Madelyn, 3 years old, is at the age when she appreciates toys that require some level of creativity. Because she is a little young, she can’t take complete advantage of the creative aspects of the toys, but she enjoys trying. For example, she enjoys putting pegs in the Lite-Brite but she can’t place the pegs exactly where need to be to make a picture yet.

A few toys classic creative toys that she play with are:

Lite Brite

Lite-Brite is one of the toys that I actually remember playing with. I have memories of sitting the dark putting the little pegs in the Lite-Brite often making my own designs. Available in pink, blue, and other colors, boys and girls both love this classic toy which can create a few minutes of peaceful time for you, the mom. Lite-Brite is not recommended for children under 3.

Illuminate your imagination with the classic light-up picture maker is now available in a cool flat screen and in the classic box style. The fun, portable design easily fits on your lap or on a table – it’s cordless, so you can take it anywhere! Most, if not all styles comes with 200 pegs. A large storage compartment allows for easy clean-up, and an automatic shut-off conserves battery life.. now that’s more advanced than mine was about 30 years ago.

Alphabet Blocks

I know you remember playing with Alphabet Blocks. Did your parents leave you to play with alphabet blocks in the hallway or was that just my parents? Alphabet blocks provide hours of fun, creativity, and education. Unlike Lite-Brite (for safety reasons) your 3-4 year old can play with Alphabet Blocks alone, stacking and knocking them down, or you can play with the blocks with her for a more educational experience. Most alphabet blocks have letters, numbers, and pictures on them and are now non-toxic.

These wooden blocks are great for teaching letter and number recognition, and building creativity. The alphabet blocks pictured here are available in English, Spanish, French, other languages and even braille and are made with fair labor in the USA.