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

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, color-changing umbrella fun to use, it will help them practice gross motor skills.

There are an infinite number of construction-, garbage-, and dump-truck toys made for little kids. But this front loader comes with a smiling driver you can take out and move around. And the bucket is hinged in three places to make moving piles of dirt or sand easy.

Very few toddlers are good at entertaining themselves for long periods of time, especially in a car or on an airplane. So for long trips to see family, I would always pack a tote bag with some of my son’s favorite books as well as crayons, paper, and lots of stickers. This doghouse-shapedactivity bookis a perfect travel companion that combines coloring pages with over 100 stickers. The brand also makes similar books aboutmermaids,vehicles, andouter space.

Putting clothes onto a doll can be a challenge for most 2-year-olds, but this dress-up puzzle makes it easy and fast to change Minnie Mouse’s outfits and expressions.

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 easy to push, folds up for storage, and has a real working canopy, plus a storage basket in the back.

Strategist senior editor and parent Ailbhe Malone told me about this interactive recipe book with pull tabs, flaps, and pop-out utensils that walks toddlers through all the steps of making spaghetti. She says it’s as enjoyable to read as it is to use in the kitchen. And it’s part of a series that also contains volumes abouttacos,pancakes, andcookies.

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.

Most 2-year-olds go wild for bubbles, and this adorable bubble pal won’t spill when tipped or turned over. The dispenser comes filled with bubble solution and you also get a refill jar, an extra wand, and a quick-release cord so your child can safely wear it around the playground or backyard. Once you run out of solution you can buy powdered refill packets that conveniently mix with water.

Corey also recommends giving bouncy balls to 2-year-olds because the toy will “grow” along with them. “Balls are wonderful for 2-year-olds who can roll them and chase them. At around age 3, children can practice throwing and catching, while at 4 they might create a game with rules that involve a ball,” she says. 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. These flashing sensory balls have an added layer of fun — plus the soft spikes make them easier to catch and grasp.

A bowling set gives little kids an outlet for their “knock it down” impulses while also helping them practice taking turns and rolling balls instead of throwing them indoors. The caterpillar pins in this “buggy” design from Melissa & Doug can be used for pretend play, too.

One of the very first non-crayonart suppliesI 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.

For more traditional drawing and scribbling on paper, Emily Motayed Lancaster, co-founder ofNurture&and mom of two, recommends classic washable Crayola markers, which she says are key for parental sanity.

Alexandra Figueras-Daniel, an assistant professor at the National Institute for Early Education Research, recommends finger-puppet toys for this age group, specifically citing the very detailed ones fromFolkmanis, like this praying mantis, because of how realistic they are. In addition to helping kids work on their fine motor skills, puppets can “inspire lots of language, as children can speak through the role of the puppet,” Figueras-Daniel explains.

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,” explainsDr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, a professor of psychology at Temple University and co-author ofBecoming Brilliant: What Science Tells Us About Raising Successful Children.

This Ikea kids’ easel comes with a dowel to add aroll 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.

For a no-mess creative toy, consider this twist on the classicMagna Doodle drawing board, which mom of two and wellness entrepreneurLiv Lo Goldingsays is fun for 2-year-olds to draw on, erase, and repeat. There are lots of different iterations available, includingminiature onesthat Strategist senior writer Lauren Ro says make excellentbirthday-party favors. This animal-themed version from B.toys has a big drawing area and comes with four stamps — cat, dog, duck, bunny — that kids can also use as pens. The handle makes it easy for small hands to carry it into a car, onto an airplane, or just to another room.

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 hisStory 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, fromElmo’s Trip to the Dentistto Eric Carle classics to his current favorite,GO, GO, Trucks!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

Active toys often require extra space, but Malone says a wobble board is just as engaging and simple to store, plus it can double as a bed for stuffed animals, a slide, a ramp for toy cars, and a chair.

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.

This elaborate Melissa & Doug ice-cream-counter set combines fine-motor-skills development with elements of pretend play. Motayed Lancaster received a version of the set for her daughter long before she turned 2; at first, her daughter just loved mouthing the ice-cream scoops, but as she aged, she began to stack them one by one and now she pretends to be an ice-cream-shop owner, asking what flavor her parents want and then serving it to them. “I love toys like that — where it can graduate from one type of play to another over time,” Motayed Lancaster says.

Full-sizedollhousestake up a lot of space and aren’t ideal for families with small apartments. Instead, Alexis Swerdloff,New Yorkdeputy 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, awooden barn, and apink cottage.

The most popular toy in our pediatrician’s waiting room is a simple pretend coffee maker. My son gets 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.

For younger kids who are just getting started with dolls, Motayed Lancaster 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 includesfurniture,clothing, acar seat, ababy carrier, and evena 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 teach kids about treating things with care. For this age, she recommends a Kala ukulele because of the good quality of sound 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 would spend much of each day walking around strumming it.

Bouncing engages almost every muscle group in a child’s body, especially the legs and core, saysLily Balsen, a New York City–based yoga teacher whose clients range in age from newborn to 80. So a classic toy like Rody the bouncy horse will foster balance and a sense of spatial orientation, she says, adding that rhythmic movement is a great self-soothing and self-regulating mechanism. Also, it’s just plain fun.

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. This model, as its name suggests, packs down compactly when the time comes to hide it away.

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-pickbalance bikefor 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.

Corey looks for toys that offer lots of “opportunities for creativity, curiosity, problem-solving, and cooperation,” and specifically mentioned the importance of toys that support cooking play.Play kitchenscome in all shapes and sizes, but “I love gifting the Tender Leaf Toy kitchens,” says Motayed Lancaster, who bought one when her daughter when around one year old. She loves the muted colors and how it helped her daughter begin to role-play; at age two, her daughter began verbalizing what kind of dishes she was making with the accessories: “Here, mama, some fish!” And then putting them on a plate and handing it to her. The kitchen can also be combined with other appliances like arefrigeratoror accessories like astand mixerto build a more complete set.