I looked for an online guide when shopping for birthday presents and toys for 2 year olds, but a lot of them weren’t complete or missed some key toys. There are so many 2-year-old gift guides online, and a lot of them were disappointing! So here I am making my own. I have 3 kids, and we have gone through the toddler stage three times now. For this list, I thought about toys that both of my kids have loved, but also pulled toys from Montessori and Waldorf inspiration as well.
Some of the toys my now 2-year-old loves are different from what my daughter loved at the same age. Here’s my list! (You can click on each item picture below to take you right to shop each item!)
Best Gifts for 2-Year-Old Girls & Boys
Educational & Montessori Gifts for 2-Year-Olds
Fishing game
An oldie but a goodie! They also have a new XL version.
Busy board
Great for quiet time, but it’s a great travel toy too!
Crayon rocks
We saw these in a little gift shop and they are so cute! They’re the perfect size for little hands to pick up.
Mess-free markers and coloring pages
I always bring these when we travel (see what else I pack for flights with the kids here!), but I love them just as much for home. The markers only work on special paper, so you won’t find pink or yellow streaks on the table or walls. And the special paper you need to use has coloring pages from Moana to Paw Patrol to Disney Princesses and Mickey Mouse, so there’s something for everyone.
Cleaning set
The best part about this gift for kids is that it actually works! My kids use the mini mop and duster alongside me.
Active & Gross Motor Gift Ideas
Magnatiles
Amazing for 2+ (and my 5 year old loves them too!). The house set with the cars is really fun for hours of building. Magnatiles are the original, but we also own some of these Mag Genius magnet squares if you’re looking for a more affordable set.
Ride on toys
We bought our first ride-on toy when my daughter turned one, and five years later, my two-year-old son was still racing it down the hallway. It has survived three toddlers and endless crashes, making it worth every penny. Excuse me, but I would have LOVED this as a child. How cute is this little Cinderella-inspired carriage!
Pikler triangle and slide/climber
Read my Pikler triangle review here!
Balance board
For older toddlers, or toddlers who love to move. My husband actually has an adult version of this for his standing desk!
Dollhouse
We have this smaller one and also this larger one. My kids all (boy and girls) played with the dollhouse equally, so I don’t think it’s important to only buy a dollhouse for girls. My son loves putting together little scenes and rearranging furniture. Sometimes it’s even Batman’s house! Part of the reason that I bought this dollhouse was because it came with all of the furniture/accessories, which a lot of them do not!
Scooter
Basketball hoop
This one can be raised as they grow. We gave this to our son when he turned 2, and he grew out of it about 2 years later.
Imaginative Play & STEM Gifts
Building bath tubes
These are great for beginning science concepts during bathtime!
DUPLO set
Easel
Hape train set with rails
Cash register
Wooden blocks or these stacking rocks (a variation of stacking blocks)
Dump trucks and other vehicles
My son got this Bluey trash truck for his birthday, and I won’t lie that I enjoy it too. It’s fun that it comes with the little trash containers, and it picks those up just like a real trash truck! Of course, you can’t go wrong with the Green Toys dump truck, which we have had for years and still looks brand new.
Budget-Friendly Gifts under $25
Reusable stickers
We have these static cling “stickers” that I’ll pull out from time to time for my two year old to play with. They’re not really stickers because they are reusable. He loves doing the different scenes separately but then also mixing and matching (helicopters with diggers? Why not?)
Kinetic sand kit
My kids LOVE when we take this out. It can be messy, but as long as you know that and are ready to vacuum up whatever sand falls, you’re good. It’s really fun for them to play with, and it’s a great sensory kit. I’m looking at getting this construction sand kit next. You can also buy the sand in different colors separately if you want to use small dump truck toys or whatever you already have at home.
First board game
My kids all loveed the First Orchard game and “the Dragon game” starting at age 2 – see those and what other board games we love here!
Magnetic fishing alphabet game helps kids learn matching letters
Play dough
I have a love hate relationship with Play-doh, to be honest. I absolutely love the creativity I see when my kids play with it and the sets that they have, but I can’t leave my 2 year old alone with it. Or there will be a large pink splotch on the living room rug that doesn’t come out! Some of the accessories are really fun, too, like the kitchen set.
FAQs about gifts for 2 year olds
What do you buy a 2-year-old who has everything? Consumables like Kinetic Sand or open-ended toys like Magna-Tiles are a great gift idea!
What are the most appropriate developmental toys for a 2-year-old? At this age they’re working on fine motor skills, sharing via board games, and imaginative play, so anything fostering those skills is a great idea.
What are the best toys for a 2 year old who lives in a small place? Again, consumables are great because they are used and then gone! No storage space needed. But if you do need storage space, let’s talk about…
Toy Storage
Toy storage is still an area that I am personally figuring out, but here are some solutions that work for us for various items.
LEGO storage is something I’m pretty sure every parent in America has trouble with… Do you store LEGO by pieces? By sets? By color? We keep all of the smaller pieces in this storage box for the kids to get to them easily. Projects they’re currently working on are put back into this creative storage box, which I actually found at Home Goods but have also found on Amazon for easy ordering. And then the people and animals are stored in these small acrylic containers. I find that with acrylic containers, the kids can see what they’re looking for and have an easier time – and fewer “Mommy, I can’t find xyz” 😉
Stuffed animals and baby dolls are stored in baskets, which make clean up so much easier for everyone.
Sports balls (my son LOVED his basketball hoop when he was 2!) go into another basket.
Just looking for ideas? Pin this for later!
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