As a certified K-12 teacher, I am all about educational toys! My core value as a teacher was to “sneak the learning in.” I wanted to make learning so much fun that my students didn’t realize they were learning in the process! So, I wanted to do the same regarding my own kids.

Now that I’m a seasoned toddler (boy) mom, I have also picked up a few tips for choosing the best educational toys for two-year-olds, which I’ll share.
Feel free to browse the list visually–that’s how I find ideas for my own kids–or read the little blurbs with each toy to see how I use them for teaching. Stick around at the end for important developmental milestones to look for at this age and my recommendations to meet them!
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⚠️ SAFETY WARNING: Always supervise your children when playing. Many of these toys contain small parts that could be choking hazards. Do not play with toys with small parts if your child still puts things in their mouth. Anything that fits through a toilet paper tube is considered a choking hazard. Many of these toys are rated for 3+ and while my child is developmentally ready for them, your child might not be. Always read the manufacturer warnings and labels to understand age requirements.
Tips For Choosing Educational Toys
Often, I go to friends’ houses and see their dolls and trucks scattered all over the house while the puzzles, flashcards, and books collect dust on the shelf. It’s so important to carefully choose your educational toys with these tips in mind so that they become the *most* used toys in the house!
- Toys you want to play with: You will spend the most time with these toys. If you think it’s awesome, your kid will too.
- Multipurpose: Find toys that can be played with in many different ways (I’ll give examples).
- Your child’s interests: My older son (4) has always loved blocks. Instead of changing his interests, we broadened his idea of what blocks are. We have Magnatiles, Duplo, Lego, Squigz, Tinkertoys, Melissa and Doug construction blocks and MegaBloks.
- Brand trustworthiness and durability: If you’ve got a toddler at home, I’m sure you’ve been burned by discount toys that have broken within a few uses. At this point in my career and parenting, I go with brands I trust (you’ll start to see a pattern with my recommendations!) and opt for the most durable option. Educational toys are an investment, so you want them to last.
- Ignore gender stereotypes: Your little girl might love dolls, and your little boy might love trucks, or the opposite might be true. At this age, it’s all about creating a well-rounded human who feels confident as an independent problem-solver, leader, and caregiver as they age.
- Variety: You shouldn’t expect to hear Beatholven on a mini piano at two years old… But you should explore music, science, art, and literature with your little one to tap into their uncovered interests and talents.
Pro Tip: Looking for toys and activities for babies and toddlers of other ages ??
Side Story: I recently got weird looks at my son’s birthday party when his gifts were about nurturing. I got him a baby carrier for his doll, a feeding set (you know, those “magic” bottles), some doll clothes, and diapers. Of course, his other presents included Hot Wheels, Spiderman, and a GIANT garbage truck. He barely looked at my toys while we were at the party. And everyone assumed that he would never play with dolls, even if I wanted him to… But guess what? As soon as everyone was gone, the *first* thing he did was find his baby, put him in the carrier, and feed him a bottle. These are the nurturing skills that I want to teach my children! Regardless of what everyone else thinks ?.
Books
You might think your two-year-old has no interest in books, probably because you haven’t found the right ones yet!
My two-year-old is obsessed with books … But it wasn’t until recently. He discovered one of my older son’s Pop-Up Peekaboo books, one of his favorite things to do since. Before that, he would try and tear the pages or chew on the spines!
These interactive books captivate little learners.
- Huge, detailed pop-up displays.
- Cute story lines.
- Themes for all interests (animals, vehicles, trucks, holidays, and more).
- Every page has a unique texture to feel.
- Children are eager to turn the pages.
- Teaches kids about their sense of touch.
I love these lift-a-flap books because your toddler can hold on to them themselves without worrying about ripping or tearing the page.
Each page has a hidden object to find that goes along with the storyline.
Puzzle books are new to the scene and so much fun for little kids.
- Move the puzzle pieces to their slots throughout the book and become part of the story.
- Use the book as just as puzzle.
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Pro Tip: Get your books from the library! Especially if you’re not sure what kind your child likes. Check out a few different types, see what they like, and invest in that series.
Puzzles
Recently, I’ve been loving puzzles that double as other things (like that Melissa & Doug puzzle book!).
Puzzles can teach pattern and shape recognition, fine motor skills, and problem-solving. Puzzles can also be a bit boring for toddlers. Look at these puzzles that teach your kid all the skills while maintaining an element of play.
- Use the magnetic spoon to pick up scoops and toppings and place the scoops into the cones and bowls! The cone and bowl pieces have slots to stick ice cream.
- Give your child custom ice cream orders and watch them make it.
- In the end, solve the puzzle to clean up!
Note: I was disappointed that the entire puzzle isn't magnetic (that would make storing it so much easier!). Only the ice cream scoops and toppings are magnetic.
- Fish with the included magnetic fishing rod!
- Practice colors and name recognition with your toddler ("can you catch the blue one?" or "can you catch the turtle?").
- When you're ready to clean up, complete the puzzle to put it away.
You might not think of Velcro food as a puzzle, but it is! Recognizing the shapes and colors that go together and connecting the pieces is what puzzles are all about.
Teach your child fine motor skills associated with cutting and preparing food as well.
This is a quality set and another example of a hidden puzzle. The menu lets your child see pictures and recreate the cones. They can also see which pieces fit together and which don't.
Coding and STEM Toys
Do you wish you knew Javascript and or HTML? Me too! (although I’ve had to learn a lot as a blogger over the years). Teach your child coding and immerse them in science and engineering with my favorite STEM toys.
- These little guys are the cutest (see their fox and lizard also!).
- Create paths using PUZZLE pieces.
- Coding Critter will follow your path.
- Teach engineering symbols like straight lines, loops, turns, and wavy lines.
- Open-ended play: Coding Critter will follow any black line. Grab your masking tape and create tracks all around your house!
- Things I love: It's super-simple (only goes forward and only turns left), never runs out of battery, and is virtually indestructible.
- Things I don't love: It's super simple (yes, this was also something I originally loved!). Once my son got a little older, he outgrew this toy. I prefer toys that last a little longer. The range is short. Stand too far away, and your car won't go.
Final Verdict: Although my son outgrew this in about a year, I would still purchase it again. The simplicity made it easy for him to learn the controls in one sitting. The speed was perfect, and it is heavy-duty but never scuffed my walls!
I have to admit, I might have a little too much fun with this toy as a 30 year old woman!
Take the car apart and build it back together with the functioning drill.
Teacher Take: This drill wins over some of the others on the market because it has a novice-level drill bit that makes it easy for even little hands to operate.
It also has a reverse function (for taking apart or fixing mistakes).
Finally, you can use the toy car for pretend and imaginative play.
The fun of tools, without the worry of small pieces for toddlers still putting things in their mouth.
Teach your child how to use different tools and the motions associated with them.
Each card has a theme with several learning modes and games.
- Teach your child about touch screens and buttons without screen time.
- Only offer one card at a time to make the toy seem new and exciting for each user.
Note: This is not a toy that I own or have used. I found it online while looking for another toy. I think it's really awesome and might become a birthday present in the near future!
Musical Instruments
If you haven't yet bought this for your child, now is a great time!
Not only does this double as a musical instrument and pull toy, but you can also practice colors by having them hit the colors as you say them. Teach them songs this way!
My kids can't get enough of this music player (one of many we own).
They can sing pre-recorded Cocomelon classics or sing their songs through Bluetooth. It teaches kids about music and singing for joy.
All of the fun of a drumset without the noise!
- Play the drums by hitting the pads with the drumsticks.
- Several modes allow your child to play their own songs, stick to a beat, recall patterns, and more.
We have an actual piano at home that my two-year-old loves to play. We can play simple songs together.
I love this kid's piano: It has color-coded keys matching the included color-coded songbook. The color-coded notes are shown on a lined sheet of music and identified with a color and letter. Kids can learn music notes by color first, letter second, and finally on sheet music.
I can't say enough good things about the Tonie player. It's a top music player for children, and they've now introduced audiobooks!
We have a Toniebox and a Yoto player. I love them both, and so do my kids.
The Toniebox is great for younger children with shorter attention spans (shorter tracks) and who are more clumsy (it has soft sides that land with a soft bounce).
- Buy character song soundtracks and audiobooks.
- Listen through the speaker or connect headphones.
- Creating your own characters lets you upload custom playlists with infinite possibilities.
- Record your voice and "read" stories to your child.
Arts and Crafts
Arts and crafts can be messy, time-consuming (to prepare and to make), and elaborate. OR they can be simple to set up, mess-free, and require no parental help. We enjoy both types of arts and crafts in my house, so I’ll give you my favorites for each!
Practice colors, shapes, numbers, patterns, and stringing beads with this kit.
The board is velcro-like (although dust and debris don't stick to it ?) and comes with colored cords of different sizes that stick to it.
Tracing cards come with it, or you can use the blank cards to create your own design.
I love that the cards and cords are stored within the board, making it easy to store.
Paint sticks are so much fun!
They go on buttery-smooth and have a paint-like feel, but they are half as messy as traditional paint.
Does your baby Hercules have a habit of snapping ordinary crayons in half?
Or wind up eating more than they are coloring?!
These twistables have hard plastic outer shells, so no more snapping!
Some two-year-olds aren't ready to hold pencils and crayons. These eggs fit right in their hands and make for a traditional coloring experience.
Designed just for toddlers, these easy-grip markers teach proper finger placement.
Are all kids in love with markers? Or is it just mine!?
If your little one has mastered holding markers and you're ready for the real deal, these are my top recommendations because they don't dry out!
- Chunkier than standard dot markers (perfect for tiny hands).
- Washable (from a trusted brand!).
- 30 activity pages included to practice numbers, letters, shapes, and pattern recognition.
Pro Tip: Stock your craft supply kit with foam shapes, stickers, tempura paint, paint brushes, glue, construction paper, and more from Dollar Tree. They have a great selection of kid-friendly supplies for $1.25 each!
I could go on and on about how much we love Water WOW products from Melissa & Doug!
- Reusable
- Fill pen with water.
- Color pages.
- Watch the picture appear.
- Watch it dry and fade back to white.
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If you're tired of your toddler dumping over paint pots or your paints always drying out, switch to Pop & Paint. It has a self-moistening paintbrush, eight paint colors, a palette, and a cleaning disk.
It's not the same as traditional paint, but we love this set for quick craft sessions!
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Parent-to-Parent: I love the Crayola Mess-Free system much more than my kids. There is a 1-2 second delay between using the colorless ink, and it appearing on the special paper. For my oldest, this was a deal-breaker. He never created with these. For my second, he’s more receptive to it but prefers traditional coloring and painting. They make great travel activities that you don’t have to worry about making a mess.
- Jumbo mat
- Color, paint, stamp, and doodle with water
- Colors appear when wet and disappear when dry
- Reusable
Teacher Take: This mat stands out to me from others because of all of the extras that are included: pens, rollers, stamps, foam shapes, etc. It's also from a brand that I know and trust.
Sorting and Stacking
Teach hand-eye coordination, building, balance, and more with blocks galore.
I love this toy so much.
- Stack the cars on top of each other
- Recognize colors
- Count how high the cars go
- Lift the exit gate and pull the cars out by the little pegs
- Match the car colors to the levels
- Play with the cars all on their own
- Learn shape placement and recognition
- Fine motor skills to put the pieces in the peg
- Teach body parts
Blocks
Are they creative toys? Engineering? Fine motor? Gross motor? Blocks are everything! We have so many blocks that I think my head might explode. If you’ve never branched out beyond traditional blocks, you’re in for a treat!
WARNING: Many of these block sets have small pieces that are choking hazards. Remove any pieces that fit through a toilet paper tube. They could be choked on.
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Description: I am a huge Lego Duplo advocate and was even featured in Parent's Magazine with tons of ideas for ways to play and teach your child with Duplo. |
Description: Everything you need (including a storage case) to start building with Duplo. Dozens of designs that are ready to make or create your own! Encourage pretend play and imagination with all of the characters included. |
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I am a huge Lego Duplo advocate and was even featured in Parent's Magazine with tons of ideas for ways to play and teach your child with Duplo.
Everything you need (including a storage case) to start building with Duplo. Dozens of designs that are ready to make or create your own! Encourage pretend play and imagination with all of the characters included.

Are they expensive? Yes.
Are they worth it? Yes.
The name brand is worth it here. Knock-off brands don't have the magnetic power for building. If you stack too many together, the creation will collapse from the weight.
I love our particular set because you get the car base, some road pieces, functional cranes, and spinning bases. These can be used as pictured or re-configured into your designs.
Pro Tip: When looking for Magnatiles for 2-year-olds, look for sets with mostly square shapes. Triangles are tricky to build, while even young toddlers can grasp building with squares.
Full Disclosure: We don't own them, and I've never played with them, but I see them all the time and think they are so cool as a block-alternative for children who aren't interested in traditional blocks.
Trains are blocks, too!
They encourage problem-solving, building, connecting, engineering, and more.
We have all BRIO trains and tracks. Just like Magnatiles, I feel the brand is important here. We experimented with several other train sets that crack, splinter, or don't fit well together.
Nurturing Toys
Let’s normalize teaching our children to nurture. Some might be naturally nurturing souls, while others think that baby dolls should be used to squirt imaginary explosive poop all over everyone–not that I’m talking from experience ?.
I don't know why this is rated 5+ (let me know in the comments if you know why!). The bottle doesn't seem like a choking hazard to me. The leash is longer than 6", so it could be a strangulation hazard and should be monitored closely. But you could certainly remove the leash.
We LOVE this lamb. It reacts to being petted, asks for attention when lonely, and drinks its bottle. My boys love feeding her (her name is Toot ?) and listening to her burp!
This is rated for ages 6+, and I would use extreme supervision with a toddler doing this activity. You don't want them to eat the dirt or seeds. This would have to be an activity done largely by the parent.
Why I like this set:
- Teaches patience
- Nurturing (watering)
- You can see the plants growing (so it helps our impatient growers!)
- Teaches life cycles
- Teaches about cultivating food for eating
Care for sick animals and nurse them back to health.
Pretend Play
Your fondest memories of playing as a child likely involved pretend play. It’s a chance for children to let their imagination take over and be whoever they want to be. This type of imaginative play should start in children around two years old, but it may take longer for some.
This also falls under nurturing: preparing food for people.
- Have your child prepare pretend meals
- Pretend to clean dishes
- Take orders from friends and family
Pro Tip: I'll use uncooked pasta or rice (if I'm in the mood to vacuum ?) and let them "cook" with it.
Let their imagination (and carpentry skills) soar with this fun workbench!
The power tools actually work and make sounds.
Toddlers love creating their own little spaces. Use it as a barn, a reading nook, or a place to be silly!
Melissa & Doug have dress-up costumes for whatever your child could imagine. Their costumes are well-designed and sturdy and come with fun accessories to let their imagination run wild.
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Description: There are Little People sets for every interest your child could have. It's great to teach them about new interests, careers, skills, and vocabulary related to the different sets. I love that these sets are open-ended with infinite possibilities to play. |
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There are Little People sets for every interest your child could have. It's great to teach them about new interests, careers, skills, and vocabulary related to the different sets. I love that these sets are open-ended with infinite possibilities to play.

Independence Tasks
I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that your two-year-old loves to do everything you do. This behavior is adorable and can be great for teaching your child to become independent and self-reliable. Use these toys and everyday objects to teach young children to care for themselves, their surroundings, and others.
This sink has running water but you don't have to fill the reservoir if you don't want to. The accessories that come with it are too cute. Give your toddler some dishes of their own to clean.
You'll be happy to know that these toys aren't just for show! The toys actually function so your little one can help with household tasks.
Yes, this vacuum will suck up dirt and debris but don't count on it for doing any major cleaning.
Disclaimer: Ours was a different color, and the motor eventually burned out after two years of extensive daily use. We then bought the actual "Dyson" toy vacuum, and that broke after only a few weeks of use, so this is still my recommendation.
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Description: We have smaller bathrooms, so I love these folding step stools. They can be tucked away when not in use and easily moved from the toilet to the sink. |
Description: We've tried a few potty training seats, and this one seems to have the snuggest fit for our toilets. It's a trial-and-error thing! |
Description: We use these command hooks to hang a hand towel and their bath towels at toddler height. |
Description: Make brushing their teeth a fun experience with their favorite characters and a spinning toothbrush! |
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We have smaller bathrooms, so I love these folding step stools. They can be tucked away when not in use and easily moved from the toilet to the sink.
We've tried a few potty training seats, and this one seems to have the snuggest fit for our toilets. It's a trial-and-error thing!
We use these command hooks to hang a hand towel and their bath towels at toddler height.
Make brushing their teeth a fun experience with their favorite characters and a spinning toothbrush!

Pro Tip: Kids think washing themselves is a blast, and it’s life-changing when they can dress themselves and brush their teeth! You don’t need anything fancy. A few bathroom additions will set them up for success.
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Description: Get your little ones involved in real food preparation. I love this set because it has two wooden knife options to teach kids to cut soft foods (think banana, avocado, etc.). This set has everything they need to cook alongside you in the kitchen and will grow with them as they get older. |
Description: Mamas, idk if it's just me, but I LOATHE high chairs. When my little one was in a high chair, I felt like I was constantly cleaning clunky trays that got water all over my kitchen. We decided to replace our high chair with this booster seat, and we never looked back. I am actually in love with this seat for all of these reasons:
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Description: Make your tiny tot feel like everyone else in the family with utensils that look like grown-up ones. |
Description: Just like with plates, our toddlers drink from glasses at mealtime. It's important to find glasses that are their size. A shot glass makes a perfect training glass when you're just starting with open cups! Pro Tip: A wise mom once told me, never fill your toddler's glass more than you're willing to clean up. It's the best advice I've gotten for baby-led drinking. |
Description: You might be surprised to learn that my two-year-old sits at the table with us and eats from a glass plate and drinks from a glass cup at mealtime!
As the mom of a toddler who threw his plastic plates and high chair trays, I was hesitant to introduce glass plates as a part of baby-led weaning... But we've never had an issue with him trying to throw a glass plate. They understand that glass plates are a privilege, making them more responsible at the dinner table. |
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Get your little ones involved in real food preparation. I love this set because it has two wooden knife options to teach kids to cut soft foods (think banana, avocado, etc.). This set has everything they need to cook alongside you in the kitchen and will grow with them as they get older.
Mamas, idk if it's just me, but I LOATHE high chairs. When my little one was in a high chair, I felt like I was constantly cleaning clunky trays that got water all over my kitchen. We decided to replace our high chair with this booster seat, and we never looked back. I am actually in love with this seat for all of these reasons:
- It's plastic: no mystery crust and goop in the cushion crevices.
- It grows with your child: there are three height positions.
- It fits at the dining table: you can slide this seat under most tables so it is out of sight.
- Convertible: start your little pushed up to the table with a tray (like a high chair) and eventually remove the tray.
- Additional trays: the additional trays are $6 each and are dishwasher safe. We bought 3 extras (one for each meal of the day plus a backup), which was life-changing!
- Portable: easily take this on and off of any chair. The backrest folds down to save space. The feet are retractable to save space. It even comes with a tray lid to use your tray as a storage container.
Make your tiny tot feel like everyone else in the family with utensils that look like grown-up ones.
Just like with plates, our toddlers drink from glasses at mealtime. It's important to find glasses that are their size. A shot glass makes a perfect training glass when you're just starting with open cups!
Pro Tip: A wise mom once told me, never fill your toddler's glass more than you're willing to clean up. It's the best advice I've gotten for baby-led drinking.
You might be surprised to learn that my two-year-old sits at the table with us and eats from a glass plate and drinks from a glass cup at mealtime!
- Glass plates teach responsibility
- Grab plates that are 6-8" for two-year-olds
- These triple-layer plates are shatter-resistant
As the mom of a toddler who threw his plastic plates and high chair trays, I was hesitant to introduce glass plates as a part of baby-led weaning... But we've never had an issue with him trying to throw a glass plate. They understand that glass plates are a privilege, making them more responsible at the dinner table.

Tips for Teaching Success
If you aim to teach your child skills and concepts with educational toys, here are my recommendations to get the best results.
Avoid Screens, Plastic, and Noise as Much as Possible
You’ve probably noticed that most of these toys don’t make noise, don’t have screens (in fact, none of them do), don’t have buttons that light up, and are wood as much as possible.
Don’t get me wrong, if you go digging in our toy closet, you’ll find all those things! You’ll even see my 2-year-old watching his favorite TV shows after nap while he wakes up and has a snack. It’s not that I’m against these things in general; it’s just when it comes to educational toys.

Open-Ended
Educational toys are most beneficial when they are open-ended. I was famous in my school for giving my students problems to solve that I wasn’t even sure there was an answer to! You’d be AMAZED at the things that children come up with when they aren’t given specific instructions, directions, corrections, or looking for a particular outcome.
Today, your broomstick is a rocket ship; tomorrow, your books are building blocks; and on the weekend, it’s all hands on deck in the “ER” as your child performs surgery with their hard and screwdriver.
Developmental Milestones For 2-Year-Olds
Remember that 75% of kids can achieve these developmental milestones for two-year-olds by a certain age. Don’t be discouraged if your little one takes longer to master these skills.

- Social/Emotional
Looks at your face to see how you react. | Notices when others are hurt or upset. | Recognizes familiar people. | Happy to see other children. | Wants to be independent. | Shows defiance. | Has episodes of separation anxiety. - Language/Communication
Points to objects you name. | Says at least two words together. | Knows at least two body parts. | Uses gestures beyond waving and pointing (like nodding, shaking, etc.). | Follows instructions. - Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving)
Can use both hands at once. | Tries to use switches, knobs, or buttons. | Plays with multiple toys at once. | Begins to stack and sort. | Make-believe play. - Physical (outdoor toys are perfect for this)
Kicks a ball. | Runs. | Walks (not climbs) up a few stairs without help. | Eats with a spoon. | Climbs up and down furniture.
My best advice? Let your child play without rules. It can be hard sometimes, but they will learn more by experiencing their toys and learning what doesn’t work independently.
My four-year-old would now tell you that brooms are for sweeping, books are for reading, and tools are for building. He figured this out all independently from learning and exploring the world on his terms.
Don’t damper their imagination by only allowing certain toys to be played with the “right” way.
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