We’ve looked everywhere to find you the best educational toys for two year olds. Whether you are looking for active play ideas or hands-on ideas, this list is perfect for finding the just-right learning toy for the two-year-old in your life.
Educational Toys for Two Year Olds
As a teacher, giving educational toy gifts is definitely my go-to. I am always looking for toys and games that last beyond one season and have long-lasting value. It’s also nice to choose toys that will stand the test of time and that more than one child can use.
This list of parent and teacher-approved toddler educational toys will help your two-year-old learn and develop as they play:
Top Rated Toys
Active Play Toys
Toddler Books
Imaginative Toys
Hands-On Toys
Board Games
Top Rated Toys for Two Year Olds
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A classic toy to whirl and swirl them! This ride-on toy has ultimate spinning action, which also helps them practice balance and coordination. Perfect for indoor or outdoor use, it’s a versatile way to build their gross motor skills and have them squealing with joy!
Learning Friends 100 Words Book
This interactive book helps children build their vocabulary and invites children to play as they learn. Listen as the book plays the words, sound effects, and fun facts. This toddler book also has multiple language options including English, Spanish, or Mandarin Chinese.
If you are looking for Legos for two-year-olds, this Lego number train makes a great toddler gift. Engage children as they build a number train and practice counting and ordering numbers from 0 to 9. Add on additional Duplo Lego sets like the Duplo Alphabet Truck, or build a Lego House with all the parts of a working home.
Spin and Learn Color Flashlight
This flashlight for toddlers introduces colors, numbers, songs, and animal sounds. Children will be learning beginning science skills without even realizing it. It’s time to head out on an adventure with this adorable learning light!
Radio Flyer 4 in 1 Stroll and Trike
A perfect first tricycle for toddlers! This tricycle grows with your child all the way up to age 5. It converts between 4 different growing stages by removing various accessories, which in turn, encourages independence. This tricycle for toddlers encourages little feet to pedal as the parent pushes the bike and encourages important pedaling skills as they grow along with the bike.
It’s time to help mow the lawn with this bubble maker! A truly adorable way to get toddlers outside and participating in yard work, this bubble mower for toddlers makes realistic sounds and blows bubbles as they push.
Active Play Toys for Two Year Olds
These educational toys for two year olds encourage toddlers towards some much-needed active play! Entertain and keep those little bodies moving inside or outside with these active play toys for toddlers.
Young children love a scavenger hunt, making this one of our favorite games for toddlers! It’s perfect for young toddlers to help build language and vocabulary skills. The picture cards are attached to a ring, making it easy to find everyday objects in this adorable hunt. Or grab the scavenger hunt at the park option and head outside!
Turtle Steps develop balance and coordination while helping toddlers focus and pay attention to their bodies. Invite your toddlers to play games like “The floor is lava,” or try to set up a path to get to a certain area. There are endless ideas for use with these turtle steps!
This first slide for toddlers is easy to set up and fun for hours, plus it is a great gift to build toddler gross motor skills. The perfect beginner slide, for indoors or outdoors!
Little Tikes Spiralin Seas Water Table
A water table is a great learning gift for toddlers, and this table has it all! Drop the balls down the center spiral, turn the Ferris Wheel filled with balls, and pour the water through the funnel to turn the gears. Turn the spinner to create a wild current too! This sensory experience is perfect for any two year old and the perfect educational and fun toy.
Books for Two Year Olds
Keeping two year olds interested in books can be challenging since they have a short attention span. These books take into consideration that toddlers love to interact and play with the books they read and help foster an appreciation for books at a young age.
For a free printable list of some of the most popular toddler and preschool books, fill out your information below and we’ll get it right over! You can never have too many picture books!
Poke a Dot Book – Old McDonald Had a Farm
Sing along to the classic tune with this adorable and interactive board book with poppable buttons to press and “pop” on every page. Invite your toddler to countdown from 10 all the way to 1 as you venture through the farm. A perfect introduction to one to one correspondence as little fingers pop a button for each animal on the page. Check out the other Poke a Dot books, like Who’s in the Ocean, The Wheels on the Bus – Wild Safari, An Alphabet Eye Spy, and Good Night, Animals.
This sound book is a perfect gift for kids who love animals! This sound book includes 30 animal-themed sound buttons to press as you learn about the different animal habitats and enjoy the timeless art of Eric Carle. Two year olds can struggle to sit and listen to a story, but this sound book will have them captivated!
My First Complete Learning Library
With ten colorful books, this book set is a great gift for toddlers to sit down, look at, and learn. Simple and bold images on each page, along with a label, expose young children to new vocabulary and encourage them to verbalize and communicate their learning. Sized perfectly for little hands, these books are some of our favorite educational toys for two year olds!
If you are looking for more books that your toddler will love, check out our compilations of animal books, dinosaur books, and potty training books.
Imaginative Toys for Two Year Olds
Imaginative play is so important for young children. It helps them make sense of the world around them, encourages emotional development, and helps toddlers be creative and unique. These educational toys for two year olds are perfect for fostering creativity and fun!
Melissa and Doug Examine and Treat Vet Play Set
This animal playset invites children to pretend, imagine, model empathy, and show care for other living things. The set includes two plush pets (a dog and cat) and loads of accessories, including a stethoscope, thermometer, syringe, bandaids, and even a cast! Plus, a veterinarian costume set with a washable blue jacket. Your little one will get hours of play and fun out of this set!
This is a perfect toddler gift for children who love trains. This train set helps them learn construction (fitting train tracks together), hand-eye coordination, problem-solving, and fine motor skills as they drive and steer their trains on the track. Plus, they are hours of fun and can be re-configured in so many ways. When toddlers use a train set with other toddlers, it helps build their communication and collaboration skills too!
Farmer’s Market Color Sorting Set
This play fruit and vegetable set is perfect for the child who loves playing in the kitchen. Build healthy food habits, develop color recognition, and role-play with these pretend fruits and vegetables! Set up your own farmer’s market as you shop, eat, and play with these healthy foods from the garden.
Scoop and Learn Ice Cream Cart
Kids love ice cream and they are bound to love this fun musical ice cream cart! Your toddler will be amazed as the magic scooper scoops up the ice cream and toppings and plops it onto the cone. With six order recipe cards, this ice cream cart teaches young ones to follow the sequence to build the correct order and teaches colors and numbers. It plays songs, counts, and uses play money so it’s a perfect working ice cream shop!
Hands On Toys for Two Year Olds
Hands-on play is one of the best ways for young children to take in the world around them. Whether through play dough, musical instruments, puzzles, or more, they are always learning as they play.
This is a great first playdough set for toddlers! Including tools that are perfect for cutting, rolling, molding, and mashing. Not only does using clay and play dough develop fine motor skills, but children learn to use new tools, design artistic models, and develop their imagination!
Toddlers love making noise and these pop tubes are perfect little noisemakers to keep your two year old entertained. They bend and contract while making soothing sounds and invite children to play with them in multiple ways. They also can help with big emotions or are perfect for an opportunity when kids just need to fidget. Bright and colorful, these pop tubes are a lot fun – for kids and adults!
Open this carton of eggs for a real surprise! Each of the plastic eggs contains a different color and shape that fits together with a matching egg. Little hands will work to find the match and connect them to put the egg back together. Teaching colors, perseverance, and fine motor skills, this adorable game is perfect for a scavenger hunt, a rainy day, or even an Easter egg hunt!
This toddler musical instrument set is perfect for your musical child as many toddlers love to make music and ruckus! These gorgeous wooden instruments include bells, tambourines, maracas, a triangle, and more. Invite your two year old to engage with these instruments and create a band of their own.
For a list of songs your toddler will love making music to, check out our list of the best songs for toddlers!
Board Games for Two Year Olds
Games are some of our all-time favorite educational toys for two year olds. You might be surprised to learn just how many toddler board games are available these days! All are fun and all easy to follow. Here are three of our favorites, but don’t miss our full list of the best board games for two year olds!
This is a memory game for toddlers that they will love! Designed for two players, simply hide an animal in each compartment and take turns opening a door to find the match. With three different ways to play, this game for one-year-olds and two-year-olds teaches visual discrimination and matching skills — all while having a blast!
Meet Jumping Jack, a friendly bunny who loves carrots! Spin the spinner and pull that many carrots from the hill. But watch out… if you pull his favorite carrot, he’ll jump high in the air! Whoever catches Jack, wins the game! An adorable toddler game to build hand-eye coordination, taking turns, and basic counting skills.
Time for active play! This fun interactive game will have your toddlers moving and following directions. Green light-GO! Red light-FREEZE! This game also includes a freeze dance component and a move slowly challenge. The motion detector will catch you if you don’t freeze, so it teaches listening and awareness skills too!
If your toddler is ready for more games, check out our list of board games for three year olds that they’ll quickly be ready for!
We hope this list helps you pick out the best educational toy for a two-year-old in your life!
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