2-year-olds are on the move, so toys that encourage movement are a big hit. They also love anything that teaches them about the world around them, says Dr. Natasha Burgert, a pediatrician in South Overland Park, Kansas. She recommends looking for toys that let toddlers mimic everyday life and reinforce how things like wheels roll, sand flows and bubbles pop. (Simple household objects, such as a hairbrush that makes noise or a cup that rocks, work too.)Navigate here for the best gifts for 2-year-old boys

For example, a wooden activity cube like this LeapFrog one—which made the Toy Insider’s list of 2022’s top gifts for toddlers—features four sides and a top with toys to slide, push, pull and flip that help introduce kids to colors, shapes, animals and music. Likewise, the Mess-Free Learning Kit from Melissa & Doug features water pens and play dough that encourage toddlers to draw, stack, sort and count.

Best Gifts for 2-Year-Old Boys: Navigate Here

Other great options include a soft tiny teddy that lights up and plays soothing music when they squeeze it, the multifaceted Mixaroo toy that lets toddlers remix the plush body with accessories such as dragon wings or an elephant trunk, and the Build-A-Bot, which features a robot chassis with gears that turn. The kit comes with a booklet full of fun activities to guide their explorations.

Another way to fuel their creativity is with a reusable art easel that folds flat for easy storage and includes a handy carry case. This one from Pottery Barn Kids, which comes with a monogram option, also made our 2022 gift guides for kids. And, of course, kids love bubbles. Mom-designer Teresa An cites them as one of her son’s favorite toys, which is why she gifts these nontoxic, bubble kits from Eco-Toys that feature easy-to-grip wands and come in a recyclable aluminum bottle with a lid you can easily re-fill with the brand’s boxed-wine-esque containers of bubble solution.