Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums Pre-school Birthday present for two yr old

Hi my DD will be turning two soon. I am looking for suggestions for a good birthday present. She loves letters, loves starfall but does not like reading eggs. She has the Doug and Melissa see and spell puzzle and LOVES it! Looking for toys that people have found useful for advanced kids but still having some fine motor weakness and upper arm weaknesses. She likes puzzles but has a hard time with the coordination. She tries to write letters and numbers but also has a hard time with the fine motor coordination. Thank-you

I like this toy store.
http://www.fatbraintoys.com/
I've bought a few things. I like browsing the customer reviews of the toys.

Does she have an easel yet? There's a pretty good, cheap one by Melissa and Doug.

Non-hardening clay is another option, to get her working more with her hands and arms. My son likes Sculpey a lot, but even if you use the softener / thinner it would probably be too stiff for your daughter. So I'd look around for either some non-drying modeling clay that is very soft, or the new Crayola stuff that is super-soft (but does dry). Plasticine might be soft enough, and you can get a set with a mat, a bunch of colors, and tools for cheap.

Block puzzles might be fun for her, and less frustrating than ordinary puzzles. Ravensburger makes some pretty nice, cheap ones IIRC. There are decent wooden ones, too. Check these out, for example: http://www.hazelnutkids.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?item=PT51520
http://thewoodenwagon.com/woodentoy/fischer-games/CAF1601.html
http://thewoodenwagon.com/woodentoy/fischer-games/CAF2004.html

Melissa and Doug Magnetic Pattern Blocks are another thing you could try. She could be a bit sloppy about putting them together, since they slide around. My son really liked that toy in the past. She also could use it just to put pictures together.

Haba and other makers have some nice, whimsical building block sets.

She is at an age where she would probably start liking the "marble runs / races" or similar things. The cheap plastic ones may actually be better for her, since they'd be lighter. A decent set would give her fine motor practice without being too frustrating-- you just have to essentially be able to slide a big peg into a hole. There are also decent wooden ones (e.g. Cuboro / Cugolino).

Capsela is a good toy for about that age. The only thing is that you would have to find some loose connectors for your daughter-- in my experience, they're all over the map. You could buy some extra pieces on eBay just to get enough loose ones. I think that's a great toy, and if she is inclined to do puzzles or think mechanically, she would probably spend many happy hours playing with it.

Rush Hour Jr., Hot Spot, and Clever Castle might be good puzzle games for her, and all would work on her coordination to some degree without being too tough. I love the game Topitop for little ones, and it involves some stacking.

I would suggest a good set of wood unit blocks; not the junky kinds from Toys R Us that are too light and topple right over. Something like this http://www.liveandlearn.com/woodtoys/unitblocks.html

They are expensive but at our house have been the most long lasting toy - every day from age one to ten. They can be passed down to the next generation. Wood blocks build spatial skills and fit well with open ended imaginative play. These are a preschool standard for a reason. The weight makes them easier and less frustrating to handle than plastic toys.

Yep, I'm a big, big fan of blocks too. Check out these colored ones (I swear I am not affiliated with this site, and don't necessarily recommend buying anything specifically from them, but I do think they look cool and will probably buy some of them for my up-and-coming little one soon, as well as some of the HABA architecturally-oriented block sets):

http://thewoodenwagon.com/woodentoys/202.html

At my daycare, one of the most played with toys is this -

http://www.discountschoolsupply.com...mp;CategorySearch=&Brand=&Price=

All ages and abilities love to build with them and see what creations they come up with. Also - Wedgits are wonderful, too

My DS (who, similarly, was cognitively advanced but not advanced wrt to fine motor skills) got and loved for his second birthday:

- a set of children's tuned handbells

- a wooden train set (ebay! this is a classic example of stuff best bought second hand, as it's expensive new but lasts for ever)

- a tricycle.

And books of course. I think my main recommendation would be the bells, if you think your nerves will stand it: they were a tremendous hit and are still used. Do get a set which are in tune and pleasant to listen to :-)

Though it says all ages these type of toys have powerful magnets in them. So if your child likes to put things in his/her mouth it would not be the best toy choice for them.

Thinking back to my DD's 2nd birthday she received dress up clothes, books, and a drum. All things she still has and still uses 2 years later.

Two's a little young for regular playdoh. Got ds some for his second birthday and it was more effort than fun for him to even squish it. At 2.5 when he could finally really use it he had better luck and more fun with the shallow "press in" molds than the spaghetti maker, which I thought would have been more entertaining.
I agree with the easel being a huge gift. We have a nice plastic one with shelves that folds down to a desk and up to an easel (thanks grandma) and it gets more consistent use than any other toy.

Dress up. Especially capes (which they can continue to use as they grow). My 2 Ds got more hours of use out of capes (and dress up wings!) than anything else, I think. They would act out their favorite stories. And used for Halloween costumes

At that age my kids also liked toy food, and playing at picnics and cooking.

And, of course, as mentioned by others, books.