35 Best Toys for 3-Year-Old Girls, Because Preschoolers Love to Show Off Their Skills

Good Housekeeping lab pros and kid testers alike have long been wowed by Crayola's Scribble Scrubbie pets, which let kids color designs onto the flocked fur, wash them off and color again. This is an extra bonus for Bluey fans, since it comes with all four members of the Heeler family, along with a pool for them to frolic in. “My daughter is in a coloring phase and a cleaning phase, so this was a good blend of both worlds,” one parent tester said. Ages 3+

She'll love pretending to sell and serve up delicious ice cream cones from this cart so much, she won't even know she's practicing math (by counting the scoops) or learning sequencing (by following the directions on the order). She can reinforce those math concepts with the play money that's also included. “I love that scooper gives direction so that the kids can play with the toy on their own,” one parent told the Good Housekeeping Institute. “There's a few ways to play with the overall setup, incorporating the menus, money, and signs.” Ages 3+; two AAA batteries required

Jelly Blox are like two toys in one: Each individual piece is squishy like a sensory fidget toy, and then they can be used together to build structures like a castle. Some of the blocks even have beads, stars, or other elements inside to add to the sensory experience. This comes with 45 pieces to build a palace, but there's also a brightly colored starter set for $17 that doesn't have a theme if they prefer open-ended building. Ages 2+

Kids can have fun shaping, "baking" (pretend), and decorating Play-Doh cakes, then displaying their creations on the cake stand. The oven makes a "ding" sound when the cake is ready. “It really captured my 3-year-old’s attention and sparked his imagination," one parent tester said. "He’s started creating pizzas too and has even opened his own pretend restaurant.” It also comes with 11 canisters of Play-Doh. Ages 3+

Kids can help Peppa Pig learn to ride her bike; as they push, Peppa’s legs will start to pedal. She also reacts with more than 75 sounds and phrases. “My daughter was absolutely obsessed with this toy!” said one mom of a 4-year-old. “It's actually very well constructed and so adorable! She likes that she can take Peppa on a stroll with the attached bar, and the audio is very sweet.” Ages 3+; two AAA batteries included

Whether the sun is shining or not, when kids need to get their energy out, these stepping stones will be there to help them work on their balance and gross motor coordination. They can make up their own floor-is-lava games, or use the spinner to help them determine which stone to step on next. This one comes with six colorful stepping stones, but there are also sets with seven stones, 10 stones, and 12 stones. Ages 3+

Two lines of rhyming text clue kids in to a mythical creature that appears on the next page, thanks to “slide-and-see” engineering. Kids loved the moving pages. “This book is so cool!” one parent tester said. Ages 3 to 5

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Get her role-playing as her favorite Disney princesses with this one-stop royal wardrobe. It comes with four full outfits, plus necklaces, headbands, stickers, and even a soft tiara. This trunk features outfits themed to Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, and Belle, but there's a second version with outfits for fans of Tiana, Ariel, Jasmine, and Rapunzel. The clothes fit sizes 4 to 6x, so they'll be a little big on a 3-year-old, but she'll grow into them. Ages 3+

Even testers who weren’t familiar with The Creature Cases loved playing with this play set because of its cool jet and two animal characters. The jet opens to become a command center. “My son built out a whole world around this plane, and it was awesome to watch his imagination ‘take off’ as he acted out the different characters and created a storyline,” one parent said. Ages 3+

After Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie last year, any Gabby fan would thrill to have a version of her dollhouse for their own. Our kid testers especially loved the LED, light-up eyes on this one, and the way it made expressions. It stands 30 inches tall, and it has tons of fun play features, including an elevator. “The bright colors, fun details, and interactive features make it a hit," one parent tester said. Ages 3+; three AA batteries required

From the makers of Squishmallows, this plush—with its outstretched arms and beany insides—is even more fun to hug. The Ghost-Spider is perfect for any fan of Spidey and His Amazing Friends too. Ages 3+

The stems, pistils, petals, and insects of these flowers are all interlocking and interchangeable, so kids can build the garden they've always imagined. Snapping them together helps work on their fine motor coordination. Ages 3+

At our in-person toy test, every kid—young and old—wanted to line up and take a turn taking apart this pretend engine. It comes with toy tools, including a power drill, wrenches, and a screwdriver, to help them work on the engine—flip the toy around, and they can pretend to drive and steer. "My 4-year-old has taken it apart and put it back together more times than I can count," one parent said. Ages 3+; five AA batteries required

What's better than a toy train set? One that winds through a castle and can carry Disney princesses as their passengers! This wooden train set comes with 18 pieces, including figures of Aurora, Belle, and Cinderella. It also comes with nine pieces of wooden track and a castle, in addition to other accessories. There's also the My First Brio set for those who like the trains without the Disney component. Ages 3+

There are so many ways to play with these wooden animals—they can be used for pretend or, if they want to test their fine motor coordination, kids can try to stack them up. The animals are inspired by the Andes region, and include creatures like a sloth, llama, and capybara. Ages 18 months+

Numberblocks fans will love arranging the food items from this play set on the shelf, counting the items pictured in the numbered baskets, and using pretend coins to make sales. "My 3-year-old enjoyed turning the wheel and identifying the numbers, and he is starting to be able to connect the dots on one side of the coin with the numerals on the other," one parent tester said, adding, "My 6-year-old actually did math on the toy, adding up how much two products would cost together." Ages 3+

For kids who can't read yet, this sweet machine projects three favorite Little Golden Books onto the wall and reads them out loud so kids can follow along. "My daughter loved setting it up and switching between cartridges and then focusing the lens," one parent tester said. "It all felt very nostalgic and a little analog which was nice." It comes with three cartridges with three different books, but more can be purchased separately, with trios themed around Sesame Street, Dr. Seuss, and Richard Scarry characters, among others. Ages 3+; four AA batteries included

In our tests, kids really enjoyed the innovative way the Blockables connect—there are connectors that let them build side-to-side as well as up and down. This set comes with enough pieces to make a little town, including 30 wooden blocks, 32 connectors, four play figures, four wheels, two felt trees, and a felt swing/slide combo, along with instructions for guided builds to get them started. Ages 2+