Gift Ideas for Toddlers

As a mom of three small boys, we have gone through a lot of toys in the past five years. Because we have a large extended family who buys our kids presents for birthdays and Christmas, our boys have had the opportunity to try out a lot of neat toys.

Of course they have played with some toys more than others, and some toys cost enough that you would like to know if your child would like them before you buy them so they don’t end up stuck in a box in a corner somewhere.

Our youngest son is almost two years old, and he and our two older boys have played with these toys since around their first birthday. These toys have so far stood the test of time, and have been loved by all. These gift ideas would be great for girls too, most are not gender specific toys.

A toy that my youngest son received for his first birthday is the Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Learning Letters Mailbox. This toy is appropriate for both boys and girls, and is recommended for ages 6 months to 3 years. It is a mailbox that opens and closes. It comes with several “letters” and a small package that your child can place in the mailbox. There is a slot in the top of the mailbox to put letters in, and a flag on the side that can go up and down. The mailbox plays music when you open and close the box and there are also several buttons that play music when your child presses on them. My son absolutely loves this toy. He opens and closes the door over and over again, and likes taking the mail in and out, in and out. This toy is definitely a winner in our book!

The next toy I’d like to share is the Little Tikes Discover Sounds Toolbox. This is the only toy that is more aimed at boys than girls. It is also for ages 6 months to 3 years. This is a toy we purchased for our twin boys when they were about a year old, and they have passed it down to their 1-yr-old brother. This toy is one of the most played with toys we own. We have tried several different shape sorters, but this one is by far their favorite. It is a toolbox that opens and closes. When you open it there is a tray in the middle that has different shaped holes to put the plastic shapes through. What’s neat about it is that the tray flips back and forth so you put the shapes through the holes on one side, then flip the tray to the other side and do it again. All of our boys have played and played with this, pushing the shapes through and flipping it back and forth. They love it! The toolbox plays music and lights up when you push the shapes through. The toolbox closes up so that your child can carry it around with him. There are many great shape sorters on the market you can choose from for both boys and girls.

Another favorite toy is the Fisher-Price Little People Animal Sounds Farm. This was a Christmas present that has also survived the past five years. All of our children have played with it. It is for ages 1 year to 4 years, but I think 1- to 2-year-old children will play with it the most. (However, older children can't resist when playing with younger siblings!) There are doors that open and shut that make animal sounds when open and closed. My 1-year-old really enjoys opening and closing the doors and putting the animals in the barn. We have collected a variety ofother animals and tractors, etc., during the past couple of years, and the older boys like playing with the barn along with the tractors and other farm accessories. This toy was well worth the money.

We have tried out several toy phones during the past couple of years, but the Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Counting Friends Phone is by far our boys’ favorite. This phone, like many others, makes lots of different noises when you push the buttons. The difference in this one is that there is a “phone book” at the top of the phone that your child can use to change the sounds the phone makes. This is their favorite part of the phone. The recommended age for this toy is 1 to 3 years, but it’s more for 1- to 2-year-old’s. Our son was able to change the pages of the phone book when he was 9 or 10 months old. When they are old enough to push the buttons, they will enjoy listening to the different animal sounds.

There are so many different toys for 1- and 2-year-old’s on the market today that it is hard to decide which one to buy for a child’s birthday or Christmas present. If you are buying for someone else’s child it is even harder! Hopefully these ideas will help you get started.

Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What's for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For more recipes, organizing tips, home decorating, crafts, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative Homemaking at http://www.creativehomemaking.com.

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