The 34 Best Gifts for 2-Year-Olds to Ignite Their Imagination

American Girl Bitty Baby Doll #1

Know a child always stealing their older sibling’s American Girl Doll? Or maybe one who will soon have a new sibling? The Bitty Baby Doll from American Girl Doll is a great doll option for younger children. It’s recommended for ages 18 months and up. We love that you can choose dolls with various skin tones, and hair and eye colors, and children will have fun caring for and dressing the doll. 

The Details:

• Recommended ages: 18 months and up
• Batteries: n/a

Mr. Potato Head Create Your Potato Head Family

Give a nostalgic toy parents might enjoy just as much as their child with this Potato Head set. It comes with 45 pieces, which might be annoying to some adults, but it means it’s full of ways everyone can create their own Potato Head families, with two “parent” potatoes and one baby spud. Plus not only does this Potato Head set encourage imaginative play, but it helps children practice hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.

The Details:

• Recommended ages: 2 years and up
• Batteries: n/a

Sherilyn Kids Play Tent with Mat

One of my child’s all-time favorite gifts is an indoor play tent. Role-playing toys, like kitchen sets, doctor’s kits, and play tents can help children understand the world around them and foster imaginative play, says Katie McCann. 

We love that this tent will fit into any design style and is geared towards children 18 months and older as many play tents have an older recommended age. It does take some assembly so if you’re giving it, offering to help the parents set it up would likely be appreciated. Plus then you can play too once it’s all set.

The Details:

• Recommended ages: 18 months and up 
• Batteries: n/a

Lovevery Music Set

Beloved by parents for its Playkits and Playgym, popular brand Lovevery recently introduced the Music Set which helps children explore music with real instruments, including a metronome, bells, pan flute, concertina, shakers, and jingle bracelet. Keep in mind this noisy toy might not be the best gift for parents who work from home, but if they don’t mind the jam sessions, this is a gift that will grow with children, allowing them to become more proficient and explore their love of music.

The Details:

• Recommended ages: 18 months and up
• Batteries: n/a

Mega Bloks First Builders Big Building Bag, 80 Pieces

These classic blocks will carry your child from toddlerhood through their preschool years. The pieces are plastic yet durable and big enough for small hands to manipulate, so parents won’t have to worry about choking. The colorful 80-piece set includes a wheelbase, so kids can create any vehicle their imagination can design. A zip-up storage case makes cleanup as easy as, um, prying blocks out of your kiddo’s hands at nap time.

The Details:

• Recommended ages: 12 months and up 
• Batteries: n/a
  

Me and My Mama: Celebrate Black Joy and Family Love

We’re big fans of board books for their durability and how easy they are for young hands to grasp, and we love the joyful messages of this one from writer Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrator Ashleigh Corrin. With vibrant illustrations and happy rhymes, the book beautifully shares the story and feeling of love and family.

The Details:

• Recommended ages: 0-3 years
• Batteries: n/a

Sarah's Silk Rainbow Enchanted Mini Playsilk

We’re big fans of these sustainably made, Waldorf-inspired play silks. My daughter has several of them and uses them for all sorts of imaginative play, wearing them as a cape or using them in her fort. The smooth texture and vibrant color help with sensory exploration and fine motor development. And you can make this a part of your yearly birthday celebrations with the included song.

The Details:

• Recommended ages: All ages
• Batteries: n/a

Green Toys Tool Set

Encourage your kids to help fix things around the house with this tool kit. With 15 different tools, this sustainable play tool set encourages creativity and role play while also promoting fine motor skills development.

The Details:

• Recommended ages: 24 months-6 years 
• Batteries: n/a

Radio Flyer 4-in-1 Stroll 'N Trike

This stroller-tricycle hybrid converts to a big kid tricycle for a toy that will last longer than almost anything you can buy at this age. A child starts out sitting in the infant trike with grownups’ help. Then they learn to steer and pedal. Soon enough, they’re off! It has a three-point safety harness, a storage bucket for snacks and toys, a stroller-like push bar, a sun canopy, and a removable footrest. 

The Details:

• Recommended ages: 12 months-5 years 
• Batteries: n/a
  

Melissa & Doug Deluxe Pounding Bench Wooden Toy

Parents and toddlers love this colorful, classic wooden toy that features pegs that go up and down but don’t come out, so they can’t get lost (rejoice!). The pounding bench helps children learn cause and effect, and hitting the peg with the mallet encourages hand-eye coordination and fine motor skill development. Plus, it’s fun for a 2-year-old to hit stuff, so there’s that.

The Details:

• Recommended ages: 2-4 years
• Batteries: n/a
  

LeapFrog Learning Friends 100 Words Book

Animals aid in language development with this interactive toy. It features pages toddlers can flip, fun songs, and 12 categories of new vocabulary, including pets, food, colors, and vehicles. There’s a Spanish mode, too, which makes this a great gift for bilingual children. 

The Details:

• Recommended ages: 18 months-4 years 
• Batteries: 2 AA batteries (included)
  

The Snowy Day

First published in the 1960s by writer and illustrator Ezra Jack Keats, The Snowy Day is a classic children's book that warms you up on a cold day, or makes you long for winter on a warm one. I remember my parents reading me the beautiful story as a child, and I love reading it to my own kid decades later. The story and illustrations are simple yet magical, detailing the excitement of a day exploring the snow. 

The Details:

• Recommended ages: 1-5 years
• Batteries: n/a

LeapFrog Scoop & Learn Ice Cream Cart

Toddlers almost always get a kick out of pretending to make and serve treats to friends and family. This colorful, movable cart includes an attached ice cream scooper that won’t wander off, as well as make-believe ice cream, cones, and toppings. Voice prompts call out orders for kids to fill while they work on memory skills and matching, all mess-free!

The Details:

• Recommended ages: 2-5 years 
• Batteries: 3 AA batteries required (included)
  

VTech Touch and Learn Activity Desk Deluxe

This is a great time to introduce kids to their very own activity table for independent play. This interactive version from VTech incorporates educational activities with music, vocabulary, and writing-focused interchangeable pages. It can also transform into an easel and chalkboard. You can even purchase separate expansion packs with more pages to extend the fun.

The Details:

• Recommended ages: 2- 5 years
• Batteries: 4 AA batteries required

The Wonderful Things You Will Be

This charming book from Emily Winfield Martin, an artist and writer whose work is inspired by fairytales, imagines all of the things a young child can grow up to be while encouraging them to be whatever they want to be. The rhyming text makes the storyline fun to read out loud, and my child adores picking a new thing she wants to be each time we read it. Every family with a small child will cherish receiving this sweet book as a gift. 

The Details:

• Recommended ages: 0-3 years 
• Batteries: n/a
  

Top Bright Wooden Shape Sorter

There are so many ways to play and learn with this cement-mixer shape sorter. Two-year-olds will learn their shapes and colors, develop fine motor skills, and even hone hand-eye coordination as they push and pull the truck, rotate the barrel, and grow their little imaginations. Parents will love that the toy is made with nontoxic materials.

The Details:

• Recommended ages: 18 months and up 
• Batteries: n/a
  

iPlay, iLearn Kids Bowling Toys Set

This gift brings the fun of the game of bowling home in a safe, age-appropriate way. Made of soft foam, the colorful set contains two balls and 10 pins. Bowling—or whatever games 2-year-olds come up with using this set—helps develop gross motor skills and hand-eye coordination. 

The Details:

• Recommended ages: 12 months and up
• Batteries: n/a

Manhattan Toy Baby Stella Doll

At the age of 2, kids start mimicking the behaviors of adults. That often comes in the form of pretend caregiving, which you can encourage with a sweet, soft doll that comes in a variety of skin tones and hairstyles. This also makes a great present for a soon-to-be big sister or brother. Every doll includes a magnetic pacifier, a diaper, and a cute outfit. Tons of super adorable accessories are sold separately. 

The Details:

• Recommended ages: 12 months-6 years
• Batteries: n/a
  

Little Tikes Rocking Horse

The classic rocking horse toy gets an upgrade from Little Tikes. Available in blue or pink, this plastic version is sized just for toddlers and features easy-grip handles and a seat designed for safety—no pinching little fingers or falling all the way back. We love that this is suitable for indoor or outdoor play, too.

The Details:

• Recommended ages: 12 months-3 years 
• Batteries: n/a
  

VTech Care for Me Learning Carrier

VTech’s interactive puppy and kennel set features dozens of songs and phrases to entertain your animal-loving little while they care for their furry friend. The plush puppy’s carrier lights up, and it comes with toy food, a bottle, a comb, and a ball for playing fetch. It’s available in pink or orange.

The Details:

• Recommended ages: 9 months-3 years 
• Batteries: 2 AAA batteries (included)

Fat Brain Toys Wooden Personalized Name Puzzle

This precious name puzzle is a much-loved gift that combines fun and learning. Personalize this wooden toy with up to nine letters. It not only helps toddlers learn how to spell their name but also helps develop their fine motor skills and self-esteem as they play with their very own, made-just-for-them puzzle day after day. After they’ve outgrown it as a puzzle, it makes a great decorative keepsake, too.

The Details:

• Recommended ages: 12 months and up 
• Batteries: n/a
  

Little Tikes First Slide

For simple, age-appropriate outdoor play, you can’t beat a slide, and this one is plastic and right-sized for your active 2-year-old. It’s small enough to be used indoors in a playroom or rec room, while still being stable, but it’s durable enough to use outside, too. Parents love that assembly is tool-free and that you can fold it down for easy storage.

The Details:

• Recommended ages: 18 months-6 years 
• Batteries: n/a
  

Yookidoo Submarine Spray Station

Grown-ups may be tempted to get in on the fun with this colorful (battery-operated) submarine and spray station that makes bath time more like playtime. The shower head sprayer, which is continuously fed by the sub, is designed for small hands to grip, and the colorful cups, faces, and gears will be welcome playmates any time your kiddo needs to wash off a day of being a kid. You may have a hard time getting your kid out of the bath from now on.

The Details:

• Recommended ages: 2-6 years 
• Batteries: 4 AA batteries required

Moluk Bilibo

What is this thing? Well, we can tell you that it’s a durable, non-toxic, shell-shaped piece of plastic. But beyond that, it’s entirely up to your kiddo to decide. This beloved toy inspires endless imagination and creativity among toddlers. Available in a variety of bright, fun colors, the Bilibo helps little ones improve their balance and coordination as they sit in it, stand in it, stack it, wear it, or stow things in it. Parents of children with special needs rave about the many benefits of this seemingly simple toy for children of all ages.

The Details:

• Recommended ages: 2-4 years
• Batteries: n/a

B. toys Beautifloor Alphabet Foam Tiles

This play mat will last for as long as your kids are into it—and probably longer. The easy-to-clean, colorful, interlocking foam tiles with removable letters create a soft play space while teaching letters, sequencing, and spelling. It’s especially important that 2-year-olds can't chew off pieces when you're not looking.

The Details:

• Recommended ages: 0-24 Months
• Batteries: n/a
  

Little Tikes EasyScore Basketball Set

A 2-year-old can score big with this basketball set that adjusts from 2.5 feet to 4 feet in height to become more challenging as they grow. Future ballers can practice layups, hand-eye coordination, gross motor skills, sharing, and taking turns. The mini B-ball set comes with three junior-size balls and is suitable for indoor or outdoor play. Weigh it down with sand for added stability.

The Details:

• Recommended ages: 18 months-5 years
• Batteries: 1 AA battery required
  

Midoneat Kids Cleaning Toy Set

This pretend cleaning set is a win-win for kids who love mimicking their grownups and grownups who hope this turns into a lifelong love of cleaning. It comes with six pieces: a broom and bunny dustpan set, a mop, a smaller broom and dustpan, and a microfiber cleaning cloth. And yes, they do all really clean, too!

The Details:

• Recommended ages: 18 months-5 years 
• Batteries: n/a

Crayola Washable Triangular Grip Crayons

Encourage creativity with this eight-pack of triangular-grip crayons made for little fingers that are just starting to get the hang of holding crayons. Manipulating crayons and coloring helps toddlers develop hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, and it’s a great opportunity for children to learn their colors and express themselves. 

The Details:

• Recommended ages: 2 years and up
• Batteries: n/a

KiwiCo Color Wheel Racers and Ramp

Kids will love letting the wooden cars zoom down the ramps of this toy from Kiwico. And parents will love the durability of the wooden design. With engaging, pleasing colors, the toy helps children practice hand-eye coordination while teaching them about cause and effect and how gravity works. Plus it’s independent play, which is always a bonus. 

The Details:

• Recommended ages: 19 monthsand up
• Batteries: n/a

Fat Brain Toys Animal Kingdom Peg Puzzle Set

Have a child in your life who is obsessed with animals? This peg puzzle set will be a delight. Beautifully designed and with easy-to-grab pieces, the set of four puzzles (“Down on the Farm,” “Buggy Friends,” “My Pet Friends,” and “Let's Go on a Safari”) introduces children to different animals while encouraging fine motor skill development.

The Details:

• Recommended ages: 1-3 years old
• Batteries: n/a

PAW Patrol Marshall Plush Toy

PAW Patrol is a favorite of many kids (but not all parents so keep that in mind if you’re not sure if a child watches it) and the latest movie has fans super hyped about the rescue pups. While there are plenty of rescue vehicles and sets to buy, we also think a super soft plush Marshall, Skye, Chase, Rubble, Rocky, Zuma, or Everest is sure to be a hit, especially at bedtime. Plus, stuffed animals help to spark imaginative play and encourage tactile exploration.

The Details:

• Recommended ages: 12 months and up
• Batteries: n/a

Melissa & Doug Extra-Thick Cardboard Building Blocks

Parents may remember these jumbo cardboard blocks from their own school days, and it’s no wonder why they’re still a favorite. Lightweight yet surprisingly durable, the blocks can be stacked into towers to knock down, into fences for stuffed animals, into usable forts, and so much more. They’ll help little ones learn their colors, while practicing hand-eye coordination and being creative. 

The Details:

• Recommended ages: 2-5 years old
• Batteries: n/a

Fisher-Price Little People Friends Together Playhouse

A dollhouse makes a classic gift for a 2-year-old. It encourages imaginative play and exploration, allowing children to create their own stories and worlds. This one from Fisher-Price is also interactive and exposes children to letters and numbers.

The Details:

• Recommended ages: 1 - 5 years
• Batteries: 3 AA batteries (included)