OT- I need some help with toys for a 2yo boy

[sdoll]

For what ever reason I am the worst toy buyer in America. My son turns 2 on friday and I have no idea what to get him. Why is this so hard? I rarely buy toys as my sister gives me a lot of her kids old toys. But he is definately in need of some new toys. Any suggestions....

 

[Princess Roo]

My 27 month old is really into all sorts of role-play/make-believe toys right now...the play kitchen and play tools/toolbench especially. We also just got him an easel he loves - ToysRUs has some of those on sale right now for great prices. He also loves the Little People toys and of course balls and cars of all shapes and sizes. I think 2 years olds are pretty easily pleased by many toys

 

[MinnieGi]

My 2yo loves almost any toy. He particulary likes any vehicle toys, anything he can make "go." He has a vast collection of cars, trucks, boats, trains, planes etc.

He also LOVES tools. For Christmas he got the Step 2 workbench set. It was a big hit. It has a set of tools, nails etc and comes with wooden looking pieces that he can really put together to make things like a carry tote or birdhouse etc. Another big winner at Christmas was his Home Depot ride-on with operable scooper. It also came with a construction hat. My son is a big Bob the Builder fan so he also has lots of those DVD's. Bob seems to be a big 2yo favorite from other friends we know.

My DS also really likes Thomas. We had already bought a big Thomas set with table for his older sister when she was 2. But if you don't have a Thomas set, this might be the birthday to start if he is into trains.

I really don't think you can go wrong for a 2yo as long as the toy is age appropriate.

 

[daisyduck123]

If he likes Thomas the Tank, that gets my vote.
My DS got the train table with train sets for his 2nd birthday....he played with that thing for several years!!

 

[kathie859]

My DGS first love was Elmo....and that was easy finding Elmo related things for him.
THEN it was Thomas....he STILL loves Thomas and has a train table (it used to be in the middle of my living room ). Over the past few years he's branched out to all the books, the related train characters and equipment.
Now he's getting into animals and bugs. ANY type of animal, including dinosaurs, farm animals, wild animals, bugs of all sorts.

At two, he might enjoy easy to use building blocks, any type of vehicle like a car, dump truck, train to push around. And if he has a special character that he likes, a stuffed version might be nice.

 

[lilallybean]

Get him a big empty box!

 

[MSSANDRA]

I love open ended toys. Building things like duplo/legos, wooden blocks, toddler building sets etc.

Lot of art stuff. Great age for finger paints, jumbo crayons, chalk etc. Play dough is great too.

Maybe a new ride on toy. little tykes is great. A swing set?? Or just a toddler swing to hang somewhere?

Be sure to check the age limits on all toys. Even though he might be smart/ advanced those ages are there for a lot of different reasons and need to be followed.

 

[trulygoofy]

We got our DS a craftsman work table and tools (they look like they are real) from KB toys online and he still loves them and is almost 3. He also likes to throw balls around. They also have basketball goals that grow with kids. Electric cars are good too, but they are expensive.

 

[trulygoofy]

I forgot one...DS likes his John Deere wagon.

 

[MNdisneymom]

...My now 4 yo DS started getting into trains at that age. He has the Take Along Thomas stuff (not the expensive wooden ones, the stuff you can get at Target). Also popular (still, at 4 years!) are Fisher Price Geotrax...he might not be able to do them by himself now...but it's such a wonderful system and there are so many different ways to play with them, I really strongly recommend them.

Also, how about FP Little People? My DS is too old for them now (at least he says so) but there is a cool looking little pirate ship in that line right now.

 

[stacy6552]

Oh no question. Bob the Builder. All the boys here became obsessed with Bob the Builder (and his taking trucks) at 23 months, like clockwork.

 

[MomNeedsVacay]

Take him to the toy store and see what he veers toward....

 

[nessz79]

Seconding some of the suggestions:
Thomas train
Any kind of building toy
Ride ons

 

[BuzzandAriel'smom]

Little Tykes Cozy Coupe! All kids love these cars. Extra fun if you get the gas pumper too!

 

[Hannathy]

Since I have a second grade boy I can tell you what toys lasted-as far as what he wanted to play with- the longest.

The wooden trains- Thomas, Brio played with for years and then you always have something to buy since there is a million things

The FP little people like the ship or the especially the parking garage if they still make it, that got lots of play time,

Playmobil ! Anything their stuff is great and they make a wonderful line for toddlers. alot like FP but nicer. They have a train, farm, cars etc. My son loved his and then as he got a bit older moved onto the regular Playmobil and still plays with it, has the castle, train, crane, vikings, etc.

 

[Golden Rose]

My 2 year old boy loves the Fisher Price little people, too. We've got the pirate ship, castle, farm, house, and zoo... he likes different ones different days. He also really likes the GeoTrax train system (also Fisher Price.) His Mommy and Daddy also like the GeoTrax system, and can build some really cool routes for the trains.

We're trying to encourage a love of books, and he really likes the Spot board books with flaps he can lift to see the picture underneath. He also likes the Sandra Boyton books.

The other thing he plays with a lot are Melissa & Doug wooden puzzles. He has really enjoyed their different puzzles (for different ages) for a lot of the last year.

 

[susykt4]

DS4 never tires of wooden trains. At 2 he loved trains, trucks and play doh. The neighbor boy who just turned 2 LOVES to run around pushing big trucks. He also loves our Little Tikes tee ball set and plays with our Fisher Price Imaginext safari animals that have a plane and truck in the set all the time.

 

[wishtdream]

Get him a big empty box!

I second this most kids will play with a box longer than anything you could go buy in TRU.

I would ask him what he wants you may be surprised at the answer. My dd asked for fishies for her second birthday. She will be five in September and still takes care of her fishies their names this week are Goldie, nemo and pleko.

 

[pooksma]

The Geotrax is awesome and easy for little fingers to work. Our DS (now 6) also liked ride on toys and musical ones. My dad (curse him) even bought DS a little set of drums when it was his second Christmas.

 

[sdoll]

Thank you so much for all the responses. I feel really silly. Its not that my son does not have toys. I just never have to buy them. my sisters kids are older and she jokes that she has a PHD in toys. She loves to buy them and has spent a fortune on her kids so we have a lot of stuff already. She just gave us the tool shop that our son is loving now. He also has a ton of ride on toys already. I think I need to bite the bullet and buy a train set for my son. He is in love with his small train set he has already. My son has little interest in TV. or should I say anything other than the Wiggles. He is obsessed. We have tried to introduce him to new shows but no luck. My husband and I walk around all day singing songs from the wiggles it can get quite annoying. I just did not want the clutter of a train set. Oh well I guess it is worth it.