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Photo-Illustration: Photo-Illustration: Stevie Remsberg; Photos: Courtesy of the retailers The best holiday gifts for 2-year-olds are things that give them a chance to be in charge, or at least pretend to be in charge, of something. Children this age are, for the first time ever, figuring out who they are as little people separate from their parents. So naturally they are seeking independence, whether it’s pushing the stroller themselves, saying “no” to a food they loved yesterday, or telling their grown-ups, “I need space.” Toys that tap into their desire to have some agency, or to do things on their own, will both delight them and reduce power struggles at home. And because 2 is the age when children begin to engage in pretend play, Jeannette Corey, director of the Bank Street Family Center, recommends gifts that let them role-play as adults and other important people in their lives — from a play kitchen where they can grill a make-believe burger to a doctor’s kit that lets them perform check-ups on their siblings. To find the best toys that fit that bill, I spoke to teachers, toddler parents, toy buyers, and more about the toys they recommend for 2-year-olds. I’ve also been keeping tabs on the toys that my toddler son, who will turn 3 in December, has been playing with most all year and the ones that are popular among his friends. Meanwhile, if you’re also shopping for kids in other age groups, we have gift guides 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, 10-year-olds, 11-year-olds, and 12-year-olds — plus the meticulously curated Strategist Toy Store, filled with all our greatest hits. Under $25 Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. $13 Bath time can be a challenge at this age, but I have made a lot of progress with my son by having a couple of engaging bath toys on hand that I rotate every few days. This magnetic fishing-pole toy is a current favorite. Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. Learning Resources Pretend & Play Doctor Play Set $22 $25 now 12% off $22 After my son received a Fisher-Price medical kit as a gift from his grandparents, he and I spent a lot of time pretending to give each other medicine and take each other’s temperature. Playing with the kit (and reading a Daniel Tiger book recommended to me by Strategist senior editor Winnie Yang) has made him much more comfortable with IRL doctor visits. He is fascinated with the syringe that has a real working plunger and loves pushing the button on the “digital” thermometer. But if you’re looking for more of a doctor dress-up toy, Kelly Harris Smith, founder of the Minni art space for kids in Boston, recommends this simple coat-and-stethoscope set from Learning Resources. “My kids loved to pretend to take care of their toys and stuffed animals,” she says adding that this type of imaginative play encourages toddlers’ empathy and imagination. Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. $17 DUPLOs — LEGO’s larger blocks designed with smaller hands (and curious mouths) in mind — are great for 2-year-olds. This Spidey and His Amazing Friends set, with its self-balancing motorcycle, is a fantastic gift for kids who are into vehicles. Since turning 2, my son has gotten increasingly interested in puzzles. It seems the sweet spot is around a dozen pieces, which makes them challenging enough to hold his interest but doesn’t take him longer than five to ten minutes to complete. Our current favorites are the puzzle pouches from Mudpuppy, a magnetic ice-cream puzzle from Melissa & Doug that also works for pretend play, and a turtle mom and baby floor puzzle from Crocodile Creek. New! You can now save this product for later. New! You can now save this product for later. New! You can now save this product for later. Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. $36 While pregnant with her second child, preschool teacher Kathleen Cann got a baby doll and a toy stroller for her 2-year-old as a way to prepare for the arrival of a new sibling. “She’s obsessed and takes really sweet care of the doll,” says Cann. This nice-looking umbrella-style stroller is easy to push and folds up for storage. Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. Spritz Light-Up Spiky Ball $7 for 6 $7 for 6 Corey also recommends giving bouncy balls to 2-year-olds because they will “grow” along with them. “Balls are wonderful for 2-year-olds who can roll them and chase them. At around age 3, children can practice throwing and catching, while at 4 they might create a game with rules that involve a ball,” she says. My son is drawn to balls of all kinds, but his favorites are small enough for him to hold in one hand. These flashing sensory balls have an added layer of fun — plus the soft spikes make them easier to catch and grasp. Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. $20 I love the barnyard design of this bowling set. I hope it will help my son practice rolling balls instead of throwing them indoors, while also teaching him how to take turns. The animal pins can be used for pretend play, too. Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. Alexandra Figueras-Daniel, an assistant professor at the National Institute for Early Education Research recommends finger-puppet toys for this age group and specifically cited the very detailed ones from Folkmanis, like this praying mantis, because of how realistic they are. In addition to helping kids work on their fine motor skills, puppets can “inspire lots of language as children can speak through the role of the puppet,” Figueras-Daniel explains. Stickers are affordable and exciting to open for kids of all ages. The best ones for 2-year-olds come as part of an activity book that lets them build miniature worlds or banana splits. New! You can now save this product for later. Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. Play-Doh $22 for 24 $22 for 24 Play-Doh is a sensory experience for 2-year-olds, who may not build anything recognizable with it but will be excited to simply manipulate the material. It’s a good workout, too: “Play-Doh builds dexterity in their hands and finger muscles,” explains Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, a professor of psychology at Temple University and co-author of Becoming Brilliant: What Science Tells Us About Raising Successful Children. Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. For regular drawing and scribbling on paper, Emily Motayed Lancaster, co-founder of Nurture& and mom of two, recommends a set of washable Crayola markers, which she says are key for parental sanity. Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. Kwik Stix Tempera Paint Pens $14 now 14% off $12 Or, if you’re ready to level up from markers, these creamy tempera-paint sticks have been recommended by multiple parents because they are low effort and very satisfying to use. Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. $25 This Ikea kids’ easel comes with a dowel to add a roll of paper, and the large surface area and short legs make it easy for 2-year-olds to reach. Rebeca Raney, an artist and arts educator, says “every nursery school has multiples of this one,” noting that “Ikea does a super job with their art products.” When you’re not using paper with it, kids can draw with dry-erase markers on one side and chalk on the other. Here are a few nicely made stuffed animals to round out your 2-year-old’s menagerie. New! You can now save this product for later. New! You can now save this product for later. $17 $26 now 35% off New! You can now save this product for later. $12 $13 now 8% off Under $50 Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. Strategist senior writer Lauren Ro gifted this dress-up cape to her younger son on his second birthday. Kids can also use the fabric for fort building or open it up and lay it flat to use it as a doll blanket or a pretend ocean for toy boats. Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. Kids love looking at books with photographs of everyday people, especially other kids. Lovevery makes the best examples of this kind of board book that I have found. Like the brand’s toy kits, its books are curated in bundles by age with developmentally appropriate stories. This set is my son’s favorite because it includes a book about a fire station with pictures of fire trucks that have flaps he can open to see inside every compartment and door. Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. Extra padding so they can practice jumping and all sorts of other cool moves they are learning to do. Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. Full-size dollhouses take up a lot of space and aren’t ideal for families with small apartments. Instead, Alexis Swerdloff, New York deputy editor and mom of two, suggests giving a more portable dollhouse like this one that closes up when it’s not in use. It comes in a few different designs, including this wooden barn, a horse stable, and a pink cottage. Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. Blockaroo Magnetic Foam Builders $30 $40 now 25% off $30 Strategist lead editor and parent of two Lauren Levy recommends Blockaroo’s magnetic foam blocks for 2-year-olds; where Magna-Tiles are flat and have more of a learning curve, Blockaroo’s 3-D foam shapes are easier and less frustrating for younger kids to work with. They are also lightweight and soft and float in the bath. Toddlers are just like us, which means they need a bag to schlep all of their important stuff, like rocks they found, action figures, and pretend money. New! You can now save this product for later. Under $100 Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. This building set is basically a bunch of cardboard boxes that look like bricks. Build ’em up; smash ’em down. Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. Strategist senior editor Ailbhe Malone says a wobble board is just as engaging as it is simple to store, plus it can double as a bed for stuffed animals, a slide, a ramp for toy cars, and a chair. Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. Little Tikes Story Dream Machine Starter Set $43 $55 now 22% off $43 I try to limit screen time for my son, but he adores playing with his Story Dream Machine, a retro-looking projector and audio player that we got as a baby step toward letting him watch TV. It’s basically a mini slide projector that plays read-aloud books, from Elmo’s Trip to the Dentist to Eric Carle classics to his current favorite, GO, GO, Trucks! It has a convenient carry handle, a focus adjuster, and can be used as a nightlight and sound machine come bedtime. There are dozens of titles for it, too, but this bundle comes with a trio of Little Golden books. Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. $58 The most popular toy in our pediatrician’s waiting room is a simple toy coffee maker. My son gets so much joy out of playing barista that I think it’s worth splurging on this detailed wooden set over cheaper plastic alternatives. Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. A first train set is a powerful memory for every generation, notes Carey Reilly, a Today show contributor. And Brio is the gold standard. “I love that the set is wooden, and it’s easy for a child to use,” Reilly says. As with all Brio sets, it can be endlessly expanded with accessories and integrated into play with other kits, even many from other brands. Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. For younger kids who are just getting started with dolls, Motayed Lancaster recommends American Girl’s Bitty Baby line. She bought one when her own daughter was 2, and as with full-size American Girl dolls, there are many skin and hair colors available plus an entire Bitty Baby universe that includes furniture, clothing, a car seat, a baby carrier, and even a a cup of peas and a snack pouch to extend the play experience. Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. Rody Horse $65 $65 Bouncing engages almost every muscle group in a child’s body, especially the legs and core, says Lily Balsen, a New York City–based yoga teacher whose clients range in age from newborn to 80. So an iconic toy like Rody the bouncy horse will foster balance and a sense of spatial orientation, she says, adding that rhythmic movement is a great self-soothing and self-regulating mechanism. Also, it’s just plain fun. $100 and up Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. From $329 When he was younger, my son would sit down on anything around the same height as his butt, backing up into a bottom step, his Nugget play couch, or a step stool and then proudly looking up at me once seated. So for his second birthday, we got him a chair from Piccalio that goes from chair to step stool to activity table with a few turns. If we had more space in our apartment, I would have purchased this full set of two chairs and a table so he could sit and draw or eat with a friend. Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. Many 2-year-olds become obsessed with everyday household tasks like washing dishes, vacuuming, and wiping countertops. They are usually happy to pretend to do these things, but if they get to use real tools, even better. Lovevery’s play kitchen is fully stocked with a working sink that you can fill with water, dish rack, cutting board, kid-safe wooden knife, colander, and utensil drawer, as well as stainless-steel utensils. Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. $249 The Woom GO 1 is our top-pick balance bike for its lightweight aluminum frame, low crossbar, shock-absorbing air-filled tires, and extra safety features. And according to Yang, it’s an ideal size for average-height children just turning 2. She prefers it for this age compared to the bigger Strider bike that her daughter started riding at age 4. Both bikes have 12-inch wheels, but the Woom’s crossbar curves down low to make it easier for shorter kids to get on. Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. $140 As they begin to seek some independence, 2-year-olds will benefit from a private play space where they can find quiet refuge with their books and stuffed animals. Lalo’s natural canvas play tent is spacious, easy to set up (the tent can be purchased on its own or as an add-on to the Lalo play gym), and won’t add to the visual clutter of a playroom. The canvas is heavy-duty and the wooden frame feels sturdy without weighing a lot or taking up loads of space. If needed, it also folds down flat enough to slide under a couch or bed. Additional reporting by Lauren Ro. The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best gifts for 1-year-olds and 3-year-olds, the best art supplies and dress-up clothes for kids, and the best toy storage. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission. 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