Finding great gifts for preschoolers and toddlers is one of the most rewarding things you can do with your time. I know that’s a pretty big claim, but the right gifts for those preschoolers will save you so much time and also leads to so much fun.
Preschoolers at Christmas
I have a spunky little 2-year-old granddaughter. Fortunately, I just got to spend some time with her at Christmas, and I gotta tell you … I was a little nervous about picking out her gifts.
I even thought about giving her mom some money and asking her to pick something out, but then I decided that I really wanted it to be from me personally.
So, I spent a lot of time searching for the best gift. Would I be able to find something she would like? Or, would she just play with the box?
I understand clearly what 2-year olds are like. When my kids were 2, they had their one or two favorite Christmas gifts and didn’t need the rest.
As parents, we had so many gifts that we wanted to give them, but they just wanted to play with the first one or two gifts and didn’t need the rest.
I decided for my granddaughter, I would get her 2 things, so I knew they had to be good.
What Kind of Gifts are Good for Preschoolers?
I volunteer in the kid’s ministry at church, so I’ve spent many hours with the kids there. This has given me a good opportunity to see what gets played with the most.
Toddlers and preschoolers are at an amazing age of discovery. They are figuring out how things work in their world.
They are realizing that they have their own identity and that they are capable of doing great things. They want to test things out and try to do everything on their own.
Preschoolers need toys that:
- Allow them to play pretend
- Use their imagination
- Have Multiple uses
- Engage their creativity
- Allow them to role-play and copy adults
If you’re looking for ways to play with your little ones without buying more toys, read here about 19 Simple Toy-Free Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers.
The Best Gifts for Preschoolers
I’ve come up with some really popular toy options … things that get played with over and over. We had most of these in our home when our kids were younger.
Little Tikes Splish Splash Sink –
This is what I recently bought for my 2-year-old granddaughter and it turned out to be the best gift ever! It’s much safer than standing on a chair at the kitchen sink, more independent, and she has played with it for hours.
Lauri Tall Stackers Smart Shapes –
There are so many different ways to use these stacking pegs. They also reinforce lots of skills like counting, colors, shapes and hand-eye coordination. Your little ones will love putting them in and out of the little holes in the grids and completing the puzzles.
Kids Instrument Set –
All kids love to make music. Ours were constantly creating rock-n-roll performances (until we tucked everything inside the drum and up on the top shelf for another day).
Tabletop Puppet Theatre and puppets –
There’s no end to the variety of play to create with puppets.
Melissa & Doug Take-Along Tool Set –
This little toolset can be carried around to help Dad with all his home improvement projects.
Washable Baby Doll –
A baby doll can help your preschooler or toddler with learning to accept their new sibling, or just how to have compassion. They frequently become a favorite lovey. Don’t forget to pick up some accessories for some good pretend play.
Geometric Stacker –
Learning to stack and sort and recognize colors will provide hours of repeated playtime.
Little Tikes First Slide –
We had a slide like this for a couple of years in our house and it was so much fun! This is really reasonably priced and works perfectly inside.
It is a perfect way to get a little exercise indoors on a rainy day. It even folds up to store when needed.
Hurricane Bubble Machine –
You will be amazed at all the giggles and dancing when you start up this bubble machine. Instantly your kids will turn from grumpy boredom to happy little monsters.
I gotta tell you, I nailed it with her Christmas gift. And, you know what? She didn’t care one bit about the box. She was all over that Splish Splash Sink! Your little one is sure to be happy, too if you choose one of the toys on this list.
