Looking for gifts your kids will actually play with? This guide is compiled with tried and loved gifts my 3 and 5 year olds play with the most!
Everyone wants to know what to buy my kids. And, to be honest, it can be hard coming up with ideas. You want gifts they will play with and not just “stuff”. Check out the list below for some of my preschoolers’ most played with gifts.
1. Bounce House
We play with this in the basement in the winter and outside in the summer. It gets used ALL.THE.TIME. It has honestly been one of the best buys for my youngest girls. We store it in a big tote with wheels and without the lid on in our storage room. We simply wheel it out whenever they want to use it. It only takes a few minutes to set up and take down is a breeze.
2. Marble Run
My girls love for us to work together to set up the marble run and then constantly watch the marbles cycle through. It is fun and works on their engineering and problem solving skills.
My little entrepreneurs have owned toy shops, cookie stands and grocery stores. They love playing with the cash register and money that comes along with it. I love seeing how creative they get when they pull this out.
Talk about a toy that grows with them. In the beginning you can practice colors and counting, then you can move into advanced sorting and matching. My 5 year old loves to play “Bunny Thief” with the set. She is the farmer who sets the farm up. Then, her sister or I are the bunny who steals some veggies while her back is turned and she has to figure out which vegetables are missing from her garden. She gets the biggest gift out of this game.
5. Bath Bombs
I love a gift that serves double duty. It is fun for the kids and makes getting little ones in the bath a breeze. Bonus: once they use the gift, there is no need for storage. I love a clutter-free gift! Use code: STILETTOS20 to save money!
6. Puzzles
These easy, self-correcting animal puzzles are great for younger kids while these more advanced puzzles are great for older preschoolers. The colors and graphics are just too good!
7. Caster Trike
This isn’t a normal, boring trike. This is the trike for your adrenaline junky! (Okay…but in a safe way.) Let your kids peddle, turn and drift in style. My 5 year old absolutely LOVES this. She cruises all around the driveway and is constantly showing off her latest “stunts”. It is actually a good size and even my 9 year old loves to use it.
8. Play-Doh
Fewer things have more parents divided than Play-Doh…at least according to our Insta-Story polls. Whether you love it or hate it, Play-Doh is typically a hit with kids. Mom tip: let any fallen Play-Doh bits dry and then vacuum. It makes cleanup so much easier.
Lego station, craft space or pretend restaurant table, this is a gift with limitless potential. It’s the perfect height for little ones and absolutely adorable.
Frozen, Peppa Pig, Disney Princesses, My Little Pony…with all of the versions of this kit, you are sure to find one that will delight your preschooler. It also allows them to work on patterns and practice fine motor skills. Win-Win!
Do you have a little one that loves to sing? Try this microphone! What I love about this one my daughter received for her birthday this summer is that there are 2 microphones which helps to cut down on fights.
Princess Aurora, Tiana, Ariel, Anna, Jasmine and more! These little princesses are the perfect size for my girls. They play with them a ton and are compact enough to fit in my purse when we head out to run errands.
I really thought this toy was going to be a total waste of money, but boy was I wrong! My girls play with this a ton! Their favorite is to put inexpensive play makeup on Barbie, color her nails with markers, put all the clips in her hair…anything really. And what’s great is she’s plastic and I can just wash her off when they are done and they have a blank canvas for next time. Mom tips: 1. Don’t be tempted to save some money and buy the heads that don’t come with the hands. Being able to “paint” her nails is a huge bonus. 2. Our doll came with glitter gel and I threw it away. This new version comes with a tie dye kit and I would do the same. Though I don’t mind my kids making messes (I let them put makeup on this thing for goodness sakes) I just don’t trust the possible mess/stains that the tie dye could create.
14. Legos
From Duplo for tinier hands to the regular sets, Legos are always a hit at our house. My kiddos love the “Lego Friends” sets which are colorful and usually come with cute little characters and animals.
15. Vet Set
Many an animal have been saved at our house thanks to this Vet Set. Praise the Lord!
What I love about the doll house featured above (besides how cute it is) is that the furniture is very durable (all wood, not plastic) and the entire house is on wheels making it a cinch for the kids to move it away from the wall and play easily. Ours is currently sold out, but this newer version is perfect as well!
17. Memberships
I can’t end this gift guide without a shout out to my most favorite gift to give my kiddos even if it isn’t actually a tangible one. Memberships to the zoo, children’s museum, science center, trampoline park, etc are a great way to gift experiences that last all year long. Think about what attractions are available in your area and secure those memberships today!
Happy Shopping,
-Brittany
