The Only Gift Guide for a 2-Year-Old You’ll Ever Need

While pregnant with her second child, preschool teacher Kathleen Cann got a baby doll and a toy stroller for her then-2-year-old as a way to prepare for the arrival of a new sibling. “She was obsessed and took really sweet care of the doll,” says Cann. This umbrella-style stroller is a favorite toy of Strategist senior writer Lauren Ro, whose younger son (now 4) got one for his second birthday and still plays with it. It is easy to push and refreshingly gender neutral, folds up for storage, and has a real working canopy, plus a storage basket in the back.

Fisher-Price’s medical kit was so helpful when my son was 2 and feeling nervous about real-life doctor visits. He was fascinated with the syringe that has a real working plunger, loved pushing the button on the “digital” thermometer, and the included tote bag let him practice putting all his tools away. This kind of pretend play (combined with reading a Daniel Tiger book recommended to me by Strategist senior editor Winnie Yang) made him a lot more comfortable when it was time for the real thing.

I discovered Fancy Pals, a line of stuffed animals sold inside adorable matching plush purses, while visiting a favorite toy store in Essex, Connecticut, with my mother. They are silly and adorable and, according to the shop owner, very popular. I bought a pony inside a cowboy-boot-shaped purse for a friend’s almost 2-year-old and considered buying another one (a unicorn inside a butterfly purse) just to keep on hand for the future. Like the doll stroller above, these purses let toddlers practice independence and empathy, toting their pets along on errands just like a grown-up would do.

There are an infinite number of construction-, garbage-, and fire-truck toys made for little kids. But this dump truck comes with a smiling driver you can take out and move around, and the bucket has a hinged gate that makes it easy to empty piles of dirt or sand. Plus it’s cheap enough that it won’t hurt too much to replace if it gets left at the playground or on the beach.

DUPLOs — LEGO’s larger blocks designed with smaller hands (and curious mouths) in mind — are great for 2-year-olds. And many kids continue to play with them as they get older, including my own son, who’s now almost 4 years old. The classic brick box is a fantastic gift, and many of the themed sets are affordable enough to give as add-ons.

After turning 2, my son became increasingly interested in puzzles. The sweet spot was around a dozen pieces, which made them challenging enough to hold his interest but didn’t take him longer than five to ten minutes to complete. Some of our favorites were the “pouch puzzles” from Mudpuppy, which I often packed on weekend trips.

This adorable push-button wooden telephone is a fun way to spark conversations between toddlers and their parents, grandparents, or siblings. It also makes it a little easier to say no when they ask to play with your smartphone.

Corey recommends giving balls to 2-year-olds because the toy will “grow” along with them: “Two-year-olds can roll them and chase them,” she says. “At around age 3, children can practice throwing and catching, while at 4, they might create a game with rules that involve a ball.” My son is drawn to balls of all kinds, but when he had just turned 2, his favorites were small enough for him to hold in one hand, like this owl soccer ball that we kept in the bottom of our stroller for over a year.

Sculpting with Play-Doh at this early age is similar to drawing; while they may not make especially impressive “art,” 2-year-olds are excited by the simple fact that they can manipulate the material. And it’s a good workout too. “Play-Doh builds dexterity in their hands and finger muscles,” explains Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, a professor of psychology at Temple University and co-author of Becoming Brilliant: What Science Tells Us About Raising Successful Children. This is also an important precursor for learning to write.

Here’s a set of easy-to-grip patternmakers for pressing into the Play-Doh. Each one makes a different animal print, from zebra stripes to fish scales.

One of the very first non-crayon art supplies I bought for my son was a set of these dot markers. They’re similar to bingo daubers in that they are full of liquid pigments and have a stamplike tip. But they are also washable, making them great for toddlers. Ali Brunson even included them on a list of things her daughter can’t live without.

This Ikea kids’ easel comes with a dowel to add a roll of paper, and the large surface area and short legs make it easy for 2-year-olds to reach. Rebeca Raney, an artist and arts educator, says “every nursery school has multiples of this one,” noting that “Ikea does a super job with their art products.” When you’re not using paper with it, kids can draw with dry-erase markers on one side and chalk on the other.

As they explore their growing independence, many 2-year-olds start asking for everyday tools and accessories of their own. Not only is this toddler-size umbrella from Original Duckhead fun to use, it will help them practice gross motor skills like walking while holding something above their head.

Melissa & Doug’s set of well-made cleaning tools is a perennial Strategist best-seller that I have seen entertain children for years — even if they stop sweeping and start using the broom as a sword or the mast of a cardboard-box pirate ship.

Strategist lead editor and parent of three Lauren Levy recommends Blockaroo’s magnetic foam blocks for kids this age; where Magna-Tiles are flat and have more of a learning curve, Blockaroo’s 3-D foam shapes are easier and less frustrating for younger kids to work with. They are also lightweight and soft and float in the bath.

I try to limit screen time for my son, but he adores playing with his Story Dream Machine, a retro-looking projector and audio player that we got as a baby step toward letting him watch TV. It’s basically a mini slide projector that plays read-aloud books, from Elmo’s Trip to the Dentist to Eric Carle classics. It has a convenient carry handle, a focus adjuster, and can be used as a nightlight and sound machine come bedtime. There are hundreds of titles for it, too, but this bundle comes with a trio of nostalgic Golden books.

Read more:This Retro Picture-Book Projector Is a Toddler Screen Alternative

Kids love looking at books with photographs of everyday people, especially other kids. Lovevery makes the best examples of this kind of board book that I have found. Like the brand’s toy kits, its books are curated in bundles by age with developmentally appropriate stories. My son loved this set because it includes a book about a fire station, with pictures of fire trucks that have flaps he could open to see inside every compartment and door.

Full-size dollhouses take up a lot of space and aren’t ideal for families with small apartments. Instead, Alexis Swerdloff, New York deputy editor and mom of two, suggests giving a more portable dollhouse like this one that closes up when it’s not in use. It comes in a few different designs, including this horse stable, a wooden barn, and a pink cottage.

This elaborate Melissa & Doug ice-cream-counter set combines fine-motor-skill development with elements of pretend play. “It almost always elicits conversation, negotiation, and turn-taking,” says Lawton, adding that it’s one of the most popular toys at her day care and preschool.

Meanwhile, the most popular toy in our pediatrician’s waiting room when my son was 2 was a simple pretend coffee maker. He got so much joy out of playing barista that I think it’s worth splurging on this detailed wooden set over cheaper plastic alternatives.

A first train set is a powerful memory for every generation, and Brio is the gold standard. All Brio sets can be endlessly expanded with accessories and integrated into play with other kits, even many from other brands. This is a wonderful starter kit that’s specifically designed for toddlers.

For younger kids who are just getting started with dolls, Emily Motayed Lancaster, co-founder of Nurture& and mom of two, recommends American Girl’s Bitty Baby line. She bought one when her own daughter was 2, and as with full-size American Girl dolls, there are many skin and hair colors available plus an entire Bitty Baby universe that includes furniture, clothing, a car seat, a baby carrier, and even a cup of peas and a snack pouch.

Yang strongly believes in giving kids real musical instruments as early as possible because they sound better than toy versions and help kids learn to treat belongings with care. She recommends this Kala ukulele for 2-year-olds because of the good sound quality and small size. Her daughter started playing with it as a toddler and later passed it down to her younger brother, who at age 2 loved to walk around strumming it.

Ride-on toys, like this miniature excavator with a kid-powered scoop, help toddlers practice gross motor skills while pretending to be all kinds of adults with different jobs. While it’s ideal for use in a sandbox, it will also get lots of use indoors digging and scooping up imaginary dirt and gravel.

Bouncing engages almost every muscle group in a child’s body, especially the legs and core, according to Lily Balsen, a New York City–based yoga teacher whose clients range in age from newborn to 80. So a classic toy like this Little Tikes trampoline will foster balance and a sense of spatial orientation, she says, adding that rhythmic movement is a great self-soothing and self-regulating mechanism. My son still loves bouncing on a similar mini-trampoline with a handlebar in my apartment building’s basement playroom. In fact, it is so popular kids will wait in line for a turn.

Strategist contributor Steven John has watched kids line up over and over for a chance to zoom down the track of this toddler-size ride-on roller coaster. And as long as a parent is nearby with a watchful eye, it’s perfectly safe for most 2-year-olds to use. Steps on either side of the platform let toddlers get on the car all by themselves — and it is just as fun to ride on level ground for youngsters who aren’t ready for the roller-coaster experience.

As an almost 2-year-old, my son would sit down on anything around the same height as his butt, backing up into a bottom step, his Nugget play couch, or a step stool and then proudly looking up at me once seated. So for his 2nd birthday, we got him a chair from Piccalio that goes from seat to step stool to activity table with a few turns. If we had more space in our apartment, I would have purchased this full set of two chairs and a table so he could sit and draw or eat with a friend.

The Woom GO 1 is our top-pick balance bike for its lightweight aluminum frame, low crossbar, shock-absorbing air-filled tires, and extra safety features. And according to Yang, it’s an ideal size for average-height children just turning 2. She prefers it for this age compared to the bigger Strider bike that her daughter started riding at age 4. Both bikes have 12-inch wheels, but the Woom’s crossbar curves down low to make it easier for shorter kids to get on.

Lawton says a play kitchen is a great addition to any 2-year-old’s space, noting that her students love to “cook” and share food with their classmates and teachers. Play kitchens come in all shapes and sizes, but Lovevery’s version stands out thanks to its real working sink. It’s a favorite of cookbook author and recipe developer Anna Jones, who bought one for her son when he was 2 years old. To make the spigot work, you fill a tank over the sink with water and turning the tap lets it slowly flow into a basin below. It comes with accessories like a cutting board, measuring cups, a wooden knife, a colander, and a tea towel, and Jones has added some real utensils as well. “My son chops real food when I am cooking or for a snack and washes his hands in the sink. The kitchen is an extension of our real kitchen,” she says. There is also a new slightly more expensive limited-edition version that Lovevery made in collaboration with cookware brand Our Place, which comes with a toddler-size skillet and wooden spatula.

Read more:The Play Kitchens Chefs and Professional Food People Buy for Their Kids