Top 10 Favorite Items for 2 year olds

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Are you looking for more games, toys, and learning tools to entertain your 2 year old? Continue reading! Discover 25+ items loved by my both my girls between the ages of 18 months and 3 years. Add these items to their Christmas list or birthday wish list!

Pretend Play

We got her this KidKraft Uptown Espresso Kitchen for her 2nd birthday. It’s been in our living room ever since and adored by her and any toddler, boy or girl, that comes to visit! I love this one vs other brands as it has a lot of storage options. So many others I’ve seen in other people’s homes have small storage spots or pull out drawers that were difficult for kids to get back in.
A kitchen wouldn’t be complete without cooking accessories which is why we also have this 27 Piece Cookware Playset full of colorful plates, cups and utensils. Tip: DONT buy stainless steel ones, like I originally did. They turn into LOUD musical instruments very quickly. Go with a plastic playset like we have!
Of course when you’re shopping for food to store in your kitchen you need to make sure you have a sturdy shopping cart which is why Brielle loves, and I highly recommend this Step2 Little Helper’s Shopping Cart.

Outdoor

I’ve already recapped my list of favorite outdoor toys for toddlers but wanted to reiterate how much we’re loving our water table, sprinkler, and wagon this outdoor season and don’t see us falling out of love with them anytime soon! The wagon has especially been good to take around the neighborhood with her little sister in tow!

Books

We received a healthy collection of books at my baby shower ranging from older classics to modern illustrations. We read to her often and at a certain point this year she started “reading” them to us! Here are a few of Brielle’s favorites she’s been enjoying during this age that I recommend to others: Mix It Up!, Goodnight Moon, Sesame Street Elmo’s Favorite Places (Lift-the-Flap), and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. Find more books we enjoy for bedtime here.

Doll Play

I’m sure some will argue that this category is mostly for girls but we’re around boys the same age at playgroups, in daycare and within our family who play with doll things! Brielle is a lover of all things dolls that was something she was drawn to even before her sister arrived. She has one which makes real sounds! She received the stroller and crib accessory for a complete baby doll playtime experience and loves it!

Building Blocks

I’ve already shared Brielle’s love of Megabloks and how easy they are to put together but the love of building sets doesn’t stop there!

She loves her ZOOB Jr. 55 Piece Building Set set (or as she calls them “Zooms”) to both create extra large necklaces but to also try and build the items seen on the cards. She, of course, needs help from mom and dad to construct the designs shown, but she has no problem popping the pieces off and on with her little hands.
This Christmas she received magnetic tiles known as Magformers. While she isn’t creating any of the complicated designs seen in the instruction book just yet, these seem like an ageless toy and one she’ll be playing with for years to come, which makes this mom happy.

Electronics

We are working on staying as screen free as possible as I know that we won’t be able to fight it forever. While she does have some tv time in the morning or evening while I’m making dinner, the tv is mostly on in our house for the music channel. Like most kids she wants to play with our phone but we haven’t yet downloaded any apps. Instead, electronics to her are these toys:

Leapfrog My Own Laptop Leaptop Learning Computer Toy – Yep she often sees mom checking the laptop at night while daddy puts her to bed so it’s easy to want to be a mini me with her own laptop. She loves the mode which tells you want each letter is by name, the sound and an animal that starts with it. And who doesn’t love a rockin’ rendition of the ABCs?
The VTech Kidizoom Camera seen in the above photo is another meant for age 3+ but one she received on her 2 year old birthday. She’s been loving it since playing with it this late summer, using the two eyeholes to take photos. She knows how to turn it on and to take the photos but still needs help scrolling through her gallery. I go through it with her occasionally and delete any of the photos of nothing but keep the ones where there are any sort of glimpse of something. It’s fun to see life through her world.

Skill Building

Skill building – Like any young age, this one is craving different ways to learn, including toys that teach skills without knowing it!

Previously mentioned on our Holiday Guide, Brielle has fallen in love with this Melissa & Doug Cutting Fruit Set. She likes to attach the fruit and cut them in half. Mom loves that she is also learning about symmetry, proportions (halves/thirds etc), and even identifying new fruits she has yet to try!
Most of her current shoe styles all include Velcro closures but the big girl shoes with shoelace ties are right around the corner! I love this ALEX Toys Little Hands One, Two Tie My Shoe as she can both practice tying her shoe laces but also the in and out lacing action that is a great fine motor skill. This kit comes with 4 shoes and we actually gifted both my nephew and niece each a shoe and lace this Christmas so they can also practice this milestone activity!
UPDATE: We didn’t get an Alex Toys Button Art until Brielle’s sister Hailey was 2, but I HIGHLY recommend this toy to help practice color recognition. The buttons are easy for the 2 year olds to pick up and the pictures are simple enough for them to color match. As a mom, I also love that this toy comes with its own storage compartment.

Consider making a few busy bags using loose materials in your craft stash! Many bags can build fine motor skills, like string beads on a shoelace!

Arts & Crafts

With a craft loving mommy, this is OF COURSE a common activity in our house. Brielle’s had her fair share of creative crafty experiences with all sorts of mediums this year. If you were to make a gift basket of her favorites they would include: Crayola Washable Finger Paints, Contact Paper (which is not just for shelves as you can see here), ALEX Toys Little Hands Squeeze Scissors, and PlayDoh.

Loveys

2 year olds can become attached to dolls, stuffed animals or other plush objects and use them for comfort. For any toddler who’s interested in the famous Elmo character, I highly recommend this 12″ Plush Elmo doll that has been well loved in our home! Since these loveys can get pretty dirty if taken out of the house (or let’s face it, if they’re with a toddler inside they can get messy too) so pick up a backup one and store it away during cleaning cycles! (Hailey also received the Cookie Monster version this Easter and is just as loved!)

Beauty

Of course we don’t want our little ones growing up too fast but sometimes cute accessories and beauty items are too cute to ignore.

Exhibit A seen above: Brielle LOVES her sunnies! She had three pairs that were more for fashion than really blocking the sun but she became obsessed with them…even in snow!
She also loved to get her toenails clipped and would want me to paint them. We use Piggy Paint Nail Polish which is fast drying without any strong smells. It was a great activity to do in the long winter days when we were stuck in the house!