I am going to share with you my top 5 list of things to buy for a 2 year old as my little one is turning 2 next week so the topic is on my mind and that of friends and family. Maybe this little list will help you. I like the number 5 for no other special reason than most of us having 5 fingers, five being what we can “handle” and take care of!
1. Things with Wheels! Little ones of this age can be found driving and pushing all sorts of things on the ground, over rocks, over table tops and sofas and Dads feet! From cars to push Giraffes. The brighter the better! It can be hard to find good quality metal toys with safe paints on them but there are more and more options for wooden toys that can last a very long time and even be passed on to children in years to come. Unlike plastic toys, wooden toys seem to have more meaning and are thus kept for future. Plastic toys often do not last a season and sadly end up in the dump to live longer than our children will, not good for our planet, not good for our children. Trees are renewable and wood does biodegrade when given back to the earth and elements.
2. Things to build with! By now chances are the child already has a building block set but maybe they need to be replaced or added to. Maybe adding a few pieces will bring back the life in them. I love reawakening toys by adding to them or cleaning them up to display in playful ways. If you already have a great block set have you thought about keeping a small set like the one in this photo at the grandparents home or in the van for when you might find yourself at an appointment? This age range starts to really expand their love of building and not just knocking down others creations!
3. Playsilks! If you know me at all, you knew this was coming right? Play silks are wonderful toys for dress up and pretend play of all kinds. Children love how they feel, honestly don’t we all? They love to cuddle up with them, wrap toys in them, dance with them, and sleep with them. My 2 year old adores throwing them up in the air and watching them fall back down and over and over her game goes.
4. Bean Bags and Balls! Bean bags are beloved in my home, not only for sitting on such as the super gigantic one my oldest daughter has in her teen haven of a room that her friends fight over on sleep overs but also the little ones my little one loves to play with. She puts them in things, stacks them neatly, and of course tosses them. Often the puppy catches them for her however and runs to hide them. We have to from time to time replace these cute little toys with a new brightly colored set. For older children it is great to have a set with numbers and math symbols on them for circle time math games. It is fun to watch them come up with their own rules and games to play with these as well. They are open ended toys that little children seem to love! Best of all, they are super simple to make!
5. Colors! It is color time! Time to get them their own crayons, paper, chalk, and so much more to give them a way to copy us, to be creative too! Our little one has a passion for coloring unlike most children I have seen. She could do it morning noon and all night long. Indeed she has, and her bedroom walls are evidence to this. We had not known her skills until a few months ago when we put her down with her own crayons and a paper and my husband drew some shapes on the paper with different colors. One by one our little girl picked up those colors and colored in those shapes, staying in the lines. For days after she would follow around anyone bigger than she was with paper and her crayons until they drew her things to color in. She has since expanded her skills to the more common scribbles for her age group but it was a wonder seeing her start to color that way from the start, as if she has learned just by perhaps watching her siblings.
So this year our little one is getting an Easel. We are showing her the proper places to color and we want her to have more options as this is a passion she has. She is not too little and your 2 year old might not be either! In anycase, they need quality, safe, art supplies now too! Try soy crayons and natural safe dyed paints and stamps and sponges. There is so much for them to explore and express. This is a great time to give them the tools to do it with!
