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Between birthday parties and holidays, we shop for A LOT of presents for toddlers and I pride myself on getting texts from friends saying that our gift was the favorite out of all party gifts. And I wanted to share all of the recommendations to help you find the best gifts for toddlers so you can be the star gift-giver too!

Some of these gifts are items we have gotten for our little girl who is turning 2 this year, but obviously not all of them because we are not the Carter-Knowles family and do not have room for individual play wings in our home for each child. And I am a big fan of simplicity.

These gifts will work well for toddler girls or boys and this should make your Christmas and birthday shopping easier!

THE BEST GIFTS FOR TODDLERS

1.Melissa & Doug Ice Cream Scoop Play set – We are currently in the age of kitchen make-believe and this gift is a hit. This is my current go to for all parties since you can get in on Amazon and it is under $20

Let’s Clean Play Set! – We don’t have one, but it will be wrapped up for Kinsley’s birthday. Our friends have one of these for their little boy and every time we go over to their house, K makes a beeline for this broom and dustpan set. She will spend the entire playdate pretending to mop the floors. I don’t know where she gets it from, but I plan on channeling that desire to clean well in to her teenage years.
Water Wow Reuseable Activity Pads – If you love your friends, get them some of these activity books. Kids can color with a water pen, which magically reveals color on the activity page. Once the page dries, kids can do it all over again! No mess, and endless amounts of fun. We use these for travel or for afternoon play time and I don’t ever want to live without them.
4. Draw in the Tub Crayon Pack – These are great for stocking stuffers or to add to a birthday gift. We are always looking for ways to make bathtime a little more fun (and less splashy) and these crayons seem like a good idea!
Little Tykes Cozy Coupe – At this point, K thinks she is Jeff Gordan anytime she finds a wheel. So this is going to be her big Christmas present this year and I am positive she is going to love it. This is a staple in every toddler household and I love that the Cozy Coupe is still going strong since we were kids!
VTech Touch and Learn Activity Table – If you want to stay away from screen time but still want to have a few minutes alone to yourself, this may be a gift to both you and your toddler. And the Amazon posting boasts “Frustration Free Packaging” so that sounds cool too.
Teepee Kids Tent – ARE THESE NOT THE MOST ADORABLE THINGS EVER? I think the play TeePee is to our kids the way the Princess Bed Canopy was to our generation. But these seem sturdier. And they make 10/10 Instagram pics more likable (studies show).
Kids Amazon Fire HD Tablet – Lord bless our parents and the lives they lived as parents without portable TV’s. We bought one of these for K before we took an 8 hour flight to Hawaii and let me tell you, I (and the passengers seated around us) wanted to write a thank-you note to Amazon for this product. I love that it comes with a protective case and so far we have found ours to be toddler proof. Plus, with Amazon Prime we can watch Daniel Tiger episodes non stop.
Kids Table & Chairs Set – You can use these for your play room or in the kitchen and your child will love it. We use our table as K’s dining table and she feels like such a grown up when she sits down for dinner. My parents have one and they cover it with drawing paper and let K color on it when she comes to visit. A great gift that will last for years!
Toddler Sized Picnic Table – A friend of ours has one like this and I almost can’t handle how cute it is. Think of all the fun you can have with a tiny table that is perfect for OUTDOOR finger painting!
Large Magic Water Doodle Mat – I have white walls all over my house so I am TERRIFIED of the day when crayon makes it on to one of my nice clean white paint. Which is why I always hunt for art items that are mess-free, like this doodle mat that only works with water. Great gift and under $30!
Little Tikes Trampoline – Bring the fun of The Little Gym home with this tiny trampoline! Think of all the energy that can be bounced out without having to chase them all around the grocery store.
Peek A Boo Elephant – This is my mom’s go to gift for toddlers and it is by far the most adorable present at every party. Kinsley has just gotten into her Peek A Book Elephant, and learned how to push its foot to make it keep playing. Super cute and sure to be a winner.
Kitchen Play Set – We got one of these from a client of mine who had girls that outgrew it and I am so grateful for this fun addition to our play room. Kinsley loves to make me “dinna” on her stove and will bring me a spoon and bowl so I can eat her make believe creation. Ours is an older Pottery Barn model, but they make them now in styles that I would show a contractor for a kitchen remodel. I love this one below from Teamson Kids.
Shape sorter – I saw a meme the other day with a photo of a man trying to shove an odd shaped bag into a rectangular shaped airplane overhead bin and the fit was clearly not going to work. The caption was “this is why the kids shape sorter games are important”. Great present that will surely set your kids up for success later on in life.