We love the two year old stage! Children at this age understand the world more and are oh so excited to explore. Their imagination starts to whirl, and soon they are stirring a pot of pretend soup, sweeping alongside you, and covering a blank sheet of paper with lines, dashes and dots of color.
Every two year old is different at this stage, and so is their play. While the child’s attention span can seem shorter than the wick of a firework, every bit of back-and-forth between activities is building her sense of the world.
Children at this age still do quite a bit of parallel play. They may work alongside a child for a bit, but engaging with one another will happen as they get older.
Our best two-year-old toy recommendations reflect this stage in life. Our favorites build on the two year old’s development in gross and fine motor skills, the love of pretend play rooted in real life, the joy of exploring the world, and toys that will last into the preschool years.
Tents or Tepees
Why mom approves: easy to set up and tear down, and hours of peek-a-boo, camping and playing house in between
If you have gone to IKEA with young children, then you know the children’s section is a nice spot to take a break and let them play. One item we love from its toy section? Tents! Tents are a source of endless fun for little ones. Though it may take a little coaxing for more reserved kids to go inside, once they do, it’s a fun spot to play peek-a-boo and hideout in an imaginary world. The Cirkustalt Tent ($19.99) at IKEA is fun! But, there are so many options, depending on the child’s interest (including some that foldup very easily, which is great for storage). Grab a castle ($19.99) for a knight or princess, a pink princess tent ($14.99) for matching pink princess rooms an outer space tent ($29.99) for dreaming of another galaxy, or a rocket ($29.99) to get you there. For those looking for a tent that is more stylish than (well, eyesore seems not the right word, but…), check out the tepees from Crate & Barrel. This metallic silver and white tepee ($159) can match almost any decor and blend into a multi-functional family living space.
Magnetic Blocks
Why mom approves: imaginative building at its best
As you can tell from our site, we love magnetic tiles, and this 100 piece set from PicassoTiles ($49.98) is an amazing set at a great price. Little ones will love to build a tower, knock it down and rebuild it again. The shapes you can build and color patterns rival other building block options, and what’s more so, these will stay as a favorite building toy for years to come (ours are five years old and going strong). With 100 tiles, if you loose a few (which will inevitably happen), it will be okay. We also love bringing these magnetic toys for the airplane. Because they stick together, there are less pieces prone to scatter.
The World of Little People
Why mom approves: a great collection for little hands
We are big fans of the world created by Fisher-Price’s Little People. The small, round figures are perfect for little hands to grasp and tote around. And, there are so many people and animals – princesses, superheroes, community helpers, farm and zoo animals – plus airplanes they can jet away in, busses that can pick them up and houses and castles to live in. We are big fans of the figures by themselves, as they are the perfect complement to any tower or house little ones may be building out of blocks. And, with Little People you don’t have to worry about small parts – like accessories and clothes – or that, like action figures, they will be too heavy for 2 year olds to grasp. For toddlers and early preschoolers, the Little People world is big and easy enough to keep them engaged in play.
Marble Runs (with supervision)
Why mom approves: marble runs are mesmerizing
Marble runs are magically mesmerizing for little ones (and let’s be honest, grown ups too). The smooth sound of marbles running on polished wood and clack, clack, clacking at the end is such a primitive, lovely toy sound that has put generations in a trance. Two year olds will find joy in marble runs (and need to be closely supervised to make sure no marbles are swallowed) and racing and re-racing groups of marbles. This Amish-Made Handcrafted Marble Run ($59.99) has a simple design, but don’t let that fool you. We have seen this track keep little ones (and groups of little ones) hands busy for longer than other complicated marble set ups. Little ones can stand or rest on their knees as they do this track. And, unlike plastic counterparts, this wooden run requires no set up and has a more solid feel.
We can’t mention marbles without giving a shout out to Moon Marble Company in Bonner Springs, Kan. where you can get a tour of the marble making process.
Play Kitchen
Why mom approves: cooking, stirring and baking – a mini top chef in the making
Little ones rule the roost in their own mini kitchen. Opening the fridge like mom and dad, stirring their own pots of sauce, washing their hands in the sink – a little play kitchen can keep 2 year olds happily busy. We like the KidKraft Corner Play Kitchen Set ($189) if your home has the space. It has multiple doors to open and close, a mini sink, stovetop, oven and dishwasher. And, although it may come as a passing thought now, this is one of the few play kitchens that has a little countertop and cabinet space for the inevitable waffle maker, mixer, blender and coffee dispenser that is surely soon to come from someone (by the way, we have these and they are great fun in our kitchen). Have a smaller space? KidKraft also makes a more compact adorable retro kitchen ($119.99). We also adore that this kitchen by Teamson Design ($279) features gold accents and a farm house sink, and pretty much want to upgrade our own kitchen to look like this.
Ice Cream & Play Food
Why mom approves: Simple and so fun for pretend play. Also, it’s ice cream.
If you are buying a food for a child’s kitchen, you can’t go wrong with ice cream. Ice cream always wins. And, sure there are more ice cream toys with bells and whistles, but we love the simplicity of the Learning Resources Smart Snacks Rainbow Cones ($19.99). There are no ice cream scoops that can be hard for little hands to master, or other cups or desserts to make this toy more complicated. Kids love ice cream; let them play ice cream. The bright colored scoops are a great way to talk about colors, or make up silly flavor names.
Shopping Cart
Why mom approves: A shopping cart, a basket to haul toys, a cart for dolls
While going to a store with a toddler may not always be a party, when the tables are turned, little ones love to be in charge of the shopping cart. Set up a farm stand, and teach little ones about the names of fruits and vegetables. Have them push as you work as a team to pick up toys around the house. And let them fill the basket with dolls, animals and knick knacks – soon, you will see them zooming around the house. Don’t be surprised if they want you to follow as they point to things they’d love to include in their basket. We love the versatility in play the Melissa & Doug Toy Shopping Cart ($55.99) brings to a child’s imaginative world. And, as a bonus, fill it with groceries. With 21 pieces, the Melissa & Doug Food Group is a great starter set ($19.99).
And speaking of mimicking real world actions, don’t overlook getting a child their own mop and sweeper set. Yes, seriously. If you’ve swept near a 2-year-old (and they are not pining to be held), chances are he or she would very much like to be in charge of the broom. Or mop. We like this Melissa & Doug Cleaning Set (around $26). It’s durable, colorful and made of wood – little ones can pitch in and help with household chores.
Wooden Puzzles
Why mom approves: this puzzle provides lots of fun challenges and surprises for little hands
2 year olds adore this puzzle, the Melissa & Doug Wooden Activity Board ($24.99). The shiny gold locks are a fun challenge for little ones mastering their fine motor skills. And the animals behind each door are a fun surprise to discover. We love how this puzzle integrates bright colors and counting, too. This puzzle has lasting power for 3 and 4 year olds as well. However, if are looking for something more simple, we recommend the easy-for-little-hands-to-hold chunky wooden puzzles from Melissa & Doug, like the farm animals ($9.99), safari animals ($9.95), construction site ($8.99) tools (about $10) and more. The pieces are easy-to-grasp and easily match in the boards. Plus, the imagination wanders with these puzzles – hammer with the hammer puzzle piece, the safari lion roars, or zoom around with one of the construction pieces as you help the child solve the puzzle (after which there will be much applause).
Phones
Why mom approves: talking on the phone seems as natural of a milestone as walking
We’re going old school, and one of our favorite toys for 2 year olds is a flip phone. Simple, builds imaginative play, and they can role model adults. Pretend to call grandma and grandpa, the baker, doctor, dentist – or you – pretend calls on this little flip phone help build vocabulary and build up a child’s world. We like the Infantino Flip and Peek Fun Phone (around $6) because it is just that – a phone – there are no “apps” for pretend play, silly singing sounds, it’s just a bare bones phone, and in its simplicity, it will make for a longer, lasting toy. You’ll find it years later – in backpacks of mini explorers and handbags of tiny fashionistas.
Art Supplies
Why mom approves: more adept at fine motor skills, little ones will have fun creating a colorful world
At 2 years of age, a child will love the color that they will create from art. Seeing a brush stroke of bright-colored paint against a white sheet of paper will bring a spark to the child’s face as he understands that he did that. And, art supplies is a fun gift that the child and parent can enjoy together. At this age, some of our favorite supplies: Dot Markers ($15.99) easy-to-use, washable and low on the messy ratio, Play Doh ($7.99) for squishing, rolling and smashing – a fun sensory experience, and a small set of Large Crayola Crayons ($7.49). When we visited the National Portrait Gallery in D.C., the educational art area for children had Tempura Paint Sticks ($18.99). The smooth, bright colors had everyone from toddlers to adults working diligently on their masterpieces.