Best toys for 3 year olds 2024, tried and tested by parents and children

Related: MadeForMums Toy Awards 2024: Winners revealed!

However, Helen adds that the biggest winners at this age are toys that set the scene for imaginary play – "Especially if it involves acting out roles (doctor, cook, train driver, pirate). Your 3 year old is fast becoming a proper drama king or queen!"

So, to help you find the best toy to fit your little one, we’ve chosen and tested the best toys across a range of budgets. We've divided them up depending on which of our criteria they met – educational, imaginative, character, transport themed and outdoor play. But across the board, they're great for stimulating brain and body development, problem-solving, practising social skills – and having lots of fun. If you're looking for great deals on some of your favourite toys, take a look at the best Tonies Black Friday deals and Yoto Black Friday deals, as well as our best Black Friday toy deals. We've also got our best baby Black Friday deals page to help you save on parenting essentials.

Best toys for 3 year olds at a glance

Best educational toys for 3 year olds

• Tonies Toniebox, £79.95
• Yoto Player, £89.99
• Connetix 212-piece Rainbow Mega Pack, £180
• Learning Resources Numberblocks Rainbow Counting Bus, £25.99 £19.99 at Very (Save £6 or 23%)
• Jacques of London Noah’s Ark, £27.95 £23.23 at Amazon (Save £4.72 or 17%)

Best imaginative play toys for 3 year olds

• Play-Doh Rainbow Swirl Ice Cream Playset, £19.99
• Melissa & Doug Barber Shop Playset, £34.99
• My 1st Years Personalised Kitchen and Washing Machine, £150
• Great Little Trading Company Play & Store Wooden Toy Farm, £75
• Casdon Ooni Pizza Oven, £24.99 £19.99 at Very (Save £5 or 20%)
• Little Live Pets – Mama Surprise, £64.99
• Le Toy Van Blender and Wooden Toy Fruit Set, £39.95
• Bee Smart My Baking Cookie Set with Glove, £19.92
• Learning Resources Pretend & Play Doctor’s Kit, £43.22

Best character toys for 3 year olds

• Imaginext DC Super Friends Ultimate HQ Playset, £79.99 £39.99 at Very (Save £40 or 50%)
• Bluey 3-in-1 Transforming Plane Set, £59.99
• Peppa Pig’s Wooden Playhouse, £59.99 £39.99 at Very (Save £20 or 33%)
• Stitch Crack Me Up Plush, £24.99

Best transport toys for 3 year olds

• Le Toy Van construction cars, £30
• The Adventures of Paddington Campervan, £25.99 £14.99 at Very (Save £10 or 42%)
• Thomas & Friends Talking Cranky Delivery Train Set, £59.99 47.99 at Very (Save £12 or 20%)
• Paw Patrol racers, £24.99

Best outdoor toys for 3 year olds

• Xootz - Magical Unicorn Ride-On, £89.99
• Hornit AIRO, £139
• Early Fun All-Surface Swingball, £22.99

Jump to:

• Best educational toys for 3 year olds
• Best imaginative play toys for 3 year olds
• Best character toys for 3 year olds
• Best transport toys for 3 year olds
• Best outdoor toys for 3 year olds

What are the best toys for 3 year olds?

Additional writing and product selection by Gill Crawshaw

Best educational toys for 3 year olds

1. Tonies Toniebox, £79.95

Available at: Tonie, John Lewis and Amazon

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 3+ | Size: L12cm x W12cm x H12cm | Batteries: Rechargeable, up to 7 hours of battery life

In the world of kids’ audio players, Tonies’ fantastic Toniebox is one of the best around. The screen-free speaker is perfect for both education and entertainment, with a range of features including volume limits and sleep timers available to give parents peace of mind.

The Toniebox is designed to be easy to use, with a soft casing around all the external components, and fun, if somewhat fiddly, controls that involve tapping and tiling the speaker. The standout feature though has to be the magnetic Tonies figures that provide the audio. With a library of audio from big brands like Disney and Horrible Histories, there is a Tonie for a wide range of interests. The fact that they are impressively detailed figures increases the play potential, giving them a life beyond the Toniesbox itself.

My daughter has only recently turned 3 so her language is still developing but she has been very excited about this toy and enjoys singing with the songs. She would also play with the little figurines and talk to them in her own language. It's definitely a toy that keeps giving in terms of entertainment and engagement.

2. Yoto Player, £89.99

Available at: Yoto and Amazon

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 3+ | Batteries: Rechargeable, up to 24 hours of battery life

The Yoto Player is the main competitor of the Toniebox, differing in that it swaps small figures for cards. Like the Toniebox, the Yoto is a speaker that can play anything from music and nursery rhymes to long-form stories and educational lessons. While the device is screen-free, every time you insert a card the speaker will display a pixel-art cartoon on its face, but it can also show the time and the weather if you want it to!

Yoto has hundreds of cards to shop on their website, with new stories and adventures being released all the time – including recently all 7 of the Harry Potter books. With Yoto, you can also make your own cards by recording your own sounds and uploading them, or download cards to the Yoto app on your phone.

We went for the Yoto because I felt it had more longevity with the cards rather than characters. I genuinely love ours and it’s the only thing that kept my 3 year old in her bed!

3. Connetix 212-piece Rainbow Mega Pack, £180

Available at: Connetix, The Kid Collective

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 3+ | Size: L41cm x W31cm x H9cm ‎| Batteries: None |

Though they are expensive, these colourful construction tiles are an innovative and exciting way to play. The pieces come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes allowing for complex constructions while offering children great educational value for a range of ages by engaging problem solving and spatial awareness.

From counting the pieces and learning colours to finding the right piece for the particular build, there are an array of ways for children to improve their logical reasoning using the Connetix Rainbow pack. The strong magnets that connect each of the pieces allow for some impressive builds including towers and castles and, as an added bonus, the magnets make cleaning up easy and fun as the pieces stack up neatly.

4. Learning Resources Numberblocks Rainbow Counting Bus, £25.99

Available at: Very and John Lewis

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 3+ | Batteries: 2 x AAA (included)

With 12 songs and sounds, this interactive bus is packed with colourful features and fun numbery elements inspired by the Numberblocks character Seven. Simply use the slider on the front to choose the destination, and then hop on and enjoy the ride. You can also fill the bus with other Numberblocks characters which are sold separately.

When I asked Finley what his favourite part of the toy he said everything! He likes the bus and puts his Duplo people and animals on it.

5. Jaques of London Noah's Ark, £29.99

Available at: Amazon and Jaques of London

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 3+ | Size: L16cm x W16cm x H25cm | Batteries: None

This wooden ark has 2 decks, portholes, a removable deck-and-roof and a fold-out ramp. It comes with figures of Noah, his wife and 7 pairs (of course) of animals. There are shape-sorter slots for 3 of the animals on one side of the boat and for the birds in the roof windows. It's a gorgeous take on a traditional toy (and it arrives beautifully packaged and hand-tied with ribbon). Made with 100% FSC-certified wood and painted with non-toxic paint.

Taran squealed in delight when he saw this. He instantly started singing The Animals Went in Two by Two and walking the animals over the drawbridge. He enjoyed putting the animals in pairs inside the ark and asked questions like, 'Why do the lions look different?', which sparked a good learning conversation.

Best imaginative play toys for 3 year olds

6. Play-Doh Rainbow Swirl Ice Cream Playset, £19.99

Available at: Boots

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for: 3+ | Batteries: None

We all scream for ice cream, and now your child can mix it, serve it and decorate it for themselves with this beautifully colourful Play-Doh set. Load the machine with two or more Play-Doh colours and press the handle to fill the spinning cup or cone with the perfect Mr Whippy. You can also make sprinkles from the dispenser at the side and additional toppings from the moulds.

My 3-year-old daughter loves that this toy has so many different colours of Play-Doh. She gets really excited when the ice cream comes out out of the nozzle, she absolutely loves the sprinkle feature, and decorating the little Play-Doh ice creams. She and she loves that there’s lots of different pots to be able to put the ice cream into like a real ice cream parlour.

7. Melissa & Doug Vending Machine playset, £34.99

Available at: John Lewis and Smyths Toys

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 3 | Size: ‎H13.05cm x W10.05cm x D2.75cm | Batteries: None

Anyone in need of a haircut? Step into the role of a barber or customer with this fun barber shop accessory playset, which even comes with a wearable fake beard. This is a great set for pre-schoolers who accompany parents for hair cut or beard trim, or those who like to role play real-life scenarios. It also caught the eye of retailer John Lewis, which tipped it as one of the top toys for Christmas 2023.

The set includes accessories for interactive play, including a soft-bristled brush, play scissors, textured pomade in a tub as well as a wearable beard with adjustable straps. The set has two pretend shaving options: traditional with squishy shaving cream and brush, or the more modern method with pump shaving cream can and vibrating trimmers.

The barbershop set is really fun to play with! I can cut my hair just like my daddy does!
Our child tester Kian

8. My 1st Years Personalised Kitchen and Washing Machine, £150

Available at: My 1st Years

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 3 | Size: L90cm x W31.5cm x H74.5cm x | Batteries: None

Make laundry day and dinner time a breeze with this pastel pink wooden toy kitchen, designed to encourage imaginative play. It features a hob and oven with removable shelf and clicking dials, also a trendy Belfast sink with mock tap and plug hole, and utensil shelves. To add to play, there is a washing machine with a see-though door with soap bubble details, plus utensils including a spatula, salt and pepper shakers and a pastel-design pan set. There is also a clock with moveable hands to help with time-telling. The kitchen can be personalised with a name or phrase.

She started to mimic the actions she has seen mummy do in the kitchen, such as cooking on the hob, popping pans in the oven, putting vests and bibs in the washing machine. The quality of the wood is excellent, very well crafted, and it looks expensive too.

9. Great Little Trading Company Play & Store Wooden Toy Farm, £75

Available at: Great Little Trading Company

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 3 | Size: L27.4cm x W87.1cm x H35cm; when closed L27.4cm x W24.5cm x H24.5cm | Batteries: None

This wooden animal-themed toy set comes in a clever self-contained carry set. The hand-painted set is designed as a traditional farmhouse with a roof you can lift to take animals in and out. There is a working winch on which children can move hay bales up and down, along with a chicken coop, duck pond, pig sty and a cow barn with doors that can open and close. There is also a fruit and veg market stall.

The small world play potential is wonderful. A bonus for parents is that it all packs away easily and you can store everything inside the barn. It's a beautiful product and will certainly be pride of place on our toy shelf.

10. Casdon Ooni pizza oven, £24.99

Available at: Ooni, Very, Selfridges

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 3 | Batteries: 3 x AAA (not included)

Children love to copy their parents' day-to-day lives, so if you're a fan of the Ooni pizza oven, you can now buy a mini one for your pint-sized chef. The oven comes with a flame-effect light to make it feel as real as possible, plus accessories like a pizza cutter and pizza ingredients.

My son was very excited to play with this as soon as he saw it and instantly wanted to jump straight in. He is a really big fan of roleplay and even put on his chef’s apron and hat to get fully into the experience. He asked to play with it again straight away the next morning and has gone back to it in the days since. When asked about the toy he said: ‘My favourite thing is everything. I’d give it 12/10!’

11. Little Live Pets – Mama Surprise, £64.99

Available at: Amazon

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 3+ | Size: L20cm x W30cm x H29cm ‎| Batteries: 6 xAAA (not included)

The bestselling Little Live Pets range has included many different sorts of interactive animal over the years but this little hamster is, in our view, one of their best yet. If you take her from her hutch and groom and stroke her and feed her (pretend) celery, she'll respond with cute noises. But there’s more – carry on with your hamster cuddling and a heart will start to glow on her chest to show that she is ready to have a baby. Then, you pop her back in the hutch, shut the doors and wait – for the first of 3 little arrivals, each with their own little 'care pack' of accessories.

The wait for the birth may be a little long for some children but, if you can't spin the 'There’ll be a baby in the morning' message, there is a 'faster birth' button that shortens the wait to about 10 minutes. And once all the babies are born, you can repeat the whole process again.

I like this toy – yes! She sings to me and she's very soft.

12. Le Toy Van Blender & Wooden Toy Fruit Set, £39.95

Available at: Le Toy Van

Age suitability: 2+ | Best for age: 3+ | Size: L11cm x 14cm x H21cm (blender) | Batteries: None

This little almost totally wooden set includes 6 sliceable pieces of fruit (2 bananas, 2 strawberries, an orange and a kiwi), a knife and 2 tumblers with removable toppings, as well as the pretend blender and lid. Your child can use the knife to slice down the fruits’ Velcro centres before putting them into the blender and pressing the button.

This is a perfect pretend play toy and I love it that it doesn't need lights, noise or any other electric component to be hugely enjoyable: it kept Freddie and his older sister busy for ages!

13. Bee Smart My Baking Cookie Set with Glove, £19.92

Available at: Amazon and Bee Smart

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 3+ | Size: L28cm x W35cm x H5cm | Batteries: None

This is a lovely-looking, well-thought-out wooden pretend-baking set – it even has a pastry brush! There are 20 pieces in total, including a mixing bowl, rolling pin, spatula, whisk, 3 cookie cutters, 5 cookies, 2 'breakable' eggs and an oven glove.

Evie-Rae and her older sister have spent ages baking each other cookies, It's keeping them so well occupied. I'm very pleased with this toy!

14. Learning Resources Pretend & Play Doctor's Kit, £43.22

Available at: Amazon and Learning Resources

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 3+ | Size: L37cm x W3cm x H23cm | Batteries: 2 x AAA for toy phone (not included)

This good-sized, sturdy doctor's kit is stuffed with 19 (plastic) medical 'instruments', including a stethoscope, syringe, blood-pressure cuff, tweezers, phone and a fetching blue pair of doctor's specs. It is pricey, to be sure, but it's also best set of ‘instruments’ we’ve seen. We love the interactive stethoscope that you press to hear a beating heart, and the blood pressure cuff with a red dial that moves. This is a great kit to encourage role play that's all about identifying and then solving (imaginary) problems.

Best character toys for 3 year olds

15. Imaginext DC Super Friends Ultimate HQ Playset, £79.99

Available at: Very

Age suitability: 3-8 years | Best for age: 3-8 years | Size: L40.64 x W18.88cm x H61.72cm | Batteries: 3 x AA (included)

This vibrant and colourful playset is perfect for DC superhero fans with its array of fun interactive play features. There are lights and sounds that activate depending on where the figures are positioned, as well as multiple included vehicles for Batman. The Batwing is a particular standout.

The handle at the back of the set can be used move the Batwing and activate the disc shooter. What really stood out during our testing was the scale of the set. It includes 4 floors, stands at an impressive 61cm tall and even includes a lift to move figures between the floors. However, we must note the baffling omission of Wonder Woman, a key member of the DC Justice League.

This is a big and impressive toy that definitely has an instant wow factor. Taran screeched with excitement when he first saw it! The Batwing was a big hit, as was the projectile launcher. It appears solid and well made.

16. Bluey 3-in-1 Transforming Plane Set, £59.99

Available at: Very

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 3+ | Batteries: None

Try not to lose any of the 25 pieces in this 3-in-1 playset, because Bluey and her family will need all of them to get on their holiday! This intricate set transforms into a plane, a resort and a boat, and comes with a load of detailed props, including an Aussie passport!

When my 3-year-old son first saw this he said ’Wow!’ and his face lit up. He clearly thought it was really cool but struggled to be able to use all the features independently. When my 4 year old saw he is shrieked ‘Oh cool, a Bluey plane!’ and hasn’t stopped playing with it since. It has easily become his favourite toy. He loves showing me around the house – he gets very excited to swing the hammock, pull down the bedsheets, and swivel the chairs around.

17. Peppa Pig Wooden Playhouse, £59.99

Available at: Very and Amazon

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 3+ | Size: L25cm x W50cm x H65cm | Batteries: 5 x AG13/LR44 (included)

Made from FSC-certified wood, this open-fronted wooden house has 7 painted rooms and a hallway, all themed around the home of every small child's favourite cartoon pig. It comes with wooden Peppa and George figures and a selection of accessories and furniture including a bath, a light-up cooker and a bedside table that plays lullabies.

This is such a fantastic toy – well worth the money.

18. Stitch Crack Me Up Plush, £24.99

Available at: Very and Hamleys

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 3+ | Size: L18cm x W21m x H46cm | Batteries: None

Stitch is always bound to be a hit thanks so his bright blue fur and fun personality. This puppet version can speak, snore, shout and more. You can also move his ears and close his eyes to make him say and do certain actions and of course, cuddle him close.

My daughter has really enjoyed playing with Stitch. She likes making him interact with the family, and found great pleasure in making stitch grumpy by putting his ears down and then biting her brother and her dad. She likes that his personality changes depending on if his ears are up and down.

Best transport toys for 3 year olds

19. Le Toy Van construction cars, £29.95

Available at: Amazon and Le Toy Van

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 3 | Size: L30.51cm x W21.69cm x H3.71cm | Batteries: None

Is there a budding builder in your house? The Le Toy Van Construction Cars, a set of five wooden construction vehicles with fully functioning parts, will add hours of interactive fun to imaginative playtime. The colourful and traditionally designed plastic-free set includes five wheeled construction vehicles as well as three traffic cones and a road sign. The vehicles have moving parts including a lifting, extendable crane, scoop, roller, digger arm, and tip-up truck. Crafted from eco-friendly materials, this is a durable set designed for longevity.

We already have a few Le Toy Van items and the construction set did not disappoint. Beautifully designed and the construction toys are small enough to be easy to grip but chunky and weighty enough to know they’re good quality. The price is well worth what you receive.

20. The Adventures of Paddington Campervan, £24.99

Available at: Very

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 3+ | Size: H13.8cm x W20cm x D11.2cm | Batteries: 2 AAA (not included)

Marmalade sandwich, anyone? This playset contains a Paddington figure and Bessie the Campervan, as seen in the Adventures of Paddington TV series. The campervan has a removable roof that allows for play inside the camper, and you can also fold the roof into a canopy for rainier days. The set comes with Paddington’s suitcase that contains a picnic cloth, toy cup of tea and marmalade sandwich. Bessie also plays two different sounds in Paddington's voice, as well as music from the TV show.

I like taking him on adventures in his campervan. He has little food which is nice for him to eat. I want to play with him all day.

21. Fisher-Price Thomas & Friends Talking Cranky Delivery Train Set, £59.99

Available at: Very, Amazon and John Lewis

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 3 | Size: 69.3cm x 132.7cm x 50.5cm | Batteries: None

Bring Brendam Docks to life with this Thomas & Friends motorized train and track set that includes songs, railway sounds, and real character phrases from the Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go! series. The set features three familiar characters from the show, including Cranky the Crane, a motorized Thomas engine and a Troublesome Truck. The set includes 14.5 feet of track, three pieces of cargo, as well as a child-powered hopper. In a move that will delight all fans of the show, the characters recognise and talk to each other on the tracks. There are also 325+ songs, sounds and phrases to soundtrack kids’ imaginative play.

My favourite part is Cranky, because he can pick up things with his claw. I want to keep playing with it and get another train track to make it bigger. I want to collect all the trains. It's my favourite toy.

22. Paw Patrol racers, from £22.49

Available at: Amazon

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 3 | Size: H19.05cm x W21.59cm x D9.53cm. | Batteries: None

Join the Paw Patrol on their latest mission with these mini racers. There are a huge range of characters available including Zuma, Rubble, Rocky, Marshall, Chase and Skye, each with their own iconic vehicle. The vehicles come with moving wheels, authentic detailing and moveable parts. Simply pick your child's favourite pup and away they roll.

He was very excited to see the characters. He started to call out their known phrases and tell me their colours. He began to race them but soon wanted to carry them around and put them in his garage

Best outdoor toys for 3 year olds

23. Xootz - Magical Unicorn Ride-On, £89.99

Available at: JD Williams and Amazon

Age suitability: 18 months+ | Best for age: 3 | Batteries: 1 x 6V 4Ah battery (included)

Meet the Xootz Magical Unicorn ride-on, the closest your child will ever get to riding a real unicorn! This ride-on travels steadily across the room at 2.4km an hour and can run for one hour on a single charge. It also has a beautiful light up horn, and makes sound effects such as whinnies and giggles. Our child tester named her unicorn Starlight and said she wanted to keep her forever.

I love Starlight, she is the best toy ever. It’s like riding a real unicorn and I can go on lots of adventures with her. I think she’s really pretty and love that her horn glows and lights up magical rainbow colours, and that I can brush and plait her hair. I also really like the secret box where I can hide my treasure from my borther Harri. I want to keep her forever. I love her so much.

24. Hornit AIRO, £139

Available at: Hornit and Amazon

Age suitability: 18 months to 5 years | Best for age: 3+ | Weight: 2.95kg | Max child weight: 30kg | Batteries: None

With its height-adjustable saddle and super-lightweight magnesium alloy frame, this sleek-looking balance bike with straight, grippy handlebars and air-filled tyres is smooth to ride and will last your child a good couple of years and hone their balancing and steering skills well before the big step up to a bike with pedals. It's not cheap but it's built to last (and hand down to siblings) and has some top-notch features, including a padded stem, grip-taped footrests and a lifetime warranty on the frame and forks.

The tyres are a good width and make the ride nice and smooth. Effie didn't seem to bounce around much at all when she went over bumps.

25. Early Fun All Surface Swingball, £22.99

Available at: John Lewis, Amazon

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 3+ | Size: L31cm x W39cm x H125cm | Batteries: None | Awards: Bronze, MadeForMums Toy Awards 2022

Yes, it's swingball for smaller people! The ball is bigger and softer (foam) and much easier to hit, and the bats are smaller and have nice grippy handles. We like the redesigned base, with balancing feet, which allows you to play on any surface, outdoors or in, and which also converts into a carry case to store the game in or take it with you. And the spinner really is as tangle-free as the packaging blurb promises.

You have to chase the ball and it's really funny! I love playing with it with all my family and it doesn't hurt Daddy when it bonks him on his head.

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