Experienced Moms’ Picks: Best Toys for 2-Year-Olds (Great Gift Ideas)

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Shop the best toys for 2 year olds this season!

hand holding ice cream scooper to melissa and doug toy - best toys for 2 year olds

These gifts aren’t just trends, they’re tried and true. 🎁

Looking for the perfect gift ideas? Shop our best toys for 2 year olds list from seasoned moms! They’re affordable and approved by toddlers.

Be sure to check out our Christmas Shopping Challenge – it has a gift guide for everyone on your list this year! 🎁🤩


Here’s our top gifts for 2 year olds:

gift guide collage of various best toys for 2 year olds


1. Our Hip sidekick, Erica, has handed these peg board art sets down to all three of her kiddos. 

fingers holding blue peg piece over pegboard art best toys for 2 year olds

AMOSTING Color Matching Mosaic Pegboard – $17.59 (regularly $25.99)
Clip the $5 OFF digital coupon
Final cost just $12.59 SHIPPED

These colorful mosaic pegboards are going to be a fun way for any 2 year old to work on their fine motor skills and express their creative side too. The board will come with 10 different photos to perfect their color matching and our Hip sidekick, Erica, said they’re such amazing quality that she was able to pass the same set down to all 3 of her kiddos.


2. This cube and card set are great educational toys for 2 year olds. 

stock photo of colorful cube and learning cards on white background

Thought-Spot: Play and Learn Cube for Toddlers – $21.95 (regularly $28.99) 

Learning should be fun and that’s exactly what this set is all about! Toddlers will have a blast playing with the colorful cube and learning real-life skills with the 48 different playing cards. It’s one of the best toys for 2 year olds that focuses on emotions, questioning, counting and emotion recognition/response, letters, colors, and social skills.


3. The AquaDoodle is a no fuss coloring activity any parent will be glad to have for their toddler. 

toddler coloring on aquadoodle on wood floor best toys for 2 year olds

AquaDoodle – $34.99

AquaDoodles are mess free, making it not only one of the best toys for 2 year olds, but one parents love too. We love this toy because you simply fill each marker with water and color away on the mat! It’s truly a no fuss because it will dry on it’s own and if little ones scribble on the floor or carpet, it won’t damage a single thing! It can be rolled up and is even travel friendly too!


4. These games are quick to play and come with 6 different games.

packs of 6 in 1 playing cards on wood table

Hoyle 6 in 1 Kids Playing Cards – $4.99 (regularly $7.49) 

There are 6 unique playing card games included in this pack including Go Fish, Memory, Old Maid, Crazy Eights, Slap Jack, and Matching. These card timeless games every kid will love taking out for years to come. They’d make great stocking stuffers and are travel-friendly too. Best of all, they’re designed to be played in just 15 minutes or less making it a solid best toys for 2 year olds gift idea they’ll love and busy parents too.


5. Gift the excitement of dressing up like their favorite super hero. 

little boy in mask and cape in living room best toys for 2 year olds

Superhero Capes and Mask$17.99 ($4.50 per set)

There’s nothing like throwing on a cape and mask and running around the house like your favorite super hero. We love this pack our Hip sidekick, Erica, shared with us because you get multiple sets that can be mixed and matched and the price is pretty unbeatable. This is the best toys for 2 year olds to stimulate creativity and imagination.


6. A balance board can have multiple purposes and is a toy every one will ask about.

toddler on wood balance board best toys for 2 year olds

Gentle Monster Wooden Wobble Balance Board $65.99
Clip the $15 OFF digital coupon
Final cost just $50.99 SHIPPED

We have had a similar balance board for going on 6 years and it’s one toy I feel like my kids have never grown out of. You can lean it on your couch to use as a slide, turn it upside down to race cars, turn it right side up to balance on, and so much more. It’s a staple in our living room and is often a piece all of us love to fidget with.


7. Our Hip sidekick, Chelsey, says Melissa and Doug make the top toys for 2 year old money can buy.

melissa and doug ice cream toy play set on shelf best toys for 2 year olds

Not only has this toy survived 5 years in Chelsey’s home with three kiddos, but it still looks completely new and still has all the pieces. She also said that every kiddo that come over to play always go for this set. It’s just so easy to manipulate and so open-ended. We could go on and on about how great Melissa & Doug toys are so if you’re looking to get a toy that will last and get tons of use, this one tops our toy closet!


8. A sturdy bounce house will be great for playdates and keeping kids occupied on rainy days.

toddler bouncing on little tikes yellow red and blue bounce house

Little Tikes Jr. Jump ‘n Slide Bouncer$229 (regularly $249.99)

This bounce house is PERFECT for outdoors or indoors if you have the space. You’ll be the popular house on the street once kids find out you have this hiding somewhere at your house. It’s quick to inflate and is perfect for keeping kids occupied during rainy days, birthday parties, or having it just because. A parent with multiple kids will especially find this useful. However, if makes a wonderful gift for just a two year old too.


9. Teach any two year old fine motor skills with these lace toys.

wooden lace toy with green turtle and orange star

KLT Lacing Toy$15.99 

These montessori toys are perfect for two year olds to learn fine motor skills. They’re great for travel and are endless fun to do over and over. You can scoop up a 2 pack for $13.99, but you’ll get more bang for your buck when you purchase a three pack for $15.99 make each toy just $5.33 as opposed to $7 each.


10. Keep kids busy and learning at home with these busy books.

flip book with matching crayon colors

Busy Books for Kids – $23.89 (regularly $32.89) 
Clip the 10% OFF digital coupon
Final cost just $21.50 SHIPPED

These busy books our Hip sidekick, Erica, shared said they’re ideal for ages 2 to 4 so now’s the perfect time to add them to their educational toy collection. Each page will encourage kids to match the items which focus on learning and practicing colors, letters, numbers, rainbow, shapes, dinosaurs, vehicles, weather, foods, planets, and so much more!


11. This book is a no brainer with well over 100K 5-star reviews.

learning with friends plastic hard cover book

LeapFrog Learning Friends 100 Words Book$13.99 (regularly $19.99)

With over a whopping 100,000 5-star reviews, do you even need another reason to grab this book?! It’s colorful and interactive with its bright colored pages, music, and it’s great for learning English and Spanish. There’s no reason not to add it to any toddlers collection with so many raving reviews.


12. A tricycle that can encourage walking or riding it a must have.

close up of blue Little Tikes Go & Grow Dino Foot to Floor Dinosaur Tricycle

They’ll be zooming around the house with this cute dinosaur! We love the adorable design of this toy and it’s small enough to make it approachable for the littlest two year olds. The wide wheels and low profile make it a safe and stable toy for them to ride in the house or driveway.


13. Picasso tiles have endless building possibilities and are loved by kids of all ages. 

Picasso tiles and box on floor with toddler and man

PicassoTiles 100 Pieces Magnetic Tiles$29.98 (regularly $49.99) 

You’ll have zero regrets about stocking up on some Picasso Tiles because they’re a toy kids will love for years! They’re appropriate for two years and older because they’re no small pieces and can easily be played with by little hands. We love that they’re magnetic making them easy to build and even easier to clean. My boys loved building tower after tower and knocking them down, but the possibilities are endless with these!


14. Grab this pack of four fidget toys that toddlers will want to take anywhere.

different colored bendable giraffe toys

These fidget giraffes could make four separate gifts for the perfect gift for any two year old if you want to have one in every place at all times – i.e. the car, playroom, diaper bag, and stroller! The suction cups on the ends of the limbs will be fun for them to stick anywhere from the bathtub to the car window and the bendy arms and legs are sure to keep them occupied.


15. Water tables are great for when the warm weather comes back.

two kids standing at blue and green water table outside in grass

Every seasoned parent knows just how useful a water table can be! Toddlers will love spending time playing at this table and is sure to keep them busy for hours! Even better, it’s one item that has FIVE STARS on Amazon so we know plenty of other parents are loving it too. Plus, it’s small enough to even fit on an apartment building so we’re sure you can fit it somewhere regardless of your living situation.


Check out all of our current gift ideas for everyone on your list.


About the writer:

Sara is a self-taught blogger & photographer and brings 9+ years of experience to her craft. Her work has been featured in numerous esteemed publications, spanning building, travel, and fashion. Beyond her creative pursuits, Sara’s primary mission is to empower others to embrace a toxic-free & sustainable lifestyle.


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