Birthday present for a 2 year old - need suggestions please!

[Deleted]

My coworker invited me to her daughter's 2nd birthday party this weekend, but for many reasons, I would rather not go. I would still like to get a gift for her though, and I'm not sure what a good gift is for a 2 year old. 

Do you guys have any suggestions? I was thinking maybe a cute outfit and a book... but I don't know that a toddler will really get excited over that. Should I get her a toy instead?

I am willing to spend around $20... 

[holliberry28]

I would recommend Duplo blocks or anything Melissa & Doug (especially the velcro food that they can cut and put back together). And Bubbles.

[megd893]

I'd suggest asking your co-worker what her daughter is into. I have lots of little ones in family/extended family and for girls that answer could be anything from "craft stuff", to "frozen", to "cabbage patch kid"... All depends what they do with her/what she's exposed to

[nettje]

DD loves Melissa and Doug toys and puzzles. She has a bunch of the food items and a couple of puzzles. The puzzles are wooden and have large pieces that are easy for little hands to grab. And you could get a couple for about 20 bucks. I'm also big into buying books for kids.

[erbear]

I love Melissa & Doug products and I always buy a book!

[billyhorrible]

Books always make great gifts and yes, 2 year olds do get excited for them (assuming mom and dad read to her, which most parents do).

My son also loves clothes and was excited about "cool shirts" he got for his second birthday.

My go-to gift for 2 year olds is bristle blocks. They're great for dexterity and fit together sometimes more easily than legos/duplos. They also have a nice tactile quality to them and most 2 year olds like building towers.

[veggiemo]

Things my 2-year old is obsessed with right now:
-Match box cars and launching track (track was about $10, each car runs about .99) This one is fun for me too.
-His "guitar" which is really a ukulele, super cute, I think about $25 but you can find them cheaper
-Anything baseball related (books, plastic bat, catching glove)
-Richard Scarry books-loves them all
-Small animal figurines-I got a plastic tube full of them at the drug store for $4.99 and they are a huge hit.

[Deleted]

I asked my coworker and she said that her daughter likes puzzles, Frozen, and books. She also said what they "need" is play clothes.

I found this cute puzzle from Melissa & Doug and I'll pass by Old Navy or Target this weekend to pick up a cute outfit for her.

www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00584SLTK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks for the suggestions!!

[clairencub]

I know some people mentioned Melissa & Doug toys, if you have a Ross nearby I've found some of their toys at a nice discount there in comparison to Target.

[noeliav]

www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Deluxe-Wooden-Safari/dp/B000E9DPVI/ref=sr_1_2?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1424285361&sr=1-2
That one would be more up my 2 year old's ally @littlebee
The other one would be a bit too much for her at the moment.

And she loves this one at school: www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Deluxe-Latches-Board/dp/1223062503/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1424285439&sr=1-1&keywords=melissa+and+doug

This is another toy that I think she would enjoy, and I like this company's quality (we have one of their play kitchens and foods)
www.amazon.com/Hape-E0411-Creative-Peg-Puzzle/dp/B00712O1J6/ref=sr_1_21?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1424285464&sr=1-21&keywords=hape

[nicolec78]

Kohls has Melissa and Doug toys as well and you might find some Frozen clothes. I would shop on the weekend that's when they usually have better sales.

[wormgerm]

Personally I love Green toys. You can usually find then at tj maxx/marshalls. Made in USA of 100% recycled materials.

[trixi282]

My 2 yo daughter loves:

Coloring books & Crayons
STICKERS!!!! Sticker books are a huge hit
Puzzles
Books - especially books with things that move, or that have tactile components
Cars/Trucks (especially fire trucks)
Shopping carts/Baby strollers

[tjanca22]

Maybe something for summer? A beach towel and some sand toys?!? It's my go to present for any kid under 4 that I don't know very well.

[holliberry28]

Feb 18, 2015 13:52:06 GMT -5 noeliav said:

www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Deluxe-Wooden-Safari/dp/B000E9DPVI/ref=sr_1_2?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1424285361&sr=1-2
That one would be more up my 2 year old's ally @littlebee
The other one would be a bit too much for her at the moment.

And she loves this one at school: www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Deluxe-Latches-Board/dp/1223062503/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1424285439&sr=1-1&keywords=melissa+and+doug

This is another toy that I think she would enjoy, and I like this company's quality (we have one of their play kitchens and foods)
www.amazon.com/Hape-E0411-Creative-Peg-Puzzle/dp/B00712O1J6/ref=sr_1_21?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1424285464&sr=1-21&keywords=hape

I second noeliav suggestions.  Those puzzles seem a bit easier for a little one to handle then the one with the mermaid.

This too:  www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-487-Cutting-Food/dp/B000GKD09C/ref=sr_1_2?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1424286948&sr=1-2

Also doing early intervention for 1-3 year olds, I never met a kid who didn't love these blocks: www.target.com/p/b-one-two-squeeze/-/A-12064091

[bookninja]

You can't go wrong with a good sized bubble machine. That's my go to 2/3 yr old gift.

[Widget123]

I agree with noeliav that the puzzle you picked out is too advanced for a 2 year old. But if you already bought it, at least she will grow into it.

Melissa and Doug also sell play clothes or you can find them at places like Toys R Us or to a lesser degree maybe Target or Walmart. I assume the mother is referring to tutus, play jewelry, play high heels, and the like.

I suggest you are really careful about buying real clothes unless your coworker gave you her daughter's exact size. You may think you are guessing the right size but you could be totally wrong depending on where the girl falls on the growth chart.

[trixi282]

I agree that the puzzle you got will likely be a little over a 2yo's head. But she would grow into it.

We have the animal one that noeliav linked (we have a bunch more like it) and my daughter loves them.

Another idea if you want to do a "true" puzzle type is something lik this Minnie one. My DD got it for Christmas (it's foam and has large, like the size of my hand) pieces that are easy for her to figure out. And she loves it!
www.amazon.com/Disney-Minnie-25-piece-Floor-Puzzle/dp/B00EZ8GKW0

[Deleted]

You guys are right. I thought the mermaid puzzle might be too much, but I was swayed by the pretty colors and my love of mermaids! I'm going to hold off on ordering anything yet and see if maybe I can find a reasonable Frozen puzzle or something like that at Target or TJ Maxx this weekend. I think a puzzle and a book might be a fun and somewhat educational gift.

[trixi282]

Here's a frozen puzzle that is foam like the Minnie one I linked:

www.amazon.com/Frozen-28863-Foam-Puzzle-25-Piece/dp/B00K77OK5C/ref=pd_sim_t_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1Z4VNBSZWSJ10417E3PZ

[Deleted]

Maybe don't overthink it. Honestly a 2 year old is going to be happy with anything wether is be a puzzle, picture book, doll, also a little mini tea set could be cute for a girl? Any present you get im sure she will be excited to get

[noeliav]

Feb 19, 2015 1:18:29 GMT -5 @poppyc8 said:

Maybe don't overthink it. Honestly a 2 year old is going to be happy with anything wether is be a puzzle, picture book, doll, also a little mini tea set could be cute for a girl? Any present you get im sure she will be excited to get

This is true.

My DD is also bananas for play-doh, crayons/markers/paint, stickers, books, and "pretend" play things (tea set,  babies, kitchen, play foods, etc). She's 26m for reference. Oh. And lip gloss. I think we could get her a 3-pack of lip gloss and she'd be a happy camper for at least a few days

[Deleted]

I ended up ordering the foam Frozen puzzle. I figured I can kill two birds with one stone. Thanks for all the suggestions!!