The Ultimate Second Birthday Gift Guide

Man, oh man, two-year-olds are FUN.

At this age, they’re walking, talking, and are generally very *busy.* Toddler brains are growing at a fast clip, so we included lots of edu-tainment in this guide of the best birthday gifts for two-year-olds. Plus, there are a lot of things that you’ll enjoy doing with them, too (enter: our very favorite bubble machine you’ve probably seen on our Instagram stories—it really is that good!). 

No matter your budget, you’ll find lots to add to your list here. You’ll also want to keep this list handy for the grandparents and other people who love your kids. Be sure to add a link to your two-year-olds’ party Evite, too!  

For more gift ideas for kids of all ages, check out our Birthday Gift Guides.

a roundup of the best toys for second birthdays with the text "The Ultimate Second Birthday Gift Guide"

second birthday gifts Less than $25

Crocodile Creek 12-Piece Puzzle

These cute, colorful puzzles (we are big fans of the lion and rainbow) are the perfect first puzzles for two-year-olds! They have 12 thick pieces, which provide just enough challenge and reinforcement of fine-motor skills for rapidly-growing brains.

Plus, they’re printed with soy-based inks and are packaged in a uniquely shaped box perfect for gift giving.

Buy it: Amazon

Crocodile Creek - Lion Roar - Mini Jigsaw Puzzle, 12 Pieces, for Kids Ages 2 Years & Up


Friction Pullback Vehicles

Use this set of cute animals cars (ladybug, bee, dragonfly, and tiger) to explore imaginary play with your toddler: zip around an imaginary garden, zoom across the desert, fly to sniff some flowers.

With built-in gears on the rear wheels, these sweet little cars go forward and backward after being pulled back. They’re bright, sturdy, durable, and non-toxic!

Buy it: Amazon

LiKee Animals Pull Back Cars Friction Powered Vehicle Play Set Push and Go Back and Forth Car Toys Party Gifts Stocking Fillers for Toddlers Kids Boys Girls Age 3+ Years Old (4 Packs)


Green Toys Wagon

Made in the USA from 100% recycled plastic (mostly milk jugs!), this sweet wagon is great for indoor and outdoor play. Your toddler will love using it to haul around their prized possessions. It features a 100% cotton rope handle that easily tucks inside for convenient, safe storage.

Load, unload, and pull for endless hours of entertainment!

Buy it: Amazon or Target

Green Toys Wagon, Orange - Pretend Play, Motor Skills, Kids Outdoor Toy Vehicle. No BPA, phthalates, PVC. Dishwasher Safe, Recycled Plastic, Made in USA.


Top Bright Lacing Beads

Your kiddo will hone fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination as they lace brightly colored beads onto the string. This toy includes numbered and different shaped blocks, and promotes color sorting, sequencing, lacing, and more!

Buy it: Amazon

TOP BRIGHT Wooden Lacing Beads for Toddlers, Fine Motor Skills Montessori Toys, Preschool Learning Toys for 2 Year Old Boys and Girl Kid Gifts


Peaceable Kingdom Where’s Bear?

This game, also featured in our Best Games for Two-Year-Olds round-up, combines two favorite toddler activities: stacking and finding. This is a no win or lose game (and, trust us, that’s a good thing at this age).

Parents and kiddos take turns hiding and finding Bear under the sturdy nesting boxes. Each box illustrates the rooms in Bear’s house and includes a matching game! 

Buy it: Amazon or Walmart

Peaceable Kingdom Where's Bear? The Hide and Find Stacking Block Game for 2 Year Olds


Le Toy Van Rainbow Cloud Pop

This wooden rainbow has a spring-loaded design that activates with the push of one of the candy-colored sticks. Little ones will learn about cause and effect while working on their fine motor skills and having fun!

Buy it: Amazon

Le Toy Van - Wooden Baby Sensory Petilou Rainbow Cloud Pop Press and Release Toy | Educational Baby Sensory Montessori Toddler Learning Toy - Suitable for 18+ Months


Banana Panda Giant Matching Game

A matching game, but make it GIANT.

Matching games are the perfect first game for toddlers because they have easy-to-follow instructions and are progressively challenging. Toddlers can start with 2 or 3 pairs and then add other animals as their skills progress. Plus, they are great for training memory, concentration, and cognitive thinking.

This one is unique because it features bright illustrations on giant cardboard pieces so kids can play on the floor.

Buy it: Amazon or Walmart

Banana Panda - Suuuper Size Memory Game - Educational Game for Kids Ages 2 Years and Up


Blockaroo Magnetic Foam Building Blocks

The easiest-to-use building blocks ever created, Blockaroos are endless fun! The soft foam blocks click together, rotate 360-degrees, and always attract to each other. They’re brightly colored, make playful sounds, and are easy to connect. Your kids will love them as they grow and develop creative thinking skills.

As a bonus, they make a great bath toy as the foam bricks stick to most bathtubs.

Buy it: Amazon

Blockaroo Magnetic Foam Building Blocks - STEM Preschool Toys for Children, Toddlers, Boys and Girls, The Ultimate Bath Toy - Airplane Set


SmartMax My First Safari Magnetic Toys

With the My First Animal Sets from SmartMax, toddlers can build animals by simply clicking the magnets together. The large, soft, friendly-to-the-touch pieces come together easily. Creative kiddos can mix and match for some wild results! This toy is an excellent introduction to STEM.

Buy it: Amazon or Target

SmartMax My First Safari Animals STEM Magnetic Discovery Building Set with Soft Animals for Ages 1-5


Casdon Dyson Ball Vacuum

This toy Dyson Ball Vacuum is a replica of the full-size version. It has the same “twist and turn” movement, makes realistic noises, and even has a working suction that picks up small pieces of paper! With just a few quick lessons, you’ll be able to teach them how to empty the debris drawer on the back.

Your toddler will love following you around the house with it, and you’ll love how much they enjoy earning their keep!

Buy it: Amazon or Target

Casdon Dyson Ball | Miniature Dyson Ball Replica For Children Aged 3+ | Features Working Suction To Add Excitement To Playtime


Fat Brain Toys Tinker Rings

Get your littles thinking, tinkering, and learning early with these bright stackable rings! They’re sturdy and covered with a soft, rubbery surface with unique, engraved textures little fingers will love to explore.

Also, built into every ring are magnets arranged so that, no matter which side of each ring is facing up, they’ll always connect and stack perfectly from big to small!

Buy it: Amazon or Fat Brain Toys

Fat Brain Toys Tinker Rings Baby Toys & Gifts for Ages 2 to 3


Top Bright Car Ramp

This race track for toddlers includes parking lots, three car garages, a gas station, and a repair shop. Cars can set off from parking lots simultaneously and then slide down the rainbow racetrack—toddlers improve their tracking ability as they watch and reset.

This wooden toy is BPA-free and stained with bright, non-toxic, water-based paint. It’s also compact and can be easily stored. 

Buy it: Amazon or Walmart

TOP BRIGHT Car Ramp Toy for 1 2 3 Year Old Boy Gifts, Toddler Race Track Toy with 4 Wooden Cars and 3 Car Garage


B. Toys Chop n Play Fruits and Veggies

Your little helper loves to cook! This wooden play-food set comes with six colorful and sliceable veggies—a tomato, carrot, radish, cucumber, mushroom, and an onion. Your mini chef can dream up creative recipes and prep the ingredients for their dish using the included wooden knife and cutting board.

They’ll love that with each slice, the veggies go “crunch!”—just like the real thing!

Buy it: Target

wooden toy vegetables

second birthday gifts less than $75

Petit Collage Fishing Around Game

Petit Collage is a wooden toy and decor brand that combines a modern aesthetic with rigid sustainability criteria to create bold, thoughtful goods that inspire little ones. Fishing around is a fun game where kids can play and improve their fine motor skills.

This set includes ten colorful neon fish with hooks, two wooden fishing rods, one multi-colored die, and instructions.

Buy it: Amazon or The Tot

Petit Collage Fishing Around Wooden Game – Cute Kids Fishing Game for Ages 3+, Ideal for 2-4 Players – Fun Learning Game Promotes Color Recognition and Hand-Eye Coordination


Little Tikes Doll Stroller

This timeless doll stroller has a stable base and easy-to-grasp handle, making it the perfect first doll stroller for young toddlers. It fits dolls up to 18″ and is easy to wipe clean.

Buy it: Amazon

Little Tikes Classic Doll Stroller – Amazon Exclusive


Fat Brain Toys Squigz

Squigz are fun little suckers! Your mini can connect them to each other and to any solid, non-porous surface. Once they take hold, it takes some pull to separate them, and when they unstick, your toddler will hear a fun POP! These are fun on tables, windows, and even in the bath.

Buy it: Amazon or Fat Brain Toys

Fat Brain Toys Squigz Starter Set, 24 Piece


Bubble Machine

Our favorite bubble machine is the gift that keeps on giving! It brings endless fun to any day, especially birthday parties, playdates, and water parties. Plus, playing with bubbles helps your littles with visual tracking, hand-eye coordination, and a lot more!

Buy it: Amazon

Bubble Machine Durable Automatic Bubble Blower, 4800+ Bubbles Per Minute Bubbles for Kids Toddlers Bubble Maker Operated by Plugin or Batteries Bubble Toys for Indoor Outdoor Birthday Party


Learning Resources Animals

These playsets feature big, detailed animals (choose from jungle, domestic pets, farms, and zoos). They’re designed for little hands with big imaginations (the giraffe, for example, measures 9″ x 13″). There’s an included activity guide, too, which gives simple animal facts and discussion starters to learn while playing.

Bonus: the animals are dishwasher-safe!

Buy it: Amazon or Target

Learning Resources Jumbo Jungle Animals, Animal Toys for Kids, Safari Animals, 5 Pieces, Ages 18 months+


Magnetic Car Set

You’ve heard us talk about Kiwi Co. a lot around here, and we just love it so much we can’t stop. This Montessori-inspired magnetic train set comes with three colorful, linkable, magnetic train cars designed for little hands to push and pull along.

Each vehicle contains special features for your kiddo to discover, including parts that spin, rattle, and fold open. This set trains their motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and more!

Buy it: Kiwi Co

KiwiCo Magnetic Car Set

Brio My First Railway

This colorful toy train set has toddler-appropriate features for hours of frustration-free play and exploration. The reversible magnet connections ensure that the trains always come together, and the guiding ramp tracks help toddlers get the train onto the railway.

This beginner pack is compatible with all other BRIO sets, so you can add lots more parts and pieces as your toddler’s curiosity grows.

Buy it: Amazon

BRIO My First Railway – 33727 Beginner Pack | Wooden Toy Train Set for Kids Age 18 Months and Up


Little Unicorn Large Hooded Towel

There is something magical about a hooded towel that inspires toddlers to run naked laps around the house. We can’t speak for you, but those post-bath performances never cease to make us smile, even if we’re standing impatiently with the detangler.

Little Unicorn’s plush hooded towels are large (42″ tall x 47″ wide), making them the perfect next step once your little one grows out of their baby towel. Featuring a cozy hood and pockets for little hands, these hooded towels are crafted with printed muslin on the outside and ultra-soft terry cloth on the inside. Available in a whole variety of prints.

Buy it: Amazon or Albee Baby

Little Unicorn Large Cotton Hooded Towel – 100% Cotton – 42” Tall x 47” Wide – Printed Pockets – for 2-5 Year Olds - Machine Washable – Playful Designs – for Boys & Girls (Shark)


Lego Duplo Creative Birthday Party

Build a birthday party! This 200-piece set is an excellent introduction to the world of hands-on building through DUPLO.

The theme is not only perfect as a birthday gift, but this set has progressively challenging builds! Start with a cupcake and heart, and progress to a birthday cake and a party. Includes fun-shaped bricks like a star, balloons, and watermelon.

Buy it: Amazon

LEGO DUPLO Classic Creative Birthday Party 10958 Imaginative Building Fun for Toddlers; Creative Toy Gift for Kids, New 2021 (200 Pieces)


Cub Balance Bike

This pedal-free bike cultivates confidence while kids develop balance and coordination, and the low-down tube ensures your toddler can get on and off their new set of wheels. It is intuitively designed to grow with them (up to five years, generally) until they are ready to transition to a traditional bike.

With 21 color combinations, this balance bike will be sure to please even the pickiest of color-conscious toddlers.

Buy it: Amazon

Retrospec Cub Kids Balance Bike No Pedal Bicycle - Beginner Toddler Bike - Steel Frame & Air-Free Tires - Girls & Boys 2-5 Years - Blush


second birthday gifts over $75

Micro Mini Kick Scooter

If you’re a regular on the Thrifty Littles Instagram, you know we talk about these scooters A LOT—and with good reason. The Micro Scooter brand is known by families for its smooth-gliding, long-lasting scooters for children and adults. 

Two years old is the ideal age to introduce your little one to the Mini Deluxe Scooter. It features three wheels and a lean-to-steer design that offers stability. Plus, it has an adjustable T-bar handlebar that grows with children up to age 5. 

Buy it: Amazon

Micro Kickboard - Mini Deluxe - Three Wheeled, Lean-to-Steer Swiss-Designed Micro Scooter for Toddlers & Children with Adjustable Handlebar for Ages 2-5 (Ocean Blue)


Lovevery Block Set

The Lovevery Block Set might possibly be the most comprehensive block set ever designed. It includes 70 heirloom-quality pieces in 18 shapes that work together in more than 20 stage-based activities. Young kids will learn spatial and problem-solving skills while they build, thread, stack, roll, count, sort, categorize and connect blocks.

The set is complete with a wooden storage box with a shape-sorting lid, plus a cotton drawing bag for storage.

Buy it: Amazon and Lovevery

The Block Set by Lovevery – Solid Wood Building Blocks and Shapes + Wooden Storage Box, 70 Pieces, 18 Colors, 20+ Activities


Little Tikes Easy Store Large Slide

Kids and slides—the fun really never stops with them, does it? This super-fun toddler slide is the perfect size for outside or playroom fun! It folds for easy storage (win!). When the fun begins, just unfold and play. 

Buy it: Amazon or Walmart

Little Tikes Easy Store Large Slide , Blue/Green


Hape Gourmet Play Kitchen

There are many things to love about this play kitchen: it’s simple, super-cute, and will provide hours (and hours!) of playtime for years to come.

All of this kitchen’s toddler-size components are detailed too: doors that open and close, knobs that turn and click, and a spice and utensil shelf to hold all the matching accessories.

Buy it: Amazon or Target

Hape Gourmet Kitchen Toy Fully Equipped Wooden Pretend Play Kitchen Set with Sink, Stove, Baking Oven, Cabinet, Turnable Knobs & Spice Shelf, Red


Roller Coaster Ride On

You may have seen the viral TikTok of a mom riding one of these, which may be why it goes in and out of stock, and let us assure you: it is as fun as it looks. To be clear, it’s not recommended for adults, but we totally understand why you’d want to get in on the fun. 

Your littles will cruise along the colorful 9′ track on this kids’ roller coaster toy as they practice balance, hand-eye coordination, and sharing. It’s fun for both indoors and outdoors and easily comes apart for convenient and compact storage.

Buy it: Amazon

Step2 Up & Down Roller Coaster Rapid Ride & Hide Edition | Amazon Exclusive


Guidecraft Learning Tower

Let the cooking classes begin! This lightweight, adjustable wooden stool for children ages 2+ brings your little one up to counter height, so they can safely help you cook, do dishes, or work on arts & crafts projects.

This design is uniquely foldable for convenient storage, so it can be put out of the way when it’s not in use. It’s available in three styles and a range of colors and features a non-slip mat.

Buy it: Amazon

Guidecraft Classic Kitchen Helper® Stool with 2 Keepers - Ivory: Adjustable Height Kitchen Footstool for Toddlers


Pottery Barn Kids Anywhere Chair

The crème de la crème of kids loungers, these Pottery Barn Kids chairs are personalizable, super-cozy, and made to last. No more bickering about who’s in whose seat!

They’re easy to move from room to room (they even have a carrying handle) and cute wherever they land. The slipcovers are interchangeable, too, if your little one changes their favorite color and needs a cover to match.

Buy it: Pottery Barn Kids

kids-gray-monogrammed-chair

Simplay3 Two Sided Teeter Totter and Climbing Bridge

This is the ultimate two-in-one toy! One side is a rocker accomodating up to four children, and the other side is a bridge for climbing. Lots of fun for indoors and outdoors.

Buy it: Amazon or Walmart

Simplay3 Two Sided Rock and Roll Teeter Totter and Climbing Bridge for up to 4 Children


Little Partners Art Easel

This deluxe art easel made of real pine wood features a paper roll, plus a chalkboard on one side and a magnetic dry erase board on the other. It includes select supplies (paper roll, non-spill paint cups, eraser) that easily stow in two large fabric bins.

Once your little artist has finished their masterpiece, they can display it using the art drying clips.

Buy it: Amazon or Target

Little Partners 2-Sided A-Frame Art Easel with Chalk Board, Magnetic Dry Erase, Storage, Paper Feed and Accessories for Toddlers, Teal Frosting


Foamnasium Blocksy Kids’ Couch

This fun set can be whatever you (and your kiddos) want it to be: a fort, a gymnastics mat, a climber, and, y’know, maybe even a couch. Its comfy cushions are versatile and playful, offering littles endless possibilities for hours of fun.

The Blocksy comes in a variety of pretty pastel colors and is made in the from Foamnasium vinyl, a strong, easy to clean, and child-safe material. Whose fort is going to be the most epic fort? Game on!

Buy it: Pottery Barn Kids

mint-green-foamnasium-kids-couch

We’ve given you a lot to work with here, and we hope you find something you love for the special two-year-old in your life. If you do, we’d love to see it! Tag us: @thriftylittles on Instagram and Facebook!  

The Ultimate Second Birthday Gift Guide

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