40 fun and educational gifts for 2-year-olds, as recommended by experts

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• Two-year-olds are fun and creative, but they can also be extremely opinionated about the toys, games, and activities they enjoy.
• Buying a gift for a 2-year-old can be easier than you think if you know what you're looking for.
• The best gifts for 2-year-olds are ones that are both fun and educational.
• We compiled 40 gifts for 2-year-olds, based on testing with my 2-year-old daughter and interviews with experts.

Two-year-olds are fun, imaginative, and curious. They strive to be fiercely independent as they navigate the world and mimic the adults around them.

Two-year-olds are also natural learners; their brains are primed to soak up every bit of language and information in their environment. All of these traits make buying gifts for 2-year-olds pretty simple if you know what to look for.

My 2-year-old and I have tested many of the gifts on this list. I also spoke to five experts to get their insight: Sarah MacLaughlin, senior writer and training specialist at Zero the Three; Munir Shivji, executive director of the American Montessori Society; Joanna Faber and Julie King, authors of "How to Talk so Little Kids Will Listen"; and Dani Burg, owner and director of preschool Little Wings of Atascadero.