21 Best Gifts for 2 Year Old Boys 

What to Buy a Two Year Old Boy?

I first wrote this article when my eldest son has just turned two. There were so many relatives and friends that wanted to buy him something but weren't sure what he'd like. So, in response I compiled a list of the best toys for a 2 year old boy. Since first writing the article I had another little boy and it's been updated to include toys he also loved and played with at age 2 as well.

Some of the toys featured, my sons owned, played with, and loved as a 2 year old. Others my sons played with at playgroups and friends houses and there also includes toys my nephews loved at this age too. I have tried to suggest things for all different price ranges. If you have to buy something for a 2 year old boy you will find some inspiration below.

Lego And Building Blocks

When my eldest son was 2 years old son he absolutely loved lego. Lego duplo bricks are designed for young children. The bricks are bigger than normal lego blocks and easy for two year olds to pick up, put together and handle. At this age, my eldest got to the stage where he could attach the lego bricks to a board and build towers and walls. It's been really good to teach him colours. He knows which bricks are red, green, blue and yellow. He will also sit on his own for a little while playing with the lego so it gives me a little break.

Another alternative to lego duplo are mega bloks. These are also big blocks which are easy for little hands to put together and build. They are great for building huge towers and then knocking them down!

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Lego Duplo Train 

This is an awesome first lego duplo train set with lots of cool opportunities for interactive play. 
 
A 2 year old may need help putting the track together but as they get older they will be able to have a go themselves. The chunky duplo pieces make it a great set for little hands to have a go at building once they are ready. 

2 year olds will love to push the train and make it go. One push will set the train off around the track on its own. 

What I really love about the set are the interactive bricks which teach cause and effect. Place a  red brick on the track to make the train stop, a green brick will make it reverse and a yellow brick will make a sound. There are five interactive bricks in total. 

The set also has an optional app which will allow a device to be used as a remote control for the train as well. So little ones can have a go at being in control.
If you are considering buying a train set for a 2 year old there are lots of options to choose from. Check out this article on the best train sets for 2 and 3 year olds. 

Balls

My 2 year old boys and pretty much every 2 year old I know is ball obsessed and we have a large collection of balls. If we go to the park we have to take a ball with us. It's great for them to burn off energy chasing, kicking and throwing the ball. You can't go wrong with a ball for a two year old. Soft balls are particularly great because you can play with them inside without the fear of anybody getting hurt.

There are also some great toys involving balls which are perfect for 2 year olds. Check out the toddler basketball and bowling set below.

Basketball Set

This is suitable for all mini basketball fans from 2 years old.  The basketball stand can be adjusted according to the height of the child so can last quite a long time. 

The adjustable rim adjusts in six inch (15.2 cm) increments from 30" (76.2 cm) to 48" (121.9 cm). So there are four adjustable sizes in total. 

It features a large blackboard and sturdy rim with a real woven net. There are also two drink holders at the bottom of the stand for thirsty children. 


It can be used indoors and outdoors. Great for wearing out energetic toddlers. It's also fantastic for improving gross motor skills, hand and eye co-ordination and if playing with other children teamwork and taking turns. 

Bowling Game

At 2 years old loves both my boys loved playing bowling games with a ball. You can play bowling with all kinds of objects from around the house. If you save enough plastic bottles you can make your own bowling game if you have a ball too.

My youngest son and I used to play bowling with megabloks towers. We would build 3 towers and roll a ball to knock them down.

The plush bowling game below is another option.

Melissa and Doug Monster Plush Bowling Game

This set includes 6 plush pins and a soft ball so no chance of little ones getting hurt when using the set.

The bowling pins are brightly colored monsters and I can see all kinds of uses for these as well as bowling pins.They make nice plush toys for imaginative play as toddlers get older.

The bowling game could be set up indoors or outdoors as long as its not wet.

Magnetic Letters

If I were to recommend one toy to buy a two year old, magnetic letters would be high on the list. My son loves them and has spent ages sticking them onto the fridge and the washing machine. He now knows all of the capital letters of the alphabet. They are particularly great as he plays with them in the kitchen while I am cleaning up.

Leapfrog Fridge Magnetic Letters

These magnetic letters from leapfrog are perfect for the little hands of 2 year old boys. They are safe magnets as they are too big for little ones to swallow, so you don't have to worry about toddlers putting them in their mouths.

Place the letter in the bus and you can hear the letter name and its phonic sound.

Press the button twice and you can hear the a word that begins with the letter and the word in a sentence. It also plays the alphabet song and the wheels on the bus song.

They're geat for learning letters, words and sounds. They're also fantastic for keeping toddlers entertained in the kitchen while the adult in charge is cooking or cleaning.

Drawing Toys for 2 Year Old Boys

There are quite a few toys that will encourage 2 year old boys to create and draw.

Some examples include an art easel. I use ours outside in the summer with paint and we use it for drawing in the kitchen when I am busy cleaning or cooking so my son is occupied while I can keep an eye on him.

We use Crayola washable markers to draw but the best drawing toys are ones that don't make any mess. I love the aquadoodle and the magna doodle below. My kids can scribble and draw to their hearts content and I don't have to worry about any pens being used to draw on the walls or furniture.

Aquadoodle - No Mess Drawing

My son absolutely loves aquadoodle.

It's really easy to use. You just fill the pen up with water and then your toddler can scribble to their hearts content over the mat.

I show him how to draw shapes and circles as well as funny faces. And he really just loves to scribble.

What I love about this is that it's no mess drawing. You don't have to worry about them taking a pen or crayon and drawing on the walls.

When the mat dries, the drawing goes away and then they can draw something else.

This doodles are in color. It's really easy to tidy away too, just fold up the mat and pen until next time.

Fisher-Price Slim Doodle Pro

Another great drawing toy is the slim doodle pro.

We have one of these and I love having a go as much as my boys.

Scribble away to your hearts content and then when you've finished use the easy slider eraser to give you a clean slate. The pen is attached to the drawing board so won't get lost.

It also comes with 4 stampers too.

I find it makes a good toy to take to family and friend's houses to keep my boys entertained too. This one is quite large but there is a carry handle for easy portability. There are also smaller versions for travel too. 

Remote Control Cars

Two year old boys are just starting to love cars and a radio control car makes a really good present. There are lots designed from 24 months. Check out the options below.

Thomas the Train 

Great for Thomas fans!

As you can see from the picture it features an easy to use remote with big buttons.

The buttons move Thomas forward and backwards. The remote is easy to hold too. 

Remote Control Car

This is a simple, easy to use remote control car suitable for 2 years olds. 

The remote control features big buttons so little hands will find it easier to use.

​Press the buttons to hear honking sounds, music and see flashing headlights. The car can go in both forward and reverse. It also has a removable race car driver action figure that is great to play with too. 

Outdoor Toys

There are lots of cool outdoor toys for 2 year old boys. 

Some ideas include a water table - this is a great summer toy. Aged 2, my son would play for ages with his water table which included a water wheel and lots of fun toys.

Sandboxes, ride on toys, swings and playhouses are also great outdoor toys for this age group.

My 2 Year Old Boy and Outdoor Toys - Here is my son playing with his Cozy Coupe Ride On Car

We used to go to a toddler group that had 3 of three cozy coupe cars (see my son in the picture opposite) and all the kids loved them.

They were never out of use.
 

My son's grandma had the cozy coupe car at her house and he liked it so much she bought him his own car to have at home. He absolutely loves it. He uses it indoors and outdoors too.

He sits in it, drives forward, reverses and spends lots of time just getting in and out of the vehicle. 

He has just started to use a cable from a charger and pretends to fill up the car with gas as well! This is one of the toys he plays with most!

Ride On Toys

My son absolutely loves any type of ride on. When we go to any group which has a ride on, he will just sit on there and ride round the whole time.
The Thomas the train featured is such a cool ride on toy. It's a motorised ride on that runs on and off the track and you can use it indoors or outdoors. It goes 1mph on the track and 2mph off the track. 
There's a push button to start and stop the train so that little ones can easily master it themselves. 
It also features Thomas phrases and sounds. 

Slide and Climbers

My 2 year old really enjoys climbing (on everything) and playing on slides. If the slide / climber isn't too tall he is capable of doing it independently. And I don't think he's the only 2 year old boy like this which is why climbers and slides make great toys for this age group. They can be used outdoors in the summer or indoors in the winter (if you have the space). They are a great toy to wear little ones out and use up all their excess energy.

Toy Cars

My son was given toy cars before he was two and he wasn't that interested in them. However, now he is toy car mad. We like to go for walks together and he will take a toy car and "drive" it over the walls and on the ground. He also has a little tractor which we took to the park the other day and he spent ages just moving it over posts and the grass. I haven't encouraged him to do this, he just does it on his own. It must be an in built instinct in boys. A great toy to encourage imaginative and creative play.

Toy cars on their own would make a great gift. My son will play with all types of cars from hot wheels to chunky toddler cars.

Or what about a car playset like a toy garage or the Fisher Price amuseument park featured below?

Car Playset

My 2 year old plays with the car playset (featured opposite) at a group we go to. He really enjoys watching the cars whizz down the ramps and seeing how far they go at the end. He also just moves his toy car up and down the ramps with his hands.

Lots of fun and imagintative play to be had. 

There are 3 different ramps and the toy is over 3 feet tall. There is lots of space to play so more than one child can play at a time. The set comes with 2 wheelies vehicles. 

The take turns launcher, releases one car in the air!  There are fill and fix up stations and a spinning arrow along the way. Exciting race sounds and phrases about sharing, being patient and playing together add to the learning fun. 

Disney Cars Playset

My 2 year old is absolutely mad about Disney cars, Lightening Mcqueen, Mack and Mater. We have some diecast Disney Pixar cars (Including Lightening Mcqueen and Mater) which he loves to play with.

There are all kinds of themed Disney Pixar toys, racetracks and playsets. My son keeps asking for Mack so we are getting him one for Christmas. 

It's difficult to go wrong with some mini racers from the Pixar cars collection. 

They are small cars which is nice the little hands of a 2 year old.

Disney Pixar Cars Mini Racers Mack Transporter

Pair the mini racers with a Mack transporter. 

Little kids will love putting the mini racers into Mack and pushing him around.

The side door opens for easy roll in, roll out and storage. 

Great for imaginative play, kids will love to recreate the movie scenes. 

Musical Toy

My two boys weren't very musical as toddlers (I think they take after their Dad!). However, my nephew who's also 2 is very muscial and the perfect toy for him would be something on which he can make music. Some ideas of music toys for 2 year olds include toy guitars, pianos and toy drums.

Play Tents

Play tents are great fun. They seem to bring out imaginative play in kids of all ages including 2 year olds.

We put our playtent up indoors in the Winter. It makes a nice play space for kids. In the Summer we use it outdoors and it makes a nice shade from the sun. It's also great to have picnics in, read books, play games and draw outside.

You can get all kinds of tents. My boys seem to like ones with tunnels attached which they can crawl through.

The rocket tent is a fun idea for 2 year old boys and older. 

It comes with a space torch projector to light up your astronaut with 24 NASA inspired images. 

The play tent is great for pretend play. Have fun launching into space. 

Bilibo

We don't have this toy but I included it because it sounds intriguing. Basically it's a toy which was designed after extensively studying children's play patterns and it has won countless awards. It's a plastic spherical shape which is meant to be virtually indestructable. It is a completely open-ended toy that stimulates a child's imagination. It can be a helmet, sit and spin, doll cradle, train tunnel, shovel, water basin and much more. Reviewers on Amazon also give a lot more information about how the children could use this toy. It's suitable for indoors and outdoors. When I first read about this toy I was a bit baffled about whether it would be used but I am sure 

Train Sets for 2 Year Old Boys -  - An update from a 2 1/2 year old boy

Since writing this articles I have purchased a couple more toys for my 2 year old boy which he loves. He is now 2 1/2 and a couple of months ago we purchased a wooden train set and he loves it. We started building tracks together but now he will build his own with a little help from me. He loves the magnetic trains that stick together and at first he spent ages just putting the trains together and then pulling them apart. He plays with his train set everyday. There are all kinds of train sets aimed at 2 year olds. I have suggested a Thomas train set below.
 
Another option is a train table with a train set is a good choice as it keeps all the mess and play of the floor. They are also good for storage. 

Train Sets

This 100 piece wooden train set is a cool option for 2 year olds. It's a perfect starter set.

An adult may need to construct a track for a 2 year old but as they get older they can help and eventually do it on their own.

The set featured includes an engine, coaches, a bridge, buildigns, city vehicles, road signs, trees and figurines as well as plenty of track

Building a wooden train set includes lot of learning fun, it's especially good for honing fine motor skills, imaginative play and problem solving. 

Simplay3 Carry and Go Track Table for Toy Cars, Trucks, and Trains

If you feel your 2 year old may get frustrated with a wooden train track, another option is this moulded track table. 

It has two different sides for extra play value and includes one side with a toy race car track with built in obstacles for toy cars and trucks. The other side is a figure 8 toy train track with lake and quarry. 

It has a lightweight design and side handle makes taking this track on the go super easy. 

It's also a National Parenting Product Award Winner. 

magnetic trains

My eldest son used to be fascinated by magnetic trains. 

He would spend ages connecting them together and then just pushing them around. 

This set of 12 magnetic trains is a fab toy to play with  on it's own, or as an extra accessory to a train track toy. 

Books

I love reading with my boys. It's really nice to sit down and have some quiet time and we have a huge selection of books we choose from.

One of our favorites is Goodnight, Goognight Construction Site featuerd. 
This is a fab bedtime book.

The illustrations and the rhyming text even lulls me to sleep!

My little boy is a huge fan too.

baby shark

This is a super cool sound book featuring the full baby shark song and 9 other songs with colorful illustrations. 

Just in case you need a reminder of the baby shark song: 
Baby shark, doo doo doo doo doo doo.

It features tailor made for small baby hands with a child friendly grip. 

The built in speaker features rich sounds 

More Gift Ideas for 2 Year Old Boys

Still not found what you're looking for. Here is another cool toy/ gift idea.

It could be assembled outdoors in the summer but also used indoors in the winter if you have the space inside.

We have never actually tested this out but it looks like a real fun toy.

You can build a roller coaster outdoors or in your living room for your 2 year old.

Recommended for children between aged 2 and 5 years old.

Cool Toys for 2 Year Old Boys - Update 

Update : It's been a while since I first wrote this article and the toys below are some enjoyed by my youngest son aged 2. My son loves pretty much all of the toys enjoyed by my eldest son (cars and the cozy coup car are two of his favorites) but we've added a few more to our collection so here is my update.

Dump trucks are great toys for 2 year old boys. 


They love filling them with stuff, pushing them around and then dumping the stuff out of them. 

This dump truck is huge. My son can fit inside it! You can push him around in it but you have to be careful he doesn't get tipped out the back! 
​
 It can be used indoors and outdoors.

Take along elmo

This will be very popular for little kids who love Elmo.

It's a 12 inch take along toy, that has long arms and legs so that kids can easily grab onto them and take Elmo wherever they go. 

It has soft, huggable material 

It's surface washable. 

balance bike

We got my youngest son a balance bike for his 2nd birthday after it was recommended by a friend who's child loved it.

I can honestly say it is probably one of the best toys I have ever bought. My son loves it.

At first he just used to stand with it between his legs in the house. Eventually he started to walk around the house with it.

Finally we let him use it outside. He started off by going slowly but it wasn't long before he was whizzing around. Everywhere we go on his bike we get comments about how good he is on it. It's been great as I can walk at a decent pace next to him on his bike so I don't have to wait for him as we walk from a to b.

Check out a picture of my son on his bike below.

Scooter

After the success of the balance bike, we decided to get my son a scooter for last Christmas (so he was about 2 years and 6 months old).

Again he loves this. It was a bit hard at first to get his to use his scooter rather than his balance bike at first but after a few goes he loves his scooter too.

There's a picture of my son using his scooter opposite. 

imaginative play 

2 year old may also be starting to enjoy and participate in imaginative play. 

LeapFrog Scoop & Learn Ice Cream Cart

There is so much fun and educational value to be had with this ice cream cart. 

2 year olds will pushing the cart around. They will enjoy using the magic scoop to make ice creams.

There is lots of phrases, songs and activities that promote learning and new vocabulary. 

Count to ten along with the ice cream cart by pressing the syrup pump or coin button. 

There are over 200 fun phrases which introduce colors, numbers, flavors and more while you explore the six activity cards. 
As they start to engage in imaginative play, they will love to take your order and make up your ice cream. It's great fun to open and "ice cream shop". 

spike the fine motor hedgehog

Spike has 12 removeable quills help strengthen fine motor skills. And 2 year olds will love trying to put the quills back in the hedgehog. 

The quills also help reinforce color recognition, counting and sorting skills. 

Kids can arrange the quills by warm or cool colors, or count the quills. There are numbers on the shell to help number recognition too. 

The quills fit inside the headehog's shell for easy storage and portability. 

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