What presents do the three year olds in your life love? Bonus points if they're small/portable or will still be very interesting to a 3.5 year old as we're leaving for 5 months abroad shortly after DD's birthday and won't be able to take much.
Related question: I'm considering Magnatiles. Is it worth it to buy the original $$$ ones or is there another cheaper brand that works just as well? Thank you!
cantaloupe / 6086 posts
They’re not super cheap (cheaper than magnatiles i think) but my kids love the magformers. Lots of cool sets and have held interest for years.
pomelo / 5573 posts
We have Picasso Tiles and while I don’t have anything to compare them to, I’ve been happy with them.
coffee bean / 44 posts
If you are looking for portability and versatility check out Tegu blocks - similar magnetic building, various sets to add to and they have travel cases. They are on the more expensive end, but very high quality - and they do periodically have sales. We have gotten each of our girls the two pouch sets to use on car trips.
clementine / 935 posts
@ReadItMama: Oh we do have a small pouch of those that she likes. Maybe I'll get some more!
nectarine / 2028 posts
I bought Magnatiles on sale when my son was one and tucked them away. Now at 3.5 he's obsessed with them. They're fantastic, and we get a lot of use out of them. Yes, they're expensive, but they definitely hold up well and have gotten a ton of use. FWIW, I also have Tegu (not cheap, but a similar concept) and really hate them-the magnets don't hold up as well and I feel like I wasted a ton of money on them. I know some people love them but we think the Magnatiles are much better!
olive / 53 posts
We have Picasso tiles also and I'm super happy with them (just bought more for my 4yo, actually). I'd say 3.5 is the perfect age for them.
pomegranate / 3983 posts
We've had our magnatiles for 4 years now (kids 7, 5, and 2) and they are in great shape and played with regularly by all three kids. We also have a set of magformers but some of the magnets on those have gotten wonky and they don't fit together correctly anymore.
Other gifts that are packable- melissa and doug reusable sticker pad, water wow, coloring books, 24/36 piece puzzles.
persimmon / 1390 posts
We have Magnetic Stick N Stack which look the same as Magnatiles. I can’t tell the difference between the two (our daycare has Magnatiles so I tested them out there).
coffee bean / 44 posts
(To clarify) For regular use at home I would hands-down recommend the Magnatiles, but if I were traveling/living abroad for 5 mths I would invest in the Tegu. Magnatiles are heavy in bulk and require more space for building (flat or 3D).
Some magnetic tin games might also be good (memory, tic-tac-toe, tanagrams) - that was the age that interest in games took off, and magnetic makes them good for travel.
kiwi / 745 posts
We have PlayMags and they work great but I’ve heard real magnatiles stand up/don’t collapse as much, and mostly you can get more smaller sets and add-ones for them, the additional PlayMags sets are limited. But my daughter got them for Christmas and plays with them daily.
wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts
We have the other brand magnatiles too and they all work fine! I think maybe the original is a little bit stronger but I just can't stomach the price difference.
I have a 3.5 year old DD and she's SUPER into beading and making necklaces/bracelets. And also just crafts in general. I leave her with paper, scissors and glue and she can occupy herself for long periods.
nectarine / 2243 posts
I have a 3 year old and we just moved home from being abroad for 3 months. I had a hard time finding play doh which she loves. (I got one of the presses too which was a hit). I also brought a bag of water beads with me (there are like 4000 in a bag). A doctor kit was also a huge hit and relatively lightweight and compact.
Have a great trip!
grapefruit / 4278 posts
There is an epic review on Amazon comparing picasso tiles and magnatiles. Definitely worth a read. https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R1612K56YTI9EP/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00AU56C5W
We have both brands and they work together and have both held up well. I like that Picasso has more unique tile options, like windows, and wheel bases.
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
My view on magnatiles is you really need a big set to do any kind of building and I am not convinced they are worth it. I wish I had a light box of some sort but I learned about those way late.
If you have an ipad, I always recommend Osmo. When I moved abroad, I learned to make my own play dough and I found a ton of items for purchase while I was there.
pomegranate / 3272 posts
@kiddosc: That review is awesome! We also have a mix of magna tiles and picasso and they work well together. Groupon often has the picasso tiles on sale.
DS1 didn't really get into magnatiles until he turned 5 but now he loves them. My 3yo is still unsure but knows he likes to knock down the structures big brother builds! Cue the screaming! 
clementine / 935 posts
Thanks, everyone! You've been very helpful. I think we've decided to just get her some small stickers etc. before we go and let her pick out a new toy or two when we get there. Will probably do the Magnatiles or a variation of them for Christmas when we're back.
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