Gift Idea for 3 Yr Old Girl

I second the beach towel idea. My son gave one of his classmates a beach towel. I looked at the invite as a clue to what she was into. We spent around $10 - $12 ood luck!

The Disney store is having their big sale staring today. My daughter loves all things princess. There is so much to chose from . bathing suits are $10. beach towels &7.50. Flip flops and sunglasses $2.50.They are a great gift. Don't forget the gift receipt!

Wow you got a lot of responses from "generous" people. I say $10-$15 incl. gift bag & card, for someone you hardly know. I was at borders today & they have some great gifts in that price range. I got my 3 1/2 yr old girl a "Dot 2 Dot Lacing" activity. For ages 3-7 only $10. My 5yr old boy has also been playing with it.

I have a 3 year old girl, so here's my suggestions:

Under $10
ballerina-style tutu from Claire's or Target
novelty purse and some small items (lipstick/chapstick) inside

Under $15
art supplies, specifically the Crayola set for painting sidewalks (Target)
giant floor pad and washable markers or paints (Target)
small inflatable swimming pool (I think they're actually $10 at Target these days)

Under $20
an outfit from Disney Store in princess or Minnie Mouse
the latest Disney DVD

I think $20 give or take is a good amount to spend. I second any kind of art stuff. Also large beads to make necklaces, braclets etc are a good bet. Just make sure they are larger sizes. Some girls are not into princess stuff. One of my girls was always a girly girl-princess all the way. The other preferred to run around, draw, create. She is a fantastic artist now. You could ask your son what she plays with in day care. That could give you an idea of whether she likes the princess stuff or if she prefers to draw. Of course, you could always get princess art supplies.

$15 - 20 is appropriate or any gift that "looks" like you bought it for that much. At that age, I started stocking up on art supplies that were on sale (especially around the beginning of the school year) so that I could create an art box.

Dress up kits - anything dress up or toys that can enhance her creativity.

Simple games, like cariboo (Cranium line is a fun line of games by Hasbro. They have quite a few games in different age brackets) , zingo or other Milton Bradley or Hasbro board games.

Littlest pet shop critters are all so cute and lots to collect.

I think anywhere from $15-20 will be fine. I highly recommend the game Ele-fun. My daughter loved it, I got it for my neice at that age and she loved it too. It's not a girl-specific game, just fun. :) Also, art supplies are always great.

poly pockets, snap dress dolls or those pet shop dolls

I think somewhere in the $20-$25 range is reasonable to spend. My daughter turns three next month and is into anything princess. She also loves art supplies like stickers, crayons, coloring books, water color paints, outside chalk. Just give a gift receipt whatever you choose, so if they get duplicates than it can be returned. Have fun!