A set of building blocks provide countless hours of creation.
Whether you are giving the child a Christmas, Hannukah, Easter, Valentine's Day or a spontaneous gift, choose something that is age-appropriate. At 3-1/2 years old, the child is likely quite independent, imaginative and active. Give toys that the child can both use on his own and share with friends or siblings as they play together.
Arts & Crafts Supplies
Preschool-aged kids can draw, glue and usually operate a pair of safety scissors with supervision. Give a variety of craft supplies to encourage creativity. A set of watercolors is appropriate for a child of this age. Construction paper in a variety of colors, glitter glue pens, cotton balls, glue sticks and embellishments, such as chenille stems, pom-poms and sequins allow for countless combinations. For a larger gift, opt for an easel with a large pad of paper on one side and a chalkboard on the other.
Block Sets
Give a preschooler a set of blocks that will be a practical toy for years to come. Jumbo cardboard blocks help preschoolers create forts and large structures. Wooden building blocks encourage architectural creativity and hone skills of balancing items on one another. Blocks that attach to each other allow preschoolers to create a variety of shapes and structures. By this age, children should be able to use smaller building blocks safely without hazard of choking.
Dress-Up Accessories
Children who are 3-1/2 years old enjoy playing different roles, especially imitating those that they have seen others demonstrate. Give a child some new dress-up accessories to encourage acting out scenarios. Options include hats, glasses, costume jewelry, briefcases, jackets, purses, shoes, scarves, animal-print fabrics, foam swords and princess outfits. If the child already has plenty of accessories, you could get a special dress-up bin to hold them all.
Puzzles
By the age of 3-1/2, children should be able to put together simple jigsaw puzzles of six or more pieces. Choose a puzzle with a lively image that has plenty of colors for children to use as clues when piecing the puzzle together. A puzzle with a familiar character from a book or television show can help because the child can easily identify parts of the character that are on different puzzle pieces. One idea for a child who is learning the alphabet is a long floor puzzle with one letter on each puzzle piece.
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