30 Best Toys for 2-Year-Olds, Tested and Approved by Tots

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Toys that present kids with a simple problem-solving task are great for cognitive development. And, in our humble opinion, this wooden puzzle by Tender Leaf Toys offers a fantastic challenge for 2-year-old tots. “My 2-year-old has so much fun with the Tender Leaf Counting Acorn set,” says product tester Kristi, who tried it out with her daughter. “She couldn’t wait to start playing—sorting, counting and making up little games. It brought so many giggles and kept her happily entertained.”

Toddlers can solve the puzzle in three different ways: by matching the pieces through trial and error; by matching the color of the acorn stem to the color on the board; or by matching the number on the puzzle piece to the amount of dots on the board. “It’s perfect for practicing counting, colors and fine motor skills,” says Kristi, who says she discussed color-matching and encouraged her daughter to say the numbers out loud while they played.

Age range: 18+ months | ** Batteries required::** No | Assembly required: No

If your toddler is showing early interest in math, this KiwiCo Let’s Sort! Kit makes learning math fun and playful, and is one of best educational toys for 2-year-olds. It encourages problem-solving, counting, sorting and fine motor skills through hands-on activities. “My son learned how to sort, match, count and solve problems with the toys,” says Dhee, who tested the subscription kit with her 26-month-old. “It is the perfect definition of learning while having fun—it is definitely an educational toy.”

The kit includes a bubble counter, fishing game, sensory play lightbox, rainbow block puzzle and a 20-page guide for grown-ups to guide play at home. Plus, it gives you useful context to help you understand your 2-year-old’s actions with science-backed tips to take their educational training up a notch.

But the real question is: how well does it hold your toddler’s attention? Dhee says it does pretty well, sometimes without much parental intervention. “The 'Count the bubbles' was the first one that caught his attention,” she tells us. “He started pushing it without me explaining what to do. I believe this was his favorite because he kept on reaching for it even after I put it away to give him another toy.” And her 7-year-old also got in on the action, helping his little brother sort, giving way to sibling play.

Age range:: 26 to 27 months | Batteries required:: No | Assembly required: No

This VTech Count Sports Center is an excellent learning toy for 2-year-olds, turning education into an active game. It provides many opportunities to kick, throw, and keep score while strengthening hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills. “This toy is a definite win for hand-eye coordination,” says Alexis, a mom of two who tested it with her 25-month-old. “The small size allows him to make a basket and shoot a goal.”

The premise is uncomplicated: an animated scoreboard keeps track of baskets and goals while introducing numbers, counting, colors and shapes. Plus, the simple setup means toddlers can easily play on their own. “My 25-month-old immediately understood how to use it,” Alexis explains. “He has gone back to play with it multiple times on his own.” And despite its distinctive Vtech toy look with plenty of lights, sounds and vivid colors, our product tester confirms that its level of stimulation is surprisingly balanced. “I love that there is a multi-sound option and that the toy works perfectly well without sound and lights,” she adds.

Age range:: 1-3 years | Batteries required:: Yes | Assembly required: Yes

With bright colors, a playful animal design and chunky wooden pieces, the HABA Animal Squares Arranging Game is a fun take on a puzzle. With three levels of difficulty, toddlers can arrange the blocks to refine their problem-solving and fine motor skills. “I left her to play alone and she was able to play with the blocks independently with her own imagination,” says our product tester Rachel, mom to a 27-month-old. “She also made her own designs, just didn't follow the card designs.”

Template cards are included as a guide, but as our tester found, they’re not necessary, giving this toy an open-ended play element. That said, as intuitive as it is for adults, it may still take your 2-year-old a few guided tries to grasp the concept. “I had to explain it to her multiple times when we played with it, but she still didn't quite pick it up,” explains Rachel. “She didn't understand that you were to replicate the design on the flashcard on her own grid.”

On the plus side, the blocks were the perfect size for her little hands, enabling her to pick them up and move them around with ease. “It's a super child-friendly and playful design with bright colors and attractive shapes and designs,” adds Rachel.

Age range:: 2-4 years | Batteries required:: No | Assembly required: No

At 2 years old, children are gaining key social skills and grappling with some big emotions, too (hello, toddler tantrums!). A baby doll is a great tool to help kids process new situations, express their feelings and learn about empathy. “My daughter treats this like a real baby,” says mom of two Michelle, who tested the doll with her 2-year-old. “She feeds it, burps it, puts it down for naps, rocks it and carries it around all day.”

According to Michelle, this doll is super realistic and can help cheer up her daughter when she's having a rough time. “It makes her so happy and she runs around the house screaming ‘baby? baby?’ when she can’t find it,” she shares, adding that overall this doll was the perfect companion for her child. One reason for this is that it looks and feels like a real baby, so it’s effective at teaching kids about caring for others.

Age range:: 18+ months | Batteries required:: No | Assembly required: No

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The Love, Stella Sleepy Time doll is a sweet companion for toddlers who love caring for their own “baby.” This lavender-scented doll comes with a magnetic pacifier, magnetic bottle, teddy bear companion and a mini bedtime picture book, giving toddlers many ways to practice nurturing. It’s also a great size for little hands to carry, cuddle and bring along throughout the day.

Kaylie, our product tester, said the doll quickly became a favorite with her 2-year-old, especially as her family prepared to welcome a new baby. “[It] kept my daughter super entertained and engaged every time she saw it,” she said. “She will be a big sister soon and so she loves playing with the doll all day and night.”

Age range:: 1 to 3 years | Batteries required:: No | Assembly required: No

My kids can spend hours building everything from treehouses and spaceships to cool houses with blocks. That’s the beauty of open-ended toys—there’s no limit to what kids can create. “The LEGO Duplo Brick Box was so entertaining and creative,” shares our product tester, Kaylie.

Her 2-year-old daughter loved stacking the blocks, and when Kaylie showed her how the little figure fit in the car, she immediately started pretending to drive it around. “It makes the perfect gift for little ones, and overall this toy has been perfect for my girl. It is super fun to play with, creative and gets your imagination flowing,” she says.

Age range:: 18+ months | Batteries required:: No | Assembly required: No

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83 percent of the parents of 2-year-olds we surveyed placed a toy designed to last through different ages as one of the most important criteria. And BRIO has fast become synonymous with little trains that pack a lot of imagination! My First Railway Beginner Pack gives your 2-year-old everything they need to start imagining their own miniature railway line. “My toddler played independently very well, pushing the train along tracks and saying “choo choo” as he played,” says Kaitlyn, our product tester and mom to a 25-month-old. “It was easy to show him how to use it, and the open-ended design encouraged imagination.”

The magnetic trains were easy for little toddler hands to connect, which encourages hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. And because the set is compatible with other Brio railway sets, you can add new tracks and trains over time, giving toddlers new ways to play as they grow. “This is a great beginner set, and I love that you can add onto it,” enthuses Kaitlyn. “Overall, he loves the toy and I’m looking to buy more pieces!"

Age range:: 18 months to 3 years | Batteries required:: No | Assembly required: No

We have owned the Leetous Insect Flower Garden for several years and my kids keep coming back to it because there are so many ways to play. Toddlers can mix and match the colorful flowers to create their own little gardens, then use them to pretend to play with dolls or stuffed animals—whatever they dream up!

The Bump survey respondent Lauren agrees. “My daughter loves the mix and match of the colors and designs,” the mom of one tells us. The sheer range of colorful crawling bugs, including butterflies, a grasshopper and a scorpion, leaves little limit on imaginative play. Just be prepared for a tedious clean-up time, since it comes with a collection of over 150 pieces that easily scatter.

Age range:: 2+ years | Batteries required:: No | Assembly required: No

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A ride-on toy does wonders to help toddlers work on gross motor skills like balance and coordination as well as strengthening muscles. Thanks to a molded handle on the roof, the iconic Cozy Coupe can be used as a push toy or a self-propelled vehicle, depending on your toddler’s mood. “He did like us pushing him and really enjoyed going around the backyard, turning the key and beeping the horn,” shares our product tester Katie, who tried it with her 2-year-old son.

Once your toddler’s ready to scoot off for solo play, simply remove the floor plate, and they’re good to go—though this milestone may take a little building up to. “My toddler had never used one of these before, so he had a bit of trouble pushing himself,” explains Katie. “He mostly was able to go backward without issues, but going forward took a bit of time to learn.” Still, it’s a learning curve the mom of one has little doubt her 24-month-old will leap over in no time—besides, the gross motor growth potential lies in the practice. And in between, the Little Tikes Cozy Coup offers plenty by way of engagement with the horn, keys and door all holding her son’s attention for 15-minute intervals. “He also liked to put the toys in the cup holders in the back,” Katie adds.

Age range:: 18 months to 5 years | Batteries required:: No | Assembly required: Yes

At age 2, toddlers are developing hand-eye coordination skills, which makes everyday play activities achievable. But don’t be alarmed if it takes them a while to get the hang of new tasks—such as aiming, rolling or throwing a ball. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), “vision is not mature in this age group, and toddlers have difficulty tracking a moving object and figuring out how fast it is speeding toward them.”

The Melissa & Doug bowling set is perfectly designed for this age group. The fuzzy “monster” pins each have a friendly face with unique characteristics, which appeals to toddlers' visual senses and imagination. “The different colors, fabrics and faces on the pins intrigued her,” confirms product tester Noura, who tried out this bowling set with her almost 2-and-a-half-year-old. And while it took her daughter a while to get the hang of it, with a little parental guidance and encouragement, her little one was soon practicing “her hand-eye coordination skills and independent play as she was setting up the pins after each bowl.”

Aside from using the set for a few games of bowling, our junior tester pet the pins, started to carry them around like stuffed animals and even set up a tea party for the monstrous crew! “I think because they had faces, it made her want to use them in other ways,” explains Noura. She also noted that the pins were very soft and cuddly, saying “the monsters were furry, some with longer pieces of fur, some shorter.” One downside of the fluffy design is that the fabric attracts dust, dirt and dog hair, so keep that in mind if you have animals at home. Still, our tester loved this toy for 2-year-olds, going so far as sending it to a friend as a gift idea for her child’s second birthday!

Age range: 2+ years | Batteries required: No | Assembly required: No

There’s a reason you see so many toddler scooters in your neighborhood— they're a hit with little riders and their parents. And the Micro Kickboard is leading the pack when it comes to popularity. The brand’s Micro Mini LED scooter features a three-wheeled design that helps toddlers balance as they learn to scoot, turn and use an intuitive rear brake. “The two front wheels make it easy to balance, and the braking mechanism is very organic with a bit of coaching on first use,” confirms our product tester and mom of a 2-and-a-half-year-old, Elizabeth.

What makes this toddler scooter especially useful for developing gross motor skills is the signature lean-to-steer maneuver. Instead of turning a handlebar to change direction, kids need to lean their body to steer, which gives them an opportunity to practice balance, body awareness and coordination.

“At age 2 my daughter could really rip on it, thanks to the stability of the three wheels and the intuitive steering,” shares Ashlee N., mom of two and content director for The Bump. And our product tester agrees. “Although it can't do tight turns, the lean to steer functionality is super responsive without being jerky and easy to pick up,” she tells us, adding that the rear placement of the brake makes it basically impossible for her toddler to fall from abrupt braking. “I'm always surprised by how quickly my kids can avoid mishaps despite many close calls.”

Age range:: 2 to 5 years | Batteries required:: No | Assembly required: Yes

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At this age creative development really kicks into high gear, as tots can grasp a crayon or stylus and draw circular shapes and scribbles. This drawing board by Kikidex satisfies that burning creative urge, allowing for unlimited artworks. “My daughter immediately started drawing circles all over it,” says Rachel, who tested this toy with her 27-month-old daughter, adding that her little one loves coloring. But the creative outlet isn’t even the best part. Once your toddler’s done scribbling to their hearts' content, you can erase the board with a quick swipe. “[It’s] the EASIEST to clean, there's no mess at all,” confirms Rachel.

The sliding eraser function may not be the most intuitive to use but Rachel’s daughter quickly grasped the concept after only one walkthrough, instantly unlocking lengthy independent play. “The pen is easy to hold on little hands and the added legs make it easy for her to use it as a tabletop if sitting on the floor or a couch,” adds Rachel. The magnetic drawing board kept her 2-year-old happy and occupied for over an hour, which must be some kind of record for a screen-free toy. And there’s plenty of opportunity for learning and bonding, too. “She is always happy and excited to use it and seems proud when she's able to accurately recognize letters, shapes, numbers and words,” adds Rachel, who says it’s her daughter’s favorite new toy.

Age range:: 1 to 3 years | Batteries required:: No | Assembly required: No

Musical toys for 2-year-olds are an investment into your child’s development. Why? Not only do they act as a source of entertainment, music toys and mini instruments encourage creative expression, improve cognitive skills and give their auditory senses a workout.

The Lovevery Music Set stands out for containing six scaled-down instruments as well as a rhythm and songs book, making it perfect for little movers and shakers. “She loved pressing the buttons to hear the different sounds and rhythms, and it quickly became an independent play activity she could do on her own,” shares product tester Presley, who tested the set with her 2-year-old daughter and found it kept her focused for an hour at a time.

Presley tells us her 2-year-old instinctively knew how to use all but some of the instruments. “She needed to be shown how to blow into the flute and play the accordion (she's never seen one before), but then she wanted to take over and mimicked me easily,” adds Presley. Aside from the pan flute and accordion, this Lovevery set includes pat bells, stackable shakers, a jingle bracelet and a metronome that explores the basics of tempo.

Aside from being downright fun while effortlessly engaging her toddler’s listening skills, this play set has lots of learning benefits to explore. “It also helped with her hand-eye coordination,” notes Presley. “She even started humming along and trying to say words like ‘music,’ so it definitely encouraged language development in a natural way,” says Presley, who now counts “accordion” and “metronome” as part of her daughter’s vocabulary.

Age range:: 18 months to 4 years | Batteries required:: No | Assembly required: No

From one parent to another, give your toddler some Play-Doh and watch their imagination take over. This Shapes & Colors Dino Starter Set includes 11 tools, one dinosaur, a play mat, and six Play-Doh colors, allowing little hands to squish, roll, flatten and shape the dough into different creations. “She likes all the different shapes and colors of the Dino as well as the playdough. Her face lit up from seeing it,” shares Kristi, who tested the set with her 2-year-old. “She likes to pretend that she has a cooking show and making different shapes with it and selling cookies to her sisters”

The beauty of Play-Doh is its low learning curve and the Dino Starter set is no different. “My toddler went straight to work. It was so easy to use that I didn’t need to explain too much to her and she could do it on her own,” says Kristi. “She loves the colors and the playdough. She was so happy and thrilled.” The final hidden win of this low-cost 2-year-old toy? The subtle learning element. According to Kristi, you’ve got the fine motor skills as well as gross motor (“they pretend to chomp, jump and all sorts of physical movement”). And their brain gets a challenge, too. “It is not only teaching the shapes but the colors based on the play dough,” she adds. Easily a great gift or something creative to do on a rainy day when you’re stuck inside.

Age range:: 2+ years | Batteries required:: No | Assembly required: No

If you’ve got a music-loving 2-year-old, they can rock out with the B. toys Interactive Dog Guitar Woofer. This colorful guitar has three different play modes: acoustic, electric or hound dog, and your toddler can even make up their own song. “My 2-year-old instantly liked playing with the different buttons and guitar strings,” shares tester Alexis. “It is fun watching him explore the different sounds each button makes.”

The Interactive Dog Guitar Woofer plays 20 familiar children’s songs, and has a spin-to-play feature that adds another way to interact with the toy. But beyond the entertainment factor, playing with the guitar gives toddlers a chance to practice listening and develop a sense of rhythm. “The toy was great for sight and hearing,” observes Alexis. “It was good for helping him understand the notes of music and I could see that being a skill that helps this have value over time.”

Age range:: 2+ years | Batteries required:: Yes (included) | Assembly required: No

A play kitchen is one of the best toys for 2-year-olds to practice social skills and empathy while pretending to do something very familiar. Whether they’re making you breakfast or a snack, serving pretend food to a sibling or playing “restaurant” with a friend, toddlers can practice taking turns, sharing and communicating all at the same time. “Kitchens are one of my favorite toys for kids,” says Michelle, who tested the set with her 2-year-old daughter. “They’re always a hit since they constantly see parents in the kitchen, so they know exactly how to use them and play cooking and restaurant games,” she adds.

The toy comes with 24 accessories as well as interactive features like a coffee maker with a turnable dial and a stove burner that lights up and makes sizzling and bubbling cooking noises. Michelle’s daughter “went straight for the little coffee maker and loves organizing all the plates and cups” as she role-plays running a restaurant. On the first day it was introduced Michelle’s little one played make-believe in the kitchen for two full hours and she’s returned to it daily since then!

At 40 inches in height, it’s perfectly proportioned for younger toddlers, so all of the features are within reach and are easy to operate. “All of the doors on it are so easy to open and close and there’s no part of it that makes her frustrated or that she isn’t able to do on her own,” shares Michelle. While it is a larger toy, it sits flush up against the wall, so it won’t eat up tons of floor space. “It’s a decent size without taking up too much space,” confirms Michelle.

Age range:: 2+ years | Batteries required:: Yes | Assembly required: Yes

The Lovevery The Helper play kit gives 2-year-olds many chances to practice social skills through hands-on, everyday pretend play. Many of the activities are designed to get others involved, whether your toddler is "washing" dishes in the toy sink or “planting” felt flowers in their garden. These shared activities can encourage communication and turn-taking. “She was able to independently play unless she decided she wanted to include me,” shares Cam, mom of a 26-month-old. “She definitely wanted to play with the sink through the night.”

The kit includes a toy sink with cups and plates, drop and match tile catcher, felt flowers in a row, a double-sided puzzle, art kit, routine cards, a board book and access to the Lovevery app. And it’s this wealth of versatility that makes the subscription kit such a hit with parents. “My daughter learned how to match with this toy set and wash dishes,” confirms Cam. “The learning elements were super fun and my daughter definitely got the most of each toy included.”

There’s also sensory exploration built into the kit. “It encouraged her to use her sense of touch and it was very effective in stimulating her,” shares the mom of one. As for the mess, really only the sink poses some risk of spills but nothing laying a towel underneath won’t fix, says our tester.

Age range:: 25+ months | Batteries required:: No | Assembly required: Yes

If you have a car-loving toddler like I do, a playset with roads, ramps and slides is an instant hit. This Fisher-Price Little People playset gives toddlers plenty of ways to send vehicles zooming and create their own adventures with others in their imaginative car-world. And parents love them for their chunky pieces that make it easy for little toddler hands to grasp.

The familiar vehicles and figures also give parents an easy way to join in on the fun. “I like [it] because there are touchstones for me that help me engage in otherwise slightly awkward toddler play (for an adult),” says Mindi, mom of a 2-year-old and The Bump survey respondent.

Age range:: 1+ years | Batteries required:: No | Assembly required: Yes

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One of the best ways to support language development is by narrating everyday tasks and, of course, reading to them. But it can be hard to get a toddler to sit still long enough to finish an entire story. That’s where Where’s Spot? A Lift-the-Flap Book comes in clutch. It held our junior tester’s attention for a full 10 minutes, which is a long time for a 2-year-old, and helped her learn and practice new words.

“The repetitive text and bright pictures engaged her language skills and encouraged pointing and naming animals,” confirms Presley, who read it to her 2-year-old daughter. Presley noted that her daughter started to memorize segments of the text and even added her own narration to the story by saying: “Where doggy go?” Her daughter also navigated the lift-the-flap features independently and had fun doing so.

“The board book is the perfect size for my toddler,” says Presley, adding that “the chunky pages are lightweight and easy for little hands to grasp and turn.” Her daughter also navigated the lift-the-flap features independently and had fun doing so. “At first, the flaps made the story really engaging and playful and she enjoyed lifting them to see what was hiding underneath,” explains Presley. Unfortunately, her tot got a little over-excited and ripped the flaps off the book. This inevitably led to some frustration and tears from our 2-year-old tester. “While the flaps didn’t survive long in our house, the book itself is still a favorite, and I think it will have play value for quite a while as she grows and starts recognizing more words,” reasons Presley.

Age range:: 12 months to 3 years | Batteries required:: No | Assembly required: No

Your fridge just became a little more educational. With the Fridge Phonics Magnetic Letter Set, toddlers can stick the magnetic letter to the fridge, then place each letter into the bus window and press it to hear Tad say the letter name and sound. Press it twice, and Tad introduces a word that starts with that letter and uses it in a sentence.

There’s also a music button that lets toddlers sing along to three learning songs, including the “Alphabet Song” and “Wheels on the Bus.” Beyond literacy skills, we love the simple cause-and-effect element—your toddler simply presses a button and something happens.

Age range:: 2-5 years | Batteries required:: Yes | Assembly required: No

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Rhymes and repetition make books like Llama Llama Red Pajama a fun way to introduce toddlers to new words and phrases. While your 2-year-old isn’t reading independently yet, hearing the same words and sounds repeatedly can encourage them to recognize familiar phrases, join in with the story, and practice saying new words.

The Llama Llama Red Pajama Board Book by Anna Dewdney features a highly repetitive, rhythmic text that helps toddlers pick up language patterns early—all centered on a relatable story about bedtime anxiety. In fact the rhymes are so infectious, the children’s book has gone viral as a rap challenge from parents and musical artists alike!

It tested well, too. “My toddler enjoyed flipping through the pages and looking at the illustrations,” shares tester Kaitlyn. “The rhyming text was fun to read together. He pointed out “mama” and “baby” and tried saying the words with me.” That said, while her 25-month-old son loved the rhyming and colorful illustrations, the story didn’t hold his attention for long. On the plus side, its thick pages are both lightweight and durable, giving Kaitlyn confidence it will last many years. “The book is well-priced for its quality,” she tells us. “The colorful pictures, durable pages, and rhyming text match expectations. It didn’t hold my toddler’s attention very long, but I would still consider buying it.”

Age range: 1 to 3 years | Batteries required:: No | Assembly required: No