Gift for a 3 yo b-day?

[RosieTR]

We don't have kids so I am sort of lost when it comes to gifts for kids. My niece turns 3 in a couple weeks and I'd like to send something. According to my sister she's into "imagination" stuff like dress-up and exploring various typical identity things: playing house, playing school, etc. Also, both parents are into various artistic endeavors and it seems like she likes stuff like that too: drawing, painting etc. Do you think watercolors or something where she (with parental help) could mix her own colors of paint could work? I think she's a pretty cautious child but not sure if this would be way beyond a 3 yo even with help. I thought paints would be fun since her dad paints and lots of kids like to imitate their parents. I think she has finger paints and I know she has an easel with a dry-erase plus a pad of paper. Not sure about whether there's paints or what. Another thought was something she could probably do without help, like crayons or colored pencils. Anyway, any advice from parents of young children?

[redfox]

Depending upon how much you want to spend & her parents household, you could get her some age appropriate finger paints, an apron, a drop cloth, and a big ol' tablet of newsprint paper.

[Tussiemussies]

You can also make fingerprints, I just saw a recipe the other day on Facebook...here is one from the TLC channel:

http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/make-your-own-fingerpaint.htm

Colored pencils may be nice, if they still sell disposable cameras that could be fun for her...

You could also buy some woodblock stamps with some ink pads, a roll of brown paper or just a tablet of paper. She can enjoy trying to stamp. Oriental trading has some stamps with the ink in them and they look a little easier to use than the woodblock...

Here is the URL:

http://www.orientaltrading.com/api/search?Ntt=Ink+stamps

:)

[Rosemary]

When my DD was 3 it was safe for her to start using small plastic beads, as she no longer put things in her mouth and had not for some time. We ran across some middle-schoolers selling off their bead collection at a yard sale and that $5 or so has provided innumerable hours of entertainment (she's still using those beads, now combining them with crocheting, at age 9). It's great for dexterity, learning symmetry, combining colors, etc. So if you think she's ready for this - a few bags of plastic beads (the ones with letters on them are fun for young kids, combined with a bag of colorful pony or tri-corner beads) and some of the heftier beading string (either hemp or plastic).

Otherwise, I always go with craft projects for kids. Other fun things for her age are a spirograph or drawing stencils.

[fidgiegirl]

Etsy has fun fabric food.

[bunnys]

The Goops and How to Be Them.

http://www.amazon.com/Goops-How-Be-Them-Manners/dp/155709392X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1348403683&sr=8-2&keywords=the+goops+and+how+to+be+them

It's in verse and very cute and written in 1901. My mother read it to us and of course I can quote it now. I give it as a standard gift. Three-year-olds (and older) love rhyming.

Also, reminds kids to look both ways before crossing so they don't get trampled by horses. I hate it when that happens!

[CathyA]

I think its good to expose young children to making music. My kids had a Fisher-Price (?) little piano (looks like a little xylophone with keys) and a Fisher-Price little set of different kinds of musical whistles where you could interchange the parts and get different instruments. I think I bought the piano for my neice when she was 3.

[Miss Cellane]

For imaginative play, a Noah's Ark with lots of animals can be fun. There are some nice wooden ones out there, using different woods and stains for the pairs of animals. I gave one to my nephew when he was three. The animals get used in all sorts of different games, and the ark has been a pirate ship more than it's been an ark, but Nephew and his two younger siblings have gotten plenty of use out of it--it's about 10 years old now. Noah's Ark does carry some religious significance to it, so you do have to be aware of the parents' feelings on that.

For toys in general, Melissa & Doug make a lot of sturdy, old-fashioned wooden toys and puzzles. They used to all be made in the US, but I think a lot of their production has moved to China and other parts of Asia recently. But they aren't plastic, don't have lots of electronics to break, don't need batteries and kids get to use their imaginations.

[Mrs-M]

I'm all for gifts that inspire/promote creative minds.

Painting, puzzles, crafts (simple kid-oriented ones), etc.

[Tradd]

For my goddaughter (now 6), the gifts that have been the biggest hits were books and some sort of drawing supplies. Even something like a new huge box of crayons and a big tablet of drawing paper is great.

[Zoebird]

play silks. I know it sounds crazy, as they are just big squares of fabric -- but they can be used to make landscapes, costumes, forts, etc. I love those things. My son does too. He's 4 now.

[maribeth]

Stomp Rockets are popular with my daughter's preschool friends.

[iris lily]

books books books, always books for the little ones. They are easy to buy for at that age. Board books are popular for 3 years olds. they are sturdy and can be held and "pages" turned by the little ones.

[Mighty Frugal]

How about you go to an appliance store and ask them for a refrigerator box. Then, give that to the 3 year old:~)


She can make her very own 'home' complete with furniture (with smaller boxes). You can include paints and bits of fabric and markers/crayons, etc

This was suggested on another site I frequent and I think it's an amazing idea. AND interactive, great for imagination and of course, frugal!!;)

[Mrs-M]

Mighty Frugal. In our house, large cardboard boxes still remain the favoured play-thing of choice! Whenever my kids set-up a cardboard-box house/fort, they wanted to eat and sleep in it. :)

[Mighty Frugal]

Mighty Frugal. In our house, large cardboard boxes still remain the favoured play-thing of choice! Whenever my kids set-up a cardboard-box house/fort, they wanted to eat and sleep in it. :)


Here too! We have two sets of 'Crazy Fort' and can build massive 'forts' The last one was big enough for my two boys to have their dinner inside. I then set up their sleeping bags and they slept inside!

Isn't it fun to be inside a fort/cardboard box? So cozy! Makes you feel like a little rodent...hiding from the hungry cat

[decemberlov]

My girls loved this Aquadoodle mat! It's a big mat that lays on the floor and you fill up a "pen" with water to draw on it.
When it dries it disappears and you can draw all over again. My favorite part? No mess!!!
They spent hrs upon hrs playing with this!

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3316091

Colorforms are fun too!!

http://www.colorforms.com/classic-miss-weather.htm?CF_ALL_MW

[Mrs-M]

That's great, Mighty Frugal. :)

Yeah, I must admit, the kid inside of me still cherishes a little cardboard box play with the kids. My favourite as a kid was crawling through a long tunnel-like box.

[Mrs-M]

Neat-O, Decemberlov!

[lmerullo]

Play doh, with any of it's themed kits. My granddaughter loves to just roll, smush and squish it at this point. She can envision what she wants to have made out of the clay, but not quite craft it. However, we do spend a good deal of time building houses / dishes / food / animals. She will make the basic shapes and I form the end product.

Play kitchen ware - food, pots and pans, dgd even has a shopping cart and toy kitchen. If you are shipping and want to give a larger sized gift, consider the site- to - store pick up at so many places. You can order and pay for the item, and your sister or brother can go pick it up.

[RosieTR]

Thanks! We went with washable paints, a big pad of paper and a smock, so she can play "dress up like a painter" then paint! This will be good b/c her dad paints and she may want to imitate him. Plus if she's imitating him he may be able to get some studio time in by setting her up to paint alongside. We got the toy piano thing last bday so got the music thing covered. I would *love* to give a giant cardboard box but they live far away. The Aquadoodle mat sounds interesting too...maybe for next year esp as she gets a little better at drawing.