This $17 Customizable Doodle Bear Is the Perfect Gift for 3-Year-Old Girls

By the time they're 3 years old, kids have a whole new world of toys open to them. While toddler toys are great, they are limited by, well, what toddlers can do. Now that kids are more coordinated, are able to crate more vivid imaginary worlds, have more social skills, are more curious about the world around them and understand more complex rules, the toys get better and better, which makes it even more fun to shop for gifts for kids this age.

At 3, kids are just beginning to share and can perform simple play sequences on their own, like playing kitchen or pretending to be an astronaut. "Dress-up accessories can add some zing to their pretend play," said Rebecca Parlakian, M.A., E.D., a parenting expert from Zero to Three. "Think of a construction worker helmet and set of toy tools, and how they give children a chance not just to take on this role but also explore how these objects work."

From kitchen playsets to workbenches to farm sets to vehicles, immersive toys help nurture their motor, problem-solving and critical thinking skills, according to Gayle Kligman, M.Ed., the executive chairman of Family of Kidz. Many of the toys below will help them develop skills across a wide range of categories, including science and math to hand-eye coordination and strategy. With these criteria in mind, the Good Housekeeping Institute toy experts have selected these as the best toys and gifts for 3-year-old girls in 2022.

To select these items, we first test them for safety and durability. Then, the toys undergo the real test — they're put in the hands of kids, who evaluate them for that all-important fun factor. The best of the best even go on to win Good Housekeeping Best Toy Awards. This year, board games, role-playing items, dolls, building toys and STEM sets are popular options for 3-year-old boys and girls.