The Best Toys for 2-Year-Olds Keep Little Hands Busy

Get ready to read this book every night at bedtime! Nursery rhymes are timeless for a reason: Kids love the cadence and start to anticipate sounds, thanks to the classic couplets. With brightly-colored illustrations, this book features characters like Jack and Jill, Humpty Dumpty, the Itsy Bitsy Spider and many more.

Your 2-year-old will play with this large dump truck for hours on end. Kids can take the driver in and out and fill the bin with the included 25 large building blocks — then dump it out. The blocks can be played with separately to build roadblocks or walls for the truck to break through.

For decades, busy toddlers have been whirling and twirling on this classic spinner.  My 2-year-old loves to burn off energy indoors on hers, and I like that it helps her practice her balance, coordination and motor skills. You’ll love the simplicity — there are no batteries required.

TheLego Duplo My First Number Trainhas been around for years — it was passed down to my kids from their cousin, who is now in college! This durable train is a simpler version of “big kid” Legos, with just 23 pieces that little ones can mix and match to make a train. Once it’s built, the train can be pushed and pulled around for pretend play. 

These colorful wooden puzzles with small pegs will help your 2-year-old with hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills, all while she’s learning the alphabet, numbers, shapes and a host of other vocabulary words. You'll get six in a set, as well as a rack for storage.

Who’s got the beat? Your 2-year-old will, thanks to this drum set that she can play freestyle or follow along with to nine pre-set melodies. The drums and cymbal light up and also have letter and number modes. Music to your ears: It has volume control.

There are a lot of play couches out there now, but The Nugget continues to be a favorite thanks to its sturdy build and wide range of upholstery options. This couch morphs into a fort on a whim and can easily be put back into a seating space in seconds. While it’s admittedly an investment, it lasts for years and can comfortably support your kiddo well into elementary school.

Invite all the stuffed animals in the house for a teddy bear picnic! This tea set is made out of recycled plastic and is BPA- and PVC-free — you could even eat and drink out of it for real. She'll get a kick out of serving you pretend tea and cookies, and won’t even realize she’s fine-tuning her gross and fine motor skills while having so much fun.

Your 2-year-old can use the train as a vehicle, pull it along as a pull toy or stack, sort, build and count the train car’s 14 colorful blocks. In other words, it’s a multi-use toy that’s sure to serve up hours of fun.

Kids won’t be able to resist these plush colorful animal head pins. Their bottoms are weighted, so they’re easy to set up and knock down. Bowling is a classic game of cause and effect and teaches kids, “If I throw it this way, then that will happen,” Lyttle says. As your tot gets more skilled, have her stand further from the pins to roll the ball. It also comes with a carrying case, so you can easily take it on your next trip. 

With latches, keys, doors to open and button galores to push, this busy board will do exactly as advertised and keep your tot busy for hours (or at least while you get dinner started). It also teaches an alphabet and a number song. The board has a handle for easy transport from room to room, too.

The smell alone will instantly transport you back to your own childhood. This classic toy helps promote creativity. My 2-year-old can’t get enough of Play-Doh and can spend long periods of time playing quietly at our kitchen table. The 24-pack comes with Play-Doh in every color of the rainbow for your tot to squish, squeeze and roll to her little heart’s delight.

Here’s another fun plaything that’ll let your tot work just like Mom or Dad (and burn off plenty of energy running around). Of course, your 2-year-old will love this lawn mower way more than the one you use, since it blows out bubbles while she pushes it.

It’s a water play toy that will grow with your child: Your toddler can start by looking at the bright colors and fun shapes in the whale's mouth. And as her hand-eye coordination gets better, she can control it herself.

Toys that mimic real-life activities help your little one learn and give a satisfying sense of accomplishment, which helps promote healthy self-esteem. By stacking and sorting seven cars and seven garages, your tot can pretend she's driving and parking — just like Mom does!

My 2-year-old is happiest when she’s busy, and she loves playing basketball with this sweet set from Little Tikes. The basketball hoop has a height that adjusts between 2.5 and 4 feet to grow with your little one. It also features a weighted base to lower the risk of tips. I love that the set comes with three balls, so you’re not constantly chasing ones that miss the mark.

My 2-year-old was given this farm set as a gift, and it’s been a treasured toy ever since. She loves to play with all of the animals, and gets a kick out of the sounds they make. All of the doors open and shut, allowing for highly interactive play. Like many Fisher Price sets, this farm has three stages to reveal new sounds, like counting, opposites, and songs, as your child grows. When play time is over, the barn folds up for easy storage.

When the colder months and rainy days hit, you need ways for your little one to burn off steam indoors. The Simplay3 Rock and Roll Teeter Totter Seesaw is an excellent option, allowing two or more tots to rock back and forth as long as they’d like. This sturdy plastic structure has built-in handles to help kids get a grip, along with carved-out seating for their comfort. I like that it can be flipped over and used as a play bridge when rocking isn’t on the table.

My 2-year-old doesn’t like riding in her stroller, but is happy to cruise in her Step2 Push Around Buggy. This cute car has a sturdy plastic build, including a thick handle you can use to push your little one around. It also has a wheel that turns and horn that makes sounds. I appreciate the built-in seat belt for safety, and the front storage trunk, which opens and closes to hold snacks and other essentials.

The iPlay, iLearn Bouncy Pals come in fun animal designs that kids can “ride,” while bouncing and burning off energy. This zebra is covered in a fabric material for extra grip. It’s also incredibly durable. My 2-year-old is a regular bouncer and her zebra hasn’t deflated or lost any air over time. 

Climbers need a safe space to scale. The Avenlur Olive 3 in 1 Foldable Triangle Ladder Slide can be configured in multiple ways, giving your adventurous toddler several options for climbing. There’s even a slide that can be flipped over and used as a ladder. The triangle comes in large and medium sizes, and is foldable for easy storage.

KiwiCo’s Panda Crate is a subscription service that sends a new set of toys to your little one over time. Each crate is designed to foster development, and can include things like toys that can be used for matching, sorting and counting. The toys are all sturdy and well made, and can be used over time. Choose from an essential crate for $50, Plus crate for $80, or Deluxe crate for $90.

I love the LeapFrog Learning Friends 100 Words Book for screen-free fun during car rides. This interactive book plays words and songs when kids touch a picture, helping to build their vocabulary. You can even toggle between English and Spanish for bilingual learning. I’m a big fan of the volume adjustment, too.