Favorite manipulatives for 3 yo?

[jenfl]

What are you (or your child's) favorite preschool-age manipulatives? I'm thinking things like a latches board, bead pattern stacking, hammering, etc.

[dubatatamama]

My kids (3 and 4) enjoy pattern blocks, counting bears, and pegboards. I would love to have DH make them a latches board...I know they would love that!

[annettemarie]

River rocks, pinecones from the yards, seashells, those little glass "gems". My kids naturally seem to sort, scoop, separate, etc, and they grow well with them as well and can be used as math manipulatives later.

Geoboards are fun, sewing boards (a wooden square or circle with holes for lacing), finger puppets (you can make them yourself!). My kids also like kitchen tools-- tongs, little scoops and spoons. Today my six spent half an hour using tongs to move marbles into egg carton sections. I don't get the appeal but .

[lach]

Lacing spools are lots of fun, and you can use them for a bunch of different games and activities.

[lonegirl]

Melissa and Doug Pattern Blocks- http://www.melissaanddoug.com/dyn_prod.php?p=29
Parents Pop together Beads- http://www.amazon.com/Parents-PM9212.../dp/B000UEJ8XG
Scoops, sieves and cups for in the tub
Wedgits blocks- http://www.wedgits.com/

[Stacey B]

We've got a mason jar full of different size wooden beads and shoe laces. Rocks and river glass. Kitchen utensils. The only prepackaged manipulative we have is the Mighty Minds game, it's similar pattern blocks but the kits come with limited pieces and variations on size.

Hands down the favorite learning tool around here right now is....what ever Mama has in her hands

[jenfl]

Thanks for all the suggestions! We do have lots of practical life activities (pouring, tonging, etc); I'm just looking for some pre-packaged things that I can rotate onto the shelf quickly and easily once we've got the newborn around.

[kanga2roo]

What about tree blocks, magna tiles, or haba sticky blocks?
My son loved hot wheels and that bright orange track ( $1 each at ToysRUs) and scented markers at that age, too....