H + L
- Nov 22, 2020
- 3 min read

3-5 - Not A Toddler, Not Yet A School Kid

AirFort

An instant fort that doesn't require all the pillows be thrown off your couch! This is a favorite to pull out on rainy days when we need to expel some energy.

Disney Princesses - Clip On Dresses

These are so fun for playing, and the best part is that little hands can change the dresses all by themselves. I have witnessed many 3 year old meltdowns because fine motor skills aren't quite developed enough to change Barbie clothes. Royal Clips = problem solved!

Mosaic Art

My 3 and 5 year old both love these. It's very satisfying for them to line the stickers up in the right space. The stickers are easy enough that my 3 yo can pull them off by herself.

Magnetic Drawing Board

Magnetic beads inside come up when you bring the stylus to the board. Letter shapes make this a really fun and great way to practice early writing without causing frustration.

Monkey Balance Math Game

An actual fun and fascinating toy that they'll love fidgeting with, while also helping with number recognition and basic math skills.

Brain Teaser Puzzle

This puzzle is surprisingly cathartic to play with and is something we enjoy doing with our kids. It's a fun deviation from the traditional puzzle.

LEGO Duplo Play House

We love Duplos, and this play house steps it up a notch. All the fun of building with blocks with the imaginary play aspect added in. There are several different ways to configure this play house, and it comes with furniture and figurines.

Soft and Comfy Costume Dresses

Disney inspired costume dresses in several different designs including Buzz Lightyear and Woody! These are so great because they are dress up outfits that aren't itchy or overly fluffy. When your kid is refusing to wear anything but their Elsa dress for the 5th day in a row, at least this dress is soft and fits in a car seat.

Ice Cream Shoppe Set

We've had this toy for a few years now and all the kids that have ever come to play love this thing. The ice cream scooper and the ice creams are magnetic so that you can carry the ice cream from the "freezer" to the cone. So fun!

Magnetic Tiles

These can be played with in so many different ways. I know this is the 3-5 yr old gift guide, but I'm 26 and I really enjoy playing with these even if my kids aren't around. It's very satisfying to build structures so quickly and Sophie (1) finds it very satisfying to smash the structures I build.

Rebounder Trampoline

We love to keep our little trampoline in the living room so that when the TV is on they are more inclined to play and jump while watching rather than just sitting. This one looks so cool and would solve my biggest problem with our trampoline - they have to take turns. Make it an oval and put the bar in the middle, BAM problem solved.

Scissor Skills Book

This age loves the power that comes with a pair of scissors. It's a surprisingly difficult concept to learn, and this book is so fun for them to practice with.

Training Scissors

To go with the book above, obviously. These are extra cool because they have a plastic piece in between the handles that helps force the scissors back open once they've been closed. The motion of opening and closing is really tricky for little hands and these really helped my kids!

There's A Bear On My Chair

This is such a fun book! We try and give each kid a new book that we think they'll really love. This one is great!

The rhyming canter isn't overly obnoxious

and holds the attention of a busy toddler.

Grumpy Monkey

Another really fun book and it's a really good way to talk about big feelings! Tons of animals featured means lots of characters, which makes this the perfect book for "doing voices", if that's your thing. Otherwise, having so many animals and fun pictures to look at is great for kids learning to recognize names and sounds of jungle creatures.