37 Hands-On Toys Your 3 Year Old Will Use to Develop Fine Motor Skills

There are many toys and activities available for helping a child develop fine motor skills, which are important for a child to master. It’s also important for parents and caregivers to keep an eye on this in case the child does not master these skills, so they can investigate occupational therapy or other solutions.

To be fundamental to toddlers for things like fine motor skills, their toys should all provide help with developmental skills. Check out this list of must-have toys which do just that.

Melissa & Doug Pattern Blocks and Boards

Melissa & Doug Pattern Blocks and Boards

The sky is the learning limit with these colorful geometric Pattern Blocks and double-sided Boards that will provide your child with hours of learning through play. Children will learn color recognition, differences in shapes, problem solving, and enhance hand-eye coordination as they work to fit each piece in it’s place by color and shape.$16.99

Back Bay Play Convertible Picnic Table

Back Bay Play Convertible Picnic Table

Your child will spend hours outdoors in pretend play with this All in One Kids Premium Sand and Water Convertible Picnic Table with bench seats. They can start their day having a picnic with friends, then play with the water and sand table, then close those up when it’s time to color.$179.99

Little Treasures Fruit and Vegetables for Pretend Cutting Food

Little Treasures Fruit and Vegetables for Pretend Cutting Food

With this Fruit and Vegetables Play Kitchen food your child will be able to pretend play their cutting skills with the cutting boards and knives. The food is hook and loop connected so they can slice them and fit them back together with the double sided sticky surface, enhancing fine motor skills.$24.99

Bead Peg Board Toy

Bead Peg Board Toy

Peg Boards are used in preschools and by Occupational Therapists to help children with development of fine motor skills. Children need opportunities that will strengthen these skills, and these peg boards provide this. This set has pattern cards, or your child can create their own designs with just the transparent board.$36.99

Learning Resources Gator Grabber Tweezers

Learning Resources Gator Grabber Tweezers

If you’re looking for development toys for your child to improve their pincer grasp and hand-eye coordination, this bucket of Gator Grabber tweezers is just what your imaginative child needs. Perfect for tactile learners, these brightly colored tweezers fit little hands well as they use them to pick up small items.$8.79

Jumbo Lacing & Stringing Wooden Beads

Jumbo Lacing & Stringing Wooden Beads

These Jumbo Lacing and Stringing Wooden Animal Beads help your child in the development of intricate motor skills and enhances their counting and sequencing skills. The wooden needle makes it easy for little hands to string the lace through the beads, and the metal storage box keeps the set together.$19.99

Skoolzy Preschool Large Lacing Beads

Skoolzy Preschool Large Lacing Beads

Brightly colored large stringing beads are great for toddlers, occupational therapy, and autism. Children develop their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, through sorting and stringing the beads, and their imagination guides them in play. These beads come with a storage bag, so your child doesn’t have to leave the learning behind.$14.97

Skoolzy Peg Board Set

Skoolzy Peg Board Set

The Skoolzy Peg Board Set comes with 30 colorful pegs and a large foam peg board and is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers learning color recognition, sorting, and counting. Children can stack the oversized pegs easily with their little hands and fingers and further develop those vital motor skills.$29.98

Skoolzy Straws and Connectors Building Kits

Skoolzy Straws and Connectors Building Kits

There’s no limit to what your child can create with their imagination, and this Straw and Connector Building Kit, which comes with a colorful cloth storage tote bag, is perfect. Children are introduced to counting, grouping, sorting, building, constructing, and designing, while developing motor skills, and enhancing spatial thinking and problem-solving skills.$29.99

Kids Wooden Button Fine Motor Skills Toy

Kids Wooden Button Fine Motor Skills Toy

This Wooden Sewing on Buttons Lacing Beads Board is a great toy for toddlers and ideal for hand-eye coordination. The brightly colored linden board, thread, and buttons are sized well for tiny hands, and will improve your child’s grip, and even more importantly, they will be proud of the work they complete.$19.99

Learning Resources Smart Snacks Shape Sorting Cupcakes

Learning Resources Smart Snacks Shape Sorting Cupcakes

These Smart Snacks Shape Sorting Cupcakes are a great example of making learning fun with shape recognition, fine motor skills, and color identification. This set has eight colorful cupcakes in a plastic pan, and the cupcake tops must be matched to their bottoms by their shapes by your little baker.$17.99

Little Tikes Fish 'n Splash Water Table

Little Tikes Fish 'n Splash Water Table

Preschool children love tables like this Fish ‘n Splash Water table, and with this example toddlers can pretend they are fishing by themselves or with friends. A basket is included to put the fish they catch into and count, and the fish bowl can be filled with water.$36.99

Melissa & Doug Latches Wooden Activity Board

Melissa & Doug Latches Wooden Activity Board

This Wooden Activity Board is great for building those all-important motor skills, color recognition, counting, problem solving, and memory recall. Toddlers will figure out how to open six different latches/locks on the doors of the board to discover what animal, color, and number is behind each door.$20.48

Hedgehog Threading Lacing Beads

Hedgehog Threading Lacing Beads

The Hedgehog Threading & Lacing wooden beads toy will help your child with eye-hand coordination, dexterity, and essential motor skills. Toddlers will be encouraged to pretend play with the 80 colorful wooden beads they can lace onto the Hedgehog shape board, with the included wooden needle that is safe for children.$17.90

Skoolzy Jumbo Nuts and Bolts Toddler Toys

Skoolzy Jumbo Nuts and Bolts Toddler Toys

Jumbo Nuts and Bolts are perfect for toddlers for color and shape matching, motor skill, and social development. Jumbo sized toys are great for little hands to grasp and manipulate with ease and bright colors and different shapes bring curiosity. These make great therapy tools for Alzheimer, Parkinson’s, and stroke recovery patients, too.$16.99

Artoys Finger Crayons

Artoys Finger Crayons

Toddler Finger Crayon Sticks are stackable and non-toxic, come in 12 basic colors, and fit easily on little fingers to color with ease. The perfect crayon for those just beginning to color, and for little hands that find it difficult to hold regular sized crayons.$18.20

Yoovi Early Learning Basic Life Skills Learn to Dress Boards

Yoovi Early Learning Basic Life Skills Learn to Dress Boards

If you are looking for educational learning toys for your toddler, these Early Learning Basic Life Skills ‘Learn to Dress’ boards are a must have. The boards are hard carton and easy for little hands to hold while they practice mastering the skill, and developing fine motor and cognitive skills, eye-hand coordination, and problem solving.$26.69

Step2 Splash N Scoop Bay

Step2 Splash N Scoop Bay

Bring the beach to your kids with the Splash N Scoop Bay – one side is for water and the other is for sand. This activity table comes with a water tower with slide, shark scoop, table cover, and dual shovel/rake, and you can cover up one side when not in use.$40.09

Learning Resources Veggie Farm Sorting Set

Learning Resources Veggie Farm Sorting Set

Your toddler will love this Veggie Farm Sorting set, with 46 brightly colored vegetable pieces from the farm, and a fold up carrying case. Children will learn to sort by colors, numbers, and shapes during pretend play with these toy vegetables and garden, which your toddler can take on the go and use to teach their friends about farming.$24.99

MICHLEY Interlocking Builders Blocks Play Set

MICHLEY Interlocking Builders Blocks Play Set

Interlocking Builders Blocks Play set is great for helping a child to develop their fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination, dexterity, and independent play. It’s a great toy for sensory development, for use in occupational therapy, and for children with autism. With the 90+ pieces your child can build some great things.$22.49

Little Tikes Spiralin' Seas Waterpark Play Table

Little Tikes Spiralin' Seas Waterpark Play Table

The Spiralin’ Seas Waterpark Play Table helps children develop early motor skills and put in and take out skills, sharing, social engagement, vocabulary and much more. Your child’s creativity and imagination will guide them in pretend play for hours of fun alone or with friends.$36.89

Puzzle-shaped Block Set

Puzzle-shaped Block Set

Every toddler should have this Jumbo-Sized Puzzle-shaped Block set to give them an early start at puzzles. This size is great for little hands, and eye-hand coordination as well as other skills development. Your toddler can create their own puzzles from these brightly colored pieces while they count and sort.$8.91

Melissa & Doug Basic Skills Board

Melissa & Doug Basic Skills Board

This Basic Skills Board for toddlers to learn life skills is a friendly bear who’s also a puzzle which zips and buckles, buttons and snaps, and laces up. The bear’s clothing is attached to puzzle pieces which can be removed to practice the skills, while developing other important skills.$18.79

KidKraft Figure 8 Train Set

KidKraft Figure 8 Train Set

This Figure 8 Train Set has its own mini community with the pieces included making it great for pretend play for your toddler. Connecting the train track pieces helps your child develop fine motor skills, and the pieces are small enough to fit well in small hands.$23.44

Clip Connect Toy

Clip Connect Toy

This brightly colored 100 Piece Clip Connect Building Blocks set has endless options for a child to create. While involved in play with these blocks your child will enhance upon independent play, eye-hand coordination, and dexterity. These blocks are useful to occupational therapists, and children with autism for sensory development$14.99

Skoolzy Toddler Toys Peg Button Art

Skoolzy Toddler Toys Peg Button Art

The Toddler Toys Peg Button Art is a great pegboard with 48 large chunky peg buttons in bright colors, and 12 different images to use with the option for your child to create their own pattern with the transparent board. Pegboards make great toys for occupational therapy.$29.95

Melissa & Doug Wooden Building Blocks Set

Melissa & Doug Wooden Building Blocks Set

This fab Wooden Building Block Set comes with 100 blocks in 4 colors and 9 shapes. Your child will problem solve how to build, use eye-hand coordination as they place each block, develop upon their motor skills each time they grasp a block, and enjoy independent or group play.$12.29

Melissa & Doug Lace and Trace Activity Set

Melissa & Doug Lace and Trace Activity Set

The Lace and Trace Activity Set with 5 wooden panels, and matching laces with adorable farm animals, will have toddlers running to develop their important motor skills with the crew while in pretend play. They will learn to identify shapes, animals, and recognition of colors, eye-hand coordination, and attention skills.$9.99

ALEX Toys Little Hands String A Farm

ALEX Toys Little Hands String A Farm

It’s time to string up the farm with this Little Hands String a Farm with animals and other items you would find on a farm. The activity of stringing here promotes sequencing and counting skills, develops fine motor skills, and encourages pretend play. Your toddler will love the big chunky beads in this set.$11.59

Learning Resources Sand & Water Fine Motor Set

Learning Resources Sand & Water Fine Motor Set

This Sand & Water 4-piece fine motor tool set is a great size for little hands to manipulate, and for developing motor skills during play time. The tools strengthen hand muscles and coordination during interactive play, and toddlers can use this tool set in the bathtub or at the beach.$14.99

Skoolzy Rainbow Linking Chains

Skoolzy Rainbow Linking Chains

It’s never too early for your toddler to learn math, and these Linking Math Manipulatives, in a rainbow of colors, comes in a brightly colored tote bag. This is a beginner STEM toy, made for building fine motor skills, counting, patterning, and sorting. These also make great occupational therapy toys for seniors and stroke patients.$17.95

ALEX Toys Little Hands String and Beep

ALEX Toys Little Hands String and Beep

With the Little Hands String and Beep, your toddler can create their own traffic jam on a string with the 12-chunky wooden car and truck beads. Dexterity, eye-hand coordination, and fine motor abilities are on the list of ways this toy can benefit your child during pretend play.$13.02

Learning Resources Hide-N-Go-Fish

Learning Resources Hide-N-Go-Fish

Hide-N-Go-Fish is a great tactile learning and sensory awareness toy as your toddler will have to reach through the vinyl flaps of the fish bowl to find the brightly colored fish. The fish interlock for motor skill development, and your child’s imagination will guide them in hours of pretend play.$17.59

HABA Town Maze Magnetic Game

HABA Town Maze Magnetic Game

The Haba Town Maze Magnetic Game has a magnetic wand tethered to the board, so your toddler can slide it over the plastic cover to guide the balls home to their matching garage. Navigation will take patience with a lot of fun, while your child develops motor and spatial skills among other.$20.99

Melissa & Doug Magnetic Wand Number Maze

Melissa & Doug Magnetic Wand Number Maze

Melissa and Doug’s magnetic wand number maze wooden puzzle activity has farm animals for counting and number matching. Your toddler will learn number recognition and counting skills, along with eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills. Toddlers will have a blast with these magnetic activity boards and love spending time mastering the skills.$13.97

Step2 Dino Dig Sand & Water Table

Step2 Dino Dig Sand & Water Table

The Dino Dig Sand and Water Table is a two-sided table with dinosaurs, along with sand on one side, and water on the other. It comes with a shovel and palm tree, and a cover for when your child only wants to play on one side when alone versus both sides with their friends.$61.99

Yoovi Montessori Learn to Dress Boards

Yoovi Montessori Learn to Dress Boards

The Learn to Dress boards quiet book teaches your child to Zip, Snap, Button, Buckle, Lace, and Tie, while building fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination, tactile learning, encouraging independence, and empowering your child. The book is easy to manipulate with little hands and is colorful and simple.$24.99

3 Fun Diy Activities to Improve Fine Motor Skills

Pom Pom Sorting Fine Motor Skills Activity

Pom Pom Sorting Fine Motor Skills Activity

The Busy Toddler has a step by step tutorial for a DIY Pom Pom sorting fine motor skills activity for toddlers. Materials are pom poms, clothes pins, and colored bowls; it’s a simple and very easy activity to set up for your child and they will spend hours at play with it.

Diy Sticker Shapes Toddler Activity

Diy Sticker Shapes Toddler Activity

The Busy Toddler is busy making DIY projects, like their Sticker Shapes Toddler Activity for development of math and fine motor skills. It’s another inexpensive, limited material project that will keep your toddler’s attention for hours in pretend play independently or with friends. FYI – Dot stickers are used for this one.

Diy Ice Cream Fine Motor Play

Diy Ice Cream Fine Motor Play

Best Toys 4 Toddlers has many DIY’s for fine motor activities, gross motor skills for 3 and 4-year olds, sensory activities, art activities and a FREE guide for sensory play. If you are looking for DIYs to help with your child’s development, then head over and see if any of these fit your child’s needs.

(You may also like: 32 Effective Potty Training Charts, Books and Tools (Try These))

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