How to Buy Gifts for a Two/Three Year-Old Child

How lucky you are to have a toddler in your life! At this age, they finally understand the whole gift concept, and their excitement at seeing a wrapped box is completely contagious. Although you can never be quite sure if they’re going to like the box more than the toy itself, it’s always fun to give a present to a little guy. Here’s a guide to finding the perfect gift for your favorite toddler.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Arts & crafts
• Entertainment
• Ride on toys
• Dress-up clothes
• Pretend toys

1. Check out arts and crafts. Kids this age love to write and draw. I’m a huge fan of Crayola Color Wonder products, my favorite being their marker and coloring book sets. The markers only write on the Color Wonder paper. Aquadoodle is great; kids write on a mat with markers filled with water. When the mat dries, the markings go away and they can start all over again. Magnadoodle is another mess-free creative outlet.

2. Pick up something entertaining. Stick to DVD’s of television programs instead of the latest blockbuster animated feature out on video. Kids 2-3 years old will sit still enough to watch a 20-minute episode, but most won’t watch an entire movie at one time. Toddlers prefer the familiar also, and often would rather watch a show they already know than something new. Also, toddlers want to see their favorite shows on demand, and can not understand that the Wonderpets isn’t available for viewing 24/7, so a DVD can be a life saver in a pinch!

3. Music CD’s are wonderful for traveling in the car. My kids are always eager to hop in and buckle up because of the music we listen too while we ride. I highly recommend any of Laurie Berkner’s CD’s for children. However, music does not have to be geared especially towards children … kids like anything with a good hook and a peppy beat.

4. Toddlers love anything they can ride on. It could be a plastic horse with wheels, a tricycle or big wheel with pedals, a rubber hop ball, or a Sit-n-Spin. And if there’s a big brother or sister in the house, a toddler can even learn to maneuver a scooter like a pro.

5. Look for dress up clothes. Take a stroll through the toy section of any large discount store and you’ll see princess and fairy costumes everywhere. Dress up clothes for boys may be a little harder to find, but worth the trouble. Give a boy a cape and a mask and he’ll zoom around the house for hours.

6. Pretend toys are great. Little kids start giving their toys voices around this age. We like Little People sets at our house. Fat little plastic figures come in sets with sturdy plastic houses, farms, castles, pirate ships, planes, buses, you name it! These sets are durable, have neat sound effects, and do not come with a lot of little parts for kids to swallow.

Tips & Warnings

• 2-3 year old girls almost always like baby dolls.
• 2-3 year old boys almost always like cars and trucks.
• It’s completely normal for boys to like babies and girls to like cars!
• Boys and girls both like: block sets that look like oversized Legos, train sets, play kitchens
• Always look at toy packaging to see if it’s age appropriate. A toy intended for a five year old may frustrate a younger child, or simply not hold his attention.
• Stay away from sets with lots of little parts. Such small parts may pose a choking hazard for younger siblings. Also, little parts never ever stay together.
• Don’t waste money on stuffed animals.
• Don’t worry about buying something the kid already has. We leave duplicates at grandparents’ houses so they’ll have something neat to play with when they visit.

[Punkuns]

on 12/26/2008 Great gift buying tips, thank you!

[Alishamitchum]

on 12/24/2008 Wonderful ideas!!