These Are the Best Toys for 2-Year-Olds, Tested by Toddlers

GH readers won't stop buying the Bilibo! And, considering how open-ended the toy is, it's easy to see why. Kids can sit in it, use it to spin or wobble, flip it upside down to make a landscape for other toys, wear it like a helmet—there are even eye holes to look through. It's strong enough for adults to stand on. It also comes in several colors or in a set of six mini versions. Ages 2+

Great for take-along fun, these dolls have a Velcro flap that can be opened to reveal busy-board-like activities. "My child really enjoyed exploring all the different activities on the toy," said one parent of a 2-year-old tester. "She particularly loved opening the various parts, playing with the zippers and buckles, and discovering the little plush character inside. She also liked carrying it around and treating it like a stuffed animal. It kept her engaged longer than I expected, especially during quiet playtime and while we were traveling." Ages 1+

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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+

They'll get a lesson in cause-and-effect when they see these cars zip down the slanted ramps, and Montessori enthusiasts say watching the cars is good for eye-tracking. But for kids, it feels like a cool stunt each time the cars reverse direction. It comes with seven cars in different colors of the rainbow. Ages 18 months+

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Toddlers and their Nintendo-loving parents alike will get a kick out of this play set, which is reminiscent of a side-scrolling level. There are lots of included play features: the warp pipe makes noises, the shell spins, and fun things happen when the included Mario figure hits the question blocks. You can also get more Little People My Mario figures separately, and there's also a Bowser Airship play set. Ages 18 months+; two AA batteries required

For families interested in trying out Montessori toys for 2-year-olds this is a good place to get started. There are 36 pegs in different colors and shapes, sized for toddlers' hands. The rest is open-ended: Kids can sort them by color or shape, stack on the board as tall as they can, create patterns, or find their own ways to play. Ages 2+

When they're looking to do water play, this table lets them pour water into the upper tier and watch in delight as it "rains" down to the lower one. It also comes with creatures that float, tools to scoop, and other cause-and-effect toys like ramps and water wheels. Ages 18 months+

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Kids love to whip up imaginary treats with the pretend food, but there's lots of ways this oven sneaks in numbers, counting, and math. They can count, divide, or share the one fried egg, two cupcakes, three slices of bread, and four pieces of pizza. They can turn the heat of the oven up from one to five. The oven also makes sizzling sounds, gives directions of how hot to make he oven, and sings songs. Ages 2+; three AAA batteries included

Toddlers love DUPLO, and toddlers love Bluey—putting them both together is a win-win. This comes with figures of Bluey and Bandit, along with a toy car, a credit card machine, three play ice cream scoops, two play cones and a menu—perfect for sparking imaginative play. Ages 2+

They'll have to practice their focus and aim—or just get their sillies out throwing the ball in wild arcs—with this toddler-sized basketball set. The height can adjust, so it'll last for a while as they grow. It's part of Little Tikes' sports line, which also includes tot-sized golf, T-ball, and soccer sets. Ages 1+

This block set may be pricey, but it's worth it when you see how versatile it can be, and how it can grow with a kid. In addition to colorful blocks that can be stacked, it comes with wooden slats for building out horizontally; pegs, strings, and pieces that can be threaded; magnetic rods that can make axles for wheels; and peg people for pretend. All of these help kids work on different skills, and the set comes with information about how kids can play with all the pieces during their different developmental stages. It all packs up into a shape-sorter (that can also be turned into a pull-along car when it's empty). All of the pieces store in the shape sorter, too, for neat cleanup. Ages 18 months+

Kids can practice nurturing and empathy during their imaginative play with this toddler-friendly baby doll. And, if they love it too much, it can also go in the washing machine. It comes with a cute, banana-themed outfit and a bottle. Ages 1+

This Good Housekeeping Institute Seal-holding LEGO train set is just the right size for toddlers: only 22 pieces, with lots of fun accessories like gifts, a cupcake with a candle, balloons, and a train to carry them all. There are even some numbered bricks so kids can practice counting and stacking. Ages 2+

This toy combines the best of active and imaginary play. Kids can use their muscles to push themselves in the ride-on Amazon van, working on their gross motor coordination, while pretending to deliver the included toy packages. "We have gotten such great use out of this, and it's compact enough that it doesn't take up a ton of space," said one Good Housekeeping Institute staffer. "We can tuck it away in the corner of her room at the end of the day." Ages 2+

Toddlers love nesting dolls, but they often have little pieces that can be choking hazards. This one comes with a set of five cloth dolls perfect for little ones. To get to each layer, kids have to undo zippers, buttons, or bows, so it works on fine-motor skills, too. Ages 2+

These figures are blocky enough to stand on their own, so they can be used as figures for imaginary play. Or, if they want to get their STEM hats on, they can also be stacked in a variety of configurations. They also look cute as shelf decor, and they feature animals that aren't usually in the run-of-the-mill animal play sets, like a llama, sloth, or capybara. Ages 2+

Jellycat fandom knows no age—everyone from babies to toddlers to teens and adults have been known to collect, reveling in the animals' super-soft fur. The Bashful Bunny comes in a neutral color, but if the 2-year-old in your life is not into rabbits, there are a ton of other animals and shapes. On the Jellycat website, you can also get them personalized with a child's name embroidered on the ear. Ages 0+

Ease those "white-coat worries" by letting kids step into the role of doctor with sturdy, toddler-sized tools. This medical bag is filled with an otoscope, stethoscope, thermometer, bandages, syringe, blood pressure cuff, and even a silicone cold pack. A check-up list walks kids through the steps of a doctor's visit, so they can be sure they do a thorough job on their "patients." Ages 2+

Even without looking at the designs, toddlers can test out their problem-solving skills by stacking these 10 blocks up by size, nesting them inside each other, building structures, and knocking them down. Then, the illustrations and words all feature inspiring images of multicultural moms performing different jobs, so you can start conversations about the different roles in a community. Ages 2+

Kids can practice early math concepts with this stacking toy, which uses unusually shaped hexagonal building blocks for more stacking surfaces. Each peg is color-coded—only one red block fits on the first peg, two yellow ones fit on the second, and so on—so kids get to work on their color-sorting, matching, and counting skills all at the same time. Ages 1+

Solid and sturdy, this construction vehicle lets kids fill and dump to their hearts' content. Good Housekeeping Institute experts love that it's made from recycled plastic milk jugs, and it's dishwasher-safe too. It also comes in several color combos, including pink/purple and blue/orange. Ages 1+

This pup is a friend that toddlers can take anywhere—even the bath. The soft plush can even act as a washcloth if need be. If Chase (or Skye) isn't their fave, SoapSox come in other characters, including Peppa Pig, Sesame Street, and Baby Shark. Ages 0+