A few people have asked me what Raylee would like for Christmas, and I’ve seen even more mamas asking what they should get their toddlers for Christmas. I do not have any difficulty coming up with toddler gift ideas for my little one. I have too many ideas, actually! So I created this toddler gift ideas list just for those of you who struggle in this area.
This Christmas, Raylee will be 21 months old, just a few months short of two. She is a full toddler at this point. She loves books and learning and trying out all the things. Her vocabulary is expanding every day. So this list was created with her in mind. We are trying to move away from battery-operated toys, and move into more open-ended, creative play type toys. There are lots of brands out there now that cater to this way of thinking. Two of the top brands I think of are Melissa and Doug and Lakeshore Learning, but I know there are others too.
20 Great Toddler Gift Ideas
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A Few Big Items
I know Raylee would love this thing! It’s not a toy, but we would get so much use out of it. Raylee often likes to be held while I’m in the kitchen doing things like making dinner, and it’s basically just because she wants to see what I’m doing. I don’t like having her sit on the counter though, so this would be perfect! She can stand there and help or watch and still be safe thanks to the rail.
Scoop and Learn Ice Cream Cart
This looks so fun! OK, so it’s a battery operated toy. But it’s still educational because kids can learn numbers, colors, flavors and more. The scooper scoops up ice cream and toppings giving the toddler lots of combinations to make. They can also build memory and sequencing skills by following the orders on the menus provided.
Raylee got a handmade play kitchen passed down to her. But if she hadn’t gotten one, I probably would have gotten her one similar to this one. Every kid needs a play kitchen so they can learn how to cook and wash dishes and pretend. Imaginations come to life with these things! Don’t forget the play food and play dishes to go with it!
Raylee loves sitting in chairs, especially when they are her size. This would be great for doing activities, coloring, or even eating a snack. I love this rainbow colored set!
Creative Craft Supplies
This might seem weird, but at least for me these would be great gift ideas. I have lots of activities I’d like to do with Raylee as she enters toddlerhood and beyond, but a lot of craft supplies are needed. I would love to have a big stash of them all so I could do the activities whenever I wanted. If you’re looking for toddler/kid activity ideas, go check out Busy Toddler. She is such an inspiration to me!
- Construction Paper
- Painter’s Tape
- Paper Roll
- Dot Stickers
- Contact Paper
- Post It Notes
- Crayons, Markers, Paint sets, etc.
Let your imagination run wild!
Sensory Bin Tools
Along with craft supplies, getting your child supplies for sensory bins is a great idea. I think this would be a fantastic gift when a child turns one because it will be used so much!
Large bags of:
- Rice
- Oats
- Cornmeal
- Flour
- Pom pom balls
- Dried beans
- Cotton balls
These works great not just for storing the supplies, but for the actual bin to let your child play in.
Play tools such as:
- Small bowls or jars or cups
- Tongs
- Funnels
- Strainers
- Measuring cups/spoons
- Ice cube trays
A lot of these things can be found at the dollar store! Score!
Open-Ended Play
Raylee often “helps” Daddy around the house, so it would be so fun and cute to give her her own tool set for when they fix things or put things together.
Raylee loves helping me “clean.” She will get out the broom and sweep, even removing rugs to get underneath them. She also loves wiping up spills with towels, so I know she will love this. I got her the broom set for Christmas this year, and I’m hoping to maybe get her the spray set for her birthday.
Honestly, I would never have thought to get this for a toddler. But Raylee’s cousin who is about a year older has one and Raylee went to it immediately and began playing, so I know she’d like it!
Little People Sets
I think these things are just the cutest! Raylee has a few of the Little People and she plays with them a bit. I know these are toys that will grow with her. She will enjoy playing with them for years and years. I got her the zoo animal set this year. I actually found it at a consignment sale, so I paid about $65 less than I would have if I bought it brand new. I was pretty darn excited! I would love for her to have the nativity set and farm set too!
This is a play sink that sets on the ground or a table and runs water continuously with the help of batteries. It comes with dishes for the kids to wash. I have friends who say this is an awesome toy. I looked up tons of reviews and think the Spark brand is the best in my opinion. I just bought one for Raylee and we are just waiting for it to arrive! She is going to go nuts over this!
Learning Play
Puzzles
Melissa and Doug has a lot of great puzzles for the toddler age group. Raylee plays with that musical instrument one at the library all the time. I recently got her the number and letter set of puzzles. I think she is getting close to the age where these will be great learning tools.
Sorting Toys
Kids can learn a lot by sorting. They can learn colors or textures or letters or all kinds of things! They are so many options.
See, told you I had a ton of toddler gift ideas in mind! I wish I could get all of this for my girl! I hope this helps you have some ideas for your toddler! Happy shopping!
Know someone who is pregnant? Check out my favorite gifts for pregnancy!
I love the kitchen helper step stool. What a fantastic idea! It looks safe and convenient for little chefs.
Yes! It looks so awesome! Definitely on our wish list!
I really like kids furniture which looks and feels proper, just not an ugly piece of plastic, and this armchair is just that. I don’t know why I think it is insulting to have ugly looking furniture for toddlers, while the adults sit on their nice and cozy ones. Apart from that, I also liked the kitchen set. It really is fun for kids and it gives a sense of responsibility to them. Thanks for sharing!
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