One of the toughest things for me about Jackson getting older has been the ever-evolving and growing collection of toys we have! I get so frustrated with toys that he only plays with for a few months before he grows out of them, and for a while there I felt like we couldn’t keep up with him and he was outgrowing everything all at once! We’ve finally settled into a much better groove of only buying things that will stand the test of time, and most of his current favorites are ones that he’s had for a long time and will probably still use for a while longer!

I know it can be tough to find gifts that will really work for a long time with these finicky toddlers, so here are a few of Jackson’s favorites at two years old:

unspecified

1)Play easel: We don’t have one of these for Jackson yet but I think he would love it! He’s very into coloring right now, and this would be such a fun way to encourage that! I’m not typically a big fan of large toys that take up a lot of floor space, but this would go well in our TV room/playroom and I think it would keep him occupied for quite some time!

2) Balance bike: We got Jack a balance bike for Christmas and he cannot get enough! He’s just slightly too short to be really good at riding it yet, but he’ll be tall enough very quickly, and he’s getting a lot of good practice in the meantime! He rides it all over our house for now, and as soon as the weather warms up, he’ll be thrilled to take it outside.

ADVERTISEMENT

3) Board games: I know – you think I’m crazy. Board games for a two year old? But we got a couple of these Haba games for Jackson for Christmas and he loves them! He doesn’t fully understand how it all works yet but he has a much firmer grasp on it than I expected him to and I think he’ll have it down pretty soon! These are very simple, short, and fun games for tiny kiddos, and I love that we’re introducing him to our favorite hobby early!

4) Mr. Potato Head: This was far and away the hit of our Christmas Eve gift exchange with my family – Jackson adores his Potato Head and it keeps him busy for quite a while! I want to get him a few different ones now so he can mix and match!

5) Play food: We’ve had this for a while, but I’ve really noticed Jackson doing more pretend play with it in the last few months! He loves to tell me that he’s going to his kitchen to cook something, and then bring it back for me a few minutes later. It’s so fun to see him learning through pretend play!

6) Fisher Price record player: Jackson got this for his first birthday, but he’s just now learning how to use it by himself so it is getting a lot more use these days! He loves to listen to the music and sing along, and he really loves to change out the records (over and over and over!).

7) Train set: Jackson just got a train set for Christmas and he’s obsessed. He could play with his “choo choos” all day long and not get bored, and I think he’ll only become more infatuated as he gets older and understands the concept of building the railroad track and all of that a bit more!

8) Sticker books: These are another favorite around here! We played with this for a good half hour the first time I pulled it out. Jackson loves to position the stickers all over the place and talk about all of the things he sees on the page, and I have a soft spot for playing with this one as well, which is always a plus!

9) Fishing puzzle: Jackson is very big into puzzles right now, and this one that includes a little fishing rod is one of his favorites. He loves to pick up the pieces using the magnetic rod, and when he gets bored of that he can put it together like a regular puzzle. This one is a hit every single time I pull it out.

Since Jackson’s birthday is so close to Christmas, he won’t be getting many toys from us for his birthday – last year we gave him a play kitchen, so this year we are going to stick to the same “one big gift” idea and give him a play table for his new train set. We’ve already got the perfect spot set aside for it!

What are your go-to gifts for two year olds?