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Yesterday was my little Sophie’s second birthday! That day in history will be marked as my favorite and least favorite day back in 2013. Physically it was the worst but nothing could exceed it emotionally. I wanted to do a roundup of cool birthday present ideas for two year olds because I know it can be tough to buy for kids. In our society, kids often have everything they need so it’s difficult to buy a birthday present that will be used often. Sophie is one of those children who is fortunate to have everything she needs as well as a ton of other cool toys. I’m always torn between wanting to buy her more stuff and trying to sell her toys because she has so many.

 Birthday Present Ideas for Two Year Olds

These birthday presents for two year olds were selected based on their ability to help a child learn. The Disney Frozen Sparkle Anna of Arendelle Doll would be a huge birthday present success in our family, however, I wanted to choose toys that would be fun and entertaining for boys and girls. We’ve been introducing ‘real world’ toys lately where Sophie can learn to be like Mommy and Daddy by mimicking with tools that are her size.

Mega Bloks First Builders Big Building Bag– Building blocks are one of the best ways to improve a toddler’s motor skills and hand eye coordination. This bright colorful set comes with a sturdy carrying bag for easy clean up.
Little Helper Broom Set– I was always more of a vaccuum person when it came to my hard floors but I’ve noticed the broom does a much better job. Sophie always wants to help so I got her a Little Helper Broom set and she helps sweep up crumbs after her meals (win win for both of us).
Little Tikes TotSports T-Ball Set– T-ball sets are great for long term fun. Using hand eye coordination to hit the ball, chasing the ball and replacing it on the T is an activity that takes a good amount of time to master. Once they do, they’re so proud and can then hit it to you while you toss it back.
Schoenhut 25-Key My First Piano– Forbes quotes a study where students who play piano have a higher IQ by three points. Introducing music at a young age may help that child to be interested in learning an instrument later on in life.
My First Touch & Feel Picture Cards: First Words– These flash cards are one of Sophie’s favorite toys. Each flash card has a touch and feel image on the front with the name written below. The back side of the flash card has questions you can ask your toddler about the item on the front. The Animals version is a big hit in our family
Joie Fruit And Vegetable Wavy Chopper Knife– Nothing makes a toddler more confident and therefore happy than being independent. This wavy chopper knife is a perfect way to get your toddler to help prepare dinner or their lunch for the next day. Apples, bananas and cucumbers are some of the snacks Sophie cuts for herself after school.
Guidecraft 1 to 5 Ring Counter– A great way to introduce colors as well as numbers. As the child uses this toy they start associating the number of pegs/rings with the written number. It also is a great toy for color sorting.
Toysmith Big Kids Garden Tool Set– Food will be in your child’s world for their entire life. A great way to help them understand where food grows is to plant a garden with them having them help you with their own tools. A small plot of land or even soil in a container can grow several plants. These tools help them with motor skills, learn about plant growth and may encourage them to try more foods.
Melissa & Doug Deluxe Standing Easel– Art is major in a toddler’s development. The delux standing easel has a chalk board encourages creative expression and fine motor skills. The amount of awesomeness i ncluded in this easel is huge! Includes: dry-erase board, chalkboard, locking paper-roll holder, child-safe paper cutter, 4 easy-clip grips and 2 large plastic trays, that can be removed for easy cleaning. Two kids (or parent and child) can be creating together easily at the same time.
Melissa & Doug Easel Accessory Set– The easel set goes along with the easel, obviously, but I love the products included that are specially made for little hands. The no-spill paint cups with lids are a life saver when toddlers are just starting to be creative in painting.
Minnie Mouse Over-the-Ear Headphones with Volume Control– Headphones are another toy that make your child more independent. There are read along books that have audio CDs at our library that Sophie loves to check out. These headphones are also great on airplanes to help replace the noise of the loud engine with music or a movie.

It was hard to narrow our top favorite toys and tools down to eleven. Do you have any go to birthday present ideas for two year olds? I also love giving books but you never know if they already have that book at home. Gift certificates to fun places like Sky Zone or a museum are always great to fall back on as well (especially in the winter months). What is/was your toddler’s favorite toy?

I also have a great hand-made gift guide for one year olds that we used last year.