(2022) The Best Gifts for 2 Year old Girls
Picking out the best gifts for 2 year old girls presents us with a world of sparkles and pink and endless ideas for imagination and pretend play.
When it comes to little girls, the saying is sugar and spice and everything that’s nice: that’s what little girls are made of!
At 2 years old, little girls are active and they are all about imaginary play, independence and figuring things out on their own. Whether they are all in on the pink, sparkles, ruffles, and glitter or love building, creating, art and outdoor play this is the perfect age to give our little one a chance to foster the life long love of learning, discovery, and creativity that will last them a lifetime through engaging, educational toys.
The good news is, there are dozens of toys on the market that make the best gifts for 2 year old girls because they appeal to their love of pretty things, their desire to create and pretend play, use up some of their boundless energy, while developing strong skills as they move through all those important developmental stages us parents look forward to as our child grows.
I have over 45 of the best toys for 2 year olds all right here for you in this article. I have sorted these gift ideas for 2 year old girls into categories that focus on each one of the types of play that developmental specialists and pediatricians recommend for providing a fun, healthy learning and growing environment for our kids so you can pick the perfect gift for a 2 year old girl who has everything!
Whether you’re looking for Christmas gifts or a birthday gift for a daughter, granddaughter or niece, these top gifts & recommendations are tried and true.
The Best Gifts for 2-Year-Old Girls
As a mama of a little girl, my ginger-haired sweetie is my daily dose of fairy dust with a heavy dose of spice to keep me on my toes.
She’s all-girl, loving rainbows and unicorns and little dollies you can put in your pocket, but she’s also never happier than when she’s catching bugs in the back yard or digging up mud to make bird nests out of.
Raising a little girl is magical, and I was always looking for ways to encourage her love and curiosity through her play in ways that would interest her and keep her busy in ways that would keep her active and engaged.
You may be like me, wondering what 2 year old birthday gifts, girl style, will be a hit with your child this year, so I’m delighted about sharing this amazing, one-stop kind of gift guide that talks about all the best toys for 2-year-old girls.
Specialists talk about how important it is to provide a variety of toys that offer unique and interesting opportunities to develop gross motor skills, hand eye coordination, fine motor skills and early language and writing skills at age 2.
With so many incredible toys created to provide educational fun for little ones, it’s hard to pick the ones that are the best to go for!
To make this easier for you, I took the guidelines from pediatric specialists and broke down the toy list into categories that include things that will encourage active play, creative play, and will be educational at the same time.
These are all so much fun and make perfect gifts for holidays and birthdays. I am confident that browsing these categories, you will find it’s easy to pick the best gifts for 2 year old girls that they will adore and grow with.
Just browse these top rated, award winning toys that are kid and parent-approved and give us so much joy to watch our children enjoy!
What You Should Consider when Picking the Best Gifts for a 2 Year Old Girl:
When my little girl was a toddler, I wanted to give her all the best tools to develop and learn important skills that would help her grow into a healthy, balanced and active child. What you want most for our little girls is to see them thrive in their environments and grow up with a love of learning and exploring.
At two years old, little girls need activity and sensory filling activity to keep them interested. When I spoke to some child development experts, they advised choosing a variety of toys to meet different developmental needs and suggested an easy checklist to refer to when choosing a new toy or finding the best gift for 2 year old girls:
- Pick some toys that let your child bring their imagination to life and give them the ability to pretend play with “real life” toys.
- Pick some toys that your child can grow with and still enjoy through more than one developmental phase.
- Pick some toys that will give them a challenge and introduce them to the educational concepts, open-ended play and skills they will use later.
- Pick some toys that provide the opportunity for problem-solving and exploring on their own.
- Pick some toys that encourage your child to move and be active.
With this expert advice in mind, I tried to create this amazing gift guide that highlights some of the very best toys for 2 year old girls that check ALL of these boxes to bring your child the highest levels of fun and satisfaction.
The Best Gifts for imaginary and pretend play
When my daughter was two, she loved doing everything right alongside me. She would bring her little stuffed bunny and would mirror my interactions with her to her favorite toy.
I would give her a few cups and some of my mixing utensils and she’d pretend to cook dinner for half the day. And the favorite thing we ever bought for her was probably the wooden playhouse I set up in the office to give her something to do while I was working.
Little girls love to do everything that mommy (and daddy!) are doing around the house. Loving on their dolly or stuffed animals, stirring up amazing concoctions in their play kitchen, 2 year old girls are full of imagination, and love to pretend play in just about every scenario in the day.
Some of the best gifts for 2 year old girls are toys that encourage imaginative play with realistic toys. This will let her develop her creative story-telling abilities as well as pretend play through real-life skills that she will one day grow into.
1. Melissa & Doug Let’s Play House Dust, Mop, Broom, dustpan with stand This realistic set of household cleaning tools is awesome. One of the best ways to teach life skills is through hands-on learning, and my 2 year old girl would go running for her broom every time I got mine out.
Her favorite thing though was to dust, and at six, she’ll still go grab her duster when we’re doing housework and go crazy dusting everything in sight–including her little brother. This is a great way to include your child in your daily routines and they will love being involved!
2. Sweetheart Playhouse Pink & White My kids absolutely love their playhouse. In the summer, it’s one-stop restaurant where I can go and order literally anything my heart desires and it’s whipped up with incredible enthusiasm in just minutes. Playhouses make one of the best gifts for 2 year old girls because they’re just old enough to really enjoy pretending and playing house, but young enough that this is an investment that will bring them years of play and fun.
I find that for something as loved as a playhouse, sturdy is always a good idea and this Step2 playhouse works indoors and outdoors which is a bonus if you live in a cold climate and need options for indoor play, as well! But, this Melissa and Dough Indoor Playhouse made from sturdy cardboard is adorable and makes a great choice as well. 
3. KidKraft Vintage Kitchen Along the same vein as a playhouse, this is one of those toys that my girl never gets tired of. We have loved the durability of our Kidkraft play kitchen and this one has a vintage touch which is just so adorable!
It’s small enough to fit into a playroom, but has a lot of details and fun touches which make it a fantastic gift for a 2 year old girl to grow with!
There are loads of play foods to choose from to go with this kitchen, but Wooden Play Food is always a great choice because it’s durable and safe for little ones.
4. Green Toys Tea Set We’re a huge fan of Green Toys and this tea set is just the right thing for your little girl’s tea parties now and for years to come.
It has such cheerful, appealing shapes and colors and it’s so durable that it will stand up to everyday play. Love that it’s dishwasher safe, so I can pop it for a quick cleaning without too much hassle!
5. Leapfrog musical rainbow tea party set What little girl doesn’t love a tea party? Leapfrog is one of the leading developers of learning toys and this adorable musical rainbow tea party set is fantastic for pretend play and for learning!
Your daughter will be able to serve tea over and over, enjoying pretend playtime while learning colors, matching, counting and manners! This is rated as one of the best toys for 2 year olds and it’s one of the top picks as a best gift for a little girl. 
6. Fisher Price Bubble Mower This is a fantastic way for your daughter to get outside for some quality time with dad while he does yard care around the house.
The bubbles are made by pushing the mower around and kids go crazy for bubbles. It’s a great combo of pretend play plus fresh air and exercise which makes it a real winner!
7. Fisher Price Laugh and Learn My Smart Purse What little girl doesn’t want her very own purse? This interactive purse is sure to entertain, plus it provides some great motor skill developing opportunities.
One of the great features of this particular toy is that it is a bilingual toy as it teaches your child a few Spanish words.
The learning content can change and grow with your child with the smart stages technology, and it’s a great pretend play and learning toy wrapped up in one amazing gift!
8. Princess Dress Up Trunk or Real Life Professions Dressup Box
Ever since she was small, my daughter loved pretending to take care of people and animals. She would wrap up their legs with socks or anything she could get ahold of.
So when I got her an outfit and a Doctors Kit, she was absolutely thrilled. She is six now and still loves getting into costume and taking care of her animals and playing vet.
But like every other little girl, she has always had a deep love for anything beautiful, and princess dresses are hard to resist. All those sparkly pieces and those shoes to try to toddle in make it a box of endless fun for every child.
9. PixieCrush Unicorn Toys Stuffed Animals This is THE PERFECT gift for your little unicorn lover! It’s all about the unicorn right now, and my daughter will carry hers around everywhere she goes.
The rainbow case is such an adorable touch, and it just makes me so happy to see her and her little friends playing with these magical, soft, and oh-so-adorable “unicorn” critters!
Best Gifts to Grow with through more than one developmental stage
Some of my best childhood memories center around my favorite toys and playing with my siblings. Seeing our children love and treasure toys that are designed to span developmental leaps brings me and other moms so much satisfaction as well.
I’ve been able to pass some of my beloved toys on to my kids and it’s just so much fun to see them playing with the things I loved as a child, too.
At 2 years old, our little ones are always busy. Sorting toys into bins, emptying and refilling, dressing and undressing dolls will provide fine motor skill opportunities now but set the stage for years of other fun childhood make-believe play that will last for years.
The toys I’ve listed here make perfect gifts for 2 year old girls because they will love and play in different ways with them over the years and make great bases for collections that they will enjoy adding to over time as they grow older.
1. Mine to Love Jenna Soft Body Baby Doll
At 2 years old, little girls are just starting to really get into loving and taking care of their baby dolls. But they also love soft, huggable babies and this doll is perfect for hugging and loving on.
It’s just the right size for little hands and inspires hands-on imaginative thinking, empathy and other nurturing skills that are important in life and in motherhood.
This Jenna doll can be paired with feeding and changing toys and little outfits as your daughter gets older. A lot of moms in my circles prefer to start their kids out with anatomically correct baby dolls, and the best ones I’ve found are made by Rifi.
2. Learning Resources Dinosaur Counters
My daughter spent hours playing with plastic dinosaurs and animals. As a toddler, she would carry them in her pocket and bury them in the yard when I wasn’t looking and want me to find them for her.
As she grew, how she played with them changed and developed, but her plastic toys are still some of her favorites! If dinosaurs aren’t your daughter’s thing, we love the other animal sets from Learning Resources as well!
The jumbo farm, domestic, jungle and zoo animals make the perfect collection that will see years of play and fun. 
*Note: I especially love this series for toddlers because they are chunkier and avoid choking hazards that smaller plastic toy sets might create.
3. Fisher-Price Little People Suprise & Sounds Home Playset
Your little girl will love this dollhouse. It’s colorful, interactive, durable, and it folds up with the accessories inside for easy storage. It’s chunky and safe for small children, and you will find that it is quickly the favorite toy!
4. Calico Critters Sandy Cat Family
Okay, I have to be really honest. When I first bumped into calico critters, I fell in love.
I wanted them so badly but I didn’t have any reason as a single 20’s something woman to start filling my house with the adorable little family sets.
When I found out years later I was having a girl, one of the first things I thought of was getting her some of these adorable Calico Critters to play with in the dollhouse I had as a kid.
These family sets are just the cutest. They are just right for little hands to play with now, and as your daughter gets older you can add the accessories and houses that she may not be quite ready to play with yet but will grow into and LOVE in just another year or two.
5. LEGO DUPLO Disney Frozen Ice Castle Building Blocks (#1 HOT new release!!)
There is nothing better than Lego Duplo for letting our kids run with their imagination and creativity. I love watching my kids discover building concepts, and come up with their own designs.
This is a fantastic toy because it’s excellent for fine motor skills and coordination building in 2 year olds but older kids love playing with them as well so it makes a great multi-age toy and gift.
I love adding just a few of the sets to our big basic box of LEGO DUPLOs for birthday gifts or holiday gifts. This Frozen themed set is HOT this year and is an adorable addition for a little girl who loves princesses and Disney!
P.S If you are buying LEGO DUPLOS for the first time, you may want to grab a building base as well!
7. JellyCat Blossom Jasmine Bunny
I fell in love with the JellyCat brand before my oldest was born.
It fits in her arms so comfortably and is so soft and huggable. It is the stuffed animal that goes everywhere with her, and the one she’ll remember when she’s grown up fondly.
Jellycat has a whole collection of adorable critters, but this purple bunny just really melts my heart! 
Best Gifts for 2 year old girls that will challenge them and introduce them to skills they will need later (like reading and numbers)
1. VTech Touch and Learn Activity Desk
When it comes to early learning, award winning toys for early education like this one are at the top of their game. This interactive table is one of the top rated, most searched for learning toys on the market right now and for good reason.
Your child can learn more than 160 new vocabulary words, and there are more than 30 activities that they can enjoy, as well as many other cool options.
If you are looking for the hottest learning toy for your child, this is going to be it! 
2. Play-Doh Numbers, Letters, N’ Fun
I don’t know about you, but my daughter adores play-doh.
It’s the perfect thing for sensory play, and it encourages creativity and imagination.
But it’s also an amazingly fun learning tool as well, when you combine it with these super fun play doh stamps that will introduce your girl to letters and numbers while she plays.
3. Very Hungry Caterpillar Lacing Cards
Oh my goodness. My kids love Eric Carle and the very hungry caterpillar.
So these bright colored lacing cards bring a familiar face into their playtime. Lacing cards are incredible for fine motor skills and for hand eye coordination.
They help with sequences and they strengthen key muscles that will be needed when preschool comes around!
Plus, at 2 years old, the “figure it out myself” side of our kids just really thrives on simple challenges like these!
4. Color matching wooden puzzle
Your child will have so much fun swimming these fishes to their respective colorful homes and naming off the colors with you. This is a classic, must-have learning toy.
Learning to recognize colors is a blast with these fishy shapes and it’s a great introduction to the puzzle-solving skills that will be so important later on, as well.
5. Counting Ladybugs Montessori Wooden Educational Toys
How adorable are these counting ladybugs? I love wooden toys for my children.
They are durable, can last the “I’m not coordinated enough to be really careful” stage and usually can be used in several ways to maximize the fun.
I love that these ladybugs are just the right size for little hands to easily grasp, and yet big enough that they aren’t a choking hazard. You can count the dots, and turn the ladybug over to see the number.
This is perfect for teaching your child their numbers, and doubles as a great quiet, busy toy on the go! Definitely a must-have educational toy for 2 year olds!
6. Melissa and Doug Sound Puzzles: Numbers and Letters These Melissa and Dough Sound puzzles are some of our absolute favorites! Match the number or letter shape to its proper place and it triggers the sound that tells the letter or number name.
It’s a really great, but more simple option to electronic learning toys that lets little ones play independently and learn on their own! My kids really love this set and it’s the perfect gift for any 2 year old. 
7.Wooden Toy Shape Color Sorting Clock
My 2 year old is obsessed with “tick-tocks”, as he calls clocks. This wooden shape sorter doubles as your little girl’s first introduction to telling time. Perfect for Montessori style learning, so if you are building a Montessori style playroom, this is something you’ll want to put on your gift list for your 2 year old!
8. Dab and Dot Markers WASHABLE!
We love our dot markers. There are so many incredible and fun dot marker activities floating around on pinterest. These are perfect for little hands to grasp. A really great start to learning and creative thinking!
9. Honey Sticks Beeswax Crayons
Is my kid the only one that won’t stop tasting their crayons? I was super happy with these beeswax crayons. They are chunky, so they don’t break. They don’t have a paper wrapper on them to get peeled off. But they are perfect for your budding little artist to express themselves in color with!
Best Gifts for problem-solving and exploring on their own.
1. Fat Brain Toys Lalaboom Snap and Twist Together Beads
The first time I saw these lalabloom toys by Fat Brain, I was super impressed. The intriguing shapes, textures and endless mixing and matching possibilities make this the perfect toy for exploring and problem solving.
I love that it offers sensory exploration, creativity and motor skills all in one engaging, super fun bundle! If you have a little one who needs to keep busy figuring things out, you’ll want to get this for her!
2. Jumbo Lacing Beads When I first tried out lacing beads with my 2 year old girl, she had more fun playing with the beads on their own. But once she realized she could make a chain, she was hooked. These are a great way to encourage solo play and problem solving. 
3. Music Maker Box Set
I’m all about letting children discover and explore in as many ways as they can. These music toys were a hit with both of my 2 year olds. They loved being able to figure out how to make noise with the instruments and would dance their little hearts out while making a joyful noise!
4. Award Winning Hape Walk A Long Snail Shape Sorter
This is one of the best toys for 2 year old girls or boys! It combines the fun of pull-along toys with the learning and exploring shape sorter to hold their interest as they sit and try out new things. I love toys like this for 2 year olds because they sort of maximize the fun that can be had with one toy!
My first paper doll was a little kitty with six outfits that I could mix and match. I loved it and was so excited to get my little girl her first paper doll. This magnetic dress-up doll is such a fun toy for exploring and trying things out! Your little girl will be delighted at the chance to make believe, and it builds motor skills as they figure out how the pieces go together on the doll.
6. Playskool Explore ‘n Grow Busy Gears ( Amazon Exlcusive)
Here’s a great toy for discovering cause and effect. Your little girl can grasp and turn the gears to create lights, music and movement! It’s one of those toys that is guaranteed to bring hours of discovery and fun. It’s one of the top choices for many parents!
Best Gifts that encourage active, energy-burning playtime
1. Piano Musical Keyboard PlayMat
Little girls love to dance. This musical playmat is an amazing way to get the wiggles out in an interactive, exciting way that your 2 year old will ask for over and over again! 
2. Princess Ball Pit and Pretty Ball Pit Balls
This princess themed ball pit was THE toy my little girl loved the most. It combines a ball pit, playhouse, and tunnel and kept her moving and exploring and wearing off some energy for hours. It’s a really great option for indoor and outdoors and helps with keeping our little people active regardless of the weather!
Two is the perfect age for learning the crucial balance skills that will be useful for learning to ride a real bike down the road! This strider bike is one of the best for smaller children and is adjustable to grow with them so it worked well for my short legged 2 year old until they were ready for a pedal bike. Lots of colors to choose from, so you can pick the perfect gift out for your little girl!
We loved this bowling set. Nothing gives my toddlers the giggles quite like knocking things over, and having a toy that keeps them active and having fun is a huge win for them– and for us! This is another great indoor/outdoor active play toy, and I love having that flexibility, depending on the weather and the season!
5. Fisher-Price Pink Corn Popper Toy
This toy is on my “must-have” list for 2 year olds. The ball-popping sound intrigues them, and it keeps them walking, pushing and laughing. It works well on the smooth paved area under our carport as well as indoors and my 2 year old plays with it daily!
This folding trike is so much fun for your 2 year old. It’s sturdy and easy to push along with feet or with the pedals. And it has a cubby for all the favorite toys and goodies we find along the way. It’s easy to fold and store when not in use if you want to keep it out of the way.
7. Real Wood Ride On Plus Rocker
This has to be the cutest rocking horse I’ve ever seen. It’s sturdy and built for small people to use and enjoy over and over again. And if your little girl is anything like mine, unicorns are all the rage. This is the perfect gift for a little girl who has everything else already! 
Books Make the Best Gifts for a 2 Year Old Girl Who Has Everything
When you are picking out a unique gift for a 2 year old girl who has everything already, it can be a struggle to find the right thing.
But here’s the thing about books: there are endless options to choose from, they encourage important learning skills, and they give us a chance to spend one on one time with our little one, connecting and exploring together in a very special way that only books can provide.
Books are some of my top favorite gifts for children, and these are a few that my little bookworm girl adores!
Ruby is a little girl who always is looking for “just one more” of whatever she has or is doing. But one day “just one more” is one too many, and Ruby learns that sometimes being content with “just one” is enough…except when it comes to bedtime kisses.
This is adorably written and illustrated and we’ve read it dozens of times!
This is one of our favorite series of board books. Usborne has so many amazing, engaging books for toddlers and this touch and feel book is one of our top picks at story time!
Each bunny has a unique reason why it’s not “mine”, but in the end, we find our bunny pal. I highly recommend this or any other “That’s not my…” book in the collection!
Eric Carle is a favorite in our house.
The Very Busy Spider, The Hungry Caterpillar, The Lonely Firefly. We have them all and they make frequent appearances during read-aloud time.
This collection is a great start to your 2 year old’s personal library and they’ll love the colorful illustrations and simple, but engaging stories!
This super classic book is the perfect bedtime story. Someone is determined to snuggle up in something a little more cozy than the zoo-bed, and my kids get a kick out of the page with the eyes on it every time we read this!
5. On the Farm Interactive Story Book
My kids adore anything interactive when it comes to storybooks. This book lets you help each animal find it’s way home on each page. The little rhyming story is so adorable, too.
You’ll love it and so will your kids!
Do you love freebies? You’ll want to see this article about how to get free books for babies by mail!