Gift Guide: Top Holiday Gifts for Three to Six Year Olds

/

This list includes gifts in a range of categories and prices.  If you are looking for deals, please check out my Facebook group where I post active deals on items for the entire family every day.  If you are looking for gifts for babies, 1-3 year olds or moms, please check out my other gift guides.  

This guide includes gifts ranging from stocking stuffers to really special gifts.  If you are looking for products in a certain price range, I indicated the pricing as follows (prices are as of the time I'm posting and are subject to change).

  • $ = under $25
  • $$ = $25-50
  • $$$ = $50+

This post contains affiliate links. Please see the Disclosure page for additional information.  This post was sponsored by some of the brands featured in the post.  Thank you for supporting the brands that I love!  

Personalized Photo Gifts from Pinhole Press

Today's kids love to see photos of themselves and their loved ones, and Pinhole Press uniquely and beautifully incorporates them into games and other gifts.  Their photo gifts are high-quality and simple, putting the emphasis where it matters, on the photos. What could be more memorable and special than a fun game that also serves as a family keepsake to play over the years?!

Here are some of my favorites from their personalized gifts:

Personalized Memory Game ($)

Memory is an extremely popular game for this age and Pinhole Press really brings it to the next level with this personalized memory game!!  It would be fun to include individual photos of the entire family and pets, or  photos of different milestones, events or vacations!

Family Faces Photo Sticker Book ($)

This family faces sticker book comes with 30 pages for drawing and 96 total stickers, using eight of your favorite family photos. Your child can incorporate family photos into their journaling and drawing in endless ways! This is the perfect gift for the budding artist, author, or any kid who loves stickers!

 

Photo Puzzles ($)

Pinhole Press makes a great variety of custom photos puzzles.  You can check them all out here or click through the images of my top choices 3-6 year olds below.  

Disney Nap Mat ($)

When I gave this Mickey Mouse Nap Mat to my son, he was so excited that he crawled right in and told me he was going to take a nap! 

Not only is it adorable and incredibly soft, it also conveniently rolls up and you can carry it by the included carry strap.  The Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse styles are equally fun, travel and sleepover friendly!

Traveller by Bontoy ($$$, exclusive promo code below)

The Traveller is a high quality, adorable full fledged ride-on toy that converts into a suitcase with the push of a button.  Perfect for at home play, trips to Grandma's and even a trip abroad! 

Here are the key features:

  • simple innovative design fosters creativity
  • low noise, non-scratch wheels are mounted on metal ball bearings, which results in an incredibly smooth ride and makes it perfect for indoor play
  • rounded edges minimize hazard 
  • 17-liter storage capacity
  • converts to a rolling suitcase with a retractable handle
  • maximum load of 220 lbs 

The Traveller is the newest release by Bontoy.  Bontoy also makes the award winning Friendimal, which my son has had and I've been recommending for 1.5 years (you can read my review of the Friendimal here).

Exclusive promo: 15% off the Traveller  when you click and use code miriam15 at checkout.

Tooth in the Booth® 

The Tooth in the Booth® is a fun year-round reminder for kids to practice good dental hygiene using a children's story book and plush characters. 

The story features Tiny, a once-grimy baby tooth, who has been cleaned up and specially commissioned by the Tooth Fairy herself.  The set includes the hard cover book, a plush tooth doll who suctions to your bathroom mirror to remind your child to brush well, and a magical plush booth where your child can place their lost tooth for the Tooth Fairy to find and leave a surprise.

Your child will know the Tooth Fairy takes a close look at each baby tooth, and they will want to make sure each one is extra clean!   The set also includes a Tooth Chart, which allows your child to log whenever he or she loses a tooth so they can chart their progress as they lose baby teeth.

Exclusive promo: 20% off the  Tooth in the Booth® when you use code TVBBS20OFF at checkout. Shipping is free anywhere in the United States.

Gifts for the Disney Princess Enthusiast ($ - $$$)

Magiclip Princess Dolls

Magiclip Princess Dolls come with dresses that can be clipped on and off.  They were enthusiastically recommended by a few moms in my Facebook group because these are the most popular toys at all their play dates.   This gift can satisfy a wide range of budgets as you can buy a single doll or a set.

Disney Animators' Collection Micro Doll Play Sets

These little playset are the modern day Disney take on Polly Pockets.  One friend of mine loves that she can always stash one in a purse or backpack for fun on the run!

For the Car Enthusiast ($-$$$)

My son loves his Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars and my mother-in-law blew his mind when she brought out my husband's childhood collection.  These cars are classic toys that will be enjoyed for years by the recipient (and possibly generations if they make them like they used to).

Magna-tiles or Playmags ($-$$$)

Most every mom with a child between ages one and eight agrees that magnetic tiles are one of the best toys out there.  Heck, I enjoy tinkering with them.  

Magna-tiles is the original (most expensive) brand and they start at about $25 and go up to about $260.  There are lots of cool editions like "ICE" clear, solid (opaque) colors, black, and glow in the dark (each pictured above).  Everyone says that you can never have enough sets.  So if you know a child that already has and loves Magna-Tiles, consider one of the special edition sets. 

My son has a bunch of sets from Playmags, which are a bit less expensive but compatible with Magnatiles.  In addition to a couple of big variety sets, he has a set of these wheeled cars, which he especially loves.  Base plates are another nice add on, as they make it easier to build, especially on carpet or a playmat.  And this remote control control operated car just looks awesome. 

People used to say that the magnets on Magna-tiles are slightly stronger than those on Playmags.  Last year Playmags improved their design so they are now at least as strong as Magna-tiles.

Magnetic tiles are so hot that I look for deals on them all the time to post in my deals group.  

Boogie Board

The Boogie Board is an LCD writing board.  Adults typically use it for jotting down lists, but it is great for teaching kids to write letters or recognize sight words (or even a quick game of tick-tack-toe).  I think of it as a cross between an Etch-a-Scketch and a non-messy dry erase board.  It's also great for travel and restaurants!

Games

I polled the moms in my Facebook group and these are the games that they recommended for 3-6 year olds.  Click through any image for additional details (for most of these games there are various versions and the image will take you to the landing page for all versions so you can choose based on the child's interest).

Train Set & Accessories ($-$$$)

Brio has been around for decades and is considered the gold standard.  They have basic starter sets, massive gift sets, and amazing pieces like a lifting bridge.  Here are click through images of my top choices, but I suggest that you scroll through all the Brio sets (here) and choose based on your price point and the child's interest (e.g., the firetruck set pictured below for the firetruck-obsessed child).  

Other brands such as Melissa & Doug make more affordable train sets that are compatible with Brio.  Click here to see a great Melissa & Doug option.  

Doll House ($$-$$$)

I recommend buying a doll house that includes furniture, here are four good options.  

New on the scene are magnetic doll houses, which allow for more open-ended play.  You can find a nice selection of magnetic doll houses here.  

Easel & Art Supplies ($$-$$$)

Kids this age love to paint and create.  Here are a few good easels:

Marble Run ($$-$$$)

Any marble run will provide countless hours of fun and teach a child engineering principles. 

The Hape Quadrilla Marble Run stands out from the crowd for a few reasons -- it is made of wood and heirloom quality, it features seven different colored blocks, each of which has a different purpose to promote logical and engineering thinking.  

Here are many other fine marble runs at lower price points.

Kiwi Crate (craft / STEAM Subscription Service) ($$)

Kiwi Crate is similar to Blue Apron but for hands on learning and steam projects.  Instead of figuring out appropriate crafts for your child and running around town (or Amazon) buying all of the supplies and generating a lot of waste, Kiwi Crate sends you a kit designed for your child's age.  They have kits designed starting from toddlers all the way up to sixteen.  Click here  for 60% off your first set (expires 11/28).

Dress Up Costumes ($-$$$)

3-6 year olds loves to play dress up and engage in dramatic play!  Whether you choose a Disney princess set, superhero, firefighter or something else depends on the child's interests.

Schleich Animals or Dinosaurs ($-$$$)

Schleich makes beautifully realistic toy animals and dinosaurs and accessories.  They come in various sizes and price points.  You can get a single small animal for under $5 as a stocking stuffer or a really special set for about $100. 

Books

There are endless possibility for books for this age.  I started putting together a short list on various themes (including empathy, kindness, diversity and inclusion).  But the list got long, so I'm making it a separate article!

I hope that you enjoyed this post.  Please also check out my gift guides for babies, 1-3 year olds and moms, by clicking here.  Also be sure to follow along in my Facebook deals group, where I post deals on my favorite and popular products for the entire family.

This post was sponsored by some of the brands featured in the post.  All opinions are my own.