B'Day suggestion for 2 year old son??

[cbmeeks]

My son is about to turn 2 years old. He really enjoys books and puzzles but I didn't want to give him nothing but that.

Any suggestions for toys/games/educational items for my son?

Thanks!

cbmeeks

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

I absolutely swear I would give the following to my 2-year-old over just about anything you could buy: A big, empty refrigerator box from the appliance store. Probably you'd want to open the end flaps on both top and bottom. Especially if 2-year-old has siblings and you have a yard, they are going to get a lot of play value out of it. These boxes are awsomely huge to kids, which is exciting. They can play in a rough and tumble way with them. They can drag each other around in them, hide in them (hey, an enhanced super-duper game of peak-a-boo!), pretend they are cars or spaceships, pretend they are houses or camping tents.

It can become a garage or gas station into which 2-year-old drives his ride-on toys to get the "engine" repaired and to fill up with "gas." All the more fun if siblings take turns pumping the gas and driving in and out. It can become a jail into which whomever is caught in a game of tag must go. It can become the cage for the "Monster Daddy" that the kids chase and capture---then of course "Monster Daddy can cunninlgy, with his mighty monster strength, break out of the cage so that the kids have to giddly run and catch him again! Good excercise for all!

They can get inside and cause the box to roll in a bumpity way. Just having Daddy lift up and set a 2-year old into the upturned box can be a thrill for many kids. From inside, the tall box feels like it has swallowed them up. They get to decide how to escape: Knock the box over? Beg for daddy to pull the child back out of the box? Sit down and put fingers under the edges of the box and toss it over ones head? The kids will all play together and the 2-yr old will learn lots of little things socially and about space, 3 dimensions.

If the refrigerator box seems too much like just garbage to you because you get it for free, then get 3 or four rolls of contact paper (acutally plastic) and cover it in a design. This would help the box last longer, too.

[PrincessPerky]

I vote for a puzzle and a book, really that would be it..I know we in America tend to shower children with tons of gifts, but I noticed my kid wants to PLAY with the first one (or build or read) and I actually have to take it away to move on to the next! silly, I don't have to shower them, I can do just one or two, and as they get older that is just what I am doing. One or two that tehy will truly enjoy, and play with for years to come. (and hopefully pass on to the next kid)

If you must go with a toy, I love Duplos (and so do the kids) they are big versions of legos, and they get built with nearly ever day here. Wonderful toy for education and creativity and such. (and it lasts and lasts and lasts, still have some from when DH was a kid)

BTW I'll ditto the love of a big box, I always let the kids play with the (free) box we pick up form BJs, sometimes they are smallish (but still much loved) sometimes they are bigger than DD, but never bigger than Ds, poor kid.

[getforfree]

My kids (DS 3, and DD1) like to build (cubes, leggos, shapes, or anything you can build a stack). They like to play with diaper packages (new, unopened), they just build a tower with them. Whenever I find good-priced diapers for DD, I buy like 12 packages untill next sale.

They also like to play with big boxes. My DD likes to sit in it with some toys in there.

We also have sandbox in our backyard. I got a set with showels, cups and other toys for them to play in the sand. They love it. But then I have to wash them every day.

[PrincessPerky]

DS 4yo favorite non puzzle/book/lego toy ....... wooden sword
DD 2yo favorite non puzzle/book/lego toy ....... a purse or a bag to put things in
DS 8mo favorite non puzzle/book/lego toy ....... a couple of mismatched socks