40 fun and educational gifts for 2-year-olds, as recommended by experts

This bath toy will keep kids entertained during bath time while simultaneously teaching pouring skills, engineering, cause and effect, and problem solving. Kids can use each pipe individually or create a chain to pour water through. The pipes suction to the wall and are designed so the water flows back into the tub.

This 12-piece large block set comes printed with letters or numbers and includes a variety of colors. The foam is covered in faux-leather, so they're easy to wipe clean. Faber and King explained that "foam blocks are ideal for 2-year-olds who have the 'throwing gene.'" Anyone who has ever been hit by a wooden block thrown during a toddler tantrum knows this idea is genius.

Ella Fitzgerald, Maya Angelou, and Oprah Winfrey are just a few of the 18 Black women from America's history featured in this board book. The words inspire kids to dream big and the sentences are simple enough for toddlers to understand. Not to mention, the beautiful illustrations are captivating and engaging for kids.

One of my daughter's favorite books, "Press Here" immerses children in the story as they need to complete actions to move on to the next page. Pressing a dot changes the color and clapping makes the dots bigger, for example. This is an excellent way to engage reluctant readers or kids who struggle to sit still through a whole book.

This picture book explores the history of fry bread while simultaneously introducing children to a modern Native American family. It has won numerous awards from the likes of Publishers Weekly, NPR, and the National Council of Teachers of English. The breathtaking illustrations feature diversity among the characters. The book even has a recipe for fry bread at the end, providing an opportunity to extend learning into a hands-on activity.

Toddlers love Go! Go! Smart Wheels with their interactive features and changeable tracks. My daughter enjoys building different tracks with her sets. This set includes a train station, bridge, tunnel, conveyor belt hill, and more. It also comes with a motorized train and interactive features that begin to teach colors, time, and foreign language.

Two-year-olds can have a place to call their own with this comfy chair that's great for a reading nook or just lounging around. Crate & Kids sent me a chair to test, and it's very well made. My 2-year-old fits in it now and has plenty of room to grow. You can choose from a variety of different prints and can even personalize the cover.

The Sit 'n Spin was a childhood favorite for many of us, and it's still around for 2-year-olds to enjoy today. I was sent a review sample to test, and it certainly stood the test of time with my daughter. Two-year-olds can spin as fast and as long as they want, and the base is just the right size for kids up to 42 pounds. Read our full review here.

Customize this tricycle to your liking by adding accessories like a UV blocking canopy or a classic bell. Younger 2-year-olds might not be able to reach the pedals yet, so be sure to add on the footrest. I tested this tricycle with my daughter, who now asks to ride it often.

Faber and King recommend tricycles to promote gross motor skills. This tricycle can grow with kids until they're five, so it's a worthwhile investment.

Mickey Mouse, Marshall, Captain America, Poppy the Troll, Elsa, Eeyore … you name the character and Cubcoats has a hoodie to match. Each hoodie is designed to look like a character or animal, but the real fun is when you transform the sweatshirt into a plushie. They sent us a sample of the Minnie Mouse Cubcoat, and it doesn't get much cuter than a 2-year-old dressed as their favorite character. Read our full review here.

Jumbo crayons are easy for 2-year-olds to grip and hard for them to break, and the pictures in this coloring book have thick lines. My daughter enjoys pointing out familiar objects in the book. Faber and King both gave advice on how to talk to a child when looking at their artwork so we bring out the best in them, "Instead of, 'That's a beautiful picture! Very nice.' Try, 'I see a blue house with a red door. And here's a big round knob to open the door. And the sun is shining down on two cheerful purple flowers.'" They explained that responding in this way shows them we appreciate their accomplishments, and it increases their confidence.

Shivji recommends dolls and dollhouses to support language development, and this one was a hit with my daughter when we tested it. The house comes with two Little People dolls plus a few other accessories. The interactive buttons in the house play songs and phrases that encourage kids to be helpful and kind. You can choose different skin tones for the dolls and different colors for the house.

What 2-year-old doesn't love to bang on things and make as much noise as possible? Channel that creativity into music with this set that includes a tambourine, recorder, maraca, and castanet. With its Very Hungry Caterpillar theme, this set can also encourage reading and literacy. Shivji recommends gifts that support appreciation of art and music. This music set will certainly foster a love of music.

This play food set comes in a wooden crate and includes a pretzel, iced bun, croissant, pain au chocolate, and a swirl bun. The pretend food is made of wood decorated with nontoxic paint. "Children respond to natural materials, such as wood and bamboo, which are not only beautiful but invite sensorial exploration," Shivji told Insider Reviews.

Two-year-olds can actually join in on family game night with this board game. The object is to pick fruits from trees before a raven reaches the end of the path. This is a cooperative game where everyone playing either wins or loses together.

If there's one thing 2-year-olds love to do, it's mimicking what the adults in their lives do. With this set made of recycled plastic, kids can learn how to take care of plants with a watering can, rake, and shovel. It's also a great toy to bring along to the beach or stow in the sand box! Shivji recommends toys that provide practical life experiences (like gardening) because they are enormously satisfying to kids.

Keep mess at bay and make clean-up after dinner easier with educational placemats. This double-sided placemat teaches the process of what happens to food before it gets to the table. It's made of non-toxic, food-safe materials, so you can feel good about serving food right from the placemat.

When my 2-year-old has the urge to throw or kick things, I often find success redirecting her with this sports center we had the opportunity to test. The small sports center includes balls, a soccer net, basketball hoop, and plays interactive songs and phrases. I find that the interactive features keep her engaged longer than a regular net or hoop would. According to MacLaughlin, 2-year-olds don't typically have the skills to play catch, they do enjoy kicking and rolling balls.

"Kids always want to use our stuff. It can be annoying, but if you think about it, it is the ultimate flattery. They want to do what we are doing. Find a way to make it happen," Faber and King told Insider Reviews. It's easy to do with the Tasty Jr. Kitchen, which includes a sink, oven, stove, microwave, refrigerator, and more than 40 accessories. It even has an Alexa skill that teaches kids how to make pretend meals. I had an opportunity to test this toy, and even after having it for months, my 2-year-old continues to play with it almost daily.

Two cupholders, a steering wheel, a working horn, a seat belt, a functional trunk, and even a cup holder for the adult; this ride-on push car has it all. According to Burg, "kids at this age often model their parents and peers." This is certainly the case with my daughter who often asks to ride in her car (that we received to test) instead of her stroller when we go on walks. The car even features Whisper Wheels that provide a quiet ride, especially on smooth surfaces like concrete.

If you're looking for a fun outdoor gift that won't be an eyesore, this natural looking sand box is an excellent choice. It comes with a lid to keep sand clean and dry, and it also has four seats built into the base. "If you have outdoor space, a sandbox will also satisfy all your toddler's digging needs," Faber and King told Insider Reviews.

It's hard to know how to tackle tough topics like grief or conflict resolution, but Slumberkins takes out some of the guesswork. The books are designed to teach social-emotional skills and are written by authors with backgrounds in family therapy and early education. The snugglers that complement each book are an added bonus. My daughter and I tested the Unicorn book, which centers around authenticity and being true to yourself.

This soft whale toy helps toddlers learn how to zipper and buckle, which develops their fine motor skills. It also features different colors, numbers, and shapes for additional learning experiences. Two-year-olds enjoy buckling and fastening things themselves. This toy can stop a meltdown when they desperately want to buckle their own car seat but parents are already running late. They can happily play with this toy all the way to their destination.

KiwiCo crates make excellent gifts because they're subscription boxes that arrive every month. Each Koala Crate is full of hands-on learning activities designed for ages 2 to 4. Kids create hands-on learning projects like assembling a doctor's kit or creating a stained-glass landscape. "Sometimes a great gift is not an item, but a gift of spending time with a child doing something they love," MacLaughlin told Insider Reviews. KiwiCo crates provide an excellent opportunity for kids and parents to bond as they work together to complete the new project each month.

This table and chair set has it all: It's the perfect size for 2-year-olds, it has a stylish mid-century design, and it has a storage area to sweep away clutter. Shivji recommends tables and other furniture that are the right size for 2-year-olds. Whether it's to eat a meal, do a craft, or just play, my daughter used the Mid-Century table we received to test every day. Read our full review here.

Duplo blocks are a classic toy for toddlers. While many sets are available, this classic train set is both fun and educational. The train features numbers that help 2-year-olds learn numbers and counting. In addition to the train, the set includes two people and a cat figurine.

Dump trucks are a hit among the toddler crowd. MacLaughlin noted that "Toddlers this age also often love to load and unload blocks into the back of a construction truck." This truck from Green Toys is made of recycled plastic. It has a working dumper and is a wonderful starting point for imaginative play.

This dinosaur-themed water and sand table will keep 2-year-olds occupied for hours. It's designed to look like a dinosaur's home and even includes accessories like dinosaur figurines and buckets. The water and sand provide important sensory experiences for 2-year-olds as they scoop, dig, pour, and explore the dinosaurs' world.

There is something so exciting to toddlers about crawling through a tunnel. Shivji recommends a crawling tunnel to support the development of gross motor skills. This tunnel is made of organic cotton and comes with a carrying case. The organic cotton provides a durable and soft surface for kids to crawl on.

This tool set includes a saw, hammer, screwdriver, wrench, and drill all in a toolbox. Faber and King recommend tool sets for 2-year-olds. Tool sets are an excellent way to let toddlers safely "help" around the house. These chunky tools are also easy for 2-year-olds to grip.

This lacing set features colorful wooden beads in fun shapes like stars and gems. They come with a drawstring bag to store them when not in use. Shivji recommends lacing beads for the development of fine motor skills. This set is also excellent for practicing colors and learning about patterns.

Two-year-olds will have fun playing pretend with this doctor's kit that includes a stethoscope, reflex hammer, syringe, forceps, thermometer, otoscope, doctor's notepad, and stickers. Faber and King recommend "toys that encourage kids to channel their dramatic urges into theater and role play." This kit provides a starting point to role play going to the doctor, which can be a very scary experience for many 2-year-olds. By playing pretend with this kit, the doctor's office might become less intimidating.

Two-year-olds need to move their bodies, and this climber and slide encourages them to do just that while developing their gross motor skills. It even has a crawl-through tunnel that goes under the top platform. The climber can be used indoors, making it ideal for long winter days when 2-year-olds are itching to burn off their energy.

Designed for kids ages 2-8 to learn to read, this phonics set gives kids tactile letters to work with. I was sent a sample to test, and I find it to be much more effective than any free reading app I've tried. It uses an approach of emphasizing letter sounds over letter names, and there is a parent portal that allows parents and caregivers to track progress and control the words their children see. Note that it does not come with a device, but it works with iPads and Android tablets.

Kids can make their own creations or try to re-create images printed on cards. The cards come in three levels of difficulty, so kids can move through the levels as they get older. Younger 2-year-olds might find the cards difficult, but will have fun being creative and coming up with their own combinations. I received this set to test, and my daughter likes to play with them on her own. She can copy the easiest card level with my help.

This shape sorting popper offers a twist on the classic shape sorting toy. Six animals are attached to shapes that match up with shapes on a bed. When you press the alarm clock, the animals pop out of bed. I received this toy to test with my daughter. She enjoys singing "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed" when the animals fly off the bed. Shivji recommends sorting objects for 2-year-olds.

First introduced in 1968, this retro disc camera is a blast from the past. It comes with three picture discs so kids can see different images of classic characters and animals. This simple toy is fun, and an added bonus is that pushing the button to change the picture will help strengthen 2-year-olds' fingers, getting them ready for writing.

Another classic, this toy was introduced in 1971. It comes with five different records that play 10 songs total. This toy gives toddlers choice in their music because they can operate it themselves. Some of the song options include "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," "London Bridge," and "The Farmer in the Dell." This toy can also be the springboard for a history lesson as toddlers learn that music hasn't always been stored on phones or in the cloud.

This set of baby dolls includes six plush babies stored together in a basket. The babies have different skin tones, and each has a different colored removable outfit. Because these babies are so soft, they encourage 2-year-olds to love and nurture them. MacLaughlin recommends baby dolls for 2-year-olds to play pretend. Baby dolls are a great open-ended toy. They set the stage for many pretend play and role-playing scenarios.

Two-year-olds crave independence and what better way to oblige than to give them their own cottage? This playhouse includes many interactive features like a sink, working doorbell, and shutters that open and close. It even has a flowerbox where you can plant real flowers and teach kids how to take care of them. Playhouses give toddlers their own space to practice everyday tasks as they slowly learn to be independent.