As a mother of three girls, ages 7 months, 3 years, and 5 years old; I have come to accumulate a lot of toys. I have spent a lot of money and time trying to find the best toys for my girls that they will love, hold their attention, and last through the years. Now that I am somewhat more of an experienced mom, I have found that researching your toy purchases carefully before buying can save a lot of money. I listen to other parents and children to see what products are good and I also use the internet web sites,http://www. toysrus.com and http://www.amazon.com, where they list consumer reviews on toys.
Sometimes it can be quite overwhelming shopping for toys with all the variety available . I find it easier to look online than going to the actual retailer and browse through the toys in the age category I need and read reviews written on toys that interest me. When I am purchasing a new toy, I look at the brand (some brands tend to consistently be more durable), age appropriateness, variety of uses, creativity and imagination involved, education value, price, and what other consumers think of the product after using it. The following is a list that I consider to be the top ten toys for 3 year old girls:
1.Memory game-we have 3 different varieties (original, Dora, and Disney) and they all are fun. It’s the classic memory game in in which you turn over two cards to make a pair. It is a Milton Bradley game and is pretty durable. It helps with memory skills, attention span, and following directions. My daughter started out playing when she was 2 and we only used about 10-20 cards at a time and slowly increased the cards that we were playing with. Now she plays with all 72 cards and wants to play every day and can beat me hands down! Less than $10.
2.Candyland– Another Milton Bradley game for ages 3 and up. Yet another timeless classic that my children continue to beg me to play with them. Encourages children to learn colors, counting, and taking turns. Quite inexpensive, can buy for less than $10.
3.Little Tikes Play Kitchen– Any kind of play kitchen is great fun for this age. This particular kitchen has an oven, stovetop, sink, dishwasher, and fridge. The kids play with this for hours and use a lot of imagination and role playing. Has held up great. Nothing broken yet. A little bit more of an expensive item, >$50.
4.Fridge Phonics Magnetic Letter Set- by Leapfrog. Great educational toy for kids >2 years old. My 5 year old still plays with this. Sings the alphabet and pronounces each letter and than says the sound that it makes. There are different modes of play that can be used as they age. Very durable, my daughers frequently pull them off and let them fall and it still works as good as the day I bought it. Affordable at less than $20.
5.Battery operated Barbie jeep– by Power Wheels. My kids’ favorite outside toy to play with. I did not place it at the top of the list just for the fact that it does not encourage physical activity or have any educational value. However, it is great entertainment for them; they use role playing and imagination. It is very durable-we bought it at a garage sale 4 years ago. Has rechargeable battery that takes a day to charge- so be prepared to charge it overnight so it’s ready the next day. It accelerates at about 3-5mph and also goes in reverse. Can be costly ->$100 (depending on the style you buy).
6. Little People Dollhouse– great beginner dollhouse for those children <5 years old. I have a lot of the other playsets also, and my daughter spends a lot of time playing with this either by herself or with her 5 year old sister. Just a great fun, durable, and relatively inexpensive toy -$20.
7.Naturally Playful Sand and Water Activity Center-by Step 2. Comes with an umbrella for shade on those sunny days. Has 2 separate sides, one for sand and one for water; with a bridge connecting them. Can take detachable legs off and put on ground. We use ours as the table on the deck. All the kids love playing with this, you can actually build something since you have the water available on the other side of the sand. Moderately priced at <$60.
8.Duplo legos– great toy. This is something my husband actually is able to spend a lot of time playing with them since its not so “girlie”. The girls love to build all kinds of things and it really helps with their creativity. Very durable. Legos never break and these are not small enough that you will lose them. Great price for big box of legos <$20.
9.Doodle Pro– by Fisher Price. Magnetic board that allows children to draw anything their hearts desire. Comes with little shapes for extra play. We bring it along on trips and play games with it by having them draw things they have seen or practicing their letter writing. Th kids fight over it so much that now we have two doodle pros and one travel size. Good buy at <$15.
10.Medical kit– by Fisher Price.Who doesn’t like to play doctor or nurse? This kit never seems to get old. This particular kit seems to be quite durable- with no broken parts yet, and contains everything they need. Another great buy for <$10.
