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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Rebecca Goodman

Wobble boards, Duplo and screen-free stories: the top toys and gifts for three-year-olds

A collage of five children's toys including a doctor's kit, space control panel, smiley face backpack, and illustrated figures.

Three-year-olds are a unique breed. Growing in confidence and independence daily, they’re no longer toddlers, but they’re still a way off starting school. With both of my children, I’ve found three a funny yet challenging age. My youngest is three and is now determined to do everything by herself, despite not quite being able to, resulting in frequent tantrums. She’s forming new friendships and is full of curiosity and wonder at the world (we get extremely detailed and lengthy descriptions of the tadpoles living in her classroom).

Three-year-olds are into just about everything, with the confidence of someone much older – especially anything you put out of reach (my three-year-old just successfully opened several wrapped presents that weren’t for her) – but too much choice can be overwhelming for them.

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