Cool birthday gifts for 2-year-olds should be able to keep up with them — even if you can’t. Imaginative play toys help channel that boundless curiosity into something more productive than, say, taking a crayon to your wall, while other toys will help build important skills like strengthening their memory or learning to follow directions. (Win!)
Of course, the best birthday gift for a 2-year-old could involve cool clothes, great books, and fun room decor. . . we found so many creative gifts for 2-year-olds, the biggest challenge might be getting them to sit still long enough to unwrap all of them.
Please note that we’ve included links to both big and small shops for convenience and price. But we always encourage you to shop your own local independent toy stores, book stores, and boutiques!
Shown above: Canoe Sleeping bag by Wonder & Wise
Be sure to see our full list of the coolest birthday gifts for kids by age
The best birthday gifts for 2 year olds
Some purchases may help support our work at no additional cost to you.
All items have been chosen independently by our editorial team.
Olli Ella soft-body baby dolls
($16 and up, Nordstrom)
Floppy in all the best ways, these lovely, soft baby dolls are the perfect size for toddler arms to hold, and one of the best gifts for 2-year-olds that never goes out of fashion.
Baghera Roadster Ride-On Toy
($180, multiple colors at Nordstrom or Anthropologie)
Looking for a splurge gift for a two-year-old? A child’s first vintage roadster ride-on by the French metal-toy car maker Baghera will get a lot of mileage. Ha. By the way — it’s super popular with our readers, and one of their very favorite gifts from this guide, year over year. (Tip: Don’t spend more than the price listed above; a few shops will try to sell it to you for double!)
Shapes of Emotions Learning Toy
($34, Anthropologie)
Social-emotional learning, shape sorting, sight words, and matching skills, all in one beautiful package. Learn more about why we love this toy here.
LEGO DUPLO: My First Numbers Train Toy
($19.39, Amazon)
Learn numbers– or letters of the alphabet — through play with these chunky sets of DUPLO letter bricks that neatly stack up on the back of a moveable truck. A great starter set or to add to your toddler’s growing collection of DUPLO.
Kids’ electric bumper car
($179.96 at Amazon)
For kids as young as 18 months (but sadly, not for adults), this ride-on from Kidzone comes with a remote control so parents can control the driving. You can turn over the controls once the young driver is old enough not to ram you in the legs over and over.
Leapfrog Learning Friends Bilingual 100 Words Book
($14.99, Target)
One of the hottest interactive gifts to help teach kids age-appropriate words in Spanish and English.
(Also a great gift for a 1-year-old, since it’s rated for 18mo+)
Wonder and Wise canoe sleeping bag
($89, La Maisonette)
Send them off to dreamland in the sweet little sleeping bag shaped like a canoe. Perfect for visiting cousins, or stash one at Grandma’s to make the trip even more of an adventure.
Global wooden food puzzles
($24 each at Keiki Kaukau)
It’s never too early to introduce them to the wonders of food from around the globe. Your biggest choice will be which one of the six chunky puzzles from this Hawaiian toy company will be on your menu.
Phone Press Toddler Toy
($15, Anthropologie
Much better than handing them your smartphone, and honestly — may be just as entertaining.
SMOL Inflatable Rainbow Bounce House
($569, Target)
Indoors or out, this is a truly indulgent way to burn off that energy they never seem to be lacking, if you have the budget, and the kid has the space, what an outrageously cool gift for a 2-year-old! In blue, white, or pink.
Black History Daddy & Me Shirts
($19.99 for kids, $20.99 for adults, Yes Yes Y’all Apparel on Etsy)
For legends in the making.
We Are Little Feminists box set
($40 at Amazon, also available at Barnes & Noble & Bookshop.org)
We’ve recommended this well-curated Little Feminist book club subscription box for ages, and we love this box set they’ve put out that’s been honored for how beautifully it celebrates the diversity of families. How great that kids can grow up understanding that some families celebrate different holidays, some families wear their hair differently, some families have two moms or two dads, and some have differently-abled people. Even better, this means a whole lot of kids will smile with recognition when they see someone like them reflected back at them from the pages.
Truck bookcase + toy storage
($186 on sale at Wood & Room UA on Etsy for a limited time)
This beautifully made toddler-sized bookcase will look great in their bedroom for years, and it’s just the right size for them to put their own books away. We can hope, right?
Fun toddler sock set
($41.80 at Bombas; plus get limited-time discounts now)
The Bombas x Pixar socks are super soft and suggestive of kids’ favorite characters. They also have solids, fun snowflake designs, and more, each purchase giving back to people in need.
Construction Plate Utensils
($21 for the utensils, $36 with the plate, Uncommon Goods)
Making it more fun for your two-year-old to try new foods.
Personalized shape puzzle
($35.99 + $7 for personalization at Bannor Toys)
This chunky shapes puzzle is great for practicing hand-eye coordination; the personalization makes it an extra-special gift for a 2-year-old.
Cloud B Calming Nightlight Star Projector
($42.99 and up, Amazon)
Parents’ favorite cozy bedtime saver. This cuddly night light projects soft, illuminated constellations on the ceiling to help soothe children and help them fall asleep happily and easily.
Timber Tots Treehouse play set
($44.95 at Amazon)
One of the cutest things to come back from the 70s, this Timber Tots Treehouse closes up so you can easily move it from the bedroom to the living room, to the kitchen, to grandma’s house, and back to the bedroom.
Koala Crate monthly craft subscription
($21.95/month for 3 months at KiwiCo.)
Well-planned themes, engaging activities, and quality materials makes a Koala Crate subscription such a terrific gift for two-year-olds that just keeps on giving every month.
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