Reply #13: Wooden trains [View All]

[LeftyMom]

like Brio, Thomas, are real neat but most kids don't get into them until closer to three.

My son got a LeapPad from his Grandmother for Christmas when he was 2 1/2. Went over like a lead balloon, so we took it back. My son definitely prefers stuff he can move around and play with to toys that require sitting down and concentrating. Kids do enough of that when thy're older, I din't think it's really developmentally apropriate to encourage that in a two year old.

Toy food is cool, especially the wooden kind that velcros together so the kid can "cut" it apart with a toy knife. Kids that age start doing a lot of imitative play so small cooking stuff, dishes, bags to pack, etc is all likely to be a hit. A box of hats, scarves, jackets, shits and ties will entertain a toddler for ages, whether crazy wierd stuff from the thrift store or just stuff that's laying around the house. Dolls to "parent" are a great toy for either sex. Plastic animals are another cool toy, they can fight, chase parents, be sorted by size or color, counted, displayed in little habitats...

If you din't have any musical toys like xylophones or drums now is a good age to pick them up. Just plan a good place to stash them when you have a headache.

Hand puppets. Fancy mail order ones, or simple ones made out of felt or socks, little kids usually love them. Making faces with fine movements of the hand is good for fine motor control and paying attention to body language to immitate it through puppetry is healthy, too.