9 Educational Toys for 2-Year-Olds

Reviewed and approved by the psychologist María Alejandra Castro Arbeláez.

Written by Marisol Rendón Manrique

Last update: 27 December, 2022

Below you’ll find a list of educational toys for 2-year-olds that will help your little one discover and interact with the world.

Playful activities allow children to communicate, have fun and develop their skills. That’s why it’s so important to choose the right toys.

Although there are millions of options to choose from on the market, not all are suitable for young children.

Toys should be useful for them to exercise their motor, cognitive and social skills while having a good time.

The best educational toys for 2-year-olds

1. Art materials

Paints and markers are wonderful tools to teach colors and how they are made. With these types of elements, you can teach your child the relationship of cause and effect as he explores.

Naturally, you can also take the opportunity to develop the child’s creativity.

2. Puzzles

By age 2, children can begin to interact with puzzles and identify the parts and the whole.

Puzzles are good for developing attention. To start, use only 2 to 5 pieces, and then gradually increase in complexity.

3. Dresses, accessories and costumes

An effective way for children to let their imagination fly is to allow them to dress up. Role play in a healthy environment allows us to understand how our children see the world. 

Don’t give away Halloween costumes. Keep them and use them for your children’s playtime.

4. Interactive books

Right now you can find books for sale that have real-world sound effects. Others feature pop-up pictures, with textures and interactive elements.

With this type of educational toy, your child will have one more reason to love reading.

From a young age, you can teach them that every book holds a universe to discover.

5. Building blocks

Considering that your baby is in the process of motor development, this educational toy is ideal for him. Little by little, he’ll manipulate the blocks you give him with more skill.

At this point it’s important to emphasize that the blocks must be large in size when played with by young children.

This will prevent them from eating the blocks, and will make it easier for them to pick them up and fit them together.

6. Tools that simulate everyday life

A tool kit, a kitchen set, a play-doh ice cream machine… with these real-life objects, children can train to interact with their environment. 

They’re also useful to establish relationships, communicate and improve their motor development.

7. Sorting toys

There are many objects designed to develop several basic areas of knowledge at the same time. For example, there are buckets to sort animals, letters, numbers, fruits or colors.

In addition to exercising fine motor skills, these toys represent an opportunity for your child to expand his vocabulary.

8. A tricycle

Children of this age also need to strengthen their gross motor skills, coordination and balance.

A tricycle is an effective and fun way to do a little exercise and put those skills into practice.

Taking a family ride on bicycles and tricycles is ideal for strengthening emotional bonds and stimulating the body.

9. Wire labyrinths

The goal of this toy is to move pieces from one side of the maze to the other.

It’s a pre-mathematical game that makes the two hemispheres of the brain coordinate and work as a team. It also improves children’s spatial perception.

Encouraging your child to learn from the first years of life is a task that depends on you.

With these educational games for children, you can achieve enormous progress in your child’s development.

Take the time to play and have fun to stimulate all the potential within your child.