Whys & Finds

Pick by how your child plays: one big dinosaur that goes everywhere, or a set of small ones for stories at home.

Show Notes

What are good dinosaur toys for a 3-year-old?

Pick by how your child plays. One big dinosaur friend that goes everywhere suits a kid who wants it with him all day. A set of small dinosaurs suits a kid who lines them up and makes up stories at home. The American Academy of Pediatrics says to match the toy to what the child can already do, with a little room to grow, and that no single toy is needed for the next developmental milestone. The AAP also says to avoid toys with button batteries or high-powered magnets.

Ellie takes the side of one big plush dinosaur on a small backpack: how the plush comes out for a hug and goes back, the straps and zipper, and the age range. Ben takes the side of a herd of small plush dinosaurs, sized for kids' hands. He also has an answer for small toys that get lost: a drawstring bag. Then they agree who each kind is for.

Sources:

Whys & Finds is made by Naturally KIDS.
This episode uses AI-generated voices for both hosts.

What is Whys & Finds?

The whys parents and gift-givers ask about little kids, and the finds that actually get used. On Whys & Finds, two hosts, Ellie and Ben, take one question per episode, answer it up front, and are honest about when something else would suit a child better. Both hosts are AI-generated voices. Made by Naturally KIDS.

Ben: He's turning three, and it's dinosaurs all day. You start looking for a birthday gift and get a wall of dinosaur toys. Big ones, tiny ones, ones that roar. Which kind do you actually pick?

Ellie: Welcome to Whys & Finds. I'm Ellie.

Ben: And I'm Ben.

Ellie: Today: what are good dinosaur toys for a three-year-old? And which kind should you pick?

Ellie: For a three-year-old, it comes down to two kinds. One big dinosaur friend that goes everywhere with him. Or a handful of small dinosaurs he can line up and play with on the floor. Both work. Pick the kind that matches how this child plays.

Ben: And you've already picked a side.

Ellie: I have. One big dinosaur that goes everywhere.

Ben: Then I'm taking the herd. Lots of small ones.

Ellie: Deal. But first, one thing we both agree on.

Ellie: The American Academy of Pediatrics has a report on choosing toys for young children. Its main idea: match the toy to what the child can already do, with a little room to grow.

Ben: So at three, what can he already do?

Ellie: Ask the parents. Can he carry a small bag? Open a zipper? Does he make up little stories with his toys? The same report lists pretend play with toy characters, like dolls, animals and action figures, as one of the classic kinds of toys.

Ben: A dinosaur is an animal. I'm counting it.

Ellie: I'll allow it. One more line from the AAP: "A certain toy is not necessary for your child to reach his or her next developmental milestone."

Ben: So there's no must-have dinosaur.

Ellie: There isn't. Which means you can pick the kind that fits the kid, not the kind that tops a list.

Ellie: Here's my case. A three-year-old who loves dinosaurs may have one he talks to. One with a name. A toy like that gets used more when it can go where he goes. The park, the car, a visit to grandma.

Ben: And how does a big plush dinosaur go to the park without staying under a bench?

Ellie: That's where the way it's made matters. One option is a small Naturally KIDS backpack with a soft corduroy T-Rex that rides on the front. The plush is removable. He takes it out for a hug and puts it back.

Ben: Can a three-year-old manage that on his own? Straps, zipper, all of it?

Ellie: That's the idea. Padded, adjustable straps, and an easy zipper small hands open on their own. Inside there's room for a snack and a treasure.

Ben: A T-Rex is mostly teeth, though.

Ellie: Soft felt teeth.

Ben: And if his favorite isn't the T-Rex?

Ellie: There's a corduroy triceratops, in a few colors. And other animals, like a unicorn, a dog and a giraffe.

Ben: Okay. And age? He's three.

Ellie: The backpacks come in different sizes. The small ones are for kids from 18 months.

Ben: So at three, he's well past that.

Ellie: Right.

Ben: My turn. Plenty of dinosaur kids don't stop at one dinosaur. They love the names. He might want the T-Rex and the Triceratops and the Stegosaurus. And he'll tell you which is which.

Ellie: He will. Several times.

Ben: So give him a herd. Small plush dinosaurs he can line up, sort and make talk to each other. One set has six of them, from a T-Rex to a Stegosaurus.

Ellie: How small?

Ben: Sized for kids' hands.

Ellie: So a three-year-old can hold two at once and make them argue.

Ben: Exactly. One story, six characters. A single plush can only play one part.

Ellie: That's a real point. Here's my worry, though. Six small dinosaurs in one living room. By the end of the week, four of them live under the sofa.

Ben: Can I push back on that? You said the small ones get lost, so one big one makes more sense. But getting lost is a storage problem. It's not a reason to skip them.

Ellie: Go on.

Ben: One version of that set comes with a drawstring bag for easy carrying. The herd lives in the bag. And on a day out, two of them can ride in his backpack next to the snack.

Ellie: Okay, that's fair. I was arguing against the sofa, not against the toys. A bag for the herd fixes most of my worry.

Ben: So I win this one.

Ellie: You win this one.

Ellie: So who is each kind for? The big dinosaur on a backpack is for the kid who wants his dinosaur with him everywhere. He likes carrying his own things. The dinosaur comes along to the park, in the car, on the walk to daycare.

Ben: The herd is for the kid who plays on the floor at home and makes up whole stories. And it works for the relative who wants a smaller second gift to go with someone else's bigger one.

Ellie: And if he does both, there's a set that has both. A dinosaur backpack, a bigger plush dinosaur and 4 mini dinosaurs.

Ben: Of course there is.

Ellie: Now, who should skip a dinosaur toy altogether? If he isn't into dinosaurs right now, don't buy one just because a list says three-year-olds love them. A "cute for everyone" gift that ignores what this child loves can end up in a closet.

Ben: And if the family already has a shelf full of dinosaurs?

Ellie: Then skip the herd. Coloring books, crayons and stickers are on the AAP's list too, and they get used up instead of piling up.

Ben: What about the big roaring ones with lights?

Ellie: Check what powers it. The AAP says: "Avoid toys with button batteries or high-powered magnets."

Ben: Okay, let me see if I've got it. One: match the toy to what he can already do, with a little room to grow. That's the American Academy of Pediatrics. Two: there's no must-have dinosaur. Three: one big dinosaur on a backpack if he wants it with him everywhere. The plush comes out for a hug and goes back in. Four: a herd of small ones if he makes up stories, with a bag so they don't disappear. Five: check the age on the label, and skip anything with button batteries or high-powered magnets.

Ellie: You've got it.

Ellie: And if you'd rather not choose, Naturally KIDS makes that set with a dinosaur backpack, a bigger plush dinosaur and 4 mini dinosaurs. It arrives gift-ready in a kraft box, which helps on a birthday.

Ben: So we both win.

Ellie: We both win.

Ellie: That's it for today. A reminder: the voices in this episode are AI-generated. Whys & Finds is made by Naturally KIDS.

Ellie: That's today's why. See you at the next find.