As 2-year-old boys are in the key stages of their development, it's so important to encourage their learning in the best way possible - through playing with their toys, of course. If you're looking for the best toys for 2-year-old boys that are both educational and entertaining for the little boy in your life, there are a few things that you might want to consider.
You might have noticed that he's starting to work on key skills like coordination and communication to name a few. So, with that in mind, we've put together a list of the best toys that'll allow 2-year-olds to develop all of the skills they'll need for their inquisitive minds.
From number games to musical instruments, watch as his imagination comes to life. We've even included a few familiar faces, with toys like Peppa Pig and Paw Patrol, that we guarantee 2-year-old boys will know and love. Above all, you can be assured that they're learning through their play.
10 of the best toys for 2-year-old boys:
Best toy to encourage active play
www.ikea.com
Motor skills and hand-eye coordination are important skills for a developing 2-year-old. Encourage him by playing a game of catch or football. The best part is that this plush football is perfect for playing indoors on those rainy days. Plus, it won't damage furniture or cause any accidents. Cheap and cheerful, what more could you need?
Reviews: "Excellent purchase for the little one, light for them to handle and throw."
Pros
- Affordable
- Endless possibilities
- Involve the whole family
Cons
- May get bored after a while
Best toy to encourage construction skills
Encourage their problem-solving skills with this set of building blocks. With 60 blocks of different colours to choose from, your little boy can build anything he can put his imagination to and the possibilities are endless.
Reviews: "Brought for my 2-year-old grandson he loves them, lovely colours and he builds the blocks up he can pull apart without any problems. They are sturdy when building a wall. I recommend it if your child likes playing with blocks and building with them."
Pros
- Fantastic value for money
- Encourages construction skills
- Great for playing alone or with others
Cons
- We can't think of any
Best toy to keep them entertained
Keep your little boy entertained with this colourful car ramp toy. It's a necessity for any 2-year-old's toy box especially if they love cars. Help fine-tune his motor skills and awareness of colour and shape through play.
Reviews: "Great toy, my 2-year-old can sit for a long time playing with it. I love the fact that there are garages at the bottom. Good quality and I feel it will last a long time."
Pros
- Plenty to do
- Real life roleplay scenarios
- Encourages awareness of colours, numbers, shapes
Cons
- Smaller than expected for some
Best toy to encourage roleplay
www.argos.co.uk
Encourage your 2-year-old boys' imagination with the perfect roleplaying toy. It'll help all the skills he'll need in future, like cooking, washing up and telling the time. Watch him as he becomes the chef of his own cafe or the best cook in the family. Great for playing alone and with friends.
Reviews: "Perfect for my little 2-year-olds. They love to play with this cooking me eggs for breakfast."
Pros
- Great for playing alone or with friends
- Encourages awareness of time
- Develops essential skills
Cons
- Smaller than expected
Best toy for cuddling
www.argos.co.uk
If there's one thing we know about 2-year-olds, it's that they're big on Peppa Pig. This soft plush toy from Argos is the ideal cuddle companion. The fact that George talks will encourage little man's language development, too.
Reviews: "I bought this for my 2-year-old boy for Christmas, and he hasn't put it down. It's the best buy I've ever gotten in a very long time."
Pros
- Glows in the dark
- Encourages speech development
- Comforting cuddly toy
Cons
- No reviews yet
Best toy for getting creative
With absolutely no mess and no clean up involved, this genius toy allows your 2-year-old to draw, colour and create without any stains getting on your brand new carpet! He will love using the Aquadoodle mat, again and again, to show off his creative flair.
Reviews: "The best thing I have ever bought for my son. You fill up the little pen with water then draw for as long as you want. Once there is no more space to draw, you simply take your hairdryer and dry the thing in seconds and continue drawing. Endless fun and more importantly, no mess!"
Pros
- Encourages imagination and creativity
- Educational with alphabet, numbers, animals on the mat
- No mess
Cons
- Pen may dry out
Best educational toy
A fun way to incorporate learning into play, this toy bus teaches letters, numbers and songs. They'll have endless fun playing bus driver, all while learning on the job!
Reviews: "My 2-year-old nephew absolutely loved this. So many tunes combined with learning alphabet, words, numbers and counting and glad that it plays 'The Wheels on the Bus' song as well. The only thing that would have made this faultless is if the tunes had lyrics as well rather than just music. Other than that, fantastic."
Pros
- Introduces letter, numbers, colours etc.
- Musical toy that captures their attention
- Can be wheeled around
Cons
- May be a little loud
Best toy for sorting
Teach your child colours, shapes and problem-solving skills when playing with this construction mixing truck. Your 2-year-old boy will adore this plaything that's both educational and fun.
Reviews: "An ideal toy for a 2-year-old boy."
Pros
- Encourages their gross motor skills
- Encourages recognition of colour and shape
- Problem solving toy
Cons
- May be challenging for some
Best musical toy
www.notonthehighstreet.com
Nurture his musical abilities with this frog pull along with the xylophone. Familiarise him with animals, sound, colour and movement all at once! Watch as he becomes a musical prodigy and finds so much enjoyment in creating new sounds.
Reviews: "He loved it so much. Playing with it straight away."
Pros
- Can be personalised
- Encourages musical ability
- Can be pulled along
Cons
- Personalisation is only up to twelve characters
Best toy for on the go
www.argos.co.uk
Great for growing riders, this trike from Argos includes some familiar faces that your 2-year-old boy will know and love. With the help of Paw Patrol, he'll be moving in no time. This toy is best for independent, adventurous and curious little boys as it develops their motor skills and coordination. As it comes with a stabilising third wheel and a parent handle, this makes it toddler friendly, too.
Reviews: "I bought this for my 2-year-old boy for Christmas, and he loves it."
Pros
- Basket at the back
- Three wheels for stability
- Includes a handle for parents to hold
Cons
- Must be used with parent supervision
How we test and choose recommended products
Our product recommendations are based on a combination of real-world testing from our burgeoning army of mum testers and the extensive knowledge of our experienced editorial team and product specialists. Where we can, we also consult experts who specialise in that field to ensure you get the right advice along with the right product, and we listen to what you say as well.
Our thriving mum community on our Facebook group #mumtribe consistently provides great insights into which products mums like best and why, helping us highlight the products that will meet your needs.
For essential products, our annual Mother&Baby Awards shortlist the top products tested. Full reviews from our mum testers can be found on our product pages. The winners and runners-up for each category will also appear in our top picks article for that product, along with other products that were rated highly by our team.