2 y/o gifts

[k3am]

DD's turning two. YIKES. People are already starting to ask what she "wants", and I have no idea. So far I've been vague - toys, Elmo, Anna or Olaf (no Elsa, since I hate her), clothes, etc. 

Because she's turning two, all of her "friends" (my friend's kids) are also turning two. I have three parties to go to next weekend, and have no idea what to buy them either. Any great suggestions in the $25-50 range? Preferably that ship free with Prime?

[librarychica]

Art supplies, playdoh, books. These are my go-to gifts and what we got the most use of during DD1's second year. We go through so many art supplies, it's ridiculous.

[pittpurple]

My daughter is very, very into stickers. Lots of stickers. In the last few months she's gotten much more into doing art projects so our Chanukah gifts to her were a bunch of art supplies - finger paints, things to glue on stuff, stickers, crayons. Can never have too much of that stuff!

[mustardseed2007]

For birthdays I actually usually end up going to Learning Express (if you have one near you). I like it b/c there is a limited number of selections, but all are good choices. Plus they have birthday cards right at the register and they gift wrap while you wait. 2 is hard b/c so many things are 3 and up! Plus they aren't babies anymore.

On specific toys, though, playdoh is good, or a big bag of mega blocks (someone gave that to DS for his 2nd Bday and we still love it). lso, books. We got this cool curious george book that has multiple stories in it for DS's 2nd Bday and he still loves that, too.
Also to be very specific, the ELC Lift off Rocket is a nice toy that is 18 months and up and is sold on Amazon and ships prime-as with all amazon things, watch the price. It should be 30-40 dollars and no more.

[pittpurple]

Feb 11, 2015 11:19:25 GMT -5 mustardseed2007 said:

Also to be very specific, the ELC Lift off Rocket is a nice toy that is 18 months and up and is sold on Amazon and ships prime-as with all amazon things, watch the price. It should be 30-40 dollars and no more.

My daughter has a few of the ELC sets and loves them. Her friend has the rocket and I think she covets it (I just can't stand toys that make noise!). If the people don't all know each other, I'd be tempted to just buy 3 of these and call it a day!

[helenahhandbasket]

DD just turned 3 and last year she was very into play food, legos, puzzles, blocks and anything Mickey

[mommyatty]

Books. Little People anything. Musical instruments. (http://www.amazon.com/B-Parum-Pum-Drum-Lime/dp/B003WE34HC/ref=zg_bs_166326011_24. This is a huge hit in our house) Pretend play items (I think I. Going to buy these for my 2.5 yo who hats www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-This-Role-Play/dp/B00DW5ZKRI/ref=sr_1_44?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1423671644&sr=1-44&keywords=pretend+play). Megablocks.

[somebabiesmom]

$25-50? That'll buy about 99% of kids' toys. A light table for crafts, a sit and spin, tent and tunnel (with 200 plastic balls if you dislike the parents), an easel, tickets to an ice show or monster trucks or an air show, a stand-up vacuum just like daddy's, dress-up clothes. My DS really likes surfaces where he can sit like a big kid and play (he likes to organize things...) so kid table and chairs,a kid desk, kid vanity. A beanbag chair or some kind of mini-chair, a memory game, stuff with tracks (trains, race cars).

We usually get stuff around the $10 mark just b/c toys are cheap, kids are so easy to please, and they're going to be getting a shat-ton of toys. So whatever you get, I'm sure it'll be a big hit.

[RiseAndWine]

My son will be 2 in May. He is really into the Alex Jr. art stuff. He got a doodle activity book for Christmas and those easy learning flower-shaped crayons. I got him a couple other activity books recently by Alex Jr. too and he looooves them. We got him an art table to go with it.
Also we just started play-doh with him and he is loving that too.

For his 2nd birthday we are planning to get him a trike and an outdoor play house.

[2chatter]

Toy kitchen appliances/food, doll stroller, doll bed, trucks, lego duplo, watercolor books and wooden puzzles were the biggest hits here.
A latches board is a great gift, too.

For books, all three of my kids favorites at this age were encyclopedias and dictionaries - and those grow with them (they use them for projects in elementarty) so bonus points for longevity.

[20thirteen]

My DD will be 2 this year. We're doing a book-themed party and requesting people not give us toys or clothes but rather gift certificates to places nearby that would be a good activity out of the house. Like the indoor playground nearby that's $15/kid to play, or swimming lessons at the gym.

[wineistheanswer]

I also usually go the art supply route. Something that can keep them occupied and let them be creative. My nieces are 2 and 4, get super excited whenever I give them those Crayola magic markers that only draw on the magic paper... their mom also appreciates it ;-)

[vvvvvfee]

agree that art supplies are great-- melissa and doug have a lot of nice stuff, it's available on amazon and usually tj maxx and marshall's have a ton of their stuff at a discount as well. DS loves watercolors, play-doh, sidewalk chalk, washable finger paints, stamps, stickers, and markers. art supplies are my go-to gift, along with books.

DS also loves lego duplos, the magna doodle, the fisher price basketball hoop, balls of all kinds, matchbox cars, and the little tikes pillow racer (don't buy on amazon, prices are inflated).

[supertrooper1]

Feb 11, 2015 11:36:46 GMT -5 20thirteen said:

My DD will be 2 this year. We're doing a book-themed party and requesting people not give us toys or clothes but rather gift certificates to places nearby that would be a good activity out of the house. Like the indoor playground nearby that's $15/kid to play, or swimming lessons at the gym.

Sorrynotsorry, but this is extremely rude to tell your guests what to buy. If they ask for suggestions, that's different. Please don't put this on the invitation. I understand people go goofy buying toys and clothes, but this is a pet peeve of mine and it's just poor etiquette.

DS wants to play with our camera every time we have it out, so we're going to buy this camera for his 2nd birthday:

www.amazon.com/dp/B0089W1J0G/ref=gl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1I8HAJ81CMSGO&coliid=I3A4PCA56P4MJE&psc=1

[sandandsea]

Magic/Kinetic sand/ Sands Alive
Sticker/art books/supplies
Story books (Stone Soup, Little Engine that Could, Chikka Chikka Boom Boom)
Sports stuff (soccer ball, basketball hoop, etc.)
Educational videos
Dress up clothes like the Melissa and Doug doctor/fireman sets
Legos/toddler legos
Local zoo/museum membership
Marble run game
magnatiles
Roominate/Goldie Blox toys, though these may be older
Tinkertoys

At Christmas, Purdue puts out a list of the best STEM toys by age group. I loved this list and used it to help create DS's wish list. I'll see if I can find the link!

[kendraj426]

My go-to presents for this age are always books, megablocks and play-doh.

[callmeKD]

books and more books! yes, I'm boring.

[sandandsea]

www.engineering.com/Education/EducationArticles/ArticleID/9036/Purdues-Gift-Guide-for-Young-Engineers.aspx

www.modernparentsmessykids.com/2013/11/gift-guide-2013-top-learning-toys-for-building-stem-skills.html

Gears, gears, gears was another one on there!

[leap08]

Play food & appliances. We have some great Melissa & Doug play food sets (Cupcakes, cookies, sandwiches, pizza) that we have had for 1.5 years and still get used weekly. We also have a play microwave and mixer that are played with a lot. Playdough. Art supplies.

[rubberchicken]

DD is 2.5, and her favorite toys are:
* play kitchen, play food, play utensils, tea set etc.  You can never have too many plates, pans, wooden fruit etc.
* Mr Potato Head
* Baby doll, doll clothes, doll diapers, doll stroller, doll high chair etc.
* The Battat Take-Apart truck series - she has two of these and LOVES them.  Uses her toy tools to take them apart, she still needs a bit of help to put them back together, but will screw and unscrew things for ages.  Each truck is less than $30 too!

If you're looking to invest in a great toy which will last years, I would go with magnatiles or magformers.  People rave about them, they last for years, but they're pricey.  I think we might do this for DD's birthday.

[xanthepants]

Floor puzzles are inexpensive and highly entertaining just after 2 or so. Magnetic dress up doll. New books (not so much board books).

[k3am]

Okay, so we've got fingerpaints, playdo, markers, paper, and an art smock ordered for each of them.

PHEW.

[tas1883]

I tend to do more education gifts than just straight toys so puzzles, the next step up in books, art supplies (Color Wonder by Crayola was a huge hit around 2 especial for the parents). I also try and figure out what the kid is into. We have lots more boy parties to go to then girls so it always seems harder to shop for. Also just because it says 3+ doesn't mean it won't work for a 2 y/o if you know the kid.

[20thirteen]

Feb 11, 2015 11:46:27 GMT -5 supertrooper1 said:

Feb 11, 2015 11:36:46 GMT -5 20thirteen said:

My DD will be 2 this year. We're doing a book-themed party and requesting people not give us toys or clothes but rather gift certificates to places nearby that would be a good activity out of the house. Like the indoor playground nearby that's $15/kid to play, or swimming lessons at the gym.

Sorrynotsorry, but this is extremely rude to tell your guests what to buy. If they ask for suggestions, that's different. Please don't put this on the invitation. I understand people go goofy buying toys and clothes, but this is a pet peeve of mine and it's just poor etiquette.

Oh, no, I'm not telling them "this is what we want".  I find that about as absurd as the birthday gift registries for Amazon and Target.  When I said "request", I meant if people asked me for suggestions.  I know that we're going to get toys and clothes and lots of other things regardless.  That was me just writing in real quick before clocking in at work.  

[ericalee27]

Feb 11, 2015 11:03:21 GMT -5 librarychica said:

Art supplies, playdoh, books. These are my go-to gifts and what we got the most use of during DD1's second year. We go through so many art supplies, it's ridiculous.

Agreed - for other kids, I try to do "consumables" like art supplies or playdoh or books that I know most folks don't have...

[dashforcashfan]

I usually gift art supplies. Something like lincoln logs, were great when my brother turned 2.

[anewadventure]

k3am i'm glad you got it taken care of

2chatter - encyclopedias and dictionaries?? really? that's so fascinating. is it because they have a hunger to learn at that age? what did they like best about them?

[2chatter]

They love the kids versions. I think it's the big, full color pictures. DS' sitters all crack up because he will ask them "find the page about the solar system" or "I want to see Roman soldiers" or "show me hydraulics". He has a very elementary grasp of these things, but I love that he is interested and engaged and exposed to them. He connects things to reality too - we passed a construction site and he commented on the hydraulic lift.

My oldest took the encyclopedia and a They Might be Giants cd to first grade and introduced the kids to the concept that shooting stars aren't stars then read to them about stars from the book. She'd had a playground argument about it and her teacher resolved it by offering her that opportunity.

[twinmomma]

Feb 11, 2015 16:25:16 GMT -5 2chatter said:

They love the kids versions. I think it's the big, full color pictures. DS' sitters all crack up because he will ask them "find the page about the solar system" or "I want to see Roman soldiers" or "show me hydraulics". He has a very elementary grasp of these things, but I love that he is interested and engaged and exposed to them. He connects things to reality too - we passed a construction site and he commented on the hydraulic lift.

My oldest took the encyclopedia and a They Might be Giants cd to first grade and introduced the kids to the concept that shooting stars aren't stars then read to them about stars from the book. She'd had a playground argument about it and her teacher resolved it by offering her that opportunity.

That is awesome! I can totally see my kids reacting the same way, based on how inquisitive they are in conversations with us. Any recommendations on a specific one? 

[laketide]

I told anyone that asked this year to get books a million gift cards so she could go in the store and pick out new books. With DDs birthday so close to Christmas we were covered in toys.