Gift Ideas for 2-Year-Olds
Updated: Oct 9
Two is the age of "me do it." The best gifts for a 2-year-old let them stack, push, pound, sort and pretend, with pieces big enough for little hands. These are the toys we would put under our own tree.
We picked these the way we pick everything for the show: would our own kids still be playing with it in March? Every toy below is open-ended, sturdy enough for a toddler who throws things, and simple enough that a 2-year-old can play without a grown-up setting it up every time. Under each one we added why we like it and one easy way to play together.
Our picks
1. LEGO DUPLO Brick Box
Why we like it: DUPLO bricks are twice the size of regular LEGO, so little hands can press them together without frustration. Your toddler starts by stacking towers and knocking them down, and in a year they are building houses and zoos. It is one of the few toys that grows with a child from age 1 to 5.
Try this: Build a tower together and count each brick out loud as you add it.
2. Melissa & Doug Take-Along Wooden Barn
Why we like it: A wooden barn with farm animals that closes up with a handle, so everything stays inside. We love it for car rides and visits to grandma's, and it is a gentle way to practice animal names and sounds.
Try this: Hide one animal behind your back and make its sound. Can your toddler find the matching animal?
3. Radio Flyer Scoot About
Why we like it: A low ride-on that toddlers push with their feet. It is close to the ground, so they can climb on and off by themselves, and it is a great way to burn energy indoors on a cold day.
Try this: Set up a little "road" with painter's tape on the floor and drive the route together.
4. Hape Pound & Tap Bench
Why we like it: Two toys in one: pound the balls through the holes with the hammer, then slide out the xylophone and make music. It is loud in the best way, and great for hand-eye coordination.
Try this: Play a pattern on the xylophone, like slow-slow-fast, and see if your toddler can copy it.
5. Fisher-Price Little People Caring for Animals Farm
Why we like it: A farm playset with animals and figures sized for toddler hands, plus sounds that reward little ones for exploring. Farms are a toddler favorite, and this one invites lots of storytelling.
Try this: Ask "Who is hungry?" and let your toddler feed each animal and tell you what it eats.
6. Learning Resources Snap-n-Learn Matching Dinos
Why we like it: Chunky dinosaur halves that snap together by matching colors and shapes. It is a satisfying first puzzle for toddlers, and the pieces are big enough to hold easily.
Try this: Mix up all the halves and match them together, naming each color as you snap.
7. Learning Resources Spike the Fine Motor Hedgehog
Why we like it: A hedgehog with chunky quills to push in and pull out. It looks simple, but it is wonderful for little fingers and focus, and the quills come in colors for sorting.
Try this: Ask your toddler to put in only the blue quills, then only the red ones.
8. Melissa & Doug Shape Sorting Clock
Why we like it: A wooden clock with shape pieces that fit into numbered spots, and hands that move. It covers shapes, colors and numbers, and it lasts for years.
Try this: Turn the hands to a time like bedtime or lunch and talk about what happens then.
9. MEGA BLOKS First Builders Big Building Bag
Why we like it: Extra-large blocks that toddlers can pull apart and press together easily. The storage bag makes cleanup a game, and the blocks are light enough for safe indoor play.
Try this: Build a wall together, then roll a ball to knock it down.
10. Peaceable Kingdom Monkey Around
Why we like it: A first game that is all about moving: hop, stretch and wiggle with a grown-up. No reading is needed, and toddlers learn to take turns without having to sit still.
Try this: Play it right before bath time to get the wiggles out.
11. Melissa & Doug Band-in-a-Box Clap! Clang! Tap!
Why we like it: A set of real, kid-sized instruments in one box. Toddlers love making noise, and music is a great way to practice rhythm and listening. Fair warning: it is loud.
Try this: Put on a favorite song and take turns playing along, then stop when the music stops.
If you are stuck, start with the DUPLO bricks or the Pound & Tap Bench. They are the two toys on this list that get played with by every toddler who visits our house.
Shop the whole list
Want it all in one place? Shop this whole list on our Amazon storefront or on ShopMy. Every pick is also in our Store, along with the books and supplies we use on the show.
More gift guides
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