The most engaging toys for 2-year-olds offer lots of different options for hands-on, manipulative play. Kids this age may be able to use their fine motor skills in more-precise ways, such as stacking, fitting, and twisting smaller pieces. Some 2-year-olds are still engaging primarily in “parallel play,” while others are interested in playing with other kids; simple board games may help them to practice sharing and taking turns. Toys that let a 2-year-old slide, wiggle, scoot, bounce, or otherwise expend some of their boundless energy are also likely to be a hit.
We spoke with Singh and other child-development experts—along with parents and other caregivers on our staff—to identify memorable and engaging gifts for 2-year-olds. Some of the toys on this list are officially recommended for children ages 3 and up. Our testers have played with these toys outside their official age-range recommendations and found them to be appropriate for this guide.
If you’re looking for more gift ideas for kids, check out our guides to the best gifts for 1-year-olds, 3-year-olds, 4-year-olds, 5-year-olds, 6-year-olds, 7-year-olds, 8-year-olds, 9-year-olds, and 10-year-olds, as well as these wonderful stocking stuffers for kids. We also have guides to gifts for tweens and teens. (Just keep in mind that since kids develop at different rates, all age recommendations should be taken with a grain of salt.) And please share your own best ideas in the comments below.
