Sure, there’s the “terrible twos” stage that parents everywhere dread—but it’s really not all that bad! In fact, things can be made wholesome and fun with the addition of toys and other trinkets in the mix. Tantrums and outbursts aside, this is a time of life that you can treasure as a parent or guiding figure. With the holidays here, now more than ever is a grand time to invest in things that you know the 2-year-old in your life will get a kick out of. Toddlers become sillier, more capable, and lots more fun than when they were infants. Their brains are bursting with new information and capabilities. This, of course, means that gifts for 2-year-olds are more fun, too.
Some of these toys celebrate all the developmental milestones they’ve achieved in the past couple of years, which is monumental when you consider they were inside someone not too long ago. Others encourage them to develop further skills. But all of these toys, regardless of developmental importance, are just plain fun. Because they may not always know what to ask for (or how to count past 10), but they know what they like!
Your toddler will love spinning themselves on this Playskool. Appropriate for indoor or outdoor play, this toy is the perfect outlet for working out energy while staying in one place. It’s all in the name — just sit and spin!
Whether you want to play see-saw with a friend or just climb and crawl, this toy is perfect: Just flip it over for two different kinds of play.
Don’t worry, it has rounded edges and easy-to-grip handles, so it’s as safe as it is fun.
This is a gift for parents as much as it is for a 2-year-old. These talking flash cards provide speech therapy and help enhance cognitive ability through educational words. Your kid will learn new words in no time, which is exciting for everyone involved!
Melissa & Doug Let’s Play House 6 Piece Pretend Play Set
Toddlers love imitating adults, so why not set the right tone with this adorable, child-sized set, including a broom, mop, duster, dustpan, brush, and storage stand?
They’ll love to help you throughout the house … and if you’re lucky, this behavior will stick as they get older! (Hey, we can dream.)
Known for their durable, super fun train sets, Brio has made this simple set perfect for first-time train owners. Magnets connect the different train cars as they ride around the simple wooden track. And when they’re ready for a bigger railway empire, it’s compatible with other Brio products… and they will want more Brio products!
Every kid needs a big red fire truck, and this chunky, friendly-looking truck is perfect for 2-year-old hands. It’s also made from 100% recycled materials and uses minimal packaging, so you can feel good about their future, too.
Anyone who has ever held a flashlight within 100 yards of a toddler already knows that those little guys love flashlights. So before they steal yours, go ahead and let them enjoy this one, which plays songs, sounds, and phrases.
More: Gift Ideas for 1-Year Olds That Will Entertain for Hours
Naturally Kids Small Dinosaur Backpack Dinosaur Toy
Having a stuffed animal as a best friend when you’re a kid is essentially a rite of passage. Making that stuffed an adorable mini dinosaur is just about the cutest thing you can do. This one comes with a backpack that your 2-year-old can insert their dino into—meaning it can be brought anywhere at anytime. (Plus, there are so many adorable options of animals to choose from!)
Have fun building creativity and spatial intelligence with this simple but limitless toy. This is another one my kids got as toddlers, and they still play with them to this day. In fact, we bought a second set in the past couple of years because they kept fighting over them!
Toddlers have this unfortunate habit of drawing on walls. It’s a great sign of creative development, but not so fun for you to clean up.p.
Designate the bath as an OK place to scribble with these all-natural crayons. Just wipe away when they’re done.
This toddler-friendly toolbox is great not only for imaginative play but using the tools can help them develop fine motor skills. And because the toolbox even sings songs about how everything works, less-than-handy caregivers may find they learn a thing or two as well.
This set of six wooden puzzles are a great way for toddlers to learn their shapes, develop fine motor skills, stack, sort and much more. Their simple but versatile design means they’re sure find lots of ways to play no adult could ever figure out on their own.
The average 2-year-old is somewhere between 32 to 37 inches. This super soft, incredibly cuddly Bluey plush is 18 inches. That’s potentially more than half the size of your kiddo! They’ll love playing with their favorite Australian pup.
Uncommon Goods Dinosaur Dress Up Capes
Inside every toddler lives a powerful, shrieking dinosaur and, as such, we think this is a perfect gift for 2-year-olds. They’ll have a blast running around the house, playground, or even grocery store roaring and stomping in this neat hooded cape. Choose from T-Rex or Triceratops.
Straight from the Clubhouse, Mickey and Minnie are all aboard the birthday train! The set includes everything your little one will need to build a train that really moves and Mickey and Mini figures. Hot dog, that’s a fun toy!
We absolutely love this platform swing for hours and years of outdoor fun with friends. With a weight capacity of 700 pounds, this can provide an entire childhood of fun.
Melissa And Doug Jumbo Cardboard Blocks
True story: my oldest got these when he was a toddler. He’s now 12, and I just gave them to another family, which is amazing for two reasons. 1) Even though these fun jumbo blocks are made of cardboard, they hold up super well, even to toddlers, and 2) They can provide more than a decade of fun.
One day, your 2-year-old will be a salty teenager who groans when you ask them to mow the lawn, but it is not this day. Today they will love playing grown-up with their very own push lawnmower. The dials really click and the pull cord makes a realistic motor sound, too.
Manhattan Toy Double-Decker Celestial Star Explorer Wooden Activity Center
Fully equipped with lots of wire bead runs, gliders, and spinners, this large activity center boasts four quadrants of multi-level play and supports motor development, cause-and-effect learning, and imaginative discovery.
You may find that your 2-year-old is really into climbing lately, which is a great developmental sign. Unfortunately, they always seem to want to climb somewhere dangerous. Encourage safe climbing with this fun slide, great for inside or outside.
