There’s nothing like buying a present for a two-year-old – they’re no longer babies but aren’t yet big enough to enjoy the more complex toys their older siblings prefer. If you look hard enough, you can find plenty of engaging and interactive gift ideas that will keep your toddler engaged and stimulated.
STEM toys for 2 year olds: what to consider
In this age group, kids alternate between playing with others and playing by themselves. Your toddler is starting to speak in simple sentences and is exhibiting defiant behavior, which is why his favorite word is likely to be a loud, uncompromising “no.”
Younger toddlers lack self-control, but they make up for it with enthusiasm and determination.
Playtime can be filled with toys that challenge their developing skills, such as wooden blocks, simple puzzles, and even simple board games.
If you have a younger child who loves to play outside, there are many ways to introduce them to science and engineering concepts.
For example, you could build a model rocket or design a toy robot.
Experts on child development stress the fact that you need to engage with your child during play. Leaving your child alone with a great STEM toy is not going to produce the next Einstein.
It’s vital to manage your expectations and go with the flow as your child might move on to something else, leaving you scratching your head. That’s completely normal and part of their development.
Here are our top picks of the best STEM toys for 2 year olds:
Best building toys for 2 year olds
Building toys are one of the most popular gifts for young children. They provide hours of fun and learning while also helping develop fine motor skills. The best building toys can give a sense of accomplishment, help teach problem-solving skills, and encourage creativity.
Here is our list of some of the best building toys available for your 2 year old today:
LEGO Duplo bricks
- This building toys set for toddlers Ages 1.5 - 3 years old includes 80 colorful LEGO DUPLO bricks to build a toy house, ice cream, whale and more
- Help your toddler use the LEGO DUPLO bricks to make a toy helicopter, a fish, a toy boat… or any other construction toys they can think of!
- Young children can use the LEGO DUPLO set to build cute animal toys or a big heart to put the 'I love' symbols in front of their favorite builds
LEGO DUPLO is a line of construction toys specifically geared toward younger children. It includes all the same elements you’d find in other LEGO sets but in smaller bricks that are easier to handle. Kids can use the bricks to build anything they can dream up, whether it’s a house, a car, or a robot. There are many different themes to choose from, including animals, vehicles, space, and much more.
Wooden train tracks
- Wooden Train Playset: This set includes 30 pieces of track that layout in a busy loop with an elevated bridge running and a 360-degree swivel crane with magnetic gripper for cargo loading
- 80 Pieces: Assemble 3 different buildings to create country homes and a repair shop with friendly people, a cat and a dog, plus trees and bushes to fill the landscape and wooden signs to direct traffic
- Encourage Creativity: Our toys will help spark your child's imagination and creativity while promoting the development of essential skills with everything from toy tool kits to dinosaur play sets
Wooden trains have been popular for decades, and now you can buy some great models at reasonable prices. This set includes three pieces of track, a locomotive, and a cab car. It’s an ideal starter set for young train enthusiasts because it comes with everything they need to build their own miniature railroad.
It encourages creativity and problem solving while teaching basic engineering concepts like balance, weight distribution, and traction. The set is small enough to go on a coffee table and large enough to entertain a child for hours while still being durable enough to withstand rough play.
Mega Bloks
- 150-piece learning-themed playset includes big building blocks with printed decoration to learn counting and math with numbers and pictograms, learn colors and pair blocks with matching forms to learn shapes
- Build and rebuild for open-ended creativity
- Storage bag for easy cleanup
Mega Bloks are made out of strong yet lightweight plastic, and some of their sets are designed for children ages 1 and up.
Several models include vehicles, buildings, animals, and other fun items. The First Builders toys offer hands-on, imaginative play that is perfect for young children who need practice with fine motor skills as well as learning colors, numbers, and shapes in preparation for preschool.
Play-Doh Modeling Compound
- PLAY-DOH VARIETY 24-PACK: Kids can make their own world of colorful creations with this Play-Doh 24-pack of 3-ounce cans
- CREATIVITY FOR EVERY OCCASION: Shape, squish, mix, and make all kinds of arts and craft activities for kids! Great for classroom prizes, stocking stuffers for kids, trick or treat toys, bulk party favors for kids, and more
- 3 OUNCES PER CAN: These 3 oz Play-Doh cans make great imaginative play toys for 2 year old boys and girls who love arts and crafts like modeling clay
This compound contains modeling clay that allows children to create anything from dinosaurs to robots. The compound is safe for use on any surface and is non-toxic, meaning it won’t leave behind harmful residue when washed off. Kids will enjoy dreaming up unique creations with this compound, making it a great choice for creative play.
The Play-Doh is also compatible with all kinds of art supplies, including paint, pencils, markers, and more.
Magnetic Building Sets
- DREAM BIG & BUILD BIG - No limitations, scalable to build as big as desired by adding more pieces to create the master piece. PicassoTiles in colossal styles.
- LEARNING BY PLAYING - Never too early to start developing kids creativity. Children can acquire strong sense of color, geometrical shapes including 3D forms numbers counts, magnetic polarities & architectural design at early age.
- BONDING BY PLAYING - Entertaining for single or multiple parties and feel the sense of achievement together. Suitable for all ages (3+ and up) by one party of in groups a great way to spend quality time with the family and love ones.
Sets of building blocks are a great way to get kids interested in construction before they start school. These kits usually include various building materials, such as wood blocks, plastic bricks, and metal sheets. The pieces snap together easily, making it easy for little hands to do the work. Kids can use the set to create whatever structures they can imagine, whether it’s a house, a car, or a rocket ship.
Best puzzles for 2 year olds
Puzzles help develop logic, spatial awareness, memory, pattern recognition, and problem-solving skills. They’re also a lot of fun! Puzzles come in all sizes, shapes, and themes, and kids can choose from traditional wooden puzzle boards, cardboard boxes, magnetic puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, and even electronic puzzles. Some puzzles are meant for adults, but many are designed specifically for toddlers and older children. Here are our favorite puzzles for 2 year olds:
Fisher Price Little People Puzzle
Thanks to their bright colors and simple designs, little People Puzzles are a favorite among toddlers and preschoolers.
These puzzles encourage kids to explore and discover new things by putting together colorful characters. They’re also easy to clean up after playtime, and they come with storage trays, so you don’t have to worry about losing pieces. With over 100 different puzzles, you’ll be sure to find one that appeals to your child.
Fisher Price Shape Sorter
- 6 colorful shape blocks that are easy for baby to grasp and sort
- Fitting blocks through the openings and matching block shapes help develop thinking and problem-solving skills – as well as fine motor skills
- Offers fill-and-spill play for younger babies
Shape sorting games help develop early math skills and hand-eye coordination. Kids can sort shapes into groups based on size, color, or shape. Toddlers love these puzzles because they require minimal adult supervision and are easy to put away once playtime ends.
Each puzzle features brightly colored pieces that are easy to hold onto, so kids will never lose their place.
Magnetic Blocks Puzzle Set
- 【Magnetic Tangram Puzzles for Kids】 Vanmor magnet shapes with 216 Pieces magnetic foam shapes, 1 Idea booklet for arranging the shapes with 298 graphics, 1 Double-side magnetic pattern board, 1 Dry Erase marker with an eraser on the end cap. Enough quantity to satisfy the needs of sorting color, counting pieces and all common shapes creating
- 【Unlimited Creativity Pattern Guide Book】Magnet geometric shapes for kids with book provide 298 patterns design as a reference, including animal, letters, numbers, people, object, geometric figure and more.from simple and straightforward patterns to more complex and intricate ones, our Pattern Guide Book provides a wide range of challenges and opportunities for self-expression
- 【Durable safety materials】 We prioritize safety above everything else. Foam magnets shapes are made of premium non-toxic material. Each piece of the eva block is treated with top polishing process. Designed with smaller hands in mind, their lightweight and small size make them easy for little ones to hold and manipulate. Each magnet shape is intentionally chosen to be large enough to prevent any choking hazards, giving you peace of mind
Magnetic blocks are another classic toy that has stood the test of time. Children love them because they’re easy to manipulate and assemble, making them a great option for toddlers who are just learning how to interact with objects. Their bright colors make these puzzles appealing to both boys and girls. Kids can stack the blocks however they want, creating endless possibilities for imaginative play.
Wooden Block Puzzles
- Reliable Quality : Come with a puzzle board with 11 pieces colorful russian blocks of different shape blocks. The overall size of the board puzzle measures 6.3 x 7.1 inches. Made of 100% natural wood with harmless water-based paints. All pieces have been sanded smooth.
- Development of Skill: Kids can play with this jigsaw puzzles on her own or play together with parents. This tangram puzzle is helping with fine motor skills and problem-solving skills, hand-eye coordination, attention concentration. Great fun for family and school, keeps the kids busy for hours.
- How to Play: There are 11Pcs colorful blocks with 1 board, It can be put together multiple ways, kids need to learn to go back and rearrange parts to get the blocks all to fit. but kids can get it wrong so they need to think to shift things around to get them to fit. There’s a diagram which is 60 challenge and solution ways to help them get the pieces back in exact spots if they want.
These puzzles are a great way to introduce toddlers to the world of building. Wooden block puzzles feature a variety of shapes and textures, allowing kids to build towers, houses, and more. Most puzzles come with detailed instructions, so there’s no guesswork involved. Depending on what works best for your family, you can store the blocks in a box or keep them in a basket.
Jumbo Colorful Puzzles
- 25-PIECE PUZZLE: The 25-piece At the Zoo Jumbo Puzzle is perfect for children ages 2 and up. The big pieces are thick and sturdy and the right size for young kids to manipulate. The finished jigsaw puzzle measures 22” x 22”.
- COLORFUL ARTWORK: Kids will love the fun artwork of the jumbo puzzle with a whimsical zoo scene featuring some favorite animals showing off for visitors including two rambunctious monkeys, an entire family of fun-loving penguins and a balancing elephant.
- STORAGE: The box shows the completed puzzle artwork and is an ideal place to keep pieces safe and free from damage.
Jumbo puzzles are larger than most traditional puzzles, making them a great fit for toddlers. This type of puzzle encourages kids to think creatively as they try to arrange the colorful shapes into an aesthetically pleasing design. Kids can move around the board until they’ve found the perfect arrangement, then add some finishing touches like stickers and glitter glue.
Matching Egg Set
- Eggs-ellent Easter Toy: An instant hit and amazing improvement on matching eggs! 12 white eggs that open to colorful interiors with embossed 12 different shapes. Match the eggs by the interior color and shape of the "yolk" and then work at connecting the pieces together and store in the carton.
- Multi-purpose Learning Tool: Matching eggs are great to teach colors and shapes naturally, kids can take them all apart and match them all, name the shape, and tell the colors. Come in a container, stored away easily and neatly. Great way to teach your child clean up too! This is a great "grow into more activities" toy--not one that will be discarded in a month.
- Solid & “Kid-proof” Quality: This set of eggs are made of the highest quality plastic and are tested to be 100% safe for kids. No flaws- not a single rough edge. Easy to take apart and put back together. Each egg in this color matching egg set is shaped differently and perfectly fit the yellow tray.
This set includes 12 wooden eggs, each featuring a different animal face. The animals are arranged in two rows, making it easier for young kids to match pairs of animals. It’s also a good idea to include a few extra eggs if a toddler gets bored with their current collection.
Best board games for 2 year olds
At two years old, your little one is ready for a wide range of board games. Playing board games can help teach your kid social skills while simultaneously having fun. There are plenty of options available, including card games, word games, dice games, and strategy games. Here are our favorites:
Ladybug’s Garden Memory Game
Your toddler will enjoy this memory game because they can learn numbers and letters at the same time. Your child will need to remember where all the ladybugs are located on the garden path. Once your child finds the ladybugs, they will be able to read the corresponding number or letter.
Think Fun Roll and Play Game for Toddlers
- Trusted By Families Worldwide - With Over 50 Million Sold, Thinkfun Is The World'S Leading Manufacturer Of Brain Games And Mind Challenging Puzzles
- Develops Critical Skills – Encourages Creativity, Active Play And Gross Motor Skills, And Provides A Perfect Stealth Learning Experience For Your Toddler
- What You Get - Roll And Play Is Made With A Plush Cube, And Comes With 48 Game Cards Which Provide Endless Learning Opportunities And Lots Of Fun Also Includes A Storage Pocket For Cards, And A Parent'S Guide Roll And Play Was Featured On 'The View' And Is One Of The Best Gifts You Can Find For Your Toddler
The roll and play game from ThinkFun is designed specifically for children ages 18 months to three years. Your child will have lots of fun playing this game because it requires them to use logic and problem-solving skills. Children will learn about cause and effect by rolling a die and seeing if the outcome matches the picture on the game board.
Lydaz Wooden Montessori Toys
- 👉🏻Montessori Toy for Preschool Education:This wooden sorting and stacking puzzle contains including counting blocks of 5 colors,5 pictuer puzzle and 1-9 number.when babies try to match the blocks to the target or make various combinations.It helps to build early shape, color and size differentiation skills establishing color,number counting recognition for toddlers, developing fine motor skills, curiosity, enhanceing memory with patterns.
- 👉🏼Learning Number Counting:Stacking the colors circle on the wooden sticks and match the numbers to learn the basic math. Also learning counting by placing different math wooden chips.
- 👉🏽Puzzle Board: Match colors circles with five cartoon cards to complete the picture. Also possible to take out the colors circle separately and placing it to different shapes.
Montessori toys are meant to help children explore their environment through hands-on activities. These toys are made of wood, meaning they’re sturdy enough to withstand rough play. Some of these toys are even educational, teaching kids about colors, shapes, and numbers.