50 Favorite Gift Ideas for Girls, Ages 3-5

It’s time for the second post in our series of holiday gift guides for 2016.  I am so excited to share some of our favorite picks this year for preschool girls, ages 3-5.  I have had a lot of fun creating holiday wish lists with my little girl & we have come up with the Ultimate Wish List for you!  Below are some great gift ideas for girls.  I’m not buying Abby everything that is featured below, but this list was created based on a mix of items that we are purchasing for Christmas, items that they own already (and love), and other items that I think would make a great fit!  We hope you enjoy our post, 50 Favorite Gift Ideas for Preschool Girls.

Toy Recommendations for Preschool Girls, Ages 3-5

VW Beetle Convertible:  If there’s one thing I know that Abby would love, it’s her very own ride-on car.  Her brothers have a ride-on tractor that they have used for several years and she has now inherited, but it is almost to the point of no return.  When I saw this adorable convertible from KidTrax, I knew this would be perfect for our little girl who loves to be on the go!

Care for Me Learning Carrier Toy:  With two dogs in our house, Abby has quickly become a fan of puppies!  She often is carrying around some kind of stuffed animal puppy & so when I saw this toy, I immediately thought this would be a great gift this holiday season.  This toy comes with a small adorable puppy and an interactive pet carrier.   There are buttons that will play music, introduce letters and numbers, and so much more.  A great interactive and educational toy for little ones!

Deluxe Beauty Salon:  One of Abby’s friends has something similar to this & she loves it so I thought it would be a fun addition to give this holiday season.  It comes with ten accessories to use, including a play hair dryer, comb, make-up, and more. This vanity set is perfect for any girly-girl!

Pig Stool:  It’s a little strange, but Abby has decided her nickname at preschool is “Piggy”.  When I found this adorable pig stool from Just Pretend Kids, I thought this would be perfect to give to our little “piggy”.  With little sister due to arrive in less than two months, I have a feeling that this stool will come in handy so Abby has somewhere to sit while I’m rocking a newborn to sleep!

Corolle Baby Dolls:  One of Abby’s absolute favorite toys are dolls, especially with a baby due to arrive soon.  She carries her dolls everywhere, but she especially loves her Corolle dolls.  I’m a huge fan of Corolle dolls because they are beautiful, timeless, and will grow with your child.  I also love how Corolle dolls have a slight vanilla scent.  I’m excited to give Abby a couple new baby dolls to add to her collection this year!

Corolle Baby Doll Accessories: Carry Bed, Accessories Set, & Doll Clothes:  We have some wonderful doll accessories already from Corelle, such as the high chair and crib, but I thought the carry bed would be especially ideal as she loves to carry her dolls all over the house.  She is now into changing her doll clothes so a few new outfits for her babies would be great to give, as well as the large accessories set that features pretend dishes, diapers, wipes, and more!

Peppy Pups:  If you haven’t figured it out already, Abby is all about the puppies!  This cute toy looks like you are walking it, especially when you can pull him around with his very own leash.  It’s super soft & is a great price for a stuffed animal!

Critter Clinic Toy Vet Pet Set:  Here is another fun animal toy for kids.  This toy was recommended to me by Courtney, my co-writer, because her daughters still play with it after several years of owning it!  It’s a portable pet hospital that comes with two plush animal friends & several play doctor tools.  You can lock and unlock six different doors using a fun set of play keys.  This will definitely be a hit this year!

Barbie Dolls:  This is our first year introducing Barbie dolls into our house, but with several friends that play with them, I figured it’s time to start!  I was a huge Barbie fan as a child, so this is a gift that I am especially excited to give.  This year, we are looking at giving her a few of her own Barbie dolls including the Barbie Fashionista dolls, the Barbie Career dolls, & the Chelsea dolls (Barbie’s sister).  One accessory that I know would be a hit under the tree is the Barbie Convertible Car!

Puppy Surprise:  Did you say babies & dogs?  This may be one of the top gifts under the tree!  This plush gift comes with a mommy dog with a surprise number of puppies in the litter with at least three baby puppies to be found.  Even more exciting, one of the puppies has barking sounds, just like real pups!

Princess Dress and Sea Princess Dress:  What preschool girl doesn’t love a little dress up?  With two older brothers, our house is filled with superhero, Ninja Turtles, and fireman costumes.  It’s time to get some items for a girl and I love the dress-up items that can be found at Just Pretend Kids.  They are high-quality, beautiful, & fun for every little girl!

Giant Dog Stuffed Animal:  This giant stuffed animal from The Land of Nod may be the most adorable thing I have ever seen!  It looks like it’s a cross between a giant pillow, stuffed animal, & sleeping bag in one.  I have a feeling that my puppy-loving daughter is going to love this and it would be perfect for cuddling on the couch and family movie nights.  This is definitely a gift that would be one to cherish for several years!

Waterbabies Doll:  These inexpensive dolls from Just Play are perfect for the preschool age.  This Bath Time Fun set is super cute for little girls.  Waterbabies are the only line of baby dolls with the water-fill technology that makes them move, wiggle, and feel soft…just like a real baby.  This set comes with the doll, an animal themed towel, floaty, & bath squirters, as well as a funnel for filling your baby with water.  This will be a great toy to play with in the bathtub!

Twinkle the Unicorn:  Abby is all about horses, ponies, and unicorns so I think this magical unicorn from V-Tech will be a big hit this year!  The unicorn walks around, lights up, flaps her wings, & you can even feed Twinkle with the golden carrot.  I’m pretty sure that this will be a hit with our little unicorn loving preschool girl.

Play-Doh Disney Princess Prettiest Princess Castle Set & Play-Doh:  Play-Doh is one item that we need to restock on, so I figured Christmas is a great time to refill our Play-Doh stash!  One of the things that Abby loves to play on her own while I’m doing chores around the house is Play-Doh, so this castle set would be perfect for little girls of her age!

Dollhouse & Dollhouse Accessories:  Recently, a close friend gave me her dollhouse for growing up so I could fix it up and give to Abby to play with!  I’m not sure if I will get to this in the next month or so, but I have grand plans within the next year to get the dollhouse back in working order.  One of Abby’s favorite things to play with at friend’s houses is a dollhouse so I think a dollhouse & dollhouse accessories would be a wonderful gift for any girl, ages 3-5.  Several friends have recommended the Loving Family Doll House & Accessories from Fisher Price for this age group!

Crayola Marker Tower:  Again, I try to update our art supplies each holiday so I thought this new set of markers would be perfect.  I love Pip-Squeak markers for small hands as they are thicker & easier for little hands to hold.

Scooter:  If there’s one outdoor toy that my kids play with every day, it’s their Mini Kick scooters.  They are amazing & I have recommended them year after year.  The Micro Mini Kickboard scooter is the highest rated scooter for kids, ages 2-5 because it’s easy to steer & provides a nice smooth ride for kids.  Abby received her scooter over a year ago & it’s one of those toys that is well-loved and used often!

My Little Pony:  Another hit in our house is My Little Pony.  There is something for every price range here, ranging from a simple small pony figure (that little girls love) to the magical pony castle.   It’s a perfect gift for any pony-loving girl!  Another favorite item are the My Little Pony dresses & jackets.  They are so colorful and fun for kids to wear!

Lego Duplo Sets:  With two Lego-obsessed older brothers, the Lego Duplos are another hit in our house with our preschool aged girl.    There are some great Duplo sets for young children that will inspire building and creativity!

Games & Activities for Preschool Girls, Ages 3-5

Christmas is a great time to restock your game & activity cabinet for the next year with items that will challenge, inspire, and thrill your children!  Below are some of our picks for this year:

Create & Design Drill Kit:  This kit from Lakeshore Learning has some awesome reviews, so I thought it would be a great activity to keep our little girl busy.  Kids design and drill designs (either with one of the 20 designs that come with the kit or they can create their own).  It’s also a great activity to work on fine motor skills!

My First Designer Doggie:  If there is anything Abby loves to do, it’s crafts.  She loves having projects to do & I thought that this Christmas, it would be fun to get a few activity kits to keep her busy especially in the long winter months.  This designer doggie kit is adorable and great for the preschool age.  It comes with a “diva dog”, dog collar, dog leash, as well as several peel and press felt accents to decorate the accessories and doggie bag.

Cupcake Game:   Game time is a favorite in our house, so I thought it would be fun to update or preschool games with a few special “girly” ones!  This “follow the recipe” game by eeboo looks adorable and who doesn’t love to bake cupcakes?

Snug as a Bug In a Rug Game:  I have heard great things about this game from friends, so I am excited to recommend this one as part of this list this year!  In this game by Peaceable Kingdom, players work together to hide matching bugs under the rug before the three stick bugs stink up the place!  The game reinforces colors, numbers, and shapes all while having fun playing the game.  Even better, there is no competition because everyone wins together!

Mermaid Island:  This is another cooperative game from Peaceable Kingdom where everyone wins together!  In this game, players work together to help the mermaids swim back to Mermaid Island before the Sea Witch arrives.  I know that my mermaid-loving daughter is going to love this game!

My Fairy Garden Magical Cottage Playset:  This magical garden playset looks like so much fun for young girls.  Using the included soil and seeds, you plant your own magical garden.  Once you had fun planting the garden, you can decorate the playset, water it daily, & turn the garden into a magical cottage playset!  What a fun and unique gift idea for little girls to receive!

Under the Water Giant Floor Puzzle:  Ocean animals are a hit in our house so when I saw this beautiful floor puzzle by eeboo, I thought this would be a great gift for Abby.  Floor puzzles are great for the preschool age because the pieces are easy for the kids to manipulate and put together.

Rainbow Fish Share & Sparkle Game, Lacing Cards, and Color Counts:  The Rainbow Fish book by Marcus Pfister is a favorite in our house, so when we found these activities and games that relate to the book, I thought this would be a great hit for the holidays this year.  The Share & Sparkle game is another cooperative game option where players work together to collect all of The Rainbow Fish’s sparkly scales.   The lacing cards are great to have on hand during quiet time, as well as the Color Counts color by number coloring book.

Get Ready for Preschool Kit:  This kit from School Zone is perfect for my preschool-loving three year old, so she can now set up her own pretend classroom at home.  This kit comes with traditional and wipe-clean workbooks & flashcards, coloring pad, crayons, jumbo pencil, and more.

Twister:  This is one game that I remember from my childhood.  I thought that this would be a game that not only my preschooler would love, but so would her older two brothers.  A great way to move around and have fun on a cold winter day!

Books for for Preschool Girls, Ages 3-5

My Christmas Sing-Along Book:  I always love to buy one special book for each kid every year during the holidays.  I chose to get Abby this personalized book from I See Me.  This sing-along book of carols comes complete with a hardcover personalized book and a CD featuring nine classic children’s songs each personalized with your own child’s name.  This is a book that I know will be a hit this year & for many years to follow!

Magical Ponies Sticker Activity Book:  The holidays are a great time to stock up on activity & craft books to keep your little girl busy.  Abby loves ponies, so when I saw this Magical Ponies sticker activity book, I thought this would be a great gift that she will love and that will keep her little hands busy.  These books are great for on the go and/or to use during quiet time for preschoolers!

Kumon Books:  Not only do my kids love the Kumon books at this age, but so do I.  These workbooks are great for working on letters, cutting, numbers, and so much more!

Melissa and Doug Activity Books:   I have said it before, but Abby loves to do crafts and/or projects. She loves to keep her little hands busy.  Melissa & Doug creates several inexpensive activity books that would be great to have on hand.  Here are a few that I think would be great for this age group:  Water Wow!, the chalk/tape/scissors activity kits, & the giant sticker pad books.

National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Animals:   With a little animal lover in our house, I love these National Geographic books for little kids.  The photographs are awesome & the kids love looking through the pages!

Here are five picture books that are on Abby’s wish list this year:

Let’s Play

Pete the Cat and the Missing Cupcakes

Finding Winnie

Peanut Butter & Cupcake

Waiting Is Not Easy! & Other Elephant and Piggie Books

Cozie Bear Purse

Watercolor Paints

Superhero CD by Laurie Berner

Water Bottle

Old Maid & Little Hands Playing Card Holder

Splashlings Playsets

Hairbrush, Hair Accessories including this fun Sparkle Unicorn Headband

Simple Craft Kits

Glitter Glue

Spot It! Game for Kids