I second Manga tiles, my kids got them when they were 3 and they literally played with them constantly until they were about 10. We ended up with 2 sets they loved them so much. The original brand (Magnatiles) are not cheap, but they are so well loved and last forever. There are bunches of knock offs, but for durability the original is really good. If the magnatiles aren’t in your budget, Melissa and David have a great wooden block set that has lots of shapes!
I also love to give books, if you go to your local bookstore, they’ll give you loads of great suggestions.
Color with water books, and art supplies are always fun too.
My boys love hotwheels and the different tracks. All the tracks are compatible and my kids are proof you can never have enough cars in your collection :)
Magna-Tiles are a wonderful toy for a three year old. My kids liked building with them so much we ended up with several sets. They still use them and they are 6 and 9 now!
My kids enjoyed the Duplo blocks at this age. They could build all kinds of things. Fun, colorful and easy for little hand to manipulate. They come in containers as well for easy storage.