My daughter is going to be 2 at the end of May. She LOVES babies but already has too many. She has a stroller and a shopping cart and a very small kitchen set. I dont want to waste my money on toys that she is going to play with for a day then they end up sitting in the toy box. Any fun/educational etc ideas that you may have would be helpful!
Thanks
puzzles. Nice wooden ones with more challenging designs. Helps with probem solving, patience, determination etc.
My daughter got a trampoline, the one with the "handle bar" to hold on to and she loves it, she's on it everyday! It great exercise for her and a great way to get some of the bountiful toddler energy out on a rainy day.
Good Luck!
We got our 2 year old an easel, and it is one of the best investments we have made in "toys!" We leave it up, in a corner of a room with a plastic mat underneath, all the time. It has paper and crayons on one side over a dry-erase board and a chalkboard on the other. He uses it every day, some times for a few minutes, sometimes he really gets into it. It has been so fun watching him experiment with different "media" (pens, markers, stickers, chalk, paint when supervised, etc...).
You've gotten some great answers already. I was going to suggest books, puzzles and arts/craft supplies myself.
Blocks are great (for motor skills, problem solving, understanding spatial relationships, etc.) and grow with the child. My family (not just my daughter, my husband and I too!) loves her Bristle Blocks. We make birthday cakes, vehicles, houses, toothbrushes, toys for her baby doll... whatever my daughter is interested in at the moment with them.
Puppets are also wonderful and have staying power. Two year olds do a lot of dramatic play to process their experiences through play and puppets and dress-up materials are great for this. And older kids can use to create and put on their own plays.
A sandbox (if you have a backyard).
We just had a second child and my 2.5 year old's favorite big sister gift was something that I imagine your daughter might enjoy too. It's a wooden puzzle of sorts by Melissa and Doug. You dress up a bear family in various outfits and expressions. My little one plays with it for hours. http://www.melissaanddoug.com/dyn_prod.php?p=3770
Best of luck with whatever gift(s) you choose!
D.
The Step 2 sand and water table-- both my kids LOVE it many years later.
how about a good dollhouse, we got our daughter one, the my first doll house for Christmas when she was one and at three she still plays with it everyday, we even got her a second bigger one for christmas this year, big enough for barbie sized princess dolls, and she loves that one too. Also if her birthday is at the end of may how about something great to use out doors, our outdoor playhouse gets used practically year round.
My daughter, 27 months, has been really into puzzles lately. Melissa and Doug makes a great set of four 12 piece puzzles that costs something like $10 on Amazon (we got the four vehicles). It is the best $10 that I have spent in recent memory. She needed help at first but became independent after about a week or two and is now doing some giant 24 and 32 piece floor puzzles with our help (also Melissa and Doug and about $10/each). The puzzles are a nice quiet activity that engage her problem solving and language skills. For a while, these puzzles were the first activity she did in the morning and before bedtime (over playdoh!).
My daughter loved doing crafts at that age. If you're not craft-inclined, I highly recommend www.mybusybeebag.com. She'll love it, and you'll love how easy the crafts and cleanup is!
How about some "play" food and grocery items. The Melissa & Doug sets are cute, made out of wood. My kids had a picnic/barbecue set. There were hot dogs, burgers, buns, an onion, a pat of butter, a tomato, etc. I let them have an old rack from a broken toaster oven and that was their barbecue grill. They played with this a lot.
Puzzles with big pieces are always good.
How about a little play tent that she could set up in the living room? She could bring her babies in there with her.
Good luck!
Great answers already from everyone, my daughter just turned 2 in april and we got her a little overstuffed rocking chair (looks like a living room chair that rocks) from Home Goods for $50. She sits and reads her books in it (instead of on the floor), and will have it a long time. She loves it.
As far as other ideas, my daughter also got a play crib from her Nana so she can put her babies to sleep. That gets a decent amount of use, plus the changing table station we got as a hand me down. We're also in line for a hand me down outside "cottage", which my daughter loves at day care.
All those things take up space, I think going to the zoo or aquarium on a family trip is a great idea too.
Good luck!
Two things my two year old daughter LOVES, are a plastic tea set. She has a fisher price one that comes with a little tray and set of 4 of cup, plate, spoons. I love it because it's also not to many pieces to it and it's not to small. Also, she loves her doll house. I got her the loving family doll house http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2961645
The ages are 3 and up, but then I got her just a few furniture pieces, not all of them. If you think it's two old, they also have one for 2 and up which is also less expensive. http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2301378
One last thing, american girl doll has a really cute baby diaper bag, my daughter did it all the time.
Why get her "things" for her birthday??? Why not give her "time"?? Get her a membership to a zoo, an aquarium, a nature center. Actually SHE probably doesn't need a membership but get yourself one and tell her that the two of you will be going to the activity on a regular basis. I see that you live in Vermont, what a wonderful part of the country!! You live very close to the a body of water (Lake Champlain??) ...take her to the beach, let her collect sea shells, let her play in the water, brings something along to build a sand castle. You would be amazed how much a 2 year old can actually learn and understand. Google "things to do in"....and put in the area near where you live
Buy an assortment of "craft material"...and then spend time together a couple of times a week making things that she can display or give as gifts to family members. (My 2 year old grandson does this and my refrigerator is COVERED in his art projects...I love them!!! ).
The most important thing we can share with our younger generation is our time...they will learn and grow in ways that will benefit them for their entire lives.
We started buying books or clothes for our daughter for her bday. She has a bazillion toys too and barely gets to play with 1/4 of them. So it's a waste of money to us too. We started at 2 with her as well---- books because she loves being read to at night and clothes if she needed some.
Otherwise you can get some of those ABC or 123 flashcard sets. She'll be learning and she'll think it's fun. My daughter is 4 and still loves her flashcards and wants to play with them.
Books! You could even do a "book" theme party.
We don't buy our kids birthday or christmas presents (daughter will be 4 in aug, and son will be 2 in July). they get enough presents from everyone else. and my kids just love the cake and a Pinata - so we do that. that being said - there are some items that are good (i when family ask what to get them - i tell them - don't be shy to say, oh you don't have to get them anything.... otherwise you'll get things they don't need/want). when we do buy them presents - i always look at craigslist and ebay first.
Art easel is great - i have a plastic tote that i put all her pictures in, and use it as wrapping paper all year long - she get's to be creative and also is teaching about recycling.
outdoor play house - since she's so into her kitchen, babies etc, an outdoor play house would be great - Find one on criagslist (cheaper than buying new, and she won't know the difference). again - get a plastic tub with a cover and take some of her inside dolls and keep a set outside.
Step 2 sand n water table - we are outside atleast 2 hours a day. and my kids love it, my daughter uses the sand to make mud pies for her house.
Bubble machine - $10 at walmart and a gallon of bubbles - this is my favorite toy of the season and what i'm giving as all our summer birthdays.
i like the book party idea. you could ask for books, puzzles and art supplies.
also the color wonder markers - great b/c you don't have to worry about them coloring on any other surface (the only work on the color wonder paper).
sidewalk chalk - my kids color the driveway all the time.
I would say books and puzzles, craft items and musical instruments, things that can be educational and help with motor skills development.
