A pirate ship about 52 cm tall, with a spring-loaded cannon that fires cannonballs, is the pick for a three-year-old. It's the Wooden Pirate Ship at £17.99, and its page says ages 3 and up.
What does the pirate ship actually do?
Besides the cannon there's a wind-up anchor and a trap-door. Rigging comes with it, and the stern opens at the back for pretend play. It's about 28 cm wide and 30 cm deep, and the page says it needs no batteries at all, so nobody is hunting for a spare set on Christmas morning. The page doesn't say what's under the trap-door, so that's between the pirates and the floor. Decide where the cannon points before the first cannonball goes in.
What if they'd rather fiddle than sail?
The Wooden Busy Board is £15.29, and its page says it's designed for toddlers aged 3 and above. Locks, gears, shapes, knobs: it's all the fiddly parts of a house, with none of the consequences. It weighs 0.67 kg and has no batteries to go flat.
The Take-Along Tool Box is £17.09 and billed as a great first toolbox for busy builders. The page lists 17 accessories, among them a wooden carry case and a hammer, plus link bars, nuts and bolts for putting things together. It says the toy tools help practise fine motor skills.
An ark and a castle for the storytellers
The Wooden Noah's Ark is £17.99. Shapes are cut into the side of the boat so the animals can be posted through. There's a folding door and a removable bridge for getting at the inside, and the page recommends it from 24 months, which puts a three-year-old comfortably inside the range.
The Princess Story Box is also £17.99. It's a wooden box held shut by a magnetic strip, and it opens out into its own playset. Inside is a painted castle with steps up to it, and a throne room with space for two thrones against a pink and purple background. There's a small garden too, which the page calls a place for romantic walks, and that's a lot of plot for the age group.
Which of these pages give an age?
Three do. The pirate ship says 3 and up, the busy board says 3 and above, and the Noah's Ark says from 24 months. The tool box and the princess box pages give no age at all, so for those two you're the expert on the child. If you'd rather not guess, start with the three that name one.
Free UK delivery on orders of £20 or more. Toys take 7 to 13 working days to arrive, so count back from the day you need them.
Prices read on Wednesday 11 November 2026.