Your child’s turning 3! Discover the best types of birthday presents to buy your 3-year-old.
A third birthday feels like a graduation of sorts. Your toddler is becoming a preschooler — he’s feeding himself, talking up a storm, and getting ready to potty train (if he hasn’t done so already). This is the first year he will truly anticipate, understand, and revel in all the attention he’ll receive on his big day. Shopping for toys changes a lot once your child turns 3. All the toys with smaller pieces labeled “choking warning” are now safer for your child, so a whole new universe of play opens up. “Three-year-olds explore things with their hands instead of their mouths,” explains David Perlmutter, M.D., a board-certified neurologist and author of the book Raise a Smarter Child by Kindergarten. “While small pieces are still theoretically a hazard, it’s less likely that a 3-year-old will actually choke.”