Hello Friends! I am SHOCKED at what I am about to say- I am the mom of THREE-YEAR-OLD TWINS! WHAT! Time absolutely flew by. As part of our birthday celebration prep I put together a gift guide for our friends and family each year. They love knowing exactly what the kids need/would love to have and I get to guide our loved ones towards the developmentally appropriate products our kids are ready for. VTech® and LeapFrog® products are ALWAYS a must and I am sharing with you a few you want to bookmark, screenshot, and save for those three-year-olds in your life.
Gift Guide for Three-Year-Olds
I have been a mom for 12 years now and one of the most important things I have learned when it comes to gift giving is gifting age appropriate, learning toys. In our home we are huge proponents of educational toys, which is why VTech® and LeapFrog® are our go to brands. It's a win win!
Our kids are having so much fun playing they don't even realize they are learning at the same time! With our twins turning three, we are entering a new stage of development and leaving the baby toys behind; talk about a bittersweet moment. So, let's dive into the fun stuff- our favorite toys for three-year-olds!
The VTech® Explore & Write Activity Desk™ is a MUST on our gift guide! There are so many activities on this one desk your child will have so much fun. I love the interactive activity pages; letters, numbers, music, colors & more!
One of the twins' favorite features is the fold-down writing pad! They love that it lights up and they can practice writing by tracing with a stylus. This is such a fun and interactive way to introduce pre-writing skills!
Now, the creative mom in me was mind blown to learn that the desk transforms into an easel & chalkboard with storage space for art supplies! Bring on the crayons, chalk, and stick time. All you do is stick a piece of paper under the clip and they have their own little art station.
*Ages 2-5 years old
While we are on the writing and creativity topic let's chat about the VTech® Write & Learn Creative Center™!First of all, YOU CAN CUSTOMIZE IT WITH YOUR CHILD'S NAME! COOL- I know! The screen will show their name and they can practice writing it below.
I am telling you I can't get enough of these interactive activities! The screen will also display animated demonstrations to help them learn proper stroke order for writing uppercase and lowercase letters along with drawing activities from simple lines to 26 different objects.
Let the creativity flow with the stencils, stamps, and the ability to draw their own pictures! Having the ability to go from guided activities to free form ones is so appreciated by myself and my kids. Some days they want to work with the guided activities and others they want to stamp all day, we call it balance!
*Ages 3-6 years old
I don't think music will ever stop being a great way to learn, and the VTech® KidiBeats Drum Set™ nails it! The drum set can be used during freestyle play or kids play along to the nine pre-set melodies!
Our family has a very diverse taste in music, and we love that our kids can drum to a variety of music styles like rock, dance, and pop.
For those times when you seek structured play, your toddlers can follow the lights on the drum while learning about letters and numbers. You may get tired of me saying this...but- I LOVE the ability to choose between free-play and structured play. There is so much flexibility and you can alternate between everything which avoids your child becoming bored of a toy!
*Ages 2-5 years old
My three-year-olds are the youngest of four. They often see their older sister play video games and become upset that they are not able to play themselves. So, it's an understatement to say we were excited to set up our LeapFrog® LeapLand Adventures™ video game!
First of all, as the parent and from a setup standpoint, I wanted to hug whoever designed this game and made it such an easy setup. All I had to do was plug the HDMI stick to into our TV & power cable. I consider myself pretty tech savvy, but this setup made me feel invincible. There is no crazy complicated setup, download, account setup- nothing! Just a kid and their wireless controller!
This game is perfect for young kids, and we made separate profiles because our five-year-old was just as excited as her brothers! You can set up to five player profiles!
Playing the game itself is as easy as the setup. Your child can choose between two characters and explore five different lands as they collect gems, cleverberries, and treasure chest rewards. They can play the game over and over again collecting more gems, flags, and banners to decorate the castle and celebrate at the Gem Festival AND even explore more than 150 learning items AT THEIR OWN PACE (VERY IMPORTANT).
Because the game goes at your child’s own pace and due to its intended age group, my kids felt successful!
*Ages 3+
The LeapFrog® LeapPad® Academy may be my new bff. If you are out here searching for a gift for a three-year-old, do not overlook this item on our gift guide! I could not believe how perfectly designed this learning tablet is. The child's parents will hug you after their child starts using it, I promise.
This tablet includes 20 educator- approved apps to work on reading, math, science, creativity and more. It also includes a word of the day, drawings that come to life with the Art Studio Ultra, and nature field trips in the forest with Ms. Giraffe. They have SOOO many options and this is a learning tablet that really grows with your child.
When setting up the learning tablet you can create various profiles. Each profile can sync with a child’s age and developmental level, so the activities are tailored to them. As a bonus, LeapPad® Academy includes a three-month free trial of LeapFrog Academy®, which is an interactive learning program that guides kids on Learning Adventures with more than 2,000 games and activities. (Remember, I LOVE the guided and free-play options!)
Now, parents/friends/family- the setup is super easy again, it has a 7' shatter-safe screen which is a MUST for little ones, an attached stylus, and a tough bumper for those inevitable falls/drops.
But, my FAVORITE feature has got to be the parental controls to set time limits and expanding content. I can set a time limit for games vs other activities to ensure my child isn't just focusing on one area. When we feel we need more, we just visit the LeapFrog® App Center and can download additional games, apps, music and videos!
*Ages 3-8
Gift Guide Recap
If you didn't notice my common theme, let's talk about it a bit more: free-play and guided play! Both free-play and guided-play are super important for kids and parents alike. When choosing a gift for a child I like to put my mom cap on and think of something that both kids and parents will enjoy and benefit from.
VTech® and LeapFrog® toys are designed with that perfect mix in mind. They allow parents/loved ones to sit down and enjoy free-play. They are also perfect for quiet time thanks to all their guided activities and give us the ability to sit down and drink our coffee warm. The gift you're giving is learning, growth, and peace of mind to both kids and parents!
Talk about perfect gift giving!
Karen is the mom behind Mamma Bear Says, https://mammabearsays.com/, a family and creative brand empowering parents to live their most authentic and creative lives. She is a mom of 4, including twin toddlers, and loves to share her tips, tricks, and stories of all the good, the messy, and the chaos.