35 Best Toys for 3-Year-Olds Who Love to Show Off Their Skills

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+