She is three, she loves unicorns, and you are choosing her gift for the holidays. Search for a unicorn gift and you get page after page of pictures. It helps to know her size and what she does with her unicorns. Below are five picks from our own line, and the checks to do before you order.
What is a good Christmas gift for a 3-year-old girl who loves unicorns?
A good unicorn gift for a three-year-old is one she will use every day, not one she looks at once. That is something she carries, or something for her room. Before you order, check three things: the real size in inches, what age it is made for, and what she actually does with her unicorns. A gift that fits her now gets used now. A gift chosen from a picture alone can end up in a closet.
Choosing a gift from a picture, without checking it against the real child, is buying blind. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the U.S. product safety agency, has advice for holiday toy shoppers. It says to "choose toys that match each child's interests and abilities." That is the child she is now, not a child two years older. ZERO TO THREE, a U.S. nonprofit focused on early childhood, says this about toddlers: "They enjoy roleplaying as characters like kings or queens." A unicorn can be one of those characters. It does not have to light up or teach anything.
The part that is yours is knowing her. "She loves unicorns" is a start. Some children carry their unicorns everywhere. Some line them up and put them to bed. Some want unicorns all over their room. Those are three different gifts. If you are the parent, you already know which one she is. If you are a grandparent, aunt or uncle, ask her parents which of these happens every day. You can ask that without spoiling the surprise. Our picks follow those three: backpacks for the unicorn that goes everywhere, six plush unicorns to put to bed, and lamps for her room.
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The picks
1. If she wants a backpack of her own
Naturally KIDS Toddler Backpack with Plush Unicorn Toy
Our classic small backpack, 10 by 8 by 3 inches, with room for a snack and a treasure. A white plush unicorn sits on the front, and she can take it out for a hug and put it back. It arrives gift-ready in a kraft box: two gifts in one box. If you cannot check her size, start with this one.
2. If the bag needs pockets for a water bottle
Naturally KIDS Toddler Unicorn Backpack with Pink Unicorn Toy, Small with Pockets
This one has a pink unicorn and two side pockets for a water bottle. Two inner pockets hold small things, and there is a name label inside. Write her name on it before you wrap the gift. It is also 10 by 8 by 3 inches.
3. If she lines her unicorns up and puts them to bed
Naturally KIDS Unicorn Set of 6 with Magic Bag
Six plush unicorns, each 5½ inches tall and a different color, with a drawstring bag for easy carrying. That is a whole row to line up and tuck in at night, and in the morning the row goes back in the bag. Each one is made so a child's hand can grab it and hold on. It is also a good pick if she already has a backpack she uses every day.
4. If she wants unicorns all over her room
Naturally KIDS Unicorn Lamp, Pink Unicorn
This one is a gift for her room, and partly for her parents. A grown-up switches it on at bedtime, and she gets a warm light shaped like a friendly animal for story time, and the lamp comes in a box ready to give. Before you order, pick a spot on a dresser or a shelf with an outlet close by.
5. If her room has no pink in it
Naturally KIDS Unicorn Lamp, Grey Unicorn
A grey unicorn shaped like a friendly animal, for a room in grey, white or soft colors. Its shade gives a warm, cozy light, and it brightens story time. It stands on a dresser or a nightstand, the LED bulb comes with it, and a grown-up switches it on when it is time for a book. It is a lamp for all ages, so it can stay in her room long after the unicorn phase. It also comes in a box ready to give.
How not to buy blind: six checks before you order
Two of these checks come from public advice: the CPSC's holiday advice and ZERO TO THREE's tips on choosing toys.
- Ask what she does with her unicorns. Does she carry them, put them to bed, or look at them? If you are not the parent, ask her parents which one happens every day.
- Find the size in inches. It is on the product page. Then hold up a tape measure and picture it on her back.
- Check what age it is made for. Go by that, not by the age of the child in the photo.
- Buy for the child she is now. The CPSC says to "choose toys that match each child's interests and abilities." If you have not seen her in months, guess smaller. A gift that fits now gets used now.
- Ask what the toy leaves for her to do. If a unicorn sings or flashes, it does a lot of the playing. ZERO TO THREE says: "The more a toy does, the less your child has to do."
- For a lamp, find the spot first. Pick a dresser or a shelf with an outlet close by.
Our small unicorn backpacks are 10 by 8 by 3 inches, so step 2 takes a minute before you order.
What this means for your family
The right unicorn gift is the one she will use every day. Start with what she does with her unicorns. If she carries them everywhere, look at a small backpack and check the inches against her. If you cannot check her size, guess smaller. If she lines them up and puts them to bed, a set of six plush unicorns gives her a whole row. If she wants unicorns all over her room, a lamp for her room works too, with a grown-up on the switch at bedtime. Check what age a gift is made for. If you are not the parent, ask her parents: what does she do with her unicorns every day? We make these for children who take their unicorn everywhere, and for the grown-ups who notice where it goes.
Sources
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) — Don't Be Left Out in the Cold This Holiday Season with Unsafe Presents: Buy from Trusted Sources
- ZERO TO THREE — Tips for Choosing Toys for Toddlers
Frequently asked questions
It holds snacks, a water bottle, wipes, a small toy, or a thin book, and a small lunchbox. It is deliberately toddler-sized — enough for a daycare day, not for school.
Yes. The plush animal sits on the front of the backpack, and your child can take it out for a hug and put it back. The backpack and the plush are both 100% polyester. The plush stays soft and holds its shape hug after hug.
It's soft, lightweight, and comfortable for toddlers and little kids to wear. The adjustable straps help it fit as they grow, and the zipper is easy for little hands to zip and unzip on their own.
Yes. The small and medium Naturally KIDS backpacks with a removable plush, and the sets of a backpack with mini plush animals, arrive gift-ready in a kraft box. That makes two gifts in one box: a backpack and a plush friend. You can give the box as it comes, or wrap it.
Six plush unicorns, each 5½ inches tall and a different color. The unicorn set comes with or without a drawstring bag for easy carrying. A child can carry one around the house, and the set can go along on a trip or to the grandparents' house.