Books and Magazines

• A preschooler will enjoy some new books to read.Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images
  
  A preschooler's attention span is lengthening, and this is the perfect time to add some new books to his library. While toddlers usually sit for very short stories, preschoolers start to enjoy those with more substance and length. Great Schools suggests trying books authored by Mercer Mayer, Eric Carle, Bill Martin Jr., Jan Brett, or Doreen Cronin.
  
  Preschoolers will also enjoy getting a magazine in the mail to read. "Your Big Backyard," "Highlights High Five," "National Geographic Little Kids," and "Preschool Friends" are all created with stories and activities that are developmentally appropriate for preschoolers.
  
  

Outdoor Toys

• Outdoor toys motivate a young child to be active.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Being outdoors and active is important for a child's health, so give an outdoor toy to encourage that habit. Preschoolers enjoy pretend lawn mowers, wheelbarrows, shovels and tools. A small sand box (with toys to use in it) is a great place for kids to use their imagination. Preschool-aged children are also ready to start learning sports such as soccer, t-ball, and basketball, so equipment appropriate for their size would be a useful gift. In "Best Gifts for Preschoolers," CBS recommends a tricycle with a handle on the back so parents can help with steering and pushing as the child learns to pedal.
  
  

Creative Supplies

• Give supplies for children to use their creativity.Steve Baccon/Digital Vision/Getty Images
  
  As a preschooler grows, she is refining her small motor skills. As children can manipulate arts and craft supplies more independently, give gifts that will let her express her creativity. A box of paper, crayons, finger paints, markers, stickers, glue sticks, and scissors makes a great craft box for a budding artist. Preschoolers also enjoy modeling dough, which comes in bright colors and can be squished into any shape they desire.
  
  

Preschoolers and Dress-Up

• Kids like to dress up and pretend they are somebody else.Jupiterimages/Goodshoot/Getty Images
  
  As three- and four-year-olds learn about the world around them, they enjoy role-playing different scenarios. They imagine what it would be like to be a fireman, chef, princess, or doctor. Give a box filled with dress-up clothes so a preschooler can pretend he is anyone from a superhero to a veterinarian. Props and clothes can be found in toy stores, but thrift stores and offices can also be a source of treasures to include in the box.
  
  

Building Toys

• Open-ended toys such as blocks make great gifts.Jupiterimages/Goodshoot/Getty Images
  
  While electronic toys that make sounds and light up are popular, these toys seem to lose their appeal quickly. Universal Preschool suggests supplying a preschooler with building toys that can be used over and over again in many different ways. Dominoes, wooden blocks, large plastic blocks, log building kits, and magnetic toys that connect are all examples of gift ideas that will be used by a creative preschooler for several years.
  
  

Games

• Preschoolers are ready to play beginner board games.Jupiterimages/Goodshoot/Getty Images
  
  Children who are three or four years old are starting to see the appeal in playing games with others. Taking turns and using their knowledge of colors, numbers, and shapes will make some preschool games great gift choices. Candyland or Chutes and Ladders are time-tested classics that any preschooler enjoys. Toy stores offer Bingo and matching games in different themes that appeal to preschoolers. Two new popular games popular for this age group are Hulabaloo or Cariboo.