Birthday present suggestions for a 3-year old girl

[lzp11]

I'm feeling really stuck for birthday present ideas for my DD who will soon be 3.  She already has a balance bike and a scooter for outdoor exercise and play.  She is not that big on toys and puzzles - she loves imaginative play and we also have a play kitchen and food that she likes.  But really most things she only plays with very sporadically and I'm loath to spend lots of money on things that she will never really use.  I'm tempted to put some money in her savings account and just give a few small gifts (we are also having a birthday party for friends at nursery so she will get plenty of presents to open from there).

Am I being really mean and lacking imagination?!   I'm a bit tired having recently gone back to work after maternity leave so that may be part of the problem 

[hypatia]

I'm tempted to put some money in her savings account and just give a few small gifts (we are also having a birthday party for friends at nursery so she will get plenty of presents to open from there).

Am I being really mean and lacking imagination?!   I'm a bit tired having recently gone back to work after maternity leave so that may be part of the problem 

I would definitely put some money into her savings account! No later than yesterday, I was reading 'the automatic millionaire' and it showed that a person who invests some money for just 5 years when they are young, will end with more money than someone who invested for longer but started later on.

However, I have to say that the best gift ever for my daughter was an Ipad. We bought an ipad2 last year and it's been just great: fine motor skills with a pen, videos and animated books in foreign languages, educational games..with the ipad3 now out, you can grab a bargain on the ipad 2!

[Wolfwind]

I don't think you're mean at all.  If it's not something your daughter wants or needs, why waste time and money on it?  Birthdays are a great opportunity to give a fun gift... but not if she won't care.  My daughter was 14 months at Christmas and got one present - a little tykes car she could sit in that we found at a thrift store.  She was thrilled.  We spent maybe $5 at the dollar store to fill her stocking and she was perfectly happy.  There's no need to do more than the child will care about.  There's nothing mean about a decision like that.  And she'll appreciate the savings one day :-).

[Mandabplus3]

So I would buy something that you know the next child will enjoy too. Top of my list would be duplo. You can get a pink girly set but I would get a farm set or a zoo set. It may not be used right now but they two kids together will use it non stop later. Plus dad will like to play this one
Then a chef hat and apron set, cute and popular with all my kids.
When I am stuck for ideas I usually get disposable craft stuff, pipe cleaners, pom pons, stickers, colored paper, good washable pastels...
Hair accessories were popular, a nice bow or corker ribbon clip in her favorite colour.
A pretty pair of shoes or ballet tutu and slippers
Then if I am truly stuck ( which I often was for my oldest who was unusual in her tastes) national geographic came to the rescue. Bug catchers, world globe, magnifying glass set, giant balloons, bubble machine, play dough, plstic animals, gardening set, mancala game board and of course books
Hope that helps. I have way too many toys, way tooooooo many, some cash in the bank would be nice but at three they need to unwrap something and blow out the candles to understand that it's their birthday.

[mom2bee]

personally I'm with you lzp11. Put some money in her bank account and give her a birthday card, call it a day. Maybe I'm a grinch, but birthdays for under 5's seem silly to me. They are usually more for the parents/family and if you don't mind and she'll have a snack at school or whatever to mark the event, then don't waste the extra effort or money to get anything.

However, if you get something, get something that she'll grow with for a while, like duplo blocks or maybe a few dishes to add to her already loved kitchen set.
If it were my birthday, I'd want the money in my account. (Even when I was a kid, I wanted money in my bank. )

[lzp11]

Thank you for all these replies and suggestions.  I'm sorry for being slow to reply - I'm so tired at the moment having returned to work 3d per week last month - that I can hardly remember my own name or what I had for breakfast right now!

I am sure DD will not be short of presents to open as we are having a small party for some of her friends.  I've given ideas to my mum and a few friends, and I have a few small fun presents, but I've decided that we will put some money in her account this year rather than buy anything big, and I've asked a few family members to do the same, so that we can build up some savings for her future.  I can't help but think that any help for her to go to university, put down a deposit on a house, buy a laptop or travel the world will all be more valuable than some more toys that she might not even play with for long.  Maybe next year (when she is 4) this may not be an option, but I hope that as long as she has some presents to open, a cake, some friends at her party, and a trip to see close family the next day then she will have a wonderful birthday.

Oh - and I was given an iPad by my very kind husband when my son was born last year, so we pretty much share it now!!  And I agree it is the best game / toy / educational activity by miles!

[Kerileanne99]

When my parents insisted that whilst it was fine to put money in her account, my daughter 'needed' to have a physical gift, I requested iTunes gift cards to keep the kiddo in fresh apps. This has worked really well, and let's family and friends feel like they are contributing short-term as well as long-term.
Not to mention I get to choose the best and most appropriate apps and books for her...

[rustybailey]

Me and my wife gifted our twins with a beautiful bedroom makeover on there birthday. This is the best gift ever and they were really happy to step into there rooms. We used wall papers and stickers to decorate the room and for the accessories we used funky wall clocks and lampshades.

[MummyRoo]

I have been stuck for ideas, too. My son just turned 3 and now the family are asking what he wants for Christmas 

My christmas present for him this year is something I am sure he will love - a hand held hoover. Not a toy one, but a 'real' one that should actually clean my floors! It cost not much more than the novelty crumb collectors, but is much more powerful. He always wants to help clean the floor, and usually sweeps the crumbs quite effectively over his shoulder while trying to get them in the dustpan - this should prove a much more exciting way of helping me out (and hopefully create much less mess for me to clean up after he's 'helped' )

I'm telling friends and family that lego or dressing up clothes are the best present options - you can't have too many of either!

[Korrale4kq]

James turns 3 in a few weeks. Then christmas is 2 weeks after that. He mostly is getting simple things like generic Jenga, jacks, marbles, playing cards Etc.
He is also getting a game where he can screw screws to make patterns.
He will get some wooden build it toys that I got for cheap on clearance from Lowes that he can do while his granddaddy visits.
A t-ball set. Now I have most major sports covered. James already had small basketball, soccerball and football.
Leapfrog TAG Maps are his big gift.
Oh and some letter stamps. I am still trying to locate numeral stamps.
We were going to get a violin as his main birthday present. But I think we are going to save and get a keyboard later this year instead.
James has a balance bike and we may be getting him a pedal bike in the spring. It is depressing to get a bike in the winter when he can't ride it anywhere.
We would love to buy a globe but those things are extremely expensive. I am hoping to find a good one used.
I know it seems like a lot, but we are the only people who buy for James and I shop all year round and only buy things when it is an amazing deal.

For stocking stuffers I buy things like toothbrushes, body wash, socks, undies, etc.
This year we are going to do a Christmas advent calendar. My husband is going to make a bunch of little lego figurines as the daily gift. We might mix it up a little with some hotwheels and maybe a Hershey's kiss or small cookie for fun.

Oh I should mention. I did buy some puzzles and dominos. But James got them early. I have found the there is a huge leap developmentally between 2 year old  toys and 3 year old toys. At 2.5 he needed something to challenge him.

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