Essential Toys for the Three-Year-Old Girl
I have done an informal highly scientific study with a test group of one, and have determined the essential toys for the three year old girl. Of course, kids tastes are completely individual, so my toy study may be of absolutely no use to you, but I at least will know how to keep my three-year-old niece occupied next time she comes over to visit. Since she’s the test group.
Observing a three-year-old girl, or better yet, playing with her, is a great way to see what she’s really into and how her mind works. If she’s anything like my niece, her mind, of course, works at the level of creative genius. Here are my suggestions of the basic toys any three-year-old girl would enjoy. And really, with my niece at least, she doesn’t need much more.
1. One good fashion doll
Not all three-year-old girls are into dressing up their dolls, playing dolls, anything dolls, so this is the first of many subjective things. However, it seems to me that one good doll of the Barbie, Disney Princess variety is a great basic item for the toy collection. I say one instead of fifteen because I realized a few things lately. One, I like to buy Barbie and Princess dolls, not necessarily for my niece, but, I just like to buy them. So, if I don’t put on some controls, and say “She doesn’t NEED another DOLL!” I will continue to purchase them and it’s just a big waste. Or you buy one, and a Ken, and then another, and then SHE needs a Ken. It’s a never ending cycle. And the companies WILL keep making more, they won’t stop. So you need to stop yourself!
I also say “one” doll because of a recent Cinderella vs. Belle incident which occured in my niece’s room. She had Cinderella, and loved her. Loved her just silly. But then Belle came on the scene and now Belle is the belle of the ball, and Cinderella has been declared the “sea witch” and “jealous.” This is of course mainly because my niece watches too many dvds, but it also goes to point out once there are two dolls involved, it can get ugly. Especially if there’s only one prince!
2. Fisher Price People
My niece is bigtime into makebelieve. Sometimes, the doll with the hair and the dresses and the prince is just fine. But other times, it’s not all about the outfits and the hair-brushing. Fisher Price People, be they from the zoo, the park, or the farm, give the three-year-old some other play media. They’re small, round, and cute, come as people or animals and provide for hours of – and I do mean hours- of make-believe play. And my niece hasn’t called any of them evil or jealous yet, so, there you go.
3. A pony
I don’t mean an actual pony, which, let’s face it other aunts in the crowd, if you had the cash…I have noticed that my niece loves play horses and ponies. They’re good for make-believe, for brushing, for integrating into the whole Cinderella (or in my niece’s case, Belle) goes to the castle thing. They can have adventures and be sporty or just look all nice and colorful. My Little Pony may suffice, or perhaps a Barbie or Disney Princess Horse. The more portable, the better.
4. A magic wand.
She’s a princess one minute, queen of the castle the next, fairy godmother granting her dolls and ponies their wishes a moment later. Obviously, she’s gonna needs the proper tools. A magic wand can be bought or easily made by anyone with even marginal crafting skills. (Just be sure it’s kid-safe…) and props always make pretend fun even more fun.
5. Playdough
This may be the greatest toy ever invented. It’s dough. I mean, it’s JUST DOUGH! Yet, a three-year-old can make it into anything she wants. She can play chef, build houses, uses some of the (usually overpriced) play sets to create all kinds of weird-shaped worms and snakes. And if you’ve got some cookie cutters and a rolling pin, she can use those too. It’s so simple. And don’t be surprised if you get sucked in, too. It’s like art therapy!
6. A box of crayons
No three-year-old I’ve met has not had at least a little bit of enthusiasm for coloring. She’s probably been coloring for years, sure, but now she can do stuff like draw circles. So let her, you supply the crayons along with some paper or a coloring book (and steer her clear of the walls…) and she will have a time of it. You don’t need to get a billion color box, though, you may want to give her one to add some fancier colors to add to her palette. In any case, let her show her artistic side and be impressed by all those circles.
7. A good ball
Whether the three year-old in question is into watching sports with her family or just likes running around, one good ball is a definite essential. A good round ball can be used for all sorts of games: beginners soccer or kickball, kid-safe dodge ball, or just “chase this!” which is always a fan favorite. You don’t need to dole out for some expensive equipment either, just pick a .99 cent ball up at the drug store and let her run around. A good indoor option is a balloon, which my niece recently proved can be played with for upwards of an hour.
8. A watering can
This is another fun activity toy for outside use. A little plastic watering can will allow the three-year-old girl to help water the spring flowers or the vegetable garden. Without water, she can pretend to do such inside or out. She can also use the watering can to shower her other toys or take it into the bath where it’s a perfect fit.
9. A microphone
According to my survey – and past evidence garnered from my now-five year old niece – little girls tend to like singing and music. I got my niece a microphone for this purpose. I’m not talking about a state-of-the-art karaoke mic, I’m talking a buck piece of plastic ( though, karaoke isn’t far behind….) Now, she not only can sing, but sing and hear her voice re-verberate and pretend she’s on stage, which, let’s face it, they all know what the stafe is! It’s the next best thing to the drum set she got from one of her other aunts.
10. A jigsaw puzzle
What amazes me is how quickly my three-year-old niece graduated from wooden “find the shape” puzzles to real jigsaw puzzles. Sure, she may need some help with them, but she does pretty well by herself and seems to really get a kick out of her achievement when the puzzle is done. It’s also of course a fun time to crumple the thing up after she’s finished and start over. A 25-piece jigsaw seems just right for her age and is quite the crowd pleaser.
I really reccomend to all those would-be spoilers out there, you new aunts, uncles, godparents and grandparents, don’t go overboard. Consider quality over quantity: look at what she uses as a three-year-old, what she likes and try to build on that instead of giving her a bunch new stuff she won’t use. And remember, the best thing you can give any child is of course your undivided attention.
