what is your 3 year old boy playing with?

[nicknack]

Yes, thinking ahead to Christmas already! My son will be 3 in November and instead of getting things that will only peak his interest for a short time, I'm hoping to find things that he'll play with for a long time (or at least until the following xmas!).

He's OBSESSED with Thomas right now and I don't see that changing anytime soon. So he'll definitely be getting some Thomas-related things, but what else? Suggestions?

I know each child is different in terms of what they're into, but just thought I'd hear with other 3 year old boys think is cool!

Thanks,
Nicole

[kelly ann]

DS loves puzzles and these little animal figures that he plays with in his treehouse. Lately, he is spending a lot of time using those Crayola color wonder paints. Also, he loves Spiderman. I am not sure why since he has never seen it on tv. We went one day to Target last year and he started pointing at all of the spidermans. Those marketing companies are so good - he was talking about Cars even before it came out!

Also, we just bought him the smaller (regular-sized) legos. He does fine with them, but we just have to use them when DD is sleeping.

[willow33]

Reed turned 3 in February and loves playing with floor puzzles (especially the M&D ones) and board games (he loves Caribou, Duck Duck Goose, Candyland and Fishing Around). The one toy that he plays with every day is Mega Bloks Tiny & Tuff Fast Tracks. I think we bought it at Sam's Club or BJs over a year ago and he absolutely loves to makes the ramps and have his cars go down it. Hope that helped a little!

[essnce629]

Conner will be three next month and his biggest interest right now are his Thomas trains (nothing new about that), his Duplo Legos, and his Lightning McQueen and Mater vehicles from the movie Cars. He's into pretend play as well and pretends that he's Superman by putting his "cape" on (his dish towel from his wooden kitchen!) I want to get him some board games for his birthday and possibly a "real" Superman cape. Some more M&D floor puzzles sound like a good idea as well.

***Latia
Birth and Postpartum Doula

Conner 8/19/03 (homebirthed water baby)
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a/aug2003angel
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_sapphire_24m.gif Self-weaned at 24 months!

[zoestargrove]

My son turned 3 a month ago. He is really into Thomas too. He is also really into pretend play. I have a basket of playsilks, some costume stuff (pirate hat, chef's hat, apron, knight's vest and hood) and a few puppets that gets emptied and played with almost daily.

He'll use the props to recreate stories we've read or pretend play.

For Christmas, I've already requested from my parents some nice barclay unit blocks and I'd like to make a puppet theater to encourage more storytelling

[kijip]

It is all wooden train set all the time. No, not really but that is really popular. Plays with it more than 1 time per day.

Here are his other daily toys/activities:

-Counting and Memory Games
-Wooden Kitchen (heck sometimes this runs right into the trains, he has taken to making Thomas and Percy lunches and birthday cakes. ;))
-Coloring
-Books

Other things, used at least weekly (though often almost daily) are:

-Doll and doll stroller/bed
-Word Whammer
-Playdoh
-Potato Heads

[jamsmu]

Floor puzzles, games like Dominoes, sports, castles and knights and pirates are his primary focus. Here's DS1's birthday list: http://www.thethingsiwant.com/jamsmu/list/carson%2527s%25203rd%2520birthday%2520list/

[Jen841]

Our train table has been forgotten! He is 100% into his Geo Trak (by Fisher Price.) They are so great for their little hands, and boys and remote controls so hand in hand!

He also loves hitting golf balls around with his clubs in the basement. We play around a few time a week : )

Books, books and more books

3... underpants?!

Games and puzzles are not super interesting right now, we play more active things.

We have an easel, interest comes and goes with that

Could update our DVD collection a bit, have not turned one on in weeks

Ball pit is almost 2 years old and still a hit... actually it is now our old ten filled with balls... all sizes. That is where the balls are kept.

Basketball hoop is still fun, he cheats, but I am ok with that

Trike, scooter and big wheel... miles of fun!

Bike seat and trailer... miles of exercise for mommy and fun for him

[mamicka]

Razor Jr Scooter - *loves* this & it's great exercise.

Anything Spiderman - the older boy next door passed-on this obsession.

board games - Figurix, memory, etc.

Allison

[kboyle]

spiderman tops charlie's list too, actually ANY superhero...charlie likes to BE the superhero, he'll run up to me, rip off his shirt (totally funny) get down into a wrestling stance and say "Me Hulk!" in a quieter sing-song voice he'll say "but i'm not green!"

he still plays with his playmobil castle that grandma got him for xmas, it's on top of the train table so the tracks have been put away.

hot wheels & hot wheels monster jam monster trucks with his little people ramp.

mostly he just runs around and bothers max...

for xmas though my mom got him a wooden kitchen (target, we looked at pbk, but the kitchen island may take up too much room where the target one is easily placed against a wall)

i'm getting the boys this table & plan on selling our current train table http://www.step2.com/images/products/754700_popup.jpg (step2 canyon rd table) i like the built in track, less mess and you can use any type of train or car on it :) plus it comes with a cover so you can use it like a table top too.

[C99]

- his sister's My First Purse
- Matchbox cars
- Trains, especially "trains with faces" (Thomas stuff)
- Wooden blocks (building bridges/tunnels around this train tracks)
- MagnaTiles and this other magnetic/plastic toy set
- Tonka mini trucks (like Matchbox cars, but slightly bigger)
- Lego Duplo blocks
- floor puzzles
- Cars toys from McDonald's Happy Meals
- a doll cradle w/ doll and/or stuffed animals
- toy kitchen (he makes tea and soup)
- anything arts & crafts related (especially markers and paint)

[kitmama]

Littleman will be 3 at the end of October (so we do have a few months to go yet). Right now, he is OBSESSED with his little plastic T-ball set. LOVES it. Also with his Kiddi-o trike, since he just finally learned how to pedal last month.

Other big hits right now:
- balls of all kinds (have been popular for a long while, and probably will continue to be fun)
- markers, crayons, stickers, paint, play doh and scissors/paper when I am supervising
- sand/water bins outside
- bubbles
- books
- Schleich animal figures
- Leapstart Fridge Phonics
- sticks and rocks (LOL)

And he is starting to rediscover:
- playsilks
- blocks
- play tent

Plus he still enjoys his train table and hot wheels cars.

And finally, he has decided that helping me around the house is fun- so he loves to fold laundry (mostly cloth diapers), "help" wash dishes and to push the dry swiffer around the floor downstairs! (I shortened the handle for him). He has a kid broom, but I finally put it away because he can't stop hitting things with it. (I don't know why the swiffer is OK but the broom is not, but whatever).

For his 3rd birthday and/or Christmas I am considering a play kitchen and accessories, since he sometimes uses other toys to pretend he is cooking or serving food. I think he would have a blast with a little kitchen. He will also be getting some HA boxer shorts as a reward for doing so well with potty training, so he can have big-boy underwear like Daddy. :)