The best toys for 2-year-old boys and girls
What are the best toys for 2-year-old boys and girls?
Now that pretend play is established, 2-year-olds can perform social roles like mommy, daddy, or baby. Role taking becomes a bigger part of social pretend play, and their pretend play becomes more elaborate as they use a variety of objects to carry out longer episodes.
Children at this age begin to show an interest in television and television characters. They are drawn to familiar cartoon characters from television shows that they can incorporate into their play themes.
These children need the object to resemble the real item to some degree. Two-year-olds can now engage in true construction play. They understand that pictures can depict pretend objects, and scribbles gradually become more representational pictures during this period, though they are still more interested in the process than the product.
They become increasingly interested in color variations and using simple art materials. We can introduce them to paints to teach colors and also a unique way for them to learn how to mix colors and make even more shades
They often want to know “why,” and can start to use simple learning or educational toys. They understand the purpose of numbers in counting objects.
This age group also possesses good hand and finger coordination and enjoys putting these skills to work with basic arts and crafts, puppets, blocks and simple puzzles.
They have increasing control over basic gross- and fine-motor skills. Interest in gross-motor activity increases with newly found physical strength and basic coordination, and they especially enjoy balancing, climbing, running, jumping, throwing, catching, playing with sand, or pushing and pulling wheeled objects.
They can perform somersaults, and like to dance, twirl, and gallop to music. Although their control is still uncertain, they can kick and throw a ball. They can manage simple screwing actions, and can use simple one- or two-turn wind-up mechanisms provided they are of low tension.
Smaller buttons or snaps may be difficult for these children to manipulate, but they can use large hooks, buttons, and buckles.
They prefer more realistic toys, so colors other than bright primary colors (for example, pastels) become attractive. However, these toys do not need to be elaborately detailed.
Great and useful article – it’s getting harder and harder to choose something for kids that they’ll enjoy ( when they get over the 18 month mark! ). I especially like the idea of developing the scribbles into something more tangible – I love art and I think most kids will if they get the chance to get messy! Really enjoyed reading this – cool ideas!
Hi chris,
Thanks for the feedback. it is indeed hard to understand what they want if we don’t know how they think. I’m glad you like the post
Cheers
Hi, My little boy is now 2+ years and he’s really curious about his surroundings and loves to learn through play. Besides wanting to know what something is, he is also eager to how things work too. He likes to dismantle up things in my home so I have to be careful what is left on the tables and floors lol! He also loves playing with with Lego sets and do simple drawings.
Hi Yvone,
Thanks for sharing your own experience with us. The reason they are so destructive (lol) is that they want to construct things. So somehow what they are doing is reverse engineering. I personally Love this age. It is just amazing how fast they can learn things.
Thanks again and cheers
These are all great ideas, but where do you recommend that I go to purchase these types of toys that would not only have the best deals on them?
I didn’t see any links on your article making any specific recommendations and I don’t want to spend all day sifting through all these crazy online stores to try to find the best deals, so if you have any suggestions, I’m all ears! 🙂 Call me lazy, but I trust your opinions because of all the detailed information you provide, so I’ll wait to purchase anything until I hear back from you. Thanks in advance!
All The Best,
Jeremy David Wilson
Hi Jeremy,
I really appreciate your comment and it means a lot that you trust me. I will make a list of toys for all ages as soon as possible. I will let you know when it’s ready.
Thank you for your confidence in me,
Cheers
Wow, what a helpful website. There’s a ton of good info here, and the design is very professional, well done.
I have a two year old nephew and I know hes expecting a gift from me this year for Christmas.
And I know what you mean when you say they have increased strength and control and the gift should reflect this. My nephew does stuff now he couldn’t do a few months ago.
Thanks for the info, you’ve given me a lot to think about.
Hi Dylan,
I’m glad you found it helpful and thanks for the positive feedback. Let me know if I can help you with more information for this age-group. I will post soon more about how kids develope skills for all of the age-groups, so make sure to check again our website.
Cheers
I have actually taken the time to objectively look at a lot of children’s programming. and Wehn I did this I was focusing on the developmental construction of the subconscious.
What I noticed were many elements were wholesome and harmless. but in every case nearly there would be some type of context that makes no sense to teach a child at this age. sometimes its as simple as the fairy tale sequencing of all the kids shows. this is unrealistic and gives humans a really dissolved understanding of their surroundings.
Some shows are downright perverse and others are just pushing similar negative marketing messages.
It has me really concerned about how to raise a child in America. Like they say it takes a village. and they mean this for good reason. It takes role models to mold behavior. and community is a caring environment which can be full of rolls.
But in television and schools get to influence your, kids, way more than you do it is scary the outcome.
I began to sound like a nutbag. I just want my child to learn certain things before other things. Like what smiling is and happy companionship is. What friendship is? what burden and hard work are. then what relaxing and rewarded recuperation are. I’ll stop here but, needless to say, I have great concern over these matters.
and you seem to be very aware of the importance of raising your baby!
Hi John,
I totally understand your concerns. Many things are necessary for your child development. One has to be the real part of the world they are experiencing that as you said, we need to teach them. There is another part that is also crucial is imagination. Imagination is something that help you to solve unsolvable problems. So although it might sound too much imagination sometimes but it’s critical for your baby’s development.
But I agree there are some shows on TV which don’t do anything good for child development and as parents, we need not let our kids watch.
Thanks for sharing your concern with us. I would be glad to talk about this matter more if you want. Let me know.
Cheers.
I remember when I was that age all I wanted to do was build. ima going to build this lego castle then bridge then towers. it just went on and on. kids are really something to be learned from as they posses a drive that gets stripped from you as you age.
They get interested and go never thinking maybe I won’t be good enough at this or that.
I love this site your really pushing out some good information parents need.
Hi John,
Thank you so much for the heart-warming comment. I’m glad you find this website helpful. Making castle or spaceship with Lego was my favourite things to build when I was a child. You mentioned something fascinating about how their approach for doing something. You are right, they never doubt themselves on doing something wrong. They just do and try as many as times they want, and failure (in our perspective) will never occur to their minds.
Thanks again for your comment,
Cheers
i loved to watch tv when i was a kid and even though i didnt play with a bunnch of toys. i had teddy bears. so i can remeber me an ms bear would awlasy watch cartoons. So I have no clue what kind of toys my baby is going to want but i guess i assumed it would be teddy bears. Funny how that works.
Where can i buy some good toys for infants?
Hi Sara,
S/he will probably do the same thing. And you will love to look at this scene. I will provide you some list of toys you can buy for each age group. So far for the age of 0 to 3 month, I have a list, you can take a look at them:
http://coolgiftforkids.com/list-of-best-toys-for-newborn-to-3-month-old-baby
When you become a mom, I think I have a complete list of appropriate toys for all ages. Hopefully, you enjoy this website more then.
Cheers
I loved when you said. They often like to ask why. I can remember that all I did as a young child was ask why. I wanted to know why everything. Why do you think this is? I did find that later in life I still feel that way so maybe its an dividual trait.
there is so much mystery at that age.
I Think kids used to hear their parents voice all the time talking to them and by this age they try to get parents to talk more, so they just ask why and why to get them to talk to them. They don’t really care about the answer (most of the time). So if they ask why the sun is so bright. You can talk about the sun is hot and its in the sky and then speak of sky and birds or go to the outer space or other planets and explain about them. I know you both will enjoy it.
Hope it was helpful,
Cheers