Children grow up so fast in front of their parents’ eyes without them realizing, as they get so involved in taking care of them and tending to their needs. They also start to understand that children who turn 2 are more interested in the colorful things and arranging toys that come with blocks or shape arrangements. It is hence important to get the best gifts for 2 year olds as equally as for a 1-year-old that will help them further develop these skills, and this article will act as a well-thought out guide to help parents find that perfect toy for their little one.
Buying Guide
Educating a child is so important right from a young age, and especially getting the best gifts for two year olds that are educational and fun allows them to start paving the right path towards pre-school life. The following points are to help parents find the best educational gifts for 2 year olds, allowing them to build on various skills like motor skills, STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) skills, and so on, and be school-ready early on:
Small parts and sharp edges: Very first point to consider when buying the best gifts for 2 year old is the safety aspect of the entire toy. Yes, most toys today are an assembly of parts of various sizes, which will also include small parts that could be a choking hazard, but It is quite uncommon for these toys to be so reckless. They are made strong so that children cannot pick the toy apart and are made free from any sharp edges to prevent them from cutting themselves.
Weight and ease to carry: The next vital factor to keep in mind is the weight of the toy, as toys that are too heavy will be useless. Small children like to move around with their toys, and thus the best presents for 2 year olds are those either the same size as them or smaller than them while simultaneously being lightweight.
Relativity: The kind of gift that parents or adults give to 2 year old children should also factor in the purpose or the relativity of the gift. Most top gifts for 2 year old are a combination of education and fun, filled with bright colors and allowing complete engagement.
Audio decibel: Another great tip to keep in mind while selecting the best gifts for 2 year old is to check the noise decibel of the toy, as most toys are made for engagement with the child. This means they will have audio and visual cues for children to interact with it, which could be quite noisy honestly. These very loud sounds could hurt the child’s eardrum, which is very sensitive.
Safety: If the toys bought are electronic, ensure to read the instructions before buying them, judging the circumstances at hand. If the toy is bought, ensure that they are nowhere close to a water source, which could cause harm to the child in the vicinity. Electric currents are no joke, for adults or kids, safety is an important factor.
Top 10 Best Gifts for 2 Year Olds
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1. WowWee Pinkfong Baby Shark Tab
Editor’s Point:
Baby Shark is a very common audio every child is obsessed with, I am sure even your child is. This tab falls under top educational toys for 2 year old for a reason, mainly because of how entertaining it makes learning for your child. I think it is definitely worth buying for the price.
Special Features:
- ABCs and 123 learning
- Best educational learning
- Improves motor skills
- Adjustable volume option Fun and interactive
Product Specifications:
- Manufacturer Brand: WowWee
- Origin Country: China
- Weight: 12 ounces
- Dimensions: 0.79 x 9.06 x 11.81 inches
- Battery: three LR44 batteries (included with set)
- Colour: Blue back, white front
Detailed Review:
The WowWee Pinkfong Baby shark tab is a great educational toy in the market for 2 year olds. It makes for an ideal birthday present and hence falls under the category of the best two year old toys for a good reason.
The tab has audio cues in the form of songs and jingles, allowing children to learn their 123s and ABCs via music, as it is proven that music allows for better information retention, especially in little kids.
It also has an added feature of volume control, which is very important, that allows the children to learn without hurting their sensitive eardrums.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Quick skill learning
- Great birthday gift
- Easy on the pocket
- Batteries included
Cons
- Not waterproof
2. Sesame Street Let us dance Elmo
Editor’s Point:
The Elmo let’s dance toy is the perfect way to get those dance moves to go with your child, with the fun and happy music Elmo sings for you. It makes for some of the best gifts for 2 year old, especially on an occasion like Christmas.
Special Features:
- Fun music and dance
- Interactive toy
- Durable material
- Colorful and bright
- Great Holiday gift
Product Specifications:
- Character name: Elmo
- Brand: Sesame Street
- Manufacturer Brand: Hasbro
- Weight: 2 pounds
- Dimensions: 4.76 x 12.99 x 12.75 inches
- Battery: Four AA batteries (included)
Detailed Review:
This toy is a great dance-along toy where its hips shake and head tilts, making the child mimic it and start dancing along in joy. It makes for a fun holiday gift because you get to along with the child on a cold Christmas evening.
This Elmo toy is vocal and sings great tunes instructing the child to follow it. This helps the child learn a lot of motor skills and musical as well as dance skills too. Who does not love Elmo from Sesame Street? Surely, every child does.
Pros
- Keeps child entertained
- Durable
- Interactive Features
- Great gift toy
- Easy to carry
Cons
- It is expensive
3. LEGO-DUPLO My First Number – Train
Editor’s Point:
LEGO is such a popular brand, especially when you were a little child, I am sure you would have wanted all the lego toys out there. Why not start that LEGO journey for your child right away? The DUPLO train toy by LEGO makes an ideal toy for 3-year-oil kids.
Special Features:
- Buildable locomotive set
- Colorful numbers
- Safe to play
- Interactive learning
- Motor skill building
Product Specifications:
- Brand: LEGO
- No. of pieces: 23
- Item Dimensions: 13.97 x 7.52 x 3.58 in
- Weight: 1.1 pounds
- Manuf. Recommended age: 18 months +
- Educational Obj.: Creative-thinking
Detailed Review:
This LEGO train allows children to build on their skills of counting, which is very impactful later on in their life. Counting skills can be transformed into STEM Skills for their future.
This set of locomotives consists of three colorful wagons, decorative numbers from 0 to 9, two toy kids, and one cat figure. This will allow children to explore creatively and make stories while learning how to count.
This toy also keeps the child very active and happy throughout their playtime, allowing the parents to do their work without worry.
Pros
- Colorful and fun
- Educational learning
- Improves coordination skills
- Durable blocks
- Easy to clean
Cons
- Choking Hazard
4. Dressed to Nest Cloth Play-Dolls
Editor’s Point:
One life skill all of us should learn growing up is to get dressed on our own, as this is the basic skill people expect us to have. Getting dressed helps children become individuals who are sharply dressed and understand how to make first good impressions.
Special Features:
- Soft material
- Colorful pieces
- Learning and fun
- Fit together to store
- Portable everywhere
Product Specifications:
- Brand: Constructive Playthings
- Height: 1.75 inches
- Weight: 3.52 ounces
- Material: Cloth
- Width: 11.25 inches
- Unit count: 1 each
Detailed Review:
Imagine having to dress kids all their childhood but eventually, they start to do it themselves. What if that time is taken to improve on this life skill be accelerated?
The answer to that is the Dress to Nest cloth play-dolls that allow children to play with the dolls, address them and change their cloth as per their liking. This allows them to learn and improve on motor skills too, which is an added bonus.
The beauty of this toy is that it can be used in both a school or a home environment, this way both teachers and parents can help children learn, respectively.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Easy to wash
- Easily portable
- Colorful and fun
- Many sizes available
Cons
- Could get boring after sometime
5. LeapFrog Scoop-and-learn Ice Cream Cart Deluxe
Editor’s Point:
I am sure everyone as little children would have played some form of make-pretend games like an ice cream shop or playing house with friends. Your kids today too have the same creativity. This is why the LeapFrog Scoop and Learn game is the perfect birthday present for your 2-year-old.
Special Features:
- 7 games in one
- Memory skills learning
- Colour recognition
- Counting skills
- 50 + play pieces
Product Specifications:
- Manufacturer: VTech
- Manuf. Recommended age: 2 years plus
- Weight: 8.68 pounds
- Product Dimension: 8.54 x 20.31 x 24.88 inches
- Origin Country: China
- Battery: requires 3 AA batteries (included)
Detailed Review:
The magic scoop and learn game allows children to learn how to identify colors and count, as they play their make-pretend game of being an ice cream salesman. They count each scoop and recognize flavors through colors.
There are 6 order cards that are in sequential order, through which they learn to understand how to follow instructions to get to the final result. This skill will certainly help them in the future when they have to join work and understand the guidelines and principles of that organization.
Pros
- Multiple games in one
- Keeps the child occupied
- Learning hand-eye coordination
- Teaches them colors
- STEM learning
Cons
- It is expensive
6. Toy Ambulance and Doctor’s Kit
Editor’s Point:
If your child is afraid to go to the doctor, why not buy them the Toy Ambulance and Doctor’s kit, which will help them understand their importance. Your child can play doctor themself and learn how they help people to cure them of illness.
Special Features:
- 10 piece set
- Easy to use
- Safe material for children
- 100% recyclable plastic
- Improving life skills
Product Specifications:
- Manufacturer Brand: Green Toys Inc.
- Weight: 1.5 pounds
- Product dimensions: 10.5 x 6 x 9 in
- Manuf. Recommended age: 2 years +
- Material: Plastic
- No. of Units: 10 pieces
Detailed Review:
Playing doctor and playing with an ambulance has become a new common in most homes, as parents want their children to understand the importance of hospitals, doctors, and ambulances, and educate them about it.
This playset comes with 10 pieces that include Thermometer, an ambulance toy, tweezers, stethoscope, syringe, reflex hammer, notepad, ear scope, and 2 sticker sheets.
This also helps increase their bravery when they visit their pediatricians for a check-up and cooperate better. Apart from that, it is a great tool to help them grow their skills like motor, social, and imagination skills.
Pros
- Improves creative skills
- Encourages social interaction
- Reduces doctor-visit anxiety
- Quite affordable
- Eco-friendly material
Cons
- Individual pieces can be lost
7. Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn puppy wagon
Editor’s Point:
I certainly cannot think of any child who doesn’t like to play with puppies, imagine giving them a toy that has one in it! How excited would they be, well Fisher-Price Puppy Wagon is one such toy. It is a great interactive toy for young children that have music to their delight.
Special Features:
- Easy to pull the wagon
- Music and audio
- Easy to use
- Sit and play activities
- Easy storage
Product Specifications:
- Manufacturer Brand: Fisher-Price
- Origin Country: China
- Product weight: 6.14 pounds
- Item dimension: 11.42 x 16.54 x 9.45 inches
- Batteries: three AA batteries (included)
- Manuf. Recommended age: 6 months +
Detailed Review:
Little children, especially those who are around 2 years old are visual, audio, and kinesthetic learners. This means that they learn through perceiving information through their eyes, ears and by practicing the skill with their hands.
The puppy wagon toy will help them improve their motor skills and musical skills as they remove the blocks and shapes, putting them in the respective slots and singing along with the tunes from the cart.
The entire bright collective of toys makes for a great gift for a 2 year old child in the family on holidays and other festive occasions.
Pros
- Easy to clean
- STEM development
- Safe grade plastic
- Improves dexterity
- It is affordable
Cons
- It is bulky
8. Melissa & Doug K’s Kids Teddy Wear Stuffed Bear
Editor’s Point:
Having a teddy bear must have been a part of all of our childhood, no matter what age, these toys always brought a smile to our faces. The Melissa & Doug Teddy Wear is a unique toy that allows children to learn important skills like their motor skills.
Special Features:
- Creative thinking
- Discovery of newness
- Confidence-building
- Safe material
- Emotional Quotient development
Product Specifications:
- Manufacturer Brand: Melissa & Doug
- Origin Country: China
- Weight: 1 pound
- Item Dimension: 14 x 10 x 4 inches
- Material: Plastic, Textiles
- Colour: Multi-colour
Detailed Review:
Children love to experiment with their hands, try to pull things apart and put them back together, or even try to understand why things are the way they are. The Melissa & Doug Teddy Wear Toy is hence the perfect birthday present for such inquisitive children.
The clothing and shoes of the bear are both removable and hence it allows children to take the toy apart to examine how to untie or undo zippers and buttons and put them back on. Later on, they will use this in application in their own life as their motor skills and observation skills improve.
Pros
- Easy to wash
- Lightweight
- Highly portable
- Logical skills development
- Imagination and storytelling
Cons
- Small buttons- choking hazard
9. Honeysticks Pure Beeswax crayons
Editor’s Point:
We as kids would have used so many crayons that were probably not safe for use, but today’s technology has gotten so advanced that companies have formulated great non-toxic natural crayons. Honeysticks pure beeswax is one such great product to ever exist, that your kids can use without you worrying about them getting hurt.
Special Features:
- 100% natural beeswax
- Environmentally friendly
- Multicolor pack
- Low impact and sustainable
- Money-back guarantee
Product Specifications:
- Manufacturer Brand: Honeysticks
- Item Weight: 6.7 ounces
- Manuf. Recommended age: 1 year +
- Warranty: as per manufacturer guidelines
- Package Dimensions: 4.9 x 2.8 x 1.8 in
- Colors: 12 colors
Detailed Review:
Creating art and making it a living is only possible if these individuals get to experience art from a young age. This is a reason why parents must consider gifting their 2 year olds the Honeysticks crayon set and give them creative freedom.
These little kids can use these 100% natural crayons with their bare hands without the parents having to worry about their safety, as it is completely safe for them.
There are 12 exciting colors of crayons for children to choose from. These crayons not only help with creative skills but also build motor skills and memory power.
Pros
- Completely kid-safe
- Eco-friendly
- Lightweight
- Good portability
- Value for the buck
Cons
- Hard to get off walls
10. Karber-Dark fishing-floating squirt toys set
Editor’s point:
Bath time can be pretty boring for your children, as they have much more exciting things to do like explore the world! They would any day prioritize playing with toys rather than napping or bathing. The Karber-Dark fishing floating toy will certainly make the bath time fun and less problematic.
Special Features:
- Flexible plastic
- High-quality materials
- Comes with a storage bag
- Easy to wash
- Low-maintenance
Product Specifications:
- Manufacturer Brand: KarberDark
- Weight: 7.8 ounces
- Product dimensions: 10 x 7.99 x 2.6 in
- Manuf. Recommended age: 18 months plus
- Warranty: As per the manufacturer guidelines
- Colors: Multicolor
Detailed Review:
Bath time can be made fun using the KarberDark fishing toy, which comes in a set of one fishing rod, 2 strain-scoop toys, and 3 sets of squirting toys, allowing the kids to have fun with splashing water and playing as they get clean.
These toys are soft and float on the surface of the water, hence making them ideal for bathtubs. Children also develop a lot of their motor skills via these squishy toys that squirt water. It helps strengthen their grip while holding items. These squishy colorful toys come in 3 fish forms, one starfish and a crab.
Pros
- Easy to clean
- Waterproof
- Motor skill development
- Very Affordable
- Safe smooth edges
Cons
- Individual pieces can be lost
How have I ranked the products in this list of best gifts for 2 year olds?
I have ensured all the products in this list follow certain set criteria to allow parents, aunts, and uncles to give the 2 year olds in your family the most fun, loving, and safe gifts. These toys are not only fun but also beneficial to improving some life skills or the other. I have looked up various resources to compile the ultimate list of perfect gifts for the little one.
Care And Maintenance:
- After playtime, ensure the children are aware as to where to keep their toys safely, this will ensure they learn discipline at a young age and also know there is an allotted place for their toys, which will make them more organized.
- Check for the waterproof mark on the toys, and then gently wash them under lukewarm water with some mild soap. Toys like bath toys or plastic toys that children play with within the mud definitely need to be washed regularly, at least once a week.
- Toys such as teddy bears and other cloth or fabric toys need to be sent for a dry clean or washed in a bucket of soap and dried in the sun, ensuring they are thoroughly cleaned. This is because textile and cloth-based toys get dirty very easily and need to be often washed. Children have the tendency to wipe their mouth and face against these toys because they are soft surfaces. If not washed they could transfer germs to their system.
- Toys that are made of plastic need to be regularly checked for any break or chipping. Parents should understand that kids often drop toys, and even toys that claim to be drop-proof or shockproof have a lifespan of their own. Check for any sharp edges and discard the toy or replace it with a new one, do not risk the possible danger.
- If the toys are running on batteries, ensure to always take them out and keep them aside when not in regular use, as disposable batteries have a tendency to leak, as their electrolytes escape the aging seals. Another possibility is that the batteries explode due to internal malfunctions, which could permanently destroy the inner circuit of the toy. Hence ensure the batteries are in only when the child is playing with it every day or more frequently than usual.
- Small parts can get lodged in the throat of the child if they accidentally consume it. Ensure that the toys with small parts are either played within the presence of an elderly or kept aside, out of the child’s reach. This will ensure the complete safety of the child from choking accidentally.
- Make sure to disinfect the toys with sanitary solutions that are now available in the market specially made for hard surfaces and also come in the form of sprays to put on textile and soft toys. This will ensure the killing of any residual bacteria that could remain post its wash using soap. Especially in an unpredictable time like this, sanitation is equally important after regular washing.
FAQ
i) What are the best gifts to present to a 2 year old child?
Some amazing gifts to give a 2 year old are a Baby shark tablet, Dancing Elmo toys, Honeysticks crayons, or even Teddy Wear stuffed toys.
ii) What are the advantages of giving children educational gifts?
Yes, the bouncy castle needs an outlet regardless of its location. The blower keeps inflating the toy when the children are playing to ensure the maximum effectiveness of the product.
iii) What does the warranty cover for the toys?
The toys come with a different warranty period, as per the recommended guidelines of the toy manufacturer. They on average cover the repair or replacement of the toy in case of damage under a given time frame.
iv) What occasions are best to gift the toys?
Toys do not require an occasion to be given to children, but giving it on a specific occasion makes it more memorable and special. Christmas, Birthdays, or even visiting them on a holiday are good times.
v) What batteries are required for toys that run on them?
Different toys run on different batteries and different numbers. Usually, most toys run on either AA or AAA batteries and might require 2 to 4 batteries. Read the instruction manual before purchase.
