Real Preschoolers Helped Us Choose These Best Toys for 3-Year-Olds

It's cotton-candy-colored and -scented. It's cute. And...it's squishy! What more could a kid ask for? Perfect for stocking stuffers or just-a-little-something, kids who love squishy toys will want this in their collection. There's also a toasted marshmallow version, a plain version, and a bundle with all three ($25). Ages 3+

Music-loving kids and their vinyl-collecting parents will both get a kick out of this one. It comes with six records in different musical styles, and it's designed so kids can choose a record, remove it from its sleeve, place it on the turntable, and put the arm into the groove all by themselves. Testers confirmed that the kids indeed played the records themselves—sometimes over and over again! Ages 3+; four AA batteries included

Chances are, if a kid is playing with Play-Doh, they're using it to make pretend food. This set leans into it, letting them make pasta (in four different shapes), burgers, chicken wings, and other fun favorites. Plus, if they put a skillet on the stove, it makes a sizzling sound, and a pot in the same spot sounds like it's boiling. "My daughter loved 'cooking' and creating with the Play-Doh pasta making set," one parent told the Good Housekeeping Institute. Ages 3+; three AA batteries required

Good Housekeeping testers were amazed at the way these semi-solid paints didn't drip, slosh, or spill (though they did notice that if kids got the paint on their hands, they could make smudges that way). This set makes tapping into their creative sides even easier with eight paint colors, three brushes, and activity sheets to paint on. Ages 3+

The ultimate gift for the biggest Bluey superfan, this is the largest-ever Bluey dollhouse. It stands more than 2 feet tall, and comes loaded with more than 50 sounds and songs, and even projects stars onto the walls and ceiling like in Bluey and Bingo's room. "My son loved how easy it is for him to design and arrange the furniture and character placement for a story he made up himself," said one parent of a 3-year-old. "He also loved the lighting on the right color in his room at night." Ages 3+; two AA batteries required

Good Housekeeping Institute testers couldn't get enough of this one, returning to it again and again to see how water makes the play food pieces look like they're transforming from frozen to cooked. It's a great set for imaginative play—the kids even loved putting the food in the pretend to-go bags. Ages 3+

For Disney super-fans, no other tea cart will do. This one comes with a singing Lumiere and has a Mrs. Potts with a bubbling lid. In addition, there's a Chip, five slices of cake, and a serving tray with server for pretend play. Ages 3+

Any day is a good day to read a Pigeon book! In this new one, the Pigeon learns that it shares a birthday with the Duckling—but finds it really hard to be a good sport about it. "I love that while it seems like Pigeon's tough, he learns to share his joy," one parent tester said. Ages 3 to 5

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Testers were taken in by the expression on this light's face, which moves when it talks and tells stories. It comes with four disks that are packed with stories, songs, games, jokes, tongue twisters, and more. In addition, it works as a nightlight and an alarm clock, so testers appreciated that they could use it for bedtime and wake-up routines. It also comes in pink. Ages 3+; six AA batteries required

It's a plush cat friend. It's a yoga ball. It's...both? The fuzzy cat face is removable and machine-washable, and it comes with cards that guide kids through beginner yoga poses. "Our whole family has loved and engaged with this toy frequently!" one parent said. "The children love choosing cards, reading them, and trying out the different yoga poses with the ball. I have a home daycare with 12 children ranging from 18 months to 8.5 years old, and all have engaged with this toy and utilized teamwork to teach each other how to master the poses." In addition to a cat, you can get a dog, penguin, sloth, dragon, or unicorn. Ages 3+

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The open-ended nature of the Bilibo means that kids can use it however they feel. They can sit in it like a seat, and use it to spin around, which is good for balance and gross motor coordination. They can wear it like a helmet, pretend it's a turtle shell, use it to scoop water or sand, or flip it over and imagine it's a hill and tunnel for other toys. However they use it, they'll be flexing their creative-thinking muscles. It's sturdy enough for adults to stand on, and it also comes in several colors and sizes. Ages 2+

At our in-person toy testing day, kids couldn't get enough of this toy, taking the engine apart, putting it back together again, and taking it apart again. It comes with the toy car plus a pretend open wrench, socket wrench, screwdriver, and drill. "The more they played, the more my two sons felt comfortable with the different components and tools," one parent tester said. "I love the fine motor skills it requires." Ages 3+; five AA batteries required

This is a great one to break out whenever they have a long wait, like right before dinner or at the doctor's office. There are six double-sided activity mats with search-and-find puzzles on them, and, when they're finished, they can wipe them clean and start all over again! Ages 3+

This friendly, neighborhood hero has lots of tricks: He can light up his eyes, shoot a web dart, or execute a perfect backflip. "Shooting a 'web' is truly thrilling for my 3-year-old," one parent tester said. "He screams with excitement and has built a whole storyline around playing with it." Ages 3+; four AA batteries included

What set this water table apart from all the others was its space-saving design: Most of the features are aligned vertically to keep it to a smaller footprint. Kids can scoop and pour water and watch it cascade through the different features. It's also two-sided, so siblings can use it at the same time. Ages 18 months+

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Little kids, big kids, even adults wanted to take a turn with the hammer in this adorably hilarious Whac-a-Mole-style game when we put it out for toy testing. The different veggies light up, and kids can take a swing at them with the soft hammer while the cow keeps count. "This toy was great. No assembly, and easy to play right out of the box," one parent said. Ages 2+; three AA batteries required

Kids will get a kick out of being able to build a frog, a whale, a flamingo, a giraffe, and others with this DUPLO set. But the real fun comes when they decide to mix up the parts and make their own silly animals instead. Ages 3+

This is the Magna-Tiles set for kids who love to see things go "zoom!" It comes with pieces that add an edge to ramps so that cars, bouncy balls, and other wheeled toys can roll down without falling off. This set comes with 33 pieces, but if they already have a huge collection of Magna-Tiles, the rail pack can be purchased separately ($25)—or, if they're super into it, there's also the deluxe, 90-piece set ($90).

Our testers loved that these cars came in a pair, so two people can play at once. If the two cars collide at the right spot, it sends a dino flying out of one of the vehicles, which they also found hilarious. But even solo, testers found this one easy to control and mighty enough to push objects around the room. Ages 3+; ten AAA batteries required

Get them to work on their balance and coordination with this curved board, which kids can sit on or stand on and rock back and forth. The fun part is that the bottom is covered in suction cups, so it makes a popping sound. It comes in pink, green, and blue. Ages 3+

Dyson is always a favorite appliance brand at the Good Housekeeping Institute, and now kids can push around a toy Dyson vacuum that looks just like the real thing. It actually picks up small pieces of paper, too, so it's really the next best thing. It also has colorful balls that swirl around, and the dustbin can be emptied in the back. Ages 3+; four C batteries required

Here, kids can practice number recognition, counting, addition, and subtraction using their favorite characters from Numberblocks. Parent testers reported that kids actually absorbed the math they used when playing with the set. If kids like it, as they get older they can move on to more Numberblocks sets that feature bigger numbers. Ages 3+

Nintendo makes its first foray into preschool and toddler toys with this Little People play set, which looks like a level from the classic game. Send Mario down the pipe, and it makes warp noises. Hit the question block to hear the coins. There are tons of fun play features like that, and it comes with a Mario figure for pretend play (though more figures can be purchased separately). Ages 18 months+; two AA batteries included

This one is a perennial fave for a good reason: Kids can use it in pretend play and practice counting and early math. The buttons are a solar-powered calculator that really works, and it comes with play money, too. Ages 3+

Kids really got into the pretend play with this one. "My son loved pulling apart the pretend butter and eggs and adding stuff to the bowl," one parent tester said. But in addition to pretend baking, kids can use this to follow a recipe card, listen to instructions, press the buttons to make the paddle spin, practice counting (pressing the buttons from one to five) or practice colors (the mixer lights up in different ones). Ages 2+; four AA batteries required

A refreshed version of the original, Good Housekeeping Best Toy Award-winning audio player, the Toniebox 2 features an expanded suite of features, including sleep timers, wake-up routines, and games. And it still has kid-friendly controls that work with Tonies figurines—just place one on top to hear stories, songs, and more. New Tonies—like a new collection of cuddly, plush ones—are also available for the Toniebox 2. It also comes in several colors, or in a Bluey version. Ages 1+

This scooter was designed with preschoolers in mind: It has three wheels to help keep them balanced, and the handlebars are height adjustable to keep up with them as they grow to age 5. Plus, it comes in half a dozen colors, so you can choose their favorites. Ages 2+

These blocks come with an innovative twist: Holes and connectors let the pieces connect side-to-side in addition to stacking on top of each other. This set also comes with wheels, wings, a sail, and a propeller so kids can make their own vehicles. Ages 2+

There are dinosaur toys. There are train sets. What this BRIO offering asks is: Why not both? The set comes with two Brachiosaurus figures (that can pick up dino eggs using the power of magnets), a pteranodon, a lava cave a wagon, and plenty of tracks to send them around. One tester said her child loved the dinosaurs so much, he'd carry them around even when he wasn't playing with the train. Ages 3+

Add a double-decker bus, a black taxi, a fire engine, a police van, an ambulance, and two sports cars to their toy vehicle fleet in one go. These wooden cars are also compatible with some wooden train tracks.Ages 3+

This cuddly critter also teaches kids about the life cycle of a caterpillar and a butterfly. It starts out as a plush caterpillar, and comes with a chrysalis pouch for it to "crawl" into. When it emerges, it can extend its butterfly wings! It also comes with a set of cards that can be used as a caterpillar matching game. Ages 3+

Every kid's playroom deserves a classic baby doll for them to take care of—practicing their nurturing and empathy skills—and this 11-inch baby doll certainly fits the bill. It comes dressed in a cute, banana-themed outfit and has open-and-close eyes. Ages 1+

This block set isn't the cheapest, but it has so many ways to expand their block play as they get older with pieces that thread, magnetic blocks, sticks that let kids build out structures horizontally, peg people to encourage imaginative play, and more. The blocks come in bright, cheery hues and they all store away in one box. Ages 18 months+

Keep them up and moving, and working on their motor coordination, with this outdoor toy. It's designed to grow with kids, so it can be adjusted from 2.5 feet to 4 feet tall. Ages 18 months+

Malaya, which means "free" in Tagalog, comes wearing a traditional Filipiniana dress with butterfly sleeves. Her clothing stays on, so it's good for younger kids, and she's 9 inches—or just the right size to tote around. In addition to the Philippines, Joeydolls also has mini dolls Mei, from China; Hoa, from Vietnam; Danbi, from Korea; and Priya, from India, among others. Ages 0+