Navigating the world of gifts for 2 year olds can be a daunting task because there are so many amazing choices and 2 year olds are interested in just about everything! Active, engaged, and delighted by their senses, 2 year olds are continuing to explore the world around them while developing their interests and abilities. In Waldorf pedagogy, this age marks the "waking up of the feeling life" as toddlers learn to express themselves and their emotions. Gifts for 2 year olds encourage little ones to develop this emergence of feeling while learning about the magic of storytelling and open-ended play.
At this age, children are actively developing their fine motor skills, language abilities, and cognitive functions. Opting for toys that encourage hands-on exploration and imaginative play is key while also challenging their growing minds. Our selection of natural and wooden toys ensure that the gift you give will be safe, treasured, and will last for years of play.
From Waldorf dolls to gorgeous stacking towers, we’ve compiled our most beloved selection of gifts for 2 year olds for birthdays, holidays, special milestones, and just because, but each one will help foster growth and bring joy for many years to come.
Best Gifts for 2 Year Olds
Little Heavy Baby Waldorf Doll
The world of a 2 year old centers around companionship and communication and so a gift of a doll is ideal at this age. Waldorf heavy babies not only encourage storytelling but their weighted bodies settle little ones to provide a soothing sensory experience. This smaller version weighs only 2½ pounds so is perfectly sized for children, ages one and up, to love and hug.
And after soothing and comforting their new doll, little ones can place their baby doll in this sturdy wooden stroller and practice their new walking skills and bring baby and other treasures on play adventures. 2 year old's love to move things and create piles, which this roomy stroller graciously allows. Made in Germany, from HABA, this stroller is built to last for years of doll play and makes a great gift for 2 year olds.
Large Wooden Rainbow Nesting Cubes
These essential nesting cubes do so much in the play world of a small child. They can be stacked, nested, sorted, and filled with all of the treasures that 2 year olds love to collect. A wonderful open-ended toy that will be used time and again for all kinds of play scenarios, this beautifully crafted set of nesting cubes is made in Germany by Grimm's Spiel & Holz.
Wooden Land Yacht With Four Peg Friends
Set sail for years of imaginative play with this colorful and simple boat with wooden peg people from Grimm's. 2-year-olds love to pull things along and this sweet sail boat can also be brought into the tub for bath time. The little people can be pulled out and used for all kinds of play set ups as 2-year-olds begin to dive into the world of communicative play and storytelling. A great gift for a 2 year old, this boat will stay afloat for years of play!
Set of Four Seasons Board Books
Two year old's delight in the sounds of words and take new interest in books. Often as you read, they will repeat their favorite word, 'why' over and over! This immersion in language and story allows them to begin to articulate their thoughts and gentle stories also help create rhythms to settle their energy at different points of the day. This collection of Gerda Muller's seasonal books makes a great gift for a 2 year old as these will be a part of their seasonal rhythms for years to come.
2 year old's love music and this wooden xylophone will allow for a delightful and satisfying bang, bang, bang! This early exploration of rhythm helps toddlers with muscle control and gross motor skills. And nothing gives a 2 year old quite as much delight as hearing sounds and making them all by themselves.
My Very First Games First Orchard
Perhaps the hardest thing for a 2 year old is learning how to share and take turns, so having a game that is all about cooperation and working together is ideal. This early game from HABA was created by educators and allows toddlers to understand patience, rules, and how to play games together.
This wooden stacker from Grimm's adds a beautiful soothing colorful twist to an old classic and will be a part of the play and the room decor for years. Stacking is a quintessential part of a 2 year old's toolbox. Placing these sustainably sourced and naturally dyed rings on the center dowel encourages fine motor skills, color recognition, sequencing, and hand-eye coordination.
Wooden Rainbow Bowls Sorting Game
2 year olds love sorting and doing things themselves and this wooden sorting bowl set will allow them to develop color recognition while developing their pincer grip. A mainstay of Montessori classrooms, this type of sorting 'work' promotes visual memory, muscle memory, and develops hand-eye coordination. The wooden rainbow colored pieces can be used for loose parts play and all kinds of open-ended play for years to come.
Wooden Rainbow Perpetual Calendar with Peg Figures
Although 2 year olds are just developing an awareness of time, it is not too early to help them ground into the seasons and settle into the rhythms and changes of the year. This beautiful perpetual calendar from Grapat will be a part of your families lives for years and years. Created using Waldorf learning principles, this perpetual calendar explains time in an interactive, visual, colorful, and sensory-driven way. This makes a lovely keepsake gift for 2 year olds that will be a part of their daily life for years.
At Bella Luna, we believe there is always a good time for a gift, whether it’s a birthday, a special celebration, a holiday, or just because, few things are more fun than giving a little one a gift that will make their eyes light up and will brighten their play and learning for years to come. Finding that special gift that will last and be a part of a child’s growth and play for many years is a lovely way to add joy and make a mark on your child, grandchildren, or loved ones. We are so grateful to be a part of these special moments and hope this gift guide helped to choose a just-right gift.
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