, which features lights, buttons, voice playback, a four-position throttle, and more. Kids can turn the steering yolk to move a mini-plane in a scrolling display.
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PAW PATROL AIRCRAFT CARRIER RIDE ON
This ride-on features two jets, a runway, a launcher, and push buttons on the handlebars that play sounds and the PAW Patrol theme song while kids ride.
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NUMBERBLOCKS STEP SQUAD MISSION HEADQUARTERS
Kids can join Numberblock Three on secret agent adventures in this playset. It features everything kids need to learn about counting in exciting imaginative play, including accessories and a ride-on elevator/
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DISNEY ENCANTO TONIE
Relive Disney’s Encanto with this Tonie that proves we do still talk about Bruno. Kids can enjoy fan-favorite songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and the Encanto story in English and Spanish, plus original voices from the film.
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GEOMAG GLITTER 35 PIECES
Add some sparkle to kids’ construction play with this set of magnetic construction pieces. Kids can use the pieces to build buildings, animals, and more.
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CRY BABIES MAGIC TEARS STARS TALENT BABIES
This lineup features eight dolls that cry real tears. Each doll comes with more than six surprises and has outfits based on its hobbies.
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FISHER-PRICE BATWHEELS LAUNCH & RACE BATCAVE
Inspired by the Batwheels series, this playset features three floors of play, an elevator, a spiral track, lights, and sounds. It comes with two toy cars: Bam the Batmobile and Redbird.
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COCOMELON BIG BOUNCER
This bouncer features CoComelon-inspired graphics, mesh sidewalls, and a built-in pump. It encourages motor skill development, hand-eye coordination, physical play, and dexterity.
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SNACK, SNACK, GIRAFFE
Players take turns feeding snack tokens featuring healthy foods to Giselle the Giraffe, who stands more than 2 feet tall. The player who gets all of their tokens to stay in Giselle's stomach without falling out wins the game.
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WOODEN LIGHT-UP KIDS SCOOTER — SCOOTER FUN
This lightweight, kid-powered scooter features bright colors, light-up wheels, and a foot break. It also has adjustable, lean-to-steer handlebars so that it can grow with kids. It can hold up to 110 pounds.
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DISNEY JUNIOR MINNIE MOUSE BUTTERFLY BALLERINA PLUSH
Kids can press the light-up butterfly on Minnie's chest to activate lights, a spinning tutu, Minnie Mouse phrases, and the song “Just Like a Butterfly.” Squeeze the butterfly on Minnie's bow for a light show and more twirling.
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BLUEY MAGNETIC WOODEN PLAYSET
This 18-piece playset includes a magnetic wooden Bluey and Bingo, 12 magnetic accessories, repositionable stickers, and a reusable board with two double-sided play scenes.
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BARBIE POP UP CONVERTIBLE WITH MUSICAL KEY FOB
Engage in active, imaginative play with this 4-foot-long convertible pop-up tent that features Barbie-inspired decals. It comes with a key fob with sound effects and Barbie phrases.
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KINETIC SAND DELUXE BEACH SET
With 2.5 pounds of Kinetic Sand Beach Sand, kids can build and customize the ultimate sandcastle. They can build with creative freedom, exercising their imagination and honing fine motor skills.
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PLAY-DOH ALL-IN-ONE CREATIVITY STARTER STATION
This activity table comes with 15 Play-Doh accessories and six cans of modeling compound. The desk can flip between two modes: a flat side featuring a playmat and a 3D side with a waterfall maker, a vehicle, and animal tools.
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CRAYOLA SCRIBBLE SCRUBBIE OCEAN GLOW LAGOON
Use the kid-powered lagoon tub to clean the pets, then color them over and over again with the included markers. The set comes with four pets that will glow in the dark.
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DOO DOO KANGAROO
Kids feed doughnuts to a kangaroo sitting on a toilet. Once he's full, the kangaroo shakes and shimmies while kids race to catch the doughnuts and dodge the “doo doos” that come flying out of the toilet.
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DROYD ROMPER
This electric trike features an all-plastic body, a 24-volt battery, a light-up LED front wheel, and more. The Romper has parental controls and can operate at speeds of 3-6 mph.
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STORY DREAM MACHINE + STORY PACKS
Project classic children's stories with this machine, which includes three titles, with additional packs sold separately. It features light and sound effects to enhance the story and doubles as a white noise machine.
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REEL BIG CATCH GAME
Players use a fishing pole to catch nine telescoping fish. Then, they use the measuring tape on their catch to explore the correlation between size and measurement and the concept of small, medium, and large.
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12-INCH BLUEY BIKE
This 12-inch bike features a bright pink, green, and orange color scheme and Bluey-inspired graphics. Kids can learn to ride with the removable training wheels and easy-to-use coaster brakes.
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TINKERTAR
Created by musicians Brian Calhoun, Dave Matthews, and John Alagia, this one-string melody maker is made of sustainable, responsibly sourced wood. Use the included 15-song songbook and colored and numbered finger positions to learn beginner guitar.
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BOGGLE JR
Two different matching games encourage reading and memory skills. In Match It/Spell It, kids look at the picture and word, then spell it out. In Cover It, kids use the word shield to spell words from memory.
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POSITIVELY PERFECT TODDLERS — ONESIES
This collection of 14-inch-tall multicultural dolls with colorful onesies reflects diverse beauty. The dolls have a variety of soft, washable hair textures that kids can brush and style.
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SURPRISE POWERZ EDUCATIONAL TALKING STEM DOLLS
Girls can build confidence in subjects like math and science with these dolls. They can squeeze each Surprise Powerz doll's hand to hear more than 75 phrases, sing-a-longs, and sound effects, with a diverse range of real girls' voices.
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PANDAS’ BAMBOO HOUSE
Sam, Pam, and their panda family live in a three-story, feature-packed, bamboo house that kids can explore for hours. Crafted using eco-friendly materials, the playset comes with multiple furniture pieces and play accessories.
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PLAY KITCHEN
This two-in-one, wooden pretend play set offers both a kitchen and a market. It features a chalkboard menu, pots and pans, dishes, a sink, and a stove.
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DISNEY THE LITTLE MERMAID UNDER THE SEA EXPLORING ARIEL
This Ariel doll can speak and sing “Part of Your World” while its tail lights up. It includes a dinglehopper, a seashell, and hair clip charms. Kids can play with the doll in or out of the water.
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PAW PATROL CHASE’S MIGHTY TRANSFORMING CRUISER
Kids can convert Chase's cruiser into a powered-up, mighty rescue vehicle through an easy transformation. The cruiser comes with a Chase figure and features lights, sounds, music, and pup phrases.
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For more top toy picks for kids of all ages, check out The Toy Insider’s annual Holiday Gift Guide, and find the perfect gift using our Perfect Present Wizard!
