The age of two is a celebratory milestone. 2-year-old kids can not only stand unassisted but can also stand on their tiptoes, walk, run, catch, pedal a bike, climb furniture, kick and throw balls and even jump. The best toys at this age are not only fun, but can encourage them to explore their expanding world and make the most of this developmental stage of their lives.
Finding the Best Toy for a 2-Year-Old
Getting great toys for your 2-year-old sounds easy enough until you make it to the toy store and become overwhelmed with all the choices. To separate the good from the bad and find the perfect toy for this terrific age, look for the following things.
Musical Toys
Musical toys have such great value for children that many products that aren’t exactly musical toys incorporate fun sounds into the toys. Music can excite and calm children. Music can stimulate nearly every human emotion, and at the same time inspire kids to create music themselves. Science has shown that the rhythm of music can help the brain process information faster. Music can even help children develop better language, speech, listening, and reading skills.
Story Books
A 2-year-old may not be able to read by themselves, but they are developing a keen interest in reading and can recite sight words. If you want to raise a child that loves to read, read engaging stories to them as often as is appropriate. Reading to children sparks their imagination as they connect with the characters and plots of the story. Researchers have determined that stories contribute to a child’s view of cultures, social norms, and gender roles. Great stories are fantastic learning tools to mold a child’s perception of reality and beliefs.
STEM/Educational Toys
There are STEM toys available today that proves 2-years is not too early to introduce children to math, science, etc. STEM and educational toys are designed to stimulate curiosity and learning in children. Educational toys can also help kids build a particular skill set. For toddlers, the best educational toys help them develop cognitive and fundamental skills in the guise of play.
Dolls
Dolls can help children practice social skills and act out what they’ve seen the adults do and say. Dolls can teach kids responsibility, sharing, and empathy. Moreover, dolls are open-ended toys that provide unlimited possibilities of when, how, and what kids can do with them.
We have a wide variety of great toys in this list in addition to the four categories above.