Dinosaur Gifts for 3 Year Olds: What to Wear, Snuggle and Carry (and What to Skip)

A three-year-old who loves dinosaurs already owns plastic dinosaurs. Probably a bucket of them. So when you're hunting for dinosaur gifts for 3 year olds, the thing that tends to land is something they can be a dinosaur kid in: a shirt they refuse to take off, a blanket with a hood they can roar from, a pillow shaped like a baby T. rex.

That's what we make, so that's what this list covers. We don't sell toys. Everything below comes in a size that fits a three-year-old, and every size, price and shipping time is taken from the live product listing.

Dinosaur gifts for 3 year olds at a glance

The two things we'd steer you away from at three: our backpacks and our shoes. Both are great at four or five. We explain why further down.

Dinosaur shirts sized for three-year-olds

This is the safest gift on the list, because a three-year-old goes through shirts fast and a dinosaur one gets picked first every morning.

There are two kinds in our toddler shirts, and the difference matters:

• Cotton tees, $22.99, sizes 2T–5T. These are classic 100% cotton, pre-shrunk, with a relaxed fit. The Dino Party toddler tee lists its 3T as fitting 33–36 lbs and its 4T as 36–40 lbs, which is the easiest way to pick a size if you don't know what's in their drawer.
• All-over-print tees, $24.99–$29.99, sizes 2T–7. These are a polyester-elastane jersey with four-way stretch, printed edge to edge. The POW Dinosaur Shirt gives its 3T as 38⅝″ tall and a 21¼″ chest. The stretch is the selling point: the shirt moves when they climb, and the print doesn't crack.

If you're between sizes, go up. They grow into it, and you get another season out of it.

Dinosaur dresses for the twirlers

The toddler apparel collection has a dozen dinosaur sundresses at $34.99, from 2T up to girls' XL. Prints run from the Cool T-Rex to neon fossils, rainbow dinosaurs and dinosaur nuggets.

Worth knowing before you buy: they're sleeveless, A-line and made from a stretchy polyester-spandex blend. The 3T is 21.1″ long. That's perfect for a spring or summer birthday. For a December gift, plan on a long-sleeve tee or cardigan under it.

A dinosaur hoodie in a real 3/4-year size

Our kids dinosaur hoodies are $39.99, and six of the seven come in an XS labelled 3/4 years (chest 15⅓″, body length 17⅓″), so you're not buying something they'll swim in for a year.

The Neon Crazy Dinos hoodie is a good example of the range: a double-layer hood, a kangaroo pocket for "found" rocks, and a print the listing promises won't peel, flake or crack. The fabric is 95% polyester and 5% spandex, so it's soft rather than heavy. It's a layer for a cool morning, not a winter coat.

Hooded blankets and pillows for the room

Three is when a lot of kids move into a "big kid" bed, and a dinosaur room thing makes that move easier to sell.

• Hooded dinosaur blanket. The Dino Friends hooded blanket comes in a Youth size, 60″ × 41″, which is big enough to wrap a three-year-old head to toe, with room to grow. You choose the lining: microfiber fleece or a heavier sherpa. It's the gift that doubles as a cape, a tent and, on Halloween, most of a costume.
• Dinosaur-shaped pillows. The Baby Dino pillow is cut to the shape of the dinosaur, $29.99 for the small. The small is 10″ × 10″, which is about the right size for a three-year-old to carry around. It's sealed with no zipper, printed on one side with a white back. Triceratops, Ankylosaurus, a hatching dino and a dinosaur nugget come in the same three sizes at the same price. The full set is in our dinosaur pillows.
• A throw for the bed. The dinosaur throw blankets are $44.99 in 50″ × 60″, a comfortable size for a toddler bed.

What to skip at three (and save for four)

Backpacks. Our dinosaur backpacks are proper school bags: the standard one is 16⅞″ tall and 12¼″ wide, with a padded 15″ laptop sleeve. On most three-year-olds that bag hangs well below their bottom. The exception is the Neon Rex backpack, which comes in a Child size for ages 4 to 7. That's the one to give at four, for the first year of pre-K.

Shoes. The kids dinosaur shoes start at 11 Child (EU 28). That's bigger than many three-year-olds wear, so check the size on their current shoes before you order. For a big-footed four or five-year-old they're a great gift, and slip-ons start at $49.99. Our dinosaur shoe guide has the full size chart.

Dinosaur gifts for 2 and 4 year olds

The same list works a year either side, with a couple of changes.

For a two-year-old: the toddler tees and sundresses start at 2T, and the hoodies have an XXS size labelled 1/2 years. A dinosaur-shaped pillow in the small size is a good fit at two. Skip the backpack and shoes entirely.

For a four-year-old: everything above still fits (tees and hoodies go up to 5T/7 and 5/6 years). Four is when the Neon Rex Child backpack and the kids' shoes come into play. If you're planning the party as well as the present, our T. rex birthday party guide has ideas for the rest of the day.

How long it takes to arrive

Everything is made to order, so none of it ships the next day. Each listing gives its own production and shipping estimate (standard shipping, US only). Here's the slowest end of each, and the date to order by for arrival by Wednesday, December 23:

For a birthday, work back the same way: allow about four weeks for most things, and five weeks for the Neon Rex backpack or shoes.

FAQ

What size should I buy a three-year-old?

For shirts and dresses, 3T is the usual size. If you know their weight, the cotton toddler tee lists 3T at 33–36 lbs. For hoodies, pick XS (3/4 years). When in doubt, go up a size.

Can they sleep with the pillow or blanket?

These are decorative pillows and throw-style blankets, not sleep products. Follow the same bedtime rules you'd use for any pillow or blanket at their age.

Do you sell dinosaur toys?

No. We make things to wear and things for their room. If they already have the toy dinosaurs, a shirt with their favourite one on it is usually the gift that gets used most.

Can I get the same print on more than one thing?

Sometimes. The Dino Friends print comes as a kids hoodie, a hooded blanket and a pillow, and the Abstract Dino Forest print comes as a toddler tee and a youth hoodie. Search the print name on the store to see everything it comes on.

Where to start

If you only buy one thing, make it a shirt. It's the cheapest thing here, it's easiest to get the size right, and a three-year-old will wear a dinosaur shirt until it falls apart. Start with our toddler dinosaur apparel.