During this developmental phase, often dubbed “the terrible twos,” parents may observe an increase in emotional outbursts and boundary-testing behaviors. Two-year-old girls, especially, have a strong desire for independence, but their physical abilities often lag behind their aspirations, leading to feelings of frustration. However, the term “terrible” is a misnomer, as this period is crucial for neurological growth, with the brain undergoing significant development that sets the stage for the rest of their lives.
At the age of two, children experience rapid progress in speech, physical skills, and imaginative play. The gift ideas we’ve compiled in this list are designed to support and nurture these various aspects of development in two-year-old girls.
1. KidKraft Princess Table & Stool
2-year-old girls are often beginning to enjoy imaginative, princess-themed role-play. This kind of creative play is great for developing important social skills as well as improving speech and language, as speech is used to explain or narrate what is going on in the play. The KidKraft Princess Table & Stool could make an ideal gift for a little girl whoâs interested in princesses and dressing up.
As well as encouraging imaginative play this kind of gift will also support a 2-year-olds growing sense of independence and bolster her self-care skills as she sits at her mirror brushing her hair! The KidKraft Princess Table & Stool makes a great addition to a girlâs bedroom which will last many years and is very easy to assemble.
- A great addition to the bedroom
- Encourages imaginative play
- Improves self-awareness, self-confidence and self-esteem
- Easy assembly
- Promotes self-care and independence
- Large item, requires space
2. Magblock Magnetic Building Blocks
If youâre shopping for a gift that will combine learning and fun for a two-year-old toddler while also lasting for many years as they get older, this is an amazing gift to choose. These magnetic building blocks provide endless possibilities for imaginative playtime from age two up into early teen years.
The set comes in two size options, 103 pieces and 156 pieces. Though the set can be constantly expanded as toddlers grow. Not only are these building blocks a fun toy to play with, but they will also help young children develop motor skills and problem-solving skills. The magnetic design means theyâre easy to connect to each other, even for little hands, and the high-quality nontoxic plastic with rounded corners makes them a safe alternative to smaller blocks like Legos. Children of all ages find this innovative gift engaging and a great way to get creative.
- Encourages imaginative play
- Great for ages two to teens
- Improves problem-solving
- Rounded edges for safe play
- Many parts and could get messy
3. Bouncing Animal Hopper
The Bouncing Animal Hopper is an adorable inflatable unicorn that provides hours of bouncing fun for kids. Its sturdy four-legged design prevents tipping, allowing kids to safely develop balance and coordination.
Suitable for indoor and outdoor play, this hopper stimulates children’s desire to ride a real horse. Just inflate to size, hop on, grab the long ears, and bounce away! Supervised play strengthens muscles and promotes brain development.
- Cute unicorn design
- Develops balance and coordination
- Safe anti-tip design
- Indoor/outdoor use
- Adult assembly and supervision required
4. Melissa & Doug Giant Dalmatian
Even very young children love to nurture others, they can display kindness and caring behavior towards animals and younger children and soft, plush toys are a great way of encouraging this. The Melissa & Dough Giant Dalmatian is an almost life-sized plush dalmatian toy that little girls will love.
With a detailed design and life-like details, this toy is perfect for a 2-year-old girl who loves to pet dogs. The Melissa & Doug Giant Dalmation is also made using durable materials and has a washable surface so it should stand up to many years of love!
- Life-like plush toy
- Detailed design
- Durable construction
- Promotes nurturing behavior
- Washable surface
- Large toy, needs storage space
5. Melissa & Doug Farm Animals Sound Puzzle
The Melissa & Doug Farm Animals Sound Puzzle is an 8-piece wooden puzzle that teaches matching and listening skills. Each puzzle piece makes a realistic animal sound when placed correctly, with a matching picture underneath.
As children match each piece to the picture, they build visual discrimination and hand-eye coordination. The animal sounds provide aural reinforcement for independent play. This sturdy, wooden puzzle is ideal for screen-free playtime.
- 8-piece wooden puzzle
- Realistic animal sounds
- Enhances matching & listening
- Aural reinforcement
- Screen-free play
- Requires 2 AAA batteries (not included)
6. Melissa & Doug Housekeeping Set
Children love to play with what they know, and what is familiar to them and 2-year-olds especially enjoy imitating what they have seen adults doing. The Melissa & Doug Housekeeping Set is a set of child-sized housekeeping tools that will allow the child to join in with what their parents are doing around the house.
The Melissa & Doug Housekeeping set is fully functional and can help to build up childrenâs confidence as they feel part of running the household, laying down great foundations for chores as they get older! The set is also useful for imaginative play, as playing families is a popular motif at this age.
- Encourages imaginative play
- Child-sized tools
- Builds confidence
- Encourages fine motor skills
- Larger item, requires storage space
7. KidKraft Heart Table and Chairs
An ideal addition to a 2-year-olds bedroom, the KidKraft Heart Table and Chairs is likely to fit in with their décor theme and is built to last. A 2-year-old will get many years of use out of this little table and chairs set, built especially to be child-sized and versatile.
The table can be used for arts and crafts, games, tea parties and more. As she gets older and expressed an interest in drawing and learning to write the set will keep her in a good, ergonomic position for this. The KidKraft Heart Table and Chairs is easy to assemble and comes with full instructions.
- Ideal for arts, crafts, games and more
- Child-sized
- Easy assembly
- Built to last
- Large item, requiring a designated space
8. Lego Duplo Animals Adventure
Animals are a common interest for 2-year-olds who enjoy learning their names and the sounds that they make so the Lego Duplo Town World Animals Adventure would make a great gift! This set comes with 15 different animals, so there are plenty of opportunities to learn names and sounds, increasing a 2-year-olds vocabulary and imagination as they learn to role-play using the figures.
Connecting Duplo bricks is a fantastic way to improve motor skills by developing muscles in the hands, wrists and fingers and the bricks from the Lego Duplo World Animals Adventure set are compatible with all other Duplo sets so thereâs a huge potential for extending and expanding play.
- Compatible with other Duplo sets
- 15 different animal figures
- Encourages imaginative play
- Develops motor skills
- Increases vocabulary
- Does not come with storage box
9. Smoby Slide
2-year-olds are physical creatures and have plenty of energy that need to use up in a day. Finding opportunities to do this safely is key to childrenâs development and health. The Smoby slide is designed with younger children in mind, easy to assemble, durable and extremely safe and stable. Children are encouraged to play outdoors and keep active whilst improving their physical skills such as climbing and balance.
Using a slide requires a substantial amount of core strength as children contend with the different forces exerted on their bodies, which helps to build up childrenâs strength and control. As a bonus, the Smoby Slide also features a built-in hose attachment so that it can become a water slide in warmer weather!
- Designed for younger children
- Hose attachment; can become a water slide
- Easy to assemble
- Durable PVC treated to resist fading in sunlight
- Requires space to store and play
10. Baby Born Soft Touch Boy
For some reason most dolls tend to be baby girls, Baby born offers this baby boy as a way to add some diversity into imaginative role-play games. If the 2-year-old girl youâre buying for has, or will soon have, a baby brother or male cousin then this may be even more ideal, getting them used to caring for a baby boy rather than the typical girl dolls we find on the market.
The Baby Born Soft Touch Boy also has a soft body and flexible limbs that make him more lifelike, and lots of life-like functions; eating, crying real tears, going to the potty and can be bathed too. Imaginative role-play supports social skills, encouraging kind and nurturing behavior.
- Soft body doll- feels more lifelike
- Prompts imaginative role-play
- Supports the development of social skills
- Life-like functions- eats, drinks, cries, potty trains, can be bathed
- Male baby provides diversity to imaginative roleplay
- Doesnât make sounds
11. Fisher-Price Farm Set
If the 2-year-old youâre buying for is interested in animals and enjoys learning what they are called and the sounds they make then the Fisher-Price Farm Set could make an ideal gift for them With plenty of animal figures to encourage imaginative play and increase vocabulary, the Fisher-Price Farm Set is also an interactive, technology toy.
Using buttons children can access songs, sounds and phrases which improve their listening and attention skills, allow them to imitate and learn and improves their understanding of cause, effect and technology. As this set is made by Fisher-Price it is durable and built to last for years to come.
- Increases vocabulary
- Encourages imaginative play
- Songs, sounds and phrases
- Improves understanding of cause, effect and technology
- Requires batteries
12. Berg Buzzy Nitro Go Kart
Ride-on toys are a popular gift for 2-year-olds, though 2-year-old boys seem to be gifted them more frequently than 2-year-old girls so this may be the ideal gift for a little girl. The Berg Buzzy Nitro Go Kart is a ride-on toy that is designed with younger children in mind, so it will suit their physical size and needs.
The Berg Buzzy Nitro Go Kart is great for encouraging physical play and skills and increasing strength in the core and legs as children learn to sit, stabilize themselves and eventually use pedals. Pedaling and steering also help to increase coordination and control of the body. As a bonus it can be used indoors too so doesnât rely on good weather for play.
- Encourages physical play and skills
- Increases strength in core and legs
- Stable design, ideal for younger children
- Can be used indoors too
- Increases coordination
- Larger item requiring storage space
13. Hape Sea Turtle Maze
The Hape Sea Turtle Maze is a lovely wooden toy, which looks very appealing but also helps to improve fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination through the use of a magnetic maze. As children hold and control the magnetic stick, it drags the ball around a maze. The course of the maze features twists and turns, requiring children to maintain control of the stick and ball and continue to guide it around the course; this improves dexterity and builds strength and flexibility in the wrists.
This strength, flexibility and dexterity later translates into skills for writing, and whilst writing may seem a long way off yet all the foundations for this are laid down early in childhood. The Hape Sea Turtle Maze is a great toy to take along with you to keep a child entertained whilst waiting at a restaurant or in the doctorâs office.
- Wooden toy, more eco friendly
- Improves fine motor skills
- Encourages hand-eye coordination
- Ideal for travel
- Encourages independent play
- Takes practice to master; may cause frustration
14. KidKraft Vintage Wooden Kitchen
As 2-year-olds children learn through imitation and repetition, play kitchens are a great way for them to experiment with the skills they have seen their parents using in the real kitchen. The Kidkraft Vintage Kitchen comes in pink, which may match the dĂ©cor of a 2-year-old girlâs bedroom or playroom, and is built using wood making it a robust piece of equipment that is designed to last.
As a 2-year-old girl role-plays in this play kitchen they are able to act out scenes based upon their own experience of family life. Little girls will love to imitate stirring, whisking, frying and baking, and using their wrists in these ways also helps to develop strength and control needed for handwriting!
- Promotes imaginative role-play
- Child gains understanding of food preparation
- Wooden; eco-friendlier than plastic
- Built to last
- Large item; requires space to store and play
15. Playskool Sit ân Spin
This toy has remained a popular option for toddlers through many generations. Itâs easy to see why children love it. At that age, even simple pleasures like spinning yourself until you canât walk straight seems like the most fun. This sit-and-spin toy by Playskool is a great toy to let them go nuts, inside or out.
Built like traditional merigorounds, this toy brings the fun of the playground to the convenience of the living room. Though this one is safer as children can sit on the toy very low to the ground and control their own spinning speed by pushing and pulling the stationary center wheel. Whirling around not only provides them with a ton of fun, but it also improves balance and coordination and builds body strength. This toy will keep children active and entertained while building important motor skills.
- Improves upper body strength
- Encourages self-play
- Improves balance, coordination and motor skills
- Can be used indoors and outdoor
- Not collapsible- Takes up space
- Requires supervision
16. AquaDoodle Mess Free Drawing
The AquaDoodle Mess Free Drawing is the ideal gift for young children because it provides mess-free sensory play. Sensory play is very important for young children as they learn best through hands-on experience, however, sensory play can also get very messy, so a lot of parents are reluctant to provide such experiences at home. The AquaDoodle solves this problem, needing only a little water to be put into the pen for hours of drawing fun.
The AquaDoodle Mess Free Drawing set is really easy to store too, it can just be folded away! The activity activates childrenâs creativity as they explore mark-making, and it also improves their gross motor skills and understanding of cause and effect, so it is an ideal gift for a 2-year-old girl with plenty of rich learning opportunities.
- Mess-free play
- Sensory play opportunity
- Increases gross-motor skills
- Improves understanding of cause and effect
- Folds for storage
- Larger item, requires space to play.
17. Micro Scooters Mini Deluxe
Scooters are popular with children of all ages and around about age 2 a child is likely to have enough physical strength and skill to learn to scoot. Around this age they may begin to protest about being transported in a stroller, so a scooter (once mastered!) makes an ideal compromise, giving some of the independence they so desperately crave.
The Micro Scooters Mini Deluxe is especially designed for younger children, aged 2-5 years, and has a handle that can be easily adjusted to the right height and plenty of grips on the scooter deck so itâs perfect for a 2-year-old girl just beginning to learn. Scooting also helps to develop balance, coordination, core strength and control, important skills for all 2-year-olds.
- Adjustable handle height
- Suitable for ages 2-5
- Grips on deck
- Encourages outdoor physical play
- Develops coordination
- Requires protective equipment, e.g. helmet
18. Green Toys Dish Set
Green Toys aim to provide just what they say; toys that are green, as in; eco-friendly. This Green Toys Dish Set is made with recycled plastic and is safe and non-toxic; with no BPA, PVC, phthalates or external coatings. As such, the Green Toys Dish Set can be used with real food for real-life picnics and tea parties and even washed in the dishwasher afterward.
Imaginative role-play for 2-year-olds often involves repeating events from everyday life and most 2-year-olds will enjoy pretending to make and serve meals using this set of dishes and cutlery.
- Food-safe; can be used with real food
- Dishwasher safe
- Encourages imaginative play
- Made with recycled plastic
- Safe and non-toxic; no BPA, PVC, phthalates or external coatings
- 24 pieces, need storing together
19. Lego Duplo Classic Deluxe Brick Box Building Set
Lego Duplo is a popular toy for young children and with good reason; it is an excellent open-ended resource that encourages early engineering and design skills. The Lego Duplo Classic Deluxe Brick Box Building Set makes an ideal gift for a 2-year-old girl as it comes with its own storage box and some building ideas to inspire construction, yet is open-ended enough to allow for plenty of creativity.
The Lego Duplo Classic Deluxe Brick Box Building Set is also compatible with other Lego Duplo sets so it can be used as a way to expand and extended play.
- Open-ended toy
- Compatible with other Lego Duplo sets
- Encourages imaginative play
- Improves construction and motor skills
- Comes with storage box
- Will be outgrown in a few years
20. Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Food Truck
The Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Food Truck is an interactive toy with plenty of educational songs to improve childrenâs vocabulary and introduce different concepts. The music and learning start at the touch of a button, building childrenâs understanding of cause, effect and technology. There are also three different learning levels so the toy can suit the age and stage of the childâs development.
The Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Food Truck is ideal for 2-year-olds; encouraging imaginative role-play as the child pretends to sell and serve food, which also promotes social skills such as turn-taking in conversation.
- Encourages imaginative role-play
- Promotes social skills
- Educational songs
- Encourages use of technology
- Three learning levels; adapts to the child
- Requires batteries
- Requires storage space
21. Haba Rainbow Whirls Pegging Game
The Haba Rainbow Whirls Pegging Game is a lovely wooden, eco-friendly toy. Toys made of wood are favored by some educators because, as well as their long-lasting and eco-friendly properties, they allow children to be more in touch with nature as the feeling of wood in the hands provides a very different kind of sensory experience and feedback to plastic toys, which tend to be hard and cold.
Developing fine motor skills, the Haba Rainbow Whirls Pegging Game helps children to learn colors and color names and encourages sorting and categorizing through play. Sorting and categorizing are both important pre-mathematics skills.
- Develops fine motor skills
- Encourages sorting and categorizing
- Made of wood; more eco-friendly
- Helps children learn colors and color names
- Lots of pieces, easy to lose
22. VTech Rock and Ride Unicorn
The VTech Rock and Ride Unicorn is another variant of a ride-on toy that provides two different modes of play to help improve different physical skills. Improving gross motor skills and developing core and leg strength this rock and ride unicorn is a great way to burn off lots of energy.
As well as improving physical skills the VTech Rock and Ride Unicorn is also an educational toy with interactive buttons to enhance technical skills and teach colors, phrases and melodies. An ideal gift for a 2-year-old girl who loves anything to do with unicorns!
- 2 different modes; rock or ride
- Improves gross motor skills
- Develops core and leg strength
- Educational toy; teaches colors, phrases and melodies
- Enhances technology skills
- Requires batteries
- Larger item, requires storage space
23. Fisher-Price Disney Frozen Elsa’s Ice Palace
Toys based on popular movies really spark the interest of children who are fans of those movies and gives them a launching point into their play. The Fisher-Price Disney Frozen Elsaâs Ice Palace is based on the popular Disney frozen movies so a 2-year-old girl can begin her imaginative play by acting out scenes from the movie and develop her own ideas from there.
As imaginative play relies on speech and narration the Fisher-Price Disney Frozen Elsaâs Ice Palace is an ideal way to improve a 2-year-old girlâs speech and language skills. There is also the opportunity to include technology in play as this set provides lights, sounds and music at the touch of a button.
- Based on the popular Frozen movies
- Encourages imaginative play
- Develops speech and language skills
- Lights, sounds and music
- Requires batteries
24. Play-Doh Mega Pack
What child doesnât love playdough? Playdough seems to be one of those toys that have maintained its appeal through generations of children, largely due to its open-ended nature. Playdough can be used in a variety of ways and allows children to get creative and explore sensory input as they play. The Play-Doh Mega Pack is a great gift for a 2-year-old girl as it includes 36 different colors to allow for a real range of different creations to be made.
Playing with dough also has the added benefit of being extremely good for childrenâs fine motor skills; as they squeeze, pinch, poke and roll dough they are working the small muscles in their hands and fingers, strengthening them for writing much further down the line.
- 36 different colors
- Encourages fine motor skills
- Open-ended
- Improves creativity and imagination
- Sensory play resource
- Adult supervision required
25. Pretend Play Purse Set
This gift is going to have any little girl excited to play dress up and be just like the adults she looks up to. Designed to encourage pretend play, this set by Click Nâ Play includes her first purse, which features two carrying handles to carry it over her shoulder. It also includes all the necessities to go in it, like a hair brush, pretend makeup, car keys, a credit card and a smartphone. The smartphone and car keys even make interactive sounds and light up when the buttons are pressed.
This gift will help young toddlers practice putting on their makeup and grooming their own hair. It will also improve motor skills as she practices closing the zipper. Most importantly, this gift will teach her the concept of responsibility as she learns to put everything back in her purse so she doesnât lose anything. It is so cute and sheâll never want to leave home without it.
- Encourages pretend play
- Teaches responsibility
- Helps develop cognitive skills
- Interactive components for added engagement
- Multiple pieces that could get lost
26. B. Toys Parum Pum Toy Drum with 7 Instruments
Music is a very popular interest for many 2-year-olds who like to listen to, dance to, join in with and create their own music. The B. Toys Parum Pum Toy Drum with 7 Instruments is a fantastic set of varied musical instruments to encourage musical skills and experimentation.
The great thing about music is that it contributes to other important skills too such as listening, attention and differentiating between sounds. All of these are important for later literacy learning. The B. Toys Parum Pum Toy Drum with 7 Instruments is safe and non-toxic; completely free from BPA and phthalates, and also has its own built-in storage as the other instruments can be stored inside the drum itself.
- 7 Instruments to play with
- Encourages musical skills
- Develops listening skills
- Built-in storage
- BPA and phthalate free
- Made of plastic; less eco-friendly than other options
27. Fashionable Safety Grip Socks
If youâre shopping for a practical gift, these grip socks by Tiny Captain are not only going to keep little feet warm and cozy but theyâll also provide extra traction and grip for added safety while playing.
With a variety of fun and colorful designs, these cute socks will be perfect for letting little girls express their style. Though their stand-out features are the rubber grip bottoms and the integrated straps that will keep them snuggly in place as they crawl, walk or run. Theyâre available in various sizes from newborn up to five years old so they can become a staple in their daily wardrobe even as they grow. Each set comes with six fun pairs, which is great for parents who donât have time to constantly be doing laundry. For active toddlers that are always on the go, this is the ideal gift for them.
- Comes with six pairs per set
- Grip bottoms for safety
- Strap to keep socks on
- Machine washable
- Sizing can be off so check carefully
28. Learning Resources Snap ‘n’ Learn Elephants
The Learning Resources Snap ânâ Learn Elephants are an ideal learning toy for 2-year-olds with plenty of different learning opportunities from just one item. The elephants can be snapped together which helps to develop childrenâs fine motor and construction skills, and are the perfect size for small hands as they are designed with young children in mind.
Playing with the Learning Resources Snap ânâ Learn Elephants also encourage number and color recognition and experimentation with patterns and ordering, all of which are important pre-mathematics skills for 2-year-olds. Also coming with their own built-in storage these elephants are ideal for play as well as learning.
- Develops fine motor skills
- Encourages numbers and color recognition
- Promotes imaginative play
- Perfect size for small hands
- Comes with storage
- Made of plastic; less eco-friendly option
Final words
Along with the challenging parts of raising a two-year-old there is also a whole lot of fun! 2-year-old girls are extremely playful and curious and love throwing themselves into playing in different ways with different resources. In some ways this makes buying a gift for them easier as they are open to a variety of different things!
The list weâve put together here has plenty of options for toys and gifts that will delight a 2-year-old girl and all of them have something to contribute to her development too. Good luck with choosing a gift for the 2-year-old girl you have in mind!