HABA My Very First Games: First Orchard
2–4 years
A first board game from the My Very First Games series.
From 3 years
Gifts for 3-Year-Olds: Ideas for Girls and Boys
At three, many children start inventing stories and trying out rules. These ideas range from pretend play to a first board game.
The links lead to Amazon. We receive no payment for them.
Games
HABA My Very First Games: Fishing
2–4 years
A first fishing game from the My Very First Games series.
HABA My Very First Games: Hanni Honeybee
2–4 years
A game about a little bee from the My Very First Games series.
HABA Orchard (Obstgarten) cooperative game
3–6 years
A cooperative dice game with 40 wooden fruits: everyone picks fruit together before the raven reaches the tree.
HABA My First Game Treasure, game collection
3–5 years
A collection of several first games in one box, good for children who want to try different kinds of play.
Building & construction
LEGO DUPLO Interactive Adventure Train 10427
2–5 years
A Duplo train to build and ride: building and playing in one. A bigger gift for children who love trains.
LEGO DUPLO Classic Deluxe Brick Box 10914
2–4 years
A box of DUPLO bricks for free building. Check the manufacturer’s age guidance.
LEGO DUPLO 3-in-1 Animal Families
2–4 years
A Duplo set with animals that can be built in three ways. Good for children who like acting out animal families. Check the age guidance.
Ravensburger GraviTrax Junior Starter Set XXL Planet
3–6 years
A marble run set for beginners: children build the track themselves and see where the marble goes. A bigger gift for tinkering.
Magnetic building blocks, 120 pieces with 2 cars
3–8 years
A bigger magnetic set with two cars: build first, then drive them. Check the age rating, because swallowed magnets are dangerous.
Magnetic building blocks, 45 pieces
3–7 years
Magnetic blocks that click together by themselves, for towers, houses and imaginative builds. Check the age rating, because swallowed magnets are dangerous.
Learning & discovering
LEGO DUPLO Letter Truck (ABC lorry)
2–4 years
A DUPLO lorry with letters, to build and play with.
goki wooden inset puzzle: Vehicles
2–3 years
A wooden inset puzzle with vehicles: a small gift for children who like vehicles.
Ravensburger tiptoi starter set: My World (German)
3–6 years
Pen and book: children tap the pictures and hear sounds and explanations. In German, so good for bilingual families or learners of German.
Books
tiptoi: Kennst du diese Tiergeräusche? (German)
3–5 years
A German-language tiptoi book about animal sounds. It needs a tiptoi pen, which is not included. Good for bilingual families with a pen already.
Outdoors & movement
BIG Bobby Car Neo ride-on with whisper tyres
1–3 years
A ride-on car from age 1 with whisper tyres: children sit on it and push off with their feet.
ABUS Smiley 3.0 children's bike helmet
3–7 years
A children’s bike helmet and a practical gift for the Einschulung (first school day in Germany). Check the right size.
PUKY balance bike for ages 3 and up
3–5 years
A balance bike for ages 3 and up, for learning to balance and roll along: a bigger gift for outdoors.
Pretend play
Wooden accessories for play kitchen and shop
2–5 years
Wooden accessories for a play kitchen or shop, for acting out everyday life: cooking, selling, serving.
Listening
Toniebox starter set with Creative-Tonie
3–7 years
An audio player that children can operate themselves. The Creative-Tonie can hold your own recordings, such as a bedtime story from Grandma or Grandpa. Check the language of any extra Tonies before buying.
Age three: imagination and first rules
Many three-year-olds love to play make-believe: they are doctors, firefighters, zookeepers or chefs, narrating out loud what is going on. At the same time, some are already curious about simple rules, such as dice games or memory with a handful of cards. Waiting for their turn is still hard for many, which is entirely normal. So it is worth looking at the type of play, which the product cards below are sorted by.
Choose by interest, not by gender
Gifts for girls and boys aged three should meet the child, not a pigeonhole. A child who loves trains may like play kitchens too, and another would rather build dens than castles. A good test is what the child takes off the shelf when friends visit. That tells you a lot.
Age rating and durability
From three years, many toys with small parts are intended for the child’s age, but the manufacturer’s age rating remains a reliable guide. It tells you what a game is designed for, not whether your child will love it. A puzzle with twelve large pieces is often better than one with sixty small ones that causes frustration. In everyday use, these also count:
- solid construction that survives rough play
- parts that are easy to tidy away
- toys that allow several ways of playing
Playing along makes the difference
Board games, picture books and building projects often only become really interesting with an adult or sibling. Plan on guiding the first rounds, and feel free to adapt the rules until your child is enjoying it.
Experiences without shopping
A day out of their own with a picnic, a home cinema evening in a cushion fort or a trip to the library with their own library card are gifts children remember. A home-made booklet of vouchers, such as choosing one bedtime story, also goes down well.
With three-year-olds it is worth thinking beyond the birthday itself. A gift that fits into everyday life, such as a book for the afternoon rest, a backpack for nursery or a set of pencils for the kitchen table, is often used more than a large play set. Ask the parents what is missing day to day; they usually have very concrete answers.
Links on this page lead to Amazon Germany (amazon.de), which also delivers to many other countries.
Frequently asked questions
- What should I give a boy for his 3rd birthday?
- It depends on the child: building blocks, books, role-play toys, puzzles or outdoor games are common favourites. Watch what the child enjoys most right now.
- What should I give a girl for her 3rd birthday?
- The same ideas suit girls and boys, whether puzzles, crayons, dressing up or vehicles. Let the child’s own interests guide you.
- Which age rating should I follow?
- The manufacturer’s, printed on the box. It is a guide to safety and difficulty, not a measure of the individual child.
- Which gifts need no shopping?
- A picnic outing, a cushion-fort evening, a trip to the library or a home-made voucher booklet. Time together stays in many children’s memory for a long time.
On wimolino you will also find colouring pages and learning games for this age. Go to the learning games · Go to the coloring pages