Holidays

10 Best Toys for 3 year Old (That They Will Still Play With at 5)

December 18, 2018 by Stacy Craft Leave a Comment

A list of 10 toys for a 3 year old that will get played with and used for years to come. Best of all, they are all under $25.

Toys. Toys. Toys. They are everywhere and they can take over your home quickly if you don’t choose wisely. I love when I find a gift that really gets played with. Even better if it gets played with for years to come.

Over the last few weeks I have been trying to get a big donation pile of unused toys and other things to give to others in anticipation of the new toys that will come at Christmas time. While I was doing that, I noticed several toys that have been around a while that are still being used.

I wanted to share with you the top 10 toys that we bought for our daughter when she was 3 that she is still playing with as a 5 year old.

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

Reasons We Love These Toys

There are several criteria that put toys on my must have list for my kids.

Inexpensive – When buying for a 3 year old, you don’t want to break the bank with a toy purchase in case it doesn’t get used or
Mostly Independent Play – Obviously supervision is required. However, these are good because they provide some level of independent play or quiet time. As an example, my daughter might color or paint at the kitchen table while I am cooking dinner.
Encourage Creativity/Imagination or Motor Skills – A toy that teaches or allows my kids to create something is one that I like buying.

10 Best Toys for 3 year Old

Here is the list of the 10 best toys for 3 year old kids. We purchased these for our then 3 year old daughter that she still consistently plays as a 5 year old now. These toys have held the test of time. They are durable, fun and entertaining. Best of all, you can buy these on Amazon for less than $25 each (and a bunch are under $10)

Mega Bloks Building Set

These big building blocks are perfect for little fingers (our 1 year old even has fun trying to build things). I love the wagon that it comes with for storing the blocks. It is also an easy way to teach your little one the art of cleaning up their mess.

Alex Discover Button Art

This is my favorite item on the list! Starting at 18 months, the kids can work on pushing the buttons into the art. When the child is younger you can work on color identification and matching the correct color to the button. My five year old still gets this out to work on. She can of course do it independently now so it is now a nice quiet time activity.

Playhut Tent

What is it with kids and tents or forts? They love them! My daughter has loved her tent for years. She likes to hide in it, read in it, play with toys in it and play pretend. They also fold up to make storage super easy.

Learning Resources Rise & Shine Breakfast Play Food

Good quality play food is really hard to find! This set is realistic looking and has a couple of really cute features. An egg that you can crack, a muffin that you can fill with blueberries and a small toaster for the bread. My daughter still plays restaurant and loves to serve us food.

Hot Potato Game

The laughter that this game brings is the reason it has made this top 10 best toys for a 3 year old list. Now that my daughter is five and the baby is 14 months, we all get in on the fun. The baby of course doesn’t understand the concept but he loves chasing around any dropped potato! It is always a good time.

Coloring Book with Water Colors

Coloring is fun but painting is a blast! These coloring books come with a watercolor palette and a coloring book featuring your favorite characters.

Melissa & Doug Water Wow

These are so amazing. The kids “paint” with a refillable water paint brush. The pages come to life with pretty colors when they get wet but the magic happens when the water dries. As it dries, the pages turn back to white so you can paint them over and over again. We play with these at home and on road trips or plane rides.

Melissa & Doug Ice Cream Scoop Pretend Set

My daughter wanted this on a random Target run and I didn’t really want to spend $24 on it. I almost passed it up but during the summer, I usually choose to let her get a toy or two. It has been played with so much. I am not sure that I will ever forget her little voice yelling “ice cream for sale” 600 times a week!

The set is very cute with 4 different flavors and cone and cup options. There are magnets in the scoops and the cone so you can serve up a double scoop and it will stay together.

Disney Princess Necklace Activity Set

This is awesome for the ability to create again and again. The necklaces are a silicone type stretchy material with a fastener. String the beads, add a princess and wear. When she wants to change up the necklace, just pop the fastener and create again. This does have small pony beads but at 3 my daughter could do this craft mostly on her own.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Wooden Recorder

Music is always a great thing to expose children to. We love singing silly songs and we have a big bucket of noise makers and instruments. This recorder is a fun way to make some fun sounds. We also have a xylophone and a small keyboard.

Hopefully this list of the 10 best toys for 3 year old children will help you in your gift search. Whether it is for a birthday or Christmas, I hope your kids love these things as much as mine do. I am just happy that we can find some other toys to play with on occasion because my 5 year old is currently LOL obsessed.

Cute Thanksgiving Shirts on Amazon

November 15, 2018 by Stacy Craft Leave a Comment

Find fun Thanksgiving shirts on Amazon for women that will add a punch to your turkey day events. All of the shirts are under $20!

Our Thanksgiving feasts are usually pretty casual when it comes to clothes, food and presentation in our family. We make it a comfy event without stuffy clothing or fine china. Since we are all about casual, I wanted to find some cute Thanksgiving shirts on Amazon to wear to our big dinner.

And since I don’t ever have time to shop, it had to be on Amazon.

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

Cute Thanksgiving Shirts On Amazon

We are gearing up to host our very first Thankgiving dinner at our home. The one week countdown is officially on and it looks like there is a lot of work to do! I am getting a taste of what my sweet grandmother has been doing for at least the 30+ years that I have been around (and longer).

So while I should be researching how to brine a turkey (because I have no idea), I am instead shopping for cute Thanksgiving shirts on Amazon for women. Making Turkey shaped bagels and Turkey Eggs in a basket for my kids has also been on my list of things to do in order to avoid actually planning for Thanksgiving!

Here are some of my favorite Thanksgiving shirts on Amazon for you! And they are all under $20!

Gobble Gobble Gobble Tee I love the simplicity of this tee.

Thankful & Blessed Tee The color on this one is gorgeous, very fall ish.

Feelin’ Willie Blessed The Willie tee just made me laugh! I know someone could pull this off and look adorable in it.

Eat, Drink & Be Thankful This shirt with some stretchy pants and you are set to eat ALL the green bean casserole!

Thankful & Blessed Mommy & Me Set

My daughter and I love to match. How cute are these Thanksgiving shirts on Amazon for Mommy & Me?

Gobble Til You Wobble

This is my favorite silly Thanksgiving saying.

One Thankful Mama

Truer words have never been spoken. Do you feel thankful this year mama/

Do you love to create a cozy and comfortable environment at your Thanksgiving table or are you a little more formal? I love hearing about other people’s holiday traditions! I hope that if you are a casual lover, that you find some cute Thanksgiving shirts on Amazon for turkey day!

If you have been procrastinating like me and working on your Thanksgiving outfit instead of dinner, check out this super easy, 3 ingredient, no bake caramel pie recipe. It is just about 5 minutes of prep work, some chill time and it tastes very similar to the O’Charley’s caramel pie. You will love it.

Stocking Stuffers for 1 Year Old

November 25, 2018 by Stacy Craft 7 Comments

12 stocking stuffers for 1 year old to include this Christmas season. All items are under $5 and fun for babies age 12 months to 24 months.

Finding stocking stuffers for 1 year old babies should be easy. They can only say a few words. He/she doesn’t care about the hot new toy this year. They are mostly interested in boxes and tearing up wrapping paper. Yet it seems easy and hard all at the same time.

This list gives 12 stocking stuffers for 1 year old toddlers that will be useful, entertaining and budget friendly. All of these toys and baby items are less than $5 and can be purchased online. So now you have your toddler stocking filled easily and without any junk.

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

12 Stocking Stuffers for 1 year old Toddlers Under $5

Here is the list of stocking stuffers for 1 year old babies this Christmas season.

Munchkin Baby Bath Ball – Bath toys are a favorite of mine to buy as gifts because bath toys seem to have a shorter life span in our house (if you are not diligent about cleaning, which I am not). This is a great price point and my little boy would love this!

Winter Baby Touch & Feel Book – Touch and feel are our favorite books for little ones (& my 5 year old still touches too. If we are being honest, I do too!).

Goldfish Crackers – My one year old’s stomach is probably 50% full of Goldfish crackers at all times. He would be delighted to see “fish” in his stocking! You can find these at the grocery store for a couple of dollars or buy in bulk on Amazon.

Munchkin 360 Cup – this is the best sippy cup ever. I switched my daughter to this when she was a little older but my 13 month old is already using these. I like them because they can’t bite through the spout like other sippy cups & these are better for their developing teeth. This is a 2 pack that makes each one just over $5 each. I love practical stocking stuffers.

Kids Divided Plates – Ok, so maybe your 1 year old may not be thrilled over a plate, sometime soon they will like it. I like buying things that will be useful in the coming year, especially since they don’t care about this year’s hot toy.

Kiddy Forks – We have a ton of tiny baby spoons but pretty soon our baby will be looking to use a fork like his big sis! Stock up now for the coming year.

Hair Bows – Bows are stocking stuffers for 1 year old or 5 year old! Bows have been in her stocking every year for 5 years! They are inexpensive and cute!

Toddler Snack Bars – a fun snack is a great treat to add to a stocking for a 1 year old without having to add candy. Although I will likely put in a pack of M&M’s because my little one loves them!

Duplo My First Bus – How cute is this first Lego set? Perfect for little hands.

Munchkin Bath Letters – These are a great way to discuss letters, numbers and even colors with your child.

Cookie Jar Mega Bloks – This is the cutest thing ever! It is on sale right now for just over $5.

Character 10″ Ball – Toddlers love chasing balls around! This one would fit perfectly at the top of the stocking.

Hopefully this list of stocking stuffers for 1 year old toddler helps you get your shopping done. If you have a 3-5 year old little girl, be sure to check out this list of stocking stuffers for her under $5.

What do you plan to use for stocking stuffers for 1 year old toddler?

Delivery Driver Christmas Gift

November 24, 2018 by Stacy Craft 5 Comments

An easy delivery driver Christmas gift for the hard working UPS, USPS & FedEx employees that bring your presents to the door. Be sure to download the free printable!

A lot of packages come to my door all through out the year. It seems like I buy everything online these days! Even our toilet paper is dropped off by one of the delivery services. But at Christmas, the amount of packages arriving at my door increase a ton. With two young kids, shopping online just makes my life so much easier. So I wanted to find a way to give a fun delivery driver Christmas gift to those that help me during the season.

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

Delivery Driver Christmas Gift for UPS, FedEx & USPS

These delivery drivers work so hard all year but in particular at Christmas time. We get everything from stocking stuffers to the Hot LOL Surprise Doll toys delivered to our house.

In the summer they are in the sweltering heat without air hauling packages to your door. And in November and December, they are often braving cold temperatures and bad weather to get your gifts to you on time.

These drivers work long hours and often have to skip meals to make sure they get everything done. And even though I think lots of us are thankful for their service, it is often a thankless job. They drop the packages at the door, most of the time never even interacting with the recipient in a rush to get to their next delivery.

Yes, it is their job and they get paid for this service. However, I wanted a fun way to give a delivery driver Christmas gift this year to show our appreciation. Since I planned to do 3 of these (one for UPS, FedEx & USPS), I wanted it to be inexpensive yet cute and meaningful.

Free Delivery Driver Christmas Gift Printable

If you would like to give a delivery driver Christmas gift this year, be sure to download the free PDF file Here!

Then head over to Amazon and grab a $5 printable gift card. Some other fun ideas would be a $5 gift card to Starbucks for a cup of coffee to warm them up or a gift card to a fast food lunch spot.

You can make this a free way to give by redeeming your Swagbucks points for a gift card! If you are not using Swagbucks, you should be! You earn points by doing small tasks or just by searching the internet. I have personally redeemed points several times for gift cards valued between $5 and $25. Follow this link to sign up!

Creating the Gift

The gift is super simple to put together. Simply print the printable file. It is going to print just slightly smaller than a standard size of printer paper.

Trim the edges if you wish and then affix your gift card. I used an Amazon printable and just trimmed it up to fit. It will also fit a standard plastic gift card that you might purchase from a retail store. Use double sided tape to affix the card.

Sign the bottom & remember to add a “To” section, so that the driver knows to take the gift. I just taped the card to my window. You could also use some cute ribbon to tie it to the door knob.

Do you love to reward the service workers in your life?

No Junk Stocking Stuffers for 3-5 Year Old Girls

November 5, 2018 by Stacy Craft 12 Comments

30+ No junk stocking stuffers for 3-5 year old girls under $5 that you can buy online! Make shopping easy and affordable this holiday season.

Back in October, I wrote a post about no junk Halloween favors to hand out at trunk to treats or class parties. It was pretty popular, mostly because I think parents are tired of finding tiny little trinket toys all over their house. You know, those things that get played with for 1 minute and then thrown on the ground as the kids move on to the next thing.

That got me thinking about Christmas and stockings. Stockings can easily become a breeding ground for junk if they become a last minute after thought. I wanted a big list of stocking stuffers for 3-5 year old girls that was under $5. Yes, I wanted inexpensive but not junk.

My last parameter was that I didn’t want a stocking full of candy. There will be candy in my soon to be 5 year old’s stocking (thanks Santa) but this list doesn’t include any food/candy. Only toys, accessories, crafts and essentials are included in this stocking stuffer list.

(Affiliate Links are used in this post. A small commission may be paid to me at no extra cost to you and that helps to support this page. Please see my disclosures page for additional information.)

Meal Time

I have one kiddo that dislikes meal time and fun dinnerware can sometimes help that situation and encourage eating. These cute items are perfect stocking stuffers for 3-5 year old girls.

Zak! Frozen Divided Plate – This brand of kid plates is the very best in my opinion. I previously bought other brands and this is the only one that has stuck around for 4 + years. The colors stay vibrant and they don’t warp in the dishwasher.

Zak! Frozen Water Bottle – We can always use a new water bottle for lunch boxes or to take in the car. If you have a Frozen lover, check out this Ultimate Frozen Gift Guide.

Moana Silverware Set – Kid size silverware makes it easier for little ones to eat without messes. Their favorite princess on the front just makes it more fun.

Bath Time & Hygiene

The daily routine will be much more fun with some special bath products.

Frozen Kid Bubble Bath – Princess bubble bath is fun and tear free.

Sudprize Bath Bombs – My kids love bath bombs! This one turns the water a bright color without staining your white tub.

Crayola Sugar Cookie Slime Soap – OMG! Slime meets soap in this cool little product. How cool! Icky slime with holiday scents to get you clean? My kids will go crazy for this! Also available in Jolly Jellybean & Artic Mint.

Munchkin Bath Crayons – If my kids can make a mess, they are happy. These are nothing that a little wipe down after a bath can’t clean up and the kids enjoy them.

Munchkin Bath Letters – I actually got these for my 1 year old but my 4 (almost 5) year old has been playing with them like crazy lately. She loves for me to give her words to spell since she now recognizes letters.

Oral-B Princess Battery Toothbrush – I use a Sonicare and I know my daughter will love brushing her teeth like Mom.

Frozen Toothpaste – Essentials with characters are so much more fun. True story, I would not buy my daughter a toy at Target this weekend. She was sad until I told her she could pick out some toothpaste. My kids are easy to please!

Unicorn Lip Balm – Lip balm is great because little girls feel like it is makeup but with no color, there is less of a mess chance.This one is in a cute unicorn shape.

Character Band Aids – My kids go bananas for bandaids. These are even better than stickers. My daughter will have 10 bandaids on by Christmas dinner, I promise.

Accessories

Wearable accessories make fun additions to the girly girl’s stocking. My daughter loves dressing up and a few accessories will surely put a smile on her face.

Cat & Jack Hairbows – I love the Cat & Jack brand at Target. It is nice quality at a good price. These cute little bows would fit perfectly in a stocking.

Kid Sunglasses – Sunglasses are always a fun little treat. Sunglasses remind me of the beach even if it is cold & dreary outside.

Magic Gloves – A pair of warm gloves to go with those cool shades!

Crafts

I like arts and crafts because they are typically inexpensive and unlike some other “cheap” toys, they provide an activity for kids and get used.

Sidewalk Chalk – This might seem like something better suited for an Easter basket, but my kids love playing outside even if it is cold.

Barbie Color & Style Purse – this would be a fun little coloring craft that is under $5 to include in a girl’s stocking.

Crayola Coloring Book – coloring books are a great way to occupy the kids and provide a minute or two of quiet time.

Play Doh Multi Pack – Play Doh is always good for entertaining kids.

Nail Polish – Polishing the nails is basically an art form. I like that this polish is non-toxic.

Crayola Twistables Crayons – These are the BEST crayons. They are encased in plastic to prevent breakage.

Model Magic – Modeling clay is a great way to encourage imaginative play and building.

Silly Scents Colored Pencils – Scented coloring elevates the expereince. My daughter got some of these over the summer and has really enjoyed them.

Trolls Giant Coloring Pages – Huge fun for a small price tag.

Toys

Here are several toy options for stocking stuffers for 3-5 Year Old Girls under $5.

Bottle, Rattle & Pacifier Set – If your little one loves baby dolls, this is a cute set for her baby.

66 Pcs. Lego Set – My daughter has legos on her Christmas list. I love that you can get this educational toy for less than $5.

LOL Surprise Dress Up Dolls Activity Kit – My daughter loves anything LOL doll related! If you need more than 20 other LOL Gift ideas that are not the dolls, check out this post!

Crayola Slime – Slime gets a bad parental rap in my opinion! (don’t hate me!) I have strict rules about it but we love it at our house. My daughter’s favorite is to slime her toy figurines and LOL Dolls.

Frozen Lip Gloss & Mirror Set – We have this and my daughter loves to apply the lipstick. The mirror is plastic so there it won’t break if dropped.

Books

Of course books are always a welcome purchase at my house. Reading to your kids is super important and there are quite a few choices that you can find under $5.

Fancy Nancy Book – We are into Fancy Nancy right now but there are lots of book options under $5.

Wipe Clean Workbook – Doing Pre-K school work is more fun with a dry erase marker!

I hope this list of stocking stuffers for 3-5 Year Old girls helps Santa fill those preschool stockings this year. Merry Christmas!