Gifts for 2 Year Olds

The best gifts for 2 year olds feed the "let me do it myself" stage — real fastenings to work, pieces to sort, music to make — and are sturdy enough to survive being carried around the house for a year. These are the toys we would put under the tree for a two-year-old.

What does a 2 year old actually want?

Two is the age of practical life. Zips, buckles, latches and dials are more interesting than any character, because they are the things grown-ups do. That is why a busy board — our Piano Discovery Board, the Learning Castle with its xylophone and abacus, or the Quiet Book — is the gift two-year-olds return to longest. Add something with a satisfying result (a ball run like the Rainbow Music Tree, a magnetic fishing game) and you have covered both of the things a two-year-old craves: control and cause-and-effect.

Gifts that grow from 2 to 4

A two-year-old sorts by colour today and by shape next month, then starts counting the pieces. Sorting boards, first jigsaws (the Happy Puzzles 6-Pack) and the Travelling Farm shape-sorter barn each have three or four stages in them, so the gift keeps pace with the child rather than being outgrown by Easter.

Choosing well for a child you don't see every day

If you are a grandparent, aunt or family friend, pick by skill rather than theme: a fine-motor toy is safe for any two-year-old, and it is the one the parents will thank you for. A personalised name puzzle is the safest of all — it cannot be a duplicate of something they already own.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best gift for a 2 year old birthday? A busy board or sorting toy they can work on their own, plus one "wow" piece like a ball run or a music station.

What should I not buy a 2 year old? Toys with tiny parts, anything screen-based, and toys that need an adult to run them. Independence is the whole point at two.

Boys or girls? Everything in this collection suits either. We choose by developmental stage, not by colour.

Nearby ages: Gifts for 1 Year Olds · Gifts for 3 Year Old Boys. Everyday play: Toys for 2 Year Olds. Also see: Personalised Gifts · Busy Boards · Montessori Toys.