Ideas for 2yr birthday

[Lindsay27]

DS is going to be 2 next month so I'm starting to look for gifts for his birthday.  I got him a giant CAT dump truck for outside so far (he loves anything to do with trucks), but I'm looking for some other ideas.

What did your DS/LO love at 2?  He has a sandbox and water table for outside already which I'm sure will come to good use this summer   He got a train table for Christmas which he also loves.

[michaeljacknnugg]

More trains for his table? A scooter?

I found at this age that I was tempted to buy BIG toys which then sat around unused for long periods. They need lots of different little bits and pieces to keep them occupied as they flit about the place, so having a collection of smaller things would have been better than one single gift.

I think my DS had a box of cars, lots of trains and then I can't remember what else!

[goldmom]

DS really likes a set of wooden vegetables that he can cut (velcro'oed together) - it's great for fine motor skills and practicing using a knife (comes with a wooden one, but we've already "graduated" to a table knife).

Mr. Potato Head is also a nice toy for this age, so far we've got some use out of ours.

At 27 months he's also starting to play with little people toys, acting out things, so maybe a playmobile set might be nice (we don't have one yet, but something I'm noticing and considering).

[We Three]

 We got Millie a Radio Flyer red wagon, with the real rubber tires, and we use it still, all the time! We rode her around in it, she rode her dolls around in it, she would walk around and 'collect' things outside to put in it, and we made it a mobile sand table a few times!

 I also got her  unfinished child-sized wooden rocking chair which I painted for her in the colors of her room....I like to think she will have it with her always, and maybe pass it to her kids.      I like sentimental/keepsake gifts.   

[Mama2boys]

Lego Duplo, a kitchen? work bench?

we have a small indoor trampoline since we have crap weather 90% of the year..

all of the above have been big hits!

if you are looking for something smaller and he loves cars, look for something called blue track, its like a flexible track you can race cars on, my guys love cars - and its super fun because they can make their own tracks. https://www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/blutrack/blutrack_18_ft_starter_kit.cfm

even my 7 yo plays with it and makes his own loops and makes the track go over chairs etc

[*Becky*]

My parents bought DS a ride on car for his 2nd bday...they both still love it!

[creations]

I agree collections of things is great at this age, we have tons of little characters of all different types and he loves all of them for imaginary play, lining them up etc. I wouldn't suggest playmobil at age 2yo though, but playmobil 123 is great as are little people, happyland people, and a whole range of TV characters, nursery rhyme characters (we have a set which either stand up or go on your finger as a little plastic puppet, loves them).

musical instruments, a keyboard, ukelele, recorder, harmonica, drum etc (I think we played music every day from 2yo to 3yo!)
duplo
kitchen, utensils and food (played with daily)
books - we got a fab set of 50 Mr Men books at least one was read every day for the entire year, he utterly loved them and still does.
play doh - mine likes tools, presses, cutters, extruders, the truck sets are really nice.
scooter (although mine still barely rides his but I see 2 - 3yos really getting into scootering)

[*Ali*]

Jigsaws
Books
Talking woody doll (Toy Story)
Wooden work bench with tools
Toy kitchen
Balance bike
Chalkboard/art easel
Craft supplies
Jenga
Kids tablet like LeapPad
Super hero dressing up costume
Kids baking set, maybe personalised
Musical instruments like drum, keyboard or ukelele
Rocking horse
Magnifying glass
Noah's ark play set

Those are the things that spring to mind that my 2.5yo has played with since his birthday.

[creations]

A safe kitchen knife to help with real cooking Can't believe I forgot that. We love ours, chops tomatoes, potatoes, bread, mushrooms, almost anything really, but doesn't cut skin! Amazing.  DS has always loved doing real cooking with me (for dinner rather than just baking although we do bake too).
We have the kinderkitchen dog knife.

[michaeljacknnugg]

We love our knife too! We also love our cooking sets, which is from this range:

http://www.kitchencraft.co.uk/brands/miniamo/brights

[amayzie]

 I can't remember what i bought for DS for his second birthday... it might come to me.... BUT- the Mini kitchen as i think creations said was and is a TOTAL hit- the MOST PLAYED WITH THING!! And is to this day about the most excited about any gift ever!

cooter (although mine still barely rides his but I see 2 - 3yos really getting into scootering)

Is your guy scared of scootering too? It's all a bit too fast for my guy

Other good things:
Ride on car
duplo
toy dinosaurs
peppa pig house, or similar simple dolls house- this is another AWESOME and very often played with toy!

[Lindsay27]

Great ideas ladies, thanks!  He already has a play kitchen (I bought one used for $10 a while back) and got all the food/accessories that go with it for Christmas and he got his ride-along car for his birthday last year

DH wants to get him some hot wheels so we'll probably do that.  The easel/chalkboard is a really great idea, as is the wagon (he already likes putting things in his tonka's but I bet he would do the same with a wagon), he could use some more craft supplies for sure.  Someone mentioned toy dinasours and I remember that our CM's son has some of those and he's just turned 3 and loves them, so that's an idea also.  I was also thinking about a little people set because he doesn't have one yet.  I had considered a leap pad, but I think I will wait a bit for that...at least until Christmas or maybe his 3rd birthday. 

They need lots of different little bits and pieces to keep them occupied as they flit about the place, so having a collection of smaller things would have been better than one single gift.

Good point, and I tend to agree especially because he is getting into more imaginative play

A safe kitchen knife to help with real cooking Can't believe I forgot that.

I didn't even know this existed!! He LOVES to cook!  Especially because DH and I are cookers ourselves, he sees us cooking all the time and always wants to help out, and we let him as much as possible.

[creations]

The knife is the one special kid-friendly tool for the kitchen we have. Otherwise he uses the real potato peeler, the real cheese grater etc. All hand over hand and fully supervised. I always treated the kinderkitchen knife as though it is sharp even though it isn't as I felt it taught the basic rules of the kitchen.  Lots of fun! Mine does like to weigh flour for baking now but really his interest if far more in preparing veg, salad, bread, sandwiches, etc. So long as you have the time it is a wonderful activity

Quote from: creations on March 17, 2014, 20:14:20 PM

    cooter (although mine still barely rides his but I see 2 - 3yos really getting into scootering)


Is your guy scared of scootering too? It's all a bit too fast for my guy

He seems 'behind' many of his peers with gross motor.  He can't ride a bike/trike, is too short for the balance bike we tired, can't even hold the thing up, can't climb up to the big toilet by himself, oh so many thing but I don't worry about his development he's getting there and is way beyond his peers in many other areas, I'm sure it must all balance out in the end.  Odd though he can climb fine, he was whizzing up the 6 foot slide ladder at 18 months.