40 Best Toys for 2-Year-Olds Who Are Getting So Big

Forget trampolines—the bouncy pal is where it's at. As kids bop up and down on their favorite animal, they're working on their balance, leg strength, and gross motor coordination too. In addition to a fox, these come as a bull, cow, tiger, or zebra, and when it's not in use, the cover can come off and be washed. Ages 18 months+

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You’ve heard of picnics—this is a feast! It comes with a large, push-around picnic basket, a blanket, and dozens of food pieces for pretend play. “My daughter loved ‘cutting’ the food, serving it onto our plates, and then putting the pieces back together to make the food whole again,” one parent tester said. “She especially loved rolling the basket over, laying out the blanket, and setting up her own little picnic. She has even started using the basket to bring her dolls along so they can sit and have a picnic with her!” Ages 18 months+

Up, down, and side-to-side, these blocks can be configured in lots of different ways thanks to easy-to-use sideways connectors. The farm set comes with pieces to build animals like a cow, pig, and chicken, among others—or they can just build whatever they feel like. One parent tester noted her 2-year-old “figured it out herself, and it did help with hand-eye coordination.” Ages 2+

This book is great for social-emotional learning—so the Toddler 2s is a perfect time to introduce it. Each spread has a textured shape to trace with a finger while doing a breathing exercise, and author Julie Koon also offers tot-sized explanations of different feelings. For example, in the first spread she writes, “If you feel like a thundercloud, breathe a rainbow,” and kids can trace the arched rainbow shape. “The craftsmanship of the book, from the visuals to the textures to the writing, actually made my toddler calm down!” one parent tester said. Ages 0 to 4

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A classic that parents may remember from their own childhoods, this lets kids twirl and twirl to their hearts' delight. Along the way, they'll work on their balance, coordination, and arm strength. One parent of a 2-year-old toy tester told us her child would spin for up to 10 minutes at a time! Ages 18 months+

This toy comes with five different-colored crayons and 25 colored coins, so kids can work on their color recognition, sorting, and fine-motor coordination as they drop each coin into the slot in the crayon of the same color. “This is the longest a toy has held her attention,” one parent tester said. “She loved problem solving and trying to get the coin in the slot. I absolutely love how this is helping her develop her fine motor skills as well as problem solving independently.” Ages 18 months+

Longtime American Girl fans will be pleased that now kids can enjoy them at an even younger age, thanks to the adorable new plush line of dolls. Good Housekeeping Institute experts were charmed: "The hair is yarn, the clothes stay on, and accessories like shoes and ribbons are sewn to their bodies," one wrote. "Their smiling faces are embroidered, and they're less expensive than the more precious big-girl dolls." Right now, you can get Samantha, Addy, Molly, Kirsten, and Josefina. Ages 18 months+

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This is the one scooter they'll need throughout toddlerhood, and it grows with them in three different stages: First, it's a ride-on with a seat, then the seat comes off and it becomes a beginner scooter with an O-shaped handlebar, and finally it becomes a scooter with a T-shaped handlebar. It also comes in pink. Ages 1+

Some kids are all about stuffed animals—the squishier, the better. Our testers thought that these were just the right size and weight to be comforting. “The Plumpkin is wonderfully soft and plush, making it the absolute perfect size for hugging,” one wrote. In addition to the pig, it comes as a panda, a sloth, and a cat. Ages 0+

John Deere fans will instantly recognize the green and yellow color scheme on this tractor, which toddlers can use alongside their favorite vehicles. But this one has a twist: It comes with a battery-operated toy drill that kids can use to take the tractor apart and put it together again, turning it into an early STEM toy. Ages 18 months+; two AA batteries required

Kids can use these big figures—the giraffe is more than 9 inches tall—in their wild-animal-related imagination games. But the real fun comes when the kids mix up the heads, bodies, and legs of the animals and create their own new creatures. (They're held together by magnets.) "He loved getting to 'mash' the animals up," one parent tester said. "He thought it was funny to put the wrong animal legs or head with the body." Ages 2+

Hape has teamed up with The Metropolitan Museum of Art for a series of toys based on the great masterpieces in its collection. This toy features blocks in unusual, wave-form shapes so kids can explore stacking, gravity, and balance. “[My child loved] that he could make it into whatever he wanted,” one tester parent said. The line also contains toys inspired by Renoir, Van Gogh, and William the Hippo, among many others, and they all make great gifts for kids with design-oriented parents. Ages 2+

Kids can connect words, pictures, and pronunciations with every toddler's favorite celebrity, Ms. Rachel. It comes with cards for 100 common first words, and when kids hit the yellow button, the card reader will say the word. Ages 1+; two AAA batteries included

This Elmo encourages kids to get up and dance, which is great when they have extra energy to burn. He guides kids through the Hokey Pokey (doing the moves himself), or he can also play a freeze-dance game—in either English or Spanish. “She wants to play with it pretty constantly!” one parent said of their daughter. Ages 18 months+; four AA batteries included

These blocks offer more of a sensory experience than other building bricks. They can be squished or stretched, and some have beads, sand, stars, or smaller bricks inside. Good Housekeeping Institute testers loved using them as fidget toys, and parents say kids liked exploring the different textures. You get 20 pieces in a set, so they're great to combine with other sets (Jelly Blox or otherwise) for a true variety of sensations. Ages 2+

This is a cooperative board game that's designed to let them get the wiggles out: Players draw a monkey card that has an action on it, like balancing a bean-bag banana (included) on a head or holding hands and spinning in a circle. Once the action is done, the card is placed on the tree—and when the tree fills up, everyone wins! That way, they get to practice patience and turn-taking, while also doing actions that improve their motor coordination. Ages 2+

If they love caring for baby dolls, this three-piece nursery set will have them feeding their dolls, taking them for walks in the stroller, and putting them to bed. Good Housekeeping Institute testers loved the look, saying it was the perfect mix of kid-friendly and realistic, and the kids couldn't get enough of them. It also comes in pink. (Note: Dolls are not included, and these are sized for 14-inch dolls.) Ages 2+

This cutie walked away with a Good Housekeeping Institute Toy Award a few years ago because the 12 pegs were easy for little hands to grasp. Parents will love how every piece stores neatly away inside the hedgehog's body, making for easy storage (and on-the-go transportation). And if they become Spike fans, they can get even more toys, including a fidget toy, a sensory play set, a rainbow stacker, and a peg puzzle. Ages 18 months+