Your 3-Year-Old Will Love These 5 Imaginative Books — & And So Will You (Really!)
byKatherine Gaffney
Reading with and to your child can not only be treasured bonding time, it's also proven to help lay the groundwork for reading and learning success throughout their school years. The age of 3, in particular, is when the critical time for reading growth begins— they can listen longer and they are starting to remember and retell stories. Choosing one of the best books for 3-year-olds will help them spark their imagination and ignite creativity as they start to discover (and understand) more about the world around them.
By now you've probably already established a nighttime or nap time routine that involves storytime, but you may be noticing you're being interrupted a lot by your 3-year-old. They're beginning to be able to have conversations using two to three sentences at a time and use other question words— you'll be hearing "why?" quite a lot! — because they are genuinely curious about nearly, well, anything. So books that tap into that curiosity with a mix of whimsical but still easy-to-follow storylines with inviting pictures is ideal.
Toddlers at this age are also now able to follow simple directions, so look for books that ask them to interact (with flaps or prompts) because they are great for developing both cognitive and motor skills. Finally, this is a time where 3-year-olds will start to flex their independence and show their feelings, and that sometimes coincides with big changes in your household like transitioning out of the crib. Books that help ease those emotions are always helpful to have on hand.
Among some of the best books for 3-year-olds below are classics you may recognize from your own childhood, award-winning recipients, and ones that welcome fun, playful participation.
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