19 of the best toys for 3-year-old boys: Tick these off their Christmas list

With 18 wooden blocks in a variety of shapes, colours, and sizes to play with, the Melissa and Doug Shape Sequence Wooden Sorting Set and Educational Toy is brilliant for screen-free fun. Not only will this lovely sorting toy keep him entertained, it will help with his motor and problem-solving skills too.

One reviewer said: "I’ve just re-bought this to give to my youngest as my eldest loved this toy years ago, he had hours of fun with it and was one of his most played with toys."

Your little one will never have to walk the plank again, thanks to this pirate den kit. Every day will be an adventure when they're interacting with the yellow haversack bag, a ship-shape tarpaulin fly-sheet, green groundsheet, handmade wooden mallet, soft felt eye-patch, 260cm length of cotton Jolly Roger bunting, 10m of natural jute rope and eight steel tent pegs in a drawstring cotton tent peg bag. Parent supervision is required at all times.

One reviewer said: "Really love this product. Brilliant quality and a great help over the lockdown period as the boys could still adventure. Love the design and wish there were more presents like this."

Does your little one love to get crafty? Whether they're making a caterpillar, snake or even a burger, there are hours of fun to be had with this Play-Doh kit. Play-Doh is such a versatile, high-quality toy that will keep them creating over and over again. Big thumbs up from us.

One reviewer said: "Who doesn’t love playdoh? Good value for money, classic playdoh which is perfect for my 3 year old."

Is your boy in his dinosaur phase? If the answer is yes, then he's going to be buzzing about this dinosaur toy truck. As well as featuring the truck carry case, there are also six dinosaurs, an elephant, crocodile, bear, lion, rhinoceros and tiger for them to play with. Roarsome!

One reviewer said: "Grandson loved it. It's light enough for him to carry about, has his favourite animals in and is great value for money."

This TOP BRIGHT Toddler Magnetic Bird Toy is a unique one, but if your little man enjoys watching the birds on your walks, then he's going to chirp up with this colourful and fun toy. The aim of the game is to feed the birds and not let the worms escape - simple enough but provides endless entertainment.

One reviewer said: "It was an ideal present for a 2/3 year old. Fascinating and easy to use for little fingers."

Zooming into your child's life is the wonderful SGILE Remote Control Car, a high-quality option for younger children. Your three-year-old won't be able to resist taking this motor for a spin with its two-button controller, sounds and bright lights. This would definitely be one you could bond over together too.

One reviewer said: "My son absolutely loves it. It’s his favourite toy. He worked out the controls in minutes and he loves the music and sounds it makes. Massive hit. I recommend thoroughly."

Playtime is always a chance for your little one to be learning. Get your boy excited about saying new words with this LeapFrog Learning Friends 100 Words Baby Book. On each page, children will be introduced to age-appropriate words along with exciting sound effects, ideal for their curious minds and development.

One reviewer said: "My child loved this! And would play with it for ages! The "demo" batteries that are in it lasted months. I highly recommend to encourage speech!"

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Another educational option on this list is the Janod Learn How To Write toy. In the box you'll find, a pen, eraser and template cards. Before your lad picks up the pen, get him to trace the letters with his fingers. It will get him more familiar with the shapes.

One reviewer said: "My grandchild loved being able to follow the arrows and trace the letter first with their finger, then writing the letters firstly by following the dots as a guide then attempting them on their own."

Kerrrching! Get your boy excited about the food shop with this beautifully designed Little Dutch Toy Cash Register With Scanner. Not only does it develop fine motor skills and hand-to-eye coordination, but it also builds knowledge of numbers, shapes and colour recognition with the accessories included. How cool is that?

One reviewer said: "My nearly 3 year old grandson loves his cash register, he has it in his ‘Little Dutch’ shop. He loves selling his goods and giving change. Hours of fun and role play."

Does your little one want to help you when you're doing chores around the house? You can now get them their very own Little Henry Vacuum Cleaner to 'help you out'. The best thing about it is that you can store all the accessories neatly inside the hoover for a simple tidy-up that they can even learn to do themselves.

One reviewer said: "Bought for 3 year olds birthday. It makes a vacuum noise and has all the tools and attachments that would be with a full size machine. Excellent value for money."

Any toddler that is obsessed with cars needs their own steering wheel and this Casdon Toy Sat Nav Steering Wheel  is a fantastically fun option. From the comfort of your living room, let them take the driving seat and enjoy the motoring sounds, flashing lights and indicators - they'll be obsessed!

One reviewer said: "I bought this for my sons birthday and he hasn't stopped playing with it it's a great toy for toddlers and good price."

Help your boy save the day with this heroic Chad Valley Police Carrying Case, perfect for role play games and little aspiring police officers. The set includes handcuffs, a badge, megaphone, phone, writing board and a whistle for them to become their own hero with ease. We love the quality of this Chad Valley toy.

One reviewer said: "Good quality item, great value for money and mixed bunch of different toys."

Whether you're searching for sustainable toys or looking for a well-crafted train set, the John Lewis & Partners Wooden Train Set should be top of your list because it really is a winner. This is a beautiful wooden train set, which comes with 50 pieces, including trees, sheep, a shed, and a drawbridge.

One reviewer said: "Compatible with other wooden train sets. Well made wooden toy made to last. Wanted to buy a wooden toy rather than plastic land fill toy. Grandson loved it."

We love the extravagant TP Toys Junior Chef Wooden Mud Kitchen plus all the features it has included. There are four hobs, an oven with a door, a splash tub, storage shelves, a big blackboard to record recipes and a fabulous stainless steel utensil set. We can definitely see why mud kitchens have become so popular over the last few years.

One reviewer said: "Considered making one for my son, but after all the costs added up it was just as cheap to buy this one. it's easy to assemble, took about an hour and the end result is great, little one loves it. Comes with the selection of utensils and pots which is a nice touch."

This fun Little Tikes Spiralin' Seas Water Table is like a mini water park for your garden. With a scooping Ferris wheel, water wheels and squirting character balls, your toddler will have so much fun keeping cool and developing their motor skills. This would be a fab choice for when the sun finally comes out and both boys and girls love playing with water tables, so this is sure to be a hit with siblings too.

Review: "Well worth the money. Grandson just loves it and the water . Plenty activity to it to keep him amused for some time."

After a busy day, what better than to snuggle down and see your favourite stories come to life. Three year old boys (or girls!) will love this easy to use torch and projector. Simply scan the enclosed QR code and enjoy the narration of 6 stories while projecting fun illustrations. This will really encourage a love of stories and help your little one relax at bedtime.

Review: "My son loved the idea of this with story time on our ceiling lying in bed and the book being read to him."

Perfect for any budding football player, this set of two goals is brilliant for playing with in the garden, or even indoors. Not that your little one will need encouragement, but it is a great toy to encourage sport and physical fitness while also improving motor skills. The set also includes footballs, a pump, and ground pegs to secure the goals when playing outside.

Review: "The Dreamon Football Goals for Garden are a great addition to any family's outdoor play area. My two sons love playing football and these goals have been a big hit with them. They are easy to set up and take down, and the compact size makes them perfect for small gardens or yards. The netting is durable and has held up well to my sons' rough and tumble style of play. I also appreciate that the goals can be used indoors during the colder months, providing year-round entertainment. These goals are great for developing children's gross motor skills and hand-eye coordination while encouraging physical activity. Overall, I highly recommend the Dreamon Football Goals for Garden to any family looking for a fun and engaging outdoor activity for their kids."

The Kinetic Sand Construction Site is perfect for imaginative play. It includes a working crane and a dumper truck with brick moulds. We know sand can be messy but kinetic sand does not spread everywhere and even better when your little construction worker has finished this sandbox easily folds up and fits everything inside for convenient storage or even portable play.

Review: "This was my son's birthday present. The sand quality is great, it does not dry out and stays in the shape when formed. The box it came in is useful to keep stuff tidy. The little crane / wrecking ball is my son's favourite addition. He also loves the small truck which helps forming bricks, so you can construct a small wall."

We all know that 3-year-old boys can experience some big feelings and at three they don't always know how to cope with them. This sweet toy helps children identify how they’re feeling, then encourages them to release the energy those feelings create. There are four bottles, each with a unique emotion and interactive element, and kids can shake, swirl and rotate them to see them express their emotions. A lovely toy which provides your little one with self-directed and tangible ways to manage how they are feeling.

Review: "These are actually great sensory toys as well as being handy communication aids. Each one has a different visual texture within the transparent smooth-to-grip housing. There's a sparkly viscous particle storm that looks like the surface of jupiter in green, there's a glittery golden whirlwind, slow lava-lamp type blobby drip and a multi layered angry red hailstorm. These have been played with quite aggressively and I have no concern about leaks. Two of the faces, blue and green , are more ambiguous which actually helps little voices add their own explanation."