One More Time . . . 2 Year Old Boys??

[annasmom]

I know I have asked this just recently, but two of the gifts I was going to get my ds for Christmas/Birthday (including his "big" birthday gift - he turns 2 two days after Christmas) are now off of my list for various reasons. So I would really appreciate some more suggestions.

We have a kettler and several other ride-ons, basketball hoop, train table, kitchen (although I am seriously thinking about getting him a play dishwasher), tons of balls of all shapes and sizes, wooden cars, and I am planning on buying him some more trucks and a few train engines.

So any suggestions?? Thanks so much!!

[jess_g]

Well my son is 3 and you have all his big items already. He has a train table with the tracks glued down that he just loves to play with and this christmas he is getting a wooden play kitchen and some play food and pots and pans. Another big item that your son might like is a play house to use indoors. Maybe one by Little Tykes or Step 2. I can't think of any other big toys that a 2 year old would like. The other thing that I want to get for my son is a table and chair set (but I know its not a toy!). Maybe just goto a big independent toy store and look around and see what they have. I always like seeing things in person before I buy them anyway.

Jessica.

[lmwbasye]

How about an easel and/or art supplies? Blocks? Little People toys?

[dules]

What are the two things off the list, so we know what not to suggest? :)

Mary

[annasmom]

Thanks for the suggestions so far! The playhouse is definitely an idea. I just got the Step2 catalog today, and I love the quality of their stuff! It is a little pricier than I had intended to spend though. Especially since I have already bought my dc's main Christmas gift. Santa brought an easel last Christmas, and I already have a bunch of arts supplies ordered.

The first thing off of my list is the Viking Toys bucket of vehicles. I had ordered it from kidsurplus, but it is out of stock. And the second item off of my list is a tool/work bench. After reading about the Playskool recall I have decided that it just isn't an age appropriate toy for my ds.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml06/06266.html

So far my leading contender is definitely a dishwasher, if I can find one. Or maybe a rocking chair.

[oliviasmomma]

Toddlerock chairs get great reviews on here! I was thinking maybe a crawling tunnel? (DD goes nuts for the one at playgroup.) Rocking horse? (DD is getting one for Christmas, so it is in my mind these days as the answer for everything--lol!) Playmobil sets?

[KrisM]

How about cardboard building blocks? DS loves them and uses them for train tracks :).

puzzles
an apron for helping you in the kitchen

[punrocker]

Eileen, were you looking for the 15 pc. or 30 pc. Viking Toys bucket? The 15 pc. set is available at the Lillian Vernon website for $30, which I think is a few dollars more than the KidSurplus price, but less than the suggested retail price. I bought DS's 15 pc. bucket at a local Learning Express, but they had to order it. DS especially loves the steam engine, caboose, and trailers in the set. :)

[annasmom]

Johanna, thanks for the heads up!

I am looking for the 15 piece set. I saw that LV carries it also, but I just placed an order with LV (same day as KS), and I really don't want to have to place a new order and pay additional shipping, iykwim. Who knows, I keep on getting discount codes from LV - if I get a good discount code or a free shipping, I will definitely place the order.

Does your ds like his set?? Our local toy shop carries some individual Viking vehicles, so we have a few of the small cars.

[annasmom]

Kris, I was thinking about cardboard blocks. Which do your dc prefer, the larger blocks or the smaller blocks??

[redhookmom]

Some of those big wooden trucks. The kind in the Nova Natural catalog. My son had a few when he was little. He is 7 and still plays with them. His fav is the car carrier truck.

I almost bought the big wooden crane few times but never did. I think it looks super fun and know it would be played with for years.

[Tondi G]

what about a wooden car parking garage?

http://www.kidsurplus.com/bri39608300.html

http://www.etoys.com/genProduct.html/PID/4730381/ctid/17?cpncode=11-16469743-2&srccode=cii_5784816&_e=454e6&_v=454E6F37v2wWa01065893D88

[niccig]

I'm looking for Christmas and birthday presents for DS - born on Christmas Day, he's also 2. It's tough to shop for 2 major presents at once. It would be easy if they were spread out as his interests/development would be different.

He's getting the Target toy kitchen, the 4 food groups set of MD play food and a shopping cart, cash register. I'm planning to build a shop if I can just find a bookcase, if not, he'll get the shop at his half-birthday party in June. We're visiting family for the holidays so he won't be able to play with much of this until we get home. I'll probably take some food and the cash register.

Contenders for presents under the tree, and birthday presents are:

george inflatable horse
a toy plane, probably wood
Truck or bus, probably wood
Maybe tonka truck and digger for the sandpit
OSA have a plastic truck that comes apart and has tools to take the wheels off etc, it's for 2 yr old
IQ preschool town house puzzle - you build a 3d house
Bristle blocks or similar blocks by IQ Preschool
Wooden car garage, but I'm thinking this might be better when he's older.

He probably won't get all of the above, I'll stretch it out over his half-birthday as well.

I know family are getting him a fire truck, an ikea truck that uses magnets to pick up a load, art supplies and I think an easel, a rolling back pack of either thomas or elmo - this will be his favourite present by far as he loves bags and wheels.

HTH a little.

[annasmom]

Thanks! It is hard having to buy all at once isn't it? I guess I don't have to, but I only really give my dc toys at Christmas and birthdays. I buy books and arts & crafts throughout the year.

I just picked up a bookcase from my parents' house yesterday to make a play market for my dc. I was so excited that they had an extra! My dd is getting the shopping cart and my ds is getting a cash register.

We already have a small play kitchen, but I am getting my dc a bigger one for Christmas. Your ds will love it! My ds has been playing with our kitchen since he was able to pull himself up - at about 10 months. Of course he wasn't doing pretend play then, but he still loved it!

[punrocker]

IKWYM about shipping--I ended up buying the bucket set locally because I didn't really *need* anything else at the time from KidSurplus, and didn't want to pay the $7.95 shipping for one item. So I figured I'd just buy it at Learning Express and support a local toy store, since the set would end up costing the same either way!

DS has several of the 5" vehicles (from local toy shops), which he loves, so we've been rotating the smaller vehicles from the bucket to avoid boredom. The train, passenger car, and wagons stay out all the time, though, since those seem to be his favorites. But he enjoys all the vehicles, especially the ones you can hitch together (even the boats).

[GaPeachInCA]

I posted this in another thread.

We got these bubble wands for my son for his 2nd birthday and he just loves them!
http://www.jamiko.com/

I got a set for my nephew for Christmas, he will be almost 2.

These are so much fun - adults and kids love them! DS can make 100's of bubbles at once. We went to a party where they had them last Memorial Day and DS spent over an hour playing with them, so that's when I decided to get them for him.

[GaPeachInCA]

Oh another thing my son is really enjoying now is his "band." He got the First Act Band in a Bucket from his Aunt for his birthday. We added the Melissa & Doug xylophone as well. He loves to march around playing the tambourine, or the fish. :D

[hudsonam]

My parents got DS, who will be 2 on 12/23, a Geotrax set, which I think he'll love. I'm also trying to figure out what to get him. He's getting a kitchen set, and hopefully a train table, possibly from my parents, and I'd like to get him Mr. Potato Head, and he loves Play-Doh, even though it all dries out the first day because he never wants to put it away.