Shopping Guide 2-3 years old
The 2 to 3 age can be such an exciting year! New skills and new interests begin to emerge, laying the foundation for future learning and development.
Pretend play and building activities are new categories that can be introduced during this stage.
At this age, color learning often starts to develop. Some children may demonstrate a keen interest in identifying colors, while others may have already moved past this phase.
Puzzles can also get more complex and increase the amount of pieces for jigsaw puzzles.
As well, more options can be presented for music and art, and practical life activities.
Other toys that can be presented include pattern recognition and their first tabletop game!
Lastly, as children take their Gross Motor skills to the next level, new skills can be practiced. Balance, pedaling, and climbing are three activities that two-year-olds inherently enjoy and thrive on as they develop their motor skills.
This guide introduces new categories that reflect these evolving interests while also revisiting some themes from the 18-24 month guide, as they remain relevant for the 2-3 age range.
Building Toys
Around 2-3 years old, children can start showing interest in stacking and building. This type of open ended play (where there’s no final correct result, unlike a puzzle) can lasts for years to come, so it’s worth to have in their toy assortment.
Playing with building toys offers various developmental benefits. These materials encourage creativity and imaginative play. They enhance fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and dexterity, while reinforcing problem-solving abilities.
These materials encourage kids to stay focused and engaged.
Magnetic Tiles: Magnetic building sets are very popular and this is for good reasons.
The excitement comes from the way the magnets effortlessly connect and disconnect, making the construction process easy and engaging.
There are 3 popular brands.
Picasso Magnetic Tiles: Most budget friendly. These are the ones we started our collection with and we have never had issues with them in our regular play. We did a stress test on them and they did break which others have also reported. They are lighter than the rest.
Magna-Tiles: Best for durability. When stress tested these are the only ones that didn’t break at all. As for strength of the magnets they sit right in the middle of the other two brands.
Connetix Tiles: Best for big builds. These are heavier than the rest and the magnets are stronger, resulting in solid builds. When stress tested this took more force than the Picasso tiles to break.
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Mini Magnetic Tiles: This mini version of the magnetic tiles are a great to bring on the go. We love them at restaurants while we wait for our food and when in hotels.
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Unit Blocks: There’s a lot of blocks out there, and block play is always great.
We love unit blocks because of the mathematical relations between the pieces. The main size is called the unit and all the other sizes and shapes are created based in the unit measurements.
I recommend to look for sets that have a good amount of the unit size.
Another reason I love these unit blocks, it’s because you can always add to your block collection by purchasing individual pieces. Different brands might have quality differences, but the measurements should be the same, allowing to mix and match brands.
There are two brands I know that offer great quality and which sets have a good mix of sizes:
Construcive Playthings (use code HALFWAY23 for 15% off)
Beginner Set: A great set to start with if you just want to try unit blocks out.
Super Saver: If you’re limited in space or budget, this set includes a good amount of the basic shapes and some more advanced ones. It does leave out some of the bigger pieces.
Guidecraft (use code HALFWAYMONTESSORI for 10% off)
Unit Blocks - Different Sizes: From 28 to 218 pieces sets.
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Bristle Blocks: These building blocks feature soft, interlocking bristles that stick together at any angle for frustration-free building.
Puzzles
There are so many versions of puzzle work that can be presented aside from the classic jigsaws.
The progression for jigsaw puzzles varies by child. Here are some options that keep building on the amount of pieces.
Interest on puzzles can vary greatly from child to child (specially as they get older), so keep that in mind to focus on your specific child and avoid comparison. If you are looking for less pieces, check the 18+ month gift guide here.
In our home, we had more interest with stacking and nesting puzzles than more traditional jigsaw puzzles. And we went from the 4 pieces to no interest to 48 pieces at 4 years old.
The following puzzles are great examples of different forms that can be presented, but they are not a suggested order to present
1.Animal Puzzles // 2.Shapes Sorting Puzzle // 3.Sorting and Stacking // 4.Stacking Maze // 5.Bunny Nesting Puzzle // 6.Toys Jigsaw Puzzle // 7.Name Puzzle // 8.3 Pieze Animal Puzzle // 9.Fractions Puzzle [Code HALFWAYMONTESSORI for 10% off] // 10.4 Piece Puzzle // 11.4 Puzzles in a Box
Bunny Nesting Puzzle: This one became a favorite in our home around the 2.5 year mark.
Fractions Puzzle: There’s also a square version and a triangle version of this.
4 Puzzles in a Box: I like how this offers different quantities of pieces.
Color Learning
Color recognition usually begins around 18 months, with some children ready by 30 months.
Activities like sorting colored objects or using colored toys support this learning. Incorporating colors into daily routines or stories can further enhance their understanding. Each child progresses at their own pace, so positive reinforcement is important.
These toys offer a color matching component, allowing children to practice at their own pace. Each interaction enhances color understanding and fine motor skills, fostering development and enjoyment.
When introducing toys, it is effective to start with primary colors or fewer variations, gradually incorporating additional colors as the child becomes more comfortable.
A helpful tip for teaching color names is to phrase it as “The car is blue” instead of “The blue car,” as this promotes clearer understanding of the color in relation to the object.
1.Fruit Sorting Set // 2.Pegboard and rings // 3.Color Matching Puzzle // 4.Colors and Shapes Puzzle // 5.Color Sort Cups and Coins // 6.Peg People // 7.Color Sort and Stack // 8.Color Sorting Ball in Cup
Color Sorting Ball in Cup: At the time we had an 18 month old, this toy wasn’t available in this format. We used the cups from the cups and coins and colored balls from other toys. Given that pouring was a high interest in our home, this was a favorite setup.
For both toys with cups, you can adjust the activity in a lot of different ways using the cups and other elements. For example, at 3 years old we offered lots of smaller colored buttons for color sorting.
Pretend Play
At some point around 2-3 years old, pretend play begins to emerge as a significant part of children's development. During this stage, children engage in imaginative activities, often imitating adults and re-enacting daily life scenarios.
Through pretend play, children explore their environment, test their boundaries, and express their emotions.
The following toys are great to facilitate that kind of play.
1.Wooden Animal Barn // 2.Animal Figurines // 3.Wooden School Bus Set // 4.Tea Set // 5.Recycling Truck // 6.Playdate Friends // 7.Soft Doll // 8.Play Sink
Other Toys
At 2 year old you can introduce the first tabletop game (6) as well as some pattern recognition toys (1)
1.First Acrobats // 2.Play Silks // 3.Cut Fruit Set // 4.Stacking Flowers // 5.Twist and Turn Set // 6.Car Garage // 7.Mud Kitchen // 8.First Table Game // 9.SpinAgain Stacking Toy // 10.Peg Counting
First Acrobats: Such a cute toy to explore magnets, but can also be used to replicate the images working pattern recognition skills.
Play Silks: A completely open ended toy. It can feel weird to offer it without a purpose, but kids can use it to wrap toys as part of the envelopment schema, to play peek a boo or hide and seek, for pretend play, for fort building as they get older
Mud Kitchen: This is a great outdoor toy to have.
First Orchard Game: Cooperative games are great for young kiddos. Here you all work together to beat the crow. This one in particular is a crowd favorite. Better suited for 2.5 years old in my opinion.
Spin-Again Stacking Toy: A favorite in our home. This encourages big movement which I love.
Peg Counting: A favorite in our home. We didn’t focus on the number symbols and simply on completing the pegs and counting them.
Arts & Music
More options can be presented for music and art.
Engaging with music enhances auditory skills and creativity.
Encouraging free exploration builds confidence and practices important skills.
1.Lovevery Music Set // 2.Floor Tom Drum // 3.Harmonica // 4.Hand Bells // 5.Sketch Pads // 6.Buddha Board // 7.Multi-talented Pencils // 8.Dot Markers // 9.Beeswax Crayons // 10.Easel
Buddha Board: A favorite in our home. Use water to paint
Practical Life
Practical life is a cornerstone of Montessori education, emphasizing the importance of everyday skills that foster independence, responsibility, and a sense of community.
Food Preparation is a great activity to introduce and encompasses tasks such as slicing fruits, pouring drinks and ingredients.
1.Wooden knife // 2.Crinkle Cutter // 3.Nylon knives // 4.Tiny Pitchers // 5.Small Pitcher // 6.Medium Pitcher // 7.Toddler Tower [CODE halfway10 for 10% OFF] // 8.Tovla Kitchen set // 9.Watering Can // 2.Little Vacuum
We started with most of these at around 14 months.
Wooden knife: To start offering cutting opportunities (of soft things like bananas) the safest way.
Tiny pitchers: To start offering pouring opportunities.
Toddler Tower: Our most used item daily. I recommend getting it when your child can firmly stand on their own.
Nylon Knives: These knives are our favorite child-friendly knives, we introduced closer to 2yo, but you could start them sooner depending on your child.
Tovla Kitchen set: This kitchen set is more advanced, meaning it has less for young toddlers, but a good buy around 18 months. You would start by mostly using the measuring cups which are nice and light. This set includes the nylon knives.
We started using these after 18 months.
Crinkle Cutter: A great step up from the wooden cutter. Ours is not sharp, but I would test to make sure.
These can cut a lot of things, but I would suggest to use them for semi-soft things for safety (like apple pieces)
Watering Can: For watering plants you can use a regular pitcher, but we like using this one to learn yet a different type of pouring
Little Vacuum: This is a real vacuum, but the perfect size for kiddos that love to vacuum. Much better than a toy vacuum in my opinion
Gross Motor
Balance is fundamental at this stage. Children often engage in activities such as walking along low benches, jumping from small heights, or attempting to walk on a balance beam. These exercises help enhance their coordination and spatial awareness.
Pedaling is another critical skill that toddlers love to practice. Riding tricycles or push scooters allows them to experiment with momentum, steering, and control while gaining confidence in their mobility.
Climbing captivates the curiosity of two-year-olds. This activity fosters gross motor skills and builds strength. Climbing also instills a sense of accomplishment as children overcome challenges, boosting their self-esteem.
1.Balance Bike // 2.Tricycle // 3.Customazible Balance Beam (Use code HALFWAY10 for 10% off) // 4.Scooter // 5.Sensory Balance Beam // 6.Play Couch // 7.Pikler Triangle // 8.Stepping Stones
Stepping Stones: These stepping stones weren’t around when we were 18 months old, and the ones we had tried we didn’t really love. These ones however are an amazing gross motor/open ended toy. We get a lot of use from them at 5 years old.
Pikler Triangle: At 18 months we introduced the Pikler Triangle and it worked great for us. We first used it by itself and then added a ramp to it. This material can be used for years with most children outgrowing it sometime after 5 years old, and you can add features like a ramp for toddlers and up.
Notes & disclaimers:
*Some of this products are affiliated. This means, I get some commission when you buy them from the link posted in this page. This is at no cost to you.
*No products in this guide have been sponsored or given in exchange for being part of this gift guide
*This gift guide is broken down by ages with the hopes of give you a better idea of what’s developmentally appropriate and of interest based on a child’s age. This is information I’ve gathered from child development learnings, personal experience, as well as feedback from other parents. In any case, specially as children get older, interest and skill levels might vary. Please have the particular child you’re shopping for in mind
