The Best Toys and Gifts for 2 Year Olds

We all know you are what you eat, but what about “you are what you play with?” Kids will love rolling themselves in this soft microfiber blanket, pretending they are grilled chicken, guacamole, salsa or cheese. And when they’ve had enough (or when you need some quiet time) pretend to pop them in the fridge for later. Be ready for giggles — burritos are always a messy good time. 

We all know you are what you eat, but what about “you are what you play with?” Kids will love rolling themselves in this soft microfiber blanket, pretending they are grilled chicken, guacamole, salsa or cheese. And when they’ve had enough (or when you need some quiet time) pretend to pop them in the fridge for later. Be ready for giggles — burritos are always a messy good time. 

Playing with food is finally a good thing. Get ready to guac and roll with this toy avocado that’s perfect for small hands. They’ll enjoy biting, throwing and squeezing it at bathtime. Here’s the rub: you must teach them to say, “I know guac is extra, and so am I!”

Let them explore rhythm and sound with this classic xylophone, piano, and shape sorter that isn’t obnoxiously loud. We love that it helps with color, shape and sound recognition, as todds hit the colorful pieces (and hopefully not big brother!) with the red baton to produce the Do, Re, Mi, Fa notes. 

OK, here’s the part where we break our own rules. We said to avoid noisy toys, but this song puppet is sure to put a smile on any toddler’s face — and isn’t that worth the agony? Simply move the mouth of the puppet to hear the Baby Shark song for the 953829739 millionth time. Change the speed of the song by moving the mouth faster or slower. Enjoy! Or don’t. Sorry.

Feel too plugged in? We feel you. This classic book pokes fun at our modern technology-based lives, consumed as we all are with social media and electronic devices and not, say, a red balloon. To be fair, this one might be better suited for adults, but kids will love the illustrations and rhyming. And you can use the laughs. 

Two year olds might think they are too big for warm cuddles after bath or swim time, but we know better. This hooded 100% cotton velour terry towel is everything they need to feel warm and cozy, after wrangling them to settle down.  

Two year olds are notorious for following their parents around the house. We’re honored by the gesture, but sometimes we just need a tiny break. Give them a taste of their own medicine with this wooden tagalong toy that's the perfect companion for all their adventures. Best of all, the push-pull toy has three differently shaped holes (triangle, circle, and square) allowing littles to develop color and shape recognition, too.

Paw Patrol is all the rage these days. The pups put on a great show for the kids, but did you ever think the nonstop crew of action pups might just save your day too? Think of this plush toy as your saving grace from toddler boredom. It’s the perfect playtime partner when eating, napping, and playing outside, proving once again, there’s nothing this action pup can’t handle. 

We don’t know about you, but we’re always on a journey to discover coziness, especially as the weather gets colder. There’s nothing like getting cozy and wrapping yourself in a warm blanket. Teach the little one in your life to become one with thier blanket with this picture book from Loryn Brantz, bestselling author of Feminist Baby.

Playtime has never been so saved! This boat and chopper combo from our friends at Green Toys comes with two little characters, and is here to rescue your reputation as a giver of great gifts.

It’d be difficult to define Squigz in a game of Scrabble — or in any other context for that matter. But kids love these weird little suction cup toys inspired by state-of-the-art octopus technology. 

Cool jazz cat babies love this toy piano. Hipster indie band babies consider it essential to their sound. Classically-trained piano conservatory babies admire the instrument’s resonance. It’s easy to strike the perfect note with this vibrant upright piano that’s grand for baby without being a baby grand.

Kids love hammering things and making sounds — when those two things combine you get the Hape Pound and Tap Bench. Use the pieces together or use them independently for more play options. It comes with the bench, three balls, a little hammer and a removable xylophone. (Yes, this one’s a little noisy. But worth it!)

These incredible board books combine a multi-faceted approach to helping kids learn the basics like Animals, Colors, Shapes and Letters. Your kiddo will love tracing the three dimensional shapes while you read to them.

This is exactly like the one you had as a kid. The one where you pull the string to learn what the cow says, what the chicken says and what the entities from the mirror realm say (if you slow the spinner). 

Yep! It’s back to haunt your dreams with it’s nightmarishly adorable expression!  Don’t worry, it’s only creepy to adults. Kids love this classic pull toy so much that its appeal has outlived the device it was designed to emulate.