15 Best Toys for a 2-Year-Old
I can’t believe it, but my son is turning two this week! It happened so fast. With this new age, comes new challenges and milestones. I started looking into what toys are best for this new time in his life. Here I’ve compiled the best toys for 2-year-olds according to my own experience and those of my fellow moms!
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Some of these are educational, but I am a strong believer that kids should have a variety of toys. Some just for fun and entertainment, others that help them developmentally, and more that are educational. Now, I’ll admit, some of the age restrictions on these toys say 3+. I’ve always been a fan of getting toys that my son will grow into. When he is on the younger side, I simply make sure that he is monitored whenever he plays with them until he reaches the recommended age. If your child shows frustration, then simply remove the toy until their ability matches the activity.
That being said, here is my list of the 15 best toys for a 2-year-old!
1) Classic Radio Flyer Tricycle
This is what I got my son for his birthday. It is a great stepping stone to learning to ride a bike and builds leg strength and confidence. Plus, it’s just a lot of fun! Who doesn’t remember riding around on a trike like you were king or queen of the world! I have always been a fan of the radio flyer red. Not only is it stylish, it adjusts for different sized children. My son is on the smaller side and when the seat is put all the way down, he can reach the pedals easily. It also came with a bell and streamers for the handles! Just don’t forget to get a helmet!
2) Bilibo
This simple, versatile, and durable toy is great for open-ended play both indoors and outdoors. Your child with love standing on it, sitting in it, and spinning around in it. Fill it with water during the summer for some fun splashing around. In the winter, go sledding in it! It helps develop balance and coordination while promoting creativity and imagination. The possibilities are endless with the Bilibo!
3) Little People A-Z Learning Zoo Playset
This awesome playset is great for pretend play and learning. It includes 26 animal figures, zookeeper, car, food cart, two fences, waterfall, cave, a tree with swing and playmat. Kids learn their letters and can hear the sounds that the animals make. There is so much to do with this playset from sending animals down the slide to swinging on the tree swing. It also includes a tote for the figures.
4) Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Duplo Train Set
This is a perfect birthday gift for any 2-year-old. They get to build a birthday train with Mickey and Minnie Mouse, balloons, a candle, and a buildable birthday cake. Kids can develop construction skills and will love pulling the train along the floor while yelling “choo-choo”. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never met a kid that didn’t like trains and Mickey and Minnie Mouse!5) KidKraft Vintage Play Kitchen
Play kitchens have always been a popular pretend play toy. They are great for both boys and girls to learn about cooking and food. This is a simple, elegant design that is built out of wood so it is sturdy enough to stand up to heavy toddler play. There are some small parts so you should either remove these or only allow them when monitored until your child is closer to 3, but a 2-year-old will still get lots of play out of this. It has knobs that turn and click, doors to open and shut and lots of storage. Features include a removable sink (for easy cleaning), oven, cabinet, freezer, refrigerator, microwave, and cordless phone.
6) Magnatiles
These building tiles have magnets along each edge with the unique ability to attract in any position! They never repel. This reduces frustration since they will always connect. Building toys are great for developing fine motor skills. You can stack them, make flat designs, or build 3D creations! The only limit to their use is your imagination. The see-through, colorful design of the tiles makes a really cool effect when played in the sunlight. They should only be used with parents monitoring at this age as the magnets inside are small.
These are a classic that I remember playing with as a kid myself. They are perfect for independent play and encourage creativity and imagination as kids can build and stack anything with them. Pushing the blocks together and pulling them apart develops fine motor skills as well as hand-eye coordination. They come in lots of different shapes and fun bright colors.
8) Baby Alive
Dolls are great for any kid. They encourage kindness and are perfect for pretend play. Many parents around the two-year mark start thinking about having another child. Having a doll to hold and take care of can help a toddler learn about the needs of their new sibling. They can learn how to hold a baby and how to be gentle with them. Both boys and girls will love playing with this doll.
9) Melissa and Doug Take-Along Wooden Doorbell Dollhouse
This take-along house is another great pretend play toy. It has four doorbells, four lock-and-key pairs, four play people, and four doors to open. It’s made of wood for sturdy construction. The keys are all attached to the house so you don’t have to worry about losing them. The doors have different colors and are labeled with numbers and shapes so kids can learn while they play.
10) Smart Games Bunny Peek a Boo
This one player game is great for any kids that like peek a boo (so all kids). There are 60 different challenges, or they can just play with the wooden blocks. They learn concepts like above/below while discovering 3D spatial perception. This is an early way to prepare for mathematical reasoning in a fun way. Your 2-year-old will only grow to love it more as they grow and develop and can explore more of the challenges it offers. Smart Games also offers more fun and educational games appropriate for young ages.
11) Uno
Ok, I know what you must be thinking. How can a 2-year-old play Uno? The key is color matching! You might not be playing it in the traditional sense, but it is still a fun way to learn to match. At this age, kids love looking for similarities and with Uno they can match colors and numbers. Then, after they go to sleep, you can play Uno yourself!
13) Peaceable Kingdom Friends and Neighbors Game
This is a fun matching game to play to develop empathy and compassion. It’s all about helping each other out! You read about the feelings and needs of different characters and kids learn to recognize these in others. Developing social and emotional skills is so important in young kids, and what better way than with a game! It’s designed to be frustration free as well!
13) Mr. Potato Head
This is another classic. Kids learn about body parts and where they belong and develop fine motor skills by practicing getting the pegs into the potato. It’s great for pretend play and another toy with almost limitless accessories! I always recommend getting more than you think you’ll need, you’d be surprised how easily they get lost.
14) Tickle Me Elmo
Find me a kid that doesn’t love Elmo and I’ll be shocked! Elmo is such a fun character. The Tickle Me Elmo is one of the best toys in my opinion. It’s great for pretend play, but it’s really just about fun! There honestly isn’t too much to say about this one since I feel everyone knows it! You push Elmo’s tummy or squeeze his feet and he laughs, vibrates, and talks.
15) Art Easel with Accessories
No gift list is complete without some sort of art supplies! I’m a huge fan of creative expression through art. I started fairly young with my son and we still do some sort of art project every day. Now that he is starting to be more independent, an art easel is a great gift. This bundle includes an easel, some supplies and a smock to try and keep clothes semi-clean. The easel has a dry-erase board, chalkboard, locking paper-roll holders, and child-safe cutter, and folds flat for easy storage. It also comes with enough art supplies to get you started with all of these surfaces. The smock is easy to clean and can be personalized with a dry-erase marker. Promote creativity and fine motor skills and create a masterpiece with this kit! It’s everything you need to get started.
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36 Comments
Kimberly
Haven’t even heard of some of these toys great ideas for birthday and Xmas presents xo
Kat
Yes! They are all really fun.
Shernette
MY children love their play kitchen. It’s so great to see them pretend to do useful activities at home
Kat
I agree! Pretend play is the best, especially when they are learning real, useful tasks.
Chika
So many options to choose from these days. Kids now have a variety of toys compared to when my son was a toddler. Thanks for sharing
Kat
This isn’t even close to how many there are! It’s crazy
Alexz
I’ve never even heard of a bilibo. What a great idea! My daughter is 13 months, so I’ll be coming back to this list soon!! Thanks!
Kat
It’s a great toy! My son loves his.
Brooke
This was fun to read as my daughter is two as well. Some of these toys we have but others I want to get now like the bilibo and bristle blocks.
It’s always fun finding new toys that will actually get played with!
Thanks!
Brooke
Kat
I agree. My son LOVES his bilibo!
Tasheena
Happy Birthday to your little one! I love that you have a mix of classic and modern toys. We’re big fans of duplos be magnatiles!
Kat
Thanks!!! I’m a big fan of those as well.
Raquel
I’ve never seen the bristle blocks before but I love the concept. I’ll have to check those out.
Kat
Oh they are so cool! I had them as a kid and had completely forgot about them. Then, my son started playing with them at the library! They are great!
TK Kinney
I completely forgot about Bristle blocks! Thank you for the list! Always looking for new things… and time-tested classics for my 3-nager grandson!
TK Kinney
http://www.dailydollartools.com
Kat
You’re welcome! I forgot about them until going to a library and my son loved them!
Holly Lasha
Great finds…these would all be great for a two year old.
Kat
Thank you!
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Kat
Thank you so much! That means a lot to me.
Brandi
My children loved their Tickle Me Elmo at 2-years-old. Great gift ideas! Thanks for sharing!
Kat
Thank you!
Christina
What a great compilation of toys. Love the take of Uno that’s one that will last forever.
Kat
Thanks! It can be at almost any age!
Kari
I love all of these! I didn’t even know they were still around to be honest but I’m glad they are!
Kat
Many have been brought back. I guess as those of us that grew up with them start having kids ourselves!
Laura Belle
I didn’t even know Baby Alive was still around. I worked at Target when that came out and had people telling at us everyday because it was out of stock. Good times. Lol
Kat
Haha. It might be a revival. They brought back water babies and teddy ruxpin too!
Em
These are all great ideas for toddlers. I never heard about Bilibo, I should better check that out and also the potato head 🙂
Em
http://www.helloislandmama.com
Kat
Bilibo is a lesser known toy but it so awesome!!!
Ariel
My Radio Tricycle was the highlight of my childhood! & I love the Melissa & Doug toy line!!
Kat
Me too! My son loved trying the trike out in the store. I can’t wait for him to actually ride it!
Ashley | Look for Little Helpers
What a fun list! Magnatiles are one of my kids’ very favorite items in our house. They are so brilliant. So many fun creations! Great ideas!
Kat
Thanks! I agree they are so much fun! My favorite is using them to project light on the walls!
Kamyshia
I seriously appretiate posts like this so much!!! I am always searchinf what to get my boys! Its not as easy as it seems, so posts like this make life SO much easier!!!
Kat
Thanks! I use posts like this all the time myself, but they never quite align with what my son and I like. So, of course, I had to write my own!