Birthday gift ideas for 2 year olds

My daughter just celebrated her second birthday and it was so special and fun. I cannot believe that I have a 2-year-old! I’m sure every parent thinks this, but what happened to the time?! This article is a list of birthday gift ideas for 2 year olds.

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As a parent, I do a lot of research on toys before I purchase them. My husband and I want toys for our daughter that are practical, easy to put together and stimulate learning. Luckily, there are a lot of great toys that fit this bill.

At two to three years old, toddlers are picking up on imaginative play, or pretend play. As playing is a full-time job for toddlers, pretend play will teach many skills, including problem-solving, feelings, and communication. (Source) I already see my daughter engaging in pretend play, so many toys on this list encourage imaginative play.

birthday gift ideas for 2 year olds

So, here is the list of birthday gift ideas for 2 year olds.

Play kitchen

My daughter loves this play kitchen. It comes with utensils, condiments, cups, plates, and a recycling bin! My daughter likes to open and shut the oven, store items in the cabinet, and serve coffee. We also purchased a play food set to go with it.

Play-Doh

We are slowly starting to introduce Play-Doh to my daughter. According to the package, two is an appropriate age but many parents introduce it even younger. This would be a fun, outdoor summer activity.

Shopping cart with play food

When we visited family recently, my daughter was obsessed with pushing my niece’s play shopping cart. She pushed it around during the entire visit. This is the perfect accessory to a play kitchen.

Magnatiles

Magnetic tiles are pretty amazing. My daughter received a set for Christmas and she spent hours playing with them. They are also fun for adults.

Spin toy

I’ve been secretly eyeing this toy for my daughter for quite some time. You can’t help but be interested when a product has over 20,000 reviews on Amazon.

So, we bit the bullet and bought it for her second birthday. It’s too new to tell if it’s a winner. From a parent’s perspective, it’s a great outdoor play toy that refines coordination and gross motor skills, so I’m pretty excited about it.

Easel and art set

A lot of toddlers love arts and crafts, especially painting. My daughter does a lot of finger painting at daycare, so art sets are the perfect gift for a two year old.

Doctor playset

Since my daughter is transitioning to the two-year-old room at daycare, the toys in that room are a lot different than the infant room. Recently, her teacher told me that she loves to play doctor.

When she started to check my heartbeat at home with her imaginative stethoscope, I decided to purchase this set from Amazon for her birthday.

Indoor or outdoor playhouse

No backyard playground would be complete without a playhouse. This is the ultimate backyard toy for imaginative play. This is one of the best birthday gift ideas for 2 year olds.

We purchased this Step 2 Neat & Tidy Cottage playhouse for my daughter’s second birthday. I’m definitely a fan of Step 2 outdoor play products. In our experience, they are well-built, sturdy, and last a long time.

Toddler coloring books

Coloring is amazing to increase fine motor skills, especially the pincer grasp. For this age range, I recommend jumbo crayons as they are less susceptible to breaking. My toddler tends to break regular size crayons within a couple of days.

Plush dolls

My daughter loves her plush Elmo doll. She carries it around the house and sleeps with it. Recently, she has started to ‘converse’ with Elmo, which is the sweetest thing.

Balance bike

Toddler balance bikes are all the rage right now. They will help immensely with coordination and gross motor skills.

Books

Books are great gifts for toddlers. This year, we have focused on buying books related to potty training, feelings, and learning about the body.

Tablet for toddlers

At two, my daughter is obsessed with screen time and Sesame Street. We try to limit her screen time throughout the day but there are times when it serves a purpose. For example, teleworking with a toddler.

Outdoor gardening set

Our neighbor recently gifted our daughter a small gardening/sandbox set and she loves it. Toddlers love to dig and bury toys in sand. My daughter also enjoys watering trees, bushes, and flowers.

4-in-1 tricycle

A 4-in-1 tricycle is a great alternative to a balance bike. Instead of using a stroller, we like to take our 4-in-1 trike out for walks in the neighborhood.

Mini trampoline

If you have a toddler, you know they are constantly jumping around and climbing over everything. A mini trampoline is a perfect gift idea for a 2 year old.

Musical play set

Musical play sets are a sure way to please your two year old. It’s a great way to have fun and spark creativity in your toddler.

Sensory pillow

These pillows are perfect for long car rides with your toddler. They feature buckles, snaps, zippers, a button, and threading, which all help with developing fine motor skills.

Toddler size wagon

This is one of my toddler’s favorite outdoor toys. If she’s not using it to carry her plush dolls, she will fill the wagon with sand and rocks from the backyard. It’s easy to put together, sturdy, and a great price point.

Birthday gift ideas for 2 year olds

Buying a gift for a two year old is a lot of fun. In a sense, they are very easy to shop for and get excited about the littlest things.

I’m really enjoying this age right now. Although there are some tantrums here and there, a lot of our time is spent learning and exploring. She is also talking more, which lends to more communication between us. It’s really great and fun.

Hope you enjoyed this article on birthday gift ideas for 2 year olds.

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