The 15+ Best Toys for Two-Year-Olds to Keep Them Busy

Licensed clinical social worker and DIR/Floortime® clinician Jennifer Rothman, LCSW loves these colorful stepping stones and so do all three of my children. They’re well made and offer so many open-ended ways to play that your toddler will never get bored of them. “From making a walking path to using it as a bowl to feed their babies, these stones allow for active, child-directed, deep and spontaneous play,” says Rothman. “The lightweight construction and size allows your two-year-old to climb, sit, balance, stack, spin, fill, and carry.” They come in a set of six, along with a bright board for little ones to get their wiggles out and work on balance.

If you’re looking for a captivating toy that entertains and educates your little one, it’s all about the Busy Board for Toddlers, a Montessori-inspired toy. It’s designed to spark curiosity, nurture development, and ignite a love for learning in children 18 months and older. This engaging board features interactive elements, including latches, locks, and buckles to help your child develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. It also offers gears and switches to encourage problem-solving and cause-and-effect learning, in addition to counting beads and shapes to introduce basic math concepts.

Around the age of two, kids really start to take an interest in pretend play. Baby dolls, like this soft, realistic-looking one, “help kids with their social and emotional development, including compassion and sharing, which is crucial at this age,” says Monaghan-Forrest. “It's a natural transition for parents to go from teaching the baby doll a skill (like potty training) to translating that to working with the toddler on that same skill.” This doll is super detailed and is the perfect size for little ones to cuddle and take care of too.

“These magnetic building toys are the perfect size for little hands and encourage critical thinking and fine motor skills through imaginative play,” says Vierheller. We like that they’re super simple for little ones to independently play with, as the magnets make linking pieces together a breeze. They come in a set of twenty and are made of soft rubber with four unique textures for tactile exploration. Toddlers will love testing the magnets out around the house to see what else they’ll stick to, like your fridge.

I love this mini wooden cleaning set almost as much as my toddler, often using it to sweep up tiny messes myself! It comes with a pretend play broom, dustpan, duster, mop, brush, and stand to neatly store everything when not in use. “Young children are natural imitators and love to mimic what their favorite adults are doing,” points out Vierheller. “Little ones enjoy cleaning and feel pride in helping others. This cleaning set is the perfect size for children to independently clean up any messes they make or find around the house!” It comes highly rated and recommended too, with an average 4.8-star rating on Amazon and over 40,000 rave reviews.

This is probably one of the most-used toys in our home by both my one- and five-year-old. Not only does it look gorgeous and blend in with a modern home design, but it’s open-ended so there are so many ways for littles to get their energy out and get creative. My kids love to climb, go down the slide, set up obstacle courses, crawl through the little hole, and even use the soft, faux leather foam blocks as seats to watch TV. It’s worth the splurge for the daily use it gets, and the fact that my toddler won’t quickly grow out of it.

This weighted stuffed animal gives full-body hugs for all the calming comfort when your little one is melting down. It has proven sensory benefits and is extra soft, making it the perfect plush snuggle friend. My little one loves to hold, kiss, and cuddle with his Sam The Sloth—and I even caught my six-year-old sleeping with him the other night. I love that you can remove the weighted insert to machine wash the outer plush when it inevitably gets dirty from sticky hands. This is a stuffie that can grow with them well into adulthood too, thanks to research-backed stress-relief benefits for kids, teens, and adults.

This play kitchen is so cute you’ll want to whip up meals in it too. It comes in three gorgeous neutral colors and fits in beautifully with any clean, minimalist home design. There’s a sink for pretend washing (hands or fruits and veggies), knobs that turn and click just like the real thing, and lots of cabinets to store play food and accessories. Play kitchens are open-ended by nature, allowing toddlers to stretch their imaginations and constantly cook up fun new ideas—and maybe even serve you dinner for once. The best part? It takes less than five minutes to assemble!

Vierheller calls this “hands down the best first board game for little ones!” It’s made of durable wood and helps reinforce skills like color recognition, counting, and sorting as players work together to harvest the fruit before the raven reaches the orchard. “Playing with others encourages cooperation and allows kids to organically work on taking turns and following directions,” says Vierheller. “Board games are a fun way for kids to connect with family and friends while building communication skills.” It also teaches them lessons about winning and losing and being a good sport.

Toddlers will have a ball, literally, sending these three soft silicone, easy-to-grip animal character rocks down the slide, along with mermaids, fishies, cars, and any other bath toys they already own. The slide can be directed in three different angles to switch up the fun and easily attaches to the side of the tub. It’s coated with a special antimicrobial protection too to help inhibit germs and keep your bath toys so fresh and so clean.

Toddlers and Play-Doh go together like peanut butter and jelly! “This classic children's favorite comes with a handy carrying case and offers so many benefits for early development,” says Vierheller. “Play-Doh promotes imagination, builds hand strength, and can be a calming toy for playtime. This set includes tools to create endless possibilities, and small scissors to introduce little ones to cutting in a safe and engaging way.” It includes four cans of Play-Doh and lots of accessories to create with.

Neighborhood walks just got a whole lot smoother. This cult-fave scooter is loved by parents and toddlers alike for its smooth ride and easy, lean-to-steer design. Kids work on balance and coordination as they cruise the block in style. An adjustable handlebar ensures the perfect fit as they grow, and the scooter can hold up to 110 pounds making it a ride-on toy they’ll use for the long run (or walk). The scooter comes in lots of fun colors too so you can choose their favorite.

Whether your child is into fire trucks, princesses, mermaids, or dinosaurs, these popular pouch puzzles from Mudpuppy are the perfect starter puzzles for tiny hands. There are 12 pieces in total and each one is extra thick for easy gripping and handling. Puzzles come with a reusable zippered pouch to store all the pieces when they’re not playing, making it easy to toss them in your diaper bag for travel and dinner outings.

A water table is a must-have to help beat the heat and get toddlers outside on nice days. This top-rated Step2 table has nearly 20,000 positive reviews on Amazon and an impressive 4.8-star rating. It’s packed with plenty of fun water features for two-year-olds to enjoy, including a duck and tropical fish toys, a rain shower, maze-like spinners, and a teeter-totter to teach cause and effect. It’s big enough for siblings and friends to splish and splash together too. We’ve had ours for years, and while it does get dirty sitting outside, it’s easy to sanitize in between play sessions and is still in great shape despite frequent use.

How cute is this wooden toy charcuterie board? Toddlers will love pretend slicing salami, pairing gouda cheese with strawberries and crackers, and serving everyone all the snacks. This set is not only great for pretend play, but can help introduce new foods, teach toddlers shapes and colors, encourage language development, fine tune motor skills, and much more.

We had this fun fishing game when my oldest two were toddlers, and it was a huge hit, inside the tub and out. Monaghan-Forrest is a fan too, noting how nicely it “fits in a toddler's hands and uses magnets to help improve hand-eye coordination. It even makes a clicking sound for a more realistic way to engage in dramatic play,” she says. The fishies float with magnets face up, making it easy for toddlers to catch one. They’re also air-tight so parents won’t have to worry about mold and mildew growth.