During their formative years, your child needs a lot of support to gain optimal development. At two years old, they are talking, crawling, walking, moving, touching, socializing, and beginning to understand the world around them. They are starting to form bonds with other people, especially family. At this age, toys play an important role in their growth.
What are the best educational toys for 2 year old? The best educational toys for 2 year old are those that will make learning a fun and meaningful experience. Two-year-olds need educational toys that will encourage language and expand their vocabulary. Parents should give their children toys that will develop their fine and gross motor skills and cognitive, social, emotional, and physical skills.
Educational Toys for 2 Year Old
We’ve made your job easy for you. We have picked the best educational toys your two-year-old will love and learn from.
Wooden Alphabet and Number Abacus
A wooden abacus is simple and easy to use. It is beautiful and enticing for a child and is the best way to teach them literacy and math skills without them getting intimidated. It helps:
- Teach letter and number recognition
- Teach color and object recognition
- Improve fine motor skills
- Develop language and vocabulary
- Promotes social interaction
- Build early reading and math skills
Wooden Building Blocks
Wooden building blocks provide different sensorial experiences and offer hours of endless fun. Two-year-olds can create anything they put their mind to and knock them over and over again.
Wooden building blocks strengthen and develop cognitive skills, improve attention span, and enhance fine motor skills.
Construction and building toys foster teamwork, cooperation, patience, persistence, and responsibility. It also aids in language development.
Wooden Puzzle
Puzzles are proven effective educational toys that should be part of your two-year-olds regular playtime. It is a great activity to keep your child focused and develop their hand-eye coordination.
For your two-year-old, stick with large and medium-sized puzzles. They still love putting things in their mouths so small objects are a no-no because they can be a choking hazard.
Wooden puzzles are great for teaching colors, shapes, and object recognition and developing their visual perception. Visual perception is an important pre-math skill.
Props or Dress Up Clothes
At two years old, your toddler has a sharp eye for observing and noticing adults and their actions. They love to mimic what we do.
It is a good time to introduce imaginative play that is based on reality. For example, you can get them a doctor’s kit, a fireman outfit, a police officer’s outfit, or a chef’s kit.
They will have fun coming up with different scenarios pretending to be what they want to be when they grow up.
A Kitchen Set
A kitchen play set is an important educational toy because it teaches young children about the proper use of utensils, trains them to pitch in with chores and learn about the use of different tools and food.
Imaginative play in a kitchen setting helps children develop good eating habits. It also promotes language and communication, independence, confidence, and responsibility.
Climbing Gym
At two, young children need a lot of help in improving their movement. Whether it be walking, running, climbing, and many others.
Two-year-olds are not steady on their feet yet. Their movements are awkward and imprecise. Using a climbing gym will help develop strong muscles in the key part of the body used for movements like arms, legs, neck, and torso.
Climbing gyms like a Montessori triangle or arch not just help them master their climbing skills but improve overall gross motor skills and some fine motor skills like grasping and holding skills.
FAQs
What to look for when buying educational toys for my 2 year old? When buying the best toys for your 2 year old, consider these 3 factors. First, you have to take into consideration your child’s current interests. The toy is only educational if your child uses it. Always buy the toy you know your child will love. Second, consider the educational value of the toy. Most toys, especially trending and best-sellers, are only good for their entertainment value. Always make sure that the toys you buy will teach your child a lesson(s) or a skill(s). Lastly, always check for safety. Two-year-olds play rough, and wobbly on their feet, and are always putting things in their mouths. Check for toxic material, pinching points, choking hazards, and batteries.
Are all toys educational? Not all toys are educational. In fact, most popular toys are only good for entertainment and passing time. Some toys offer more disadvantages than benefits. Some may argue that all toys teach children something, but most of these toys do not encourage learning.
Should I buy advanced educational toys for my 2 year old? When shopping for toys, it is important to consider your child’s current milestones and what they need to learn, develop, and improve. It may be tempting to buy advanced toys but it is unnecessary. You should buy educational toys that will help them with their current developmental needs. Achieving and mastering skills and milestones cannot be rushed. Focus on what they can use now, not on toys that they can’t or are not ready to use yet.
Summary
The best educational toys for 2 year old are those that will make learning a fun and meaningful experience. Two-year-olds need educational toys that will encourage language and expand their vocabulary. Parents should give their children toys that will develop their fine and gross motor skills and cognitive, social, emotional, and physical skills.
Educational toys are important tools for a child’s development but we need to remember that as parents, our active participation, attention, care, and love are more important. Toys cannot replace human interaction.