The 23 Best Toys for 2-Year-Old Boys in 2019

Keep those little ones busy and engaged with these selections

By Julie Evans

Updated 11/04/19

Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the best products; you can learn more about our review process here. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links.

Our Top Picks

Best Ride-On: Fisher-Price Harley-Davidson Trike at Amazon

“Mini replica of a big-time Harley-Davidson with lots of cool details.”

Best for Builders: Mega Bloks 80-Piece Building Set at Amazon

“Comes with 80 brightly colored blocks for tons of building fun.”

Best for Bath: 3 Bees & Me Bath Toys at Amazon

“Little boys will love to race them, sink them, and crash them.”

Best for Creativity: Aqua Doodle Mat at Amazon

“Let his creativity fly free with this huge magic water drawing mat.”

Best Puzzle: Melissa & Doug Safari Puzzle at Amazon

“Start to fine tune some of their fine motor skills.”

Best Truck: Green Toys Dump Truck at Amazon

“Enhance their gross motor skills as they zoom around the house.”

Best for Pretend Play: VTech® Ring & Learn Register on Amazon

“Includes the register, credit card scanner, and pretend credit card.”

Best Musical: Kids Musical Instruments on Amazon

“This colorful music set has everything he needs to make beautiful melodies.”

Best Electronic: VTech Call and Chat Phone on Amazon

“Comes with 10 apps that teach skills like numbers, letters, and time.”

  • 01 of 23

    Best Ride-On: Fisher-Price Harley-Davidson Tough Trike

    Excellent

    This tricycle is tough enough for the bravest little dudes out there and makes a perfect toy for a 2-year-old boy. This rad ride is a mini replica of a big-time Harley-Davidson, complete with awesome details like the Harley-Davidson logo and colors. There’s even a secret storage space under the seat so he can pack his snacks, teddy bear or whatever else he needs before he hits the cul-de-sac.

    The only fuel it needs is his energy as he puts his feet to the pedals to go, go, go! It’s great exercise, and the thick rubber tires make it more stable and safe. Recommended for ages two to six, he’ll get years of use out of this hog, cruising around the neighborhood in style.

    Take a look at other product reviews and shop for the best ride-on toys available online. 

  • 02 of 23

    Best for Builders: Mega Bloks First Builders 80-Piece Classic Building Set

    Good

    A staple in playrooms everywhere, these Mega Bloks are a perfect first foray into the world of block building. This classic set comes with 80 brightly colored blocks for tons of building fun, and clean up is easy as they come in their own storage bag.

    Made for little fingers, they’re perfect size for stacking, building and smashing… then starting all over again. They can create towers, buildings, creatures, and whatever their little minds can dream up. It’s a great activity to build motor skills and bring out their creativity too. These are also compatible with other Mega Blok sets, so you can continue to build on the fun with the purchase of other sets for even bigger and more impressive designs. 

    Mega Bloks 80-Piece Big Building Bag Review
  • 03 of 23

    Best for Bath: 3 Bees & Me Bath Toys

    At the end of a sweaty, sticky day, toddler boys need to hit the bath, but getting them into the tub isn’t always the easiest feat. This fleet of brightly colored boats, however, will have them begging to dive right in.

    Four boats come in a pack, and they each have magnets so they can hook to one another to form a bathtub boat parade. They can also be used in a pool, sink, or even on dry land for hours of imaginative play.

    Little boys will love to race them, sink them, crash them—whatever floats their boat—and meanwhile, they’re getting a great bath. The boats also decorated with numbers for a little splash of education as well. Talk about good, clean fun!

    Check out other reviews of the best bath toys you can buy now. 

  • 04 of 23

    Best for Creativity: Aqua Doodle Mat

    Let his creativity fly free with this huge magic water drawing mat. No messy paints or markers needed. It comes with two pens that write like magic on the pad after you fill them with water, but they won’t leave a mark on walls, carpets or other surfaces. The drawings will magically disappear after a few minutes, then he can start all over again.

    The mat is 31.5" x 23.6", which gives him tons of territory to cover and allows more than one child to draw at the same time. It also folds up in a snap so that you can throw it in a bag for fun on the go. The best part: No mess, no matter where you take it.

    Continue to 5 of 23 below.
  • 05 of 23

    Best Puzzle: Melissa & Doug Safari Wooden Chunky Puzzle

    Need an interactive gift for a 2-year-old boy? At this age, they'll start to fine-tune some of their fine motor skills and some will be able to identify shapes, animals, and such. Why not indulge all of these new milestones with a fun wooden puzzle that will have them saying "roar" and more. 

    Parents are fond of toys by Melissa and Doug because they are often made of wood and not plastic. They'll delight in watching their child try to figure out where all the pieces go and the 2-year-old will be so proud when they accomplish it.  

  • 06 of 23

    Best Truck: Green Toys Dump Truck

    Boys (and girls alike!) are fascinated by trucks. Why not indulge their interests with a toy dump truck that they can play with for hours on end.

    Green Toys are made with environmentally friendly materials that are free from BPA so you know your child will be safe. This dump truck will help them work on both their gross motor skills as the zoom this around the house and their fine motor skills as they try and figure out how to dump the "trash" out.

    Over 1,500 customers give this toy glowing reviews remarking on the quality of the truck and its lifespan in the toy chest, with many saying their child played with till the age of 10! 

  • 07 of 23

    Best for Pretend Play: VTech® Ring & Learn Cash Register

    VTech® Ring & Learn Cash Register
    Courtesy of Target.

    Cha-ching! He’ll be ringing up customers left and right with this awesome little interactive cash register set. It includes the register with a scale for weighing food, a credit card scanner and a pretend credit card, of course. It also comes with a shopping basket and 10 pieces of healthy plastic food like fish, grapes and milk—no cookies or ice cream here.

    The battery-operated cash register (two AA batteries are required, but not included) plays more than 80 different songs, sounds and phrases with the touch of a light-up button or a swipe of the card. The cash drawer opens and closes, and rollers at the top spin and feature cute customer faces. Kids will love playing store while they’re learning colors, numbers and so much more. 

  • 08 of 23

    Sesame Street Love to Hug Elmo

    What toddler doesn't love Elmo? Gift him this cute cuddly guy that loves to receive and give hugs.

    Continue to 9 of 23 below.
  • 09 of 23

    Best Musical: Kids Musical Instruments

    Strike up the band! This colorful music set has everything he needs to make beautiful melodies (or something like that). Included in the set are a xylophone, maracas, sleigh bells, castanets, blocks and a drum. Whether he’s going to play as a one-man band or get friends or even the entire family involved, there’s something for everyone to play.

    It all comes in a carrying bag, which makes it easy to clean up, store and take the show on the road to grandma’s house or wherever you may be headed. It’s a great way to inspire musical interest at a young age, helps develop hand-eye coordination, and it’s just a heck of a lot of fun to let loose and see where the rhythm takes them. If the beat goes on and on a little too long for mom and dad, there’s always earplugs.

  • 10 of 23

    Best Electronic: VTech Call and Chat Learning Phone

    Hold the phone! Here’s a perfect, inexpensive toy for a little boy. Everyone else is always on their phone, so of course, the little guy is going to want to be on his too. This one isn’t for scrolling through Facebook and posting pics of their dinner on Instagram (though wouldn’t that be fun?), but rather it’s full of all sorts of educational opportunities at the touch of a button.

    It comes with 10 apps that include music, photos and games that teach skills like numbers, letters and time. There are five fun ringtones, and they can even store their favorite numbers in their own phonebook. Don’t worry, they won’t be ringing someone in the middle of the night though. It’s all just pretend, which is great for inspiring imaginative play and saving your data plan. Two AAA batteries are required.

  • 11 of 23

    Micro Mini Original Scooter

    If he is pretty stable on his feet, why not push his gross motor skills even further with a scooter. This favorite has three wheels so it balances well for small users. He can zip around the neighborhood with ease and perhaps speed up your walks around town.

    Take a peek at some of the other best scooters you can buy.

  • 12 of 23

    LeapFrog LeapBuilders ABC Smart House

    This new toy lets him pair his love of building with the idea of using it in a smart home. When he connects pieces together he'll be able to hear sounds, letters, numbers, and more—helping teach him while also letting him play.

    Continue to 13 of 23 below.
  • 13 of 23

    WowWee Pinkfong Baby Shark Official Song Puppet

    Baby Shark isn't going anywhere. Indulge his love for this addictive song with a puppet that lets you change the tempo of the song so you can play it again and again!

    Looking for more toys? Check out our guide to the best toys for toddler boys.

  • 14 of 23

    Playskool Sit ‘n Spin Classic Spinning Activity Toy

    Trust us. This toy will keep him spinning and occupied for hours! While it will provide lots of fun it also helps him hone his gross motor skills and work on core strength.

  • 15 of 23

    Little Tikes EasyScore Basketball Set

    Need a gift for a 2-year-old boy? This oldie but goodie will have him shooting hoops like a pro in no-time. We love that this toy will get him moving and working on his coordination skills.

  • 16 of 23

    AMOSTING Color Matching Mosaic Pegboard

    This toy does it all. Helps him express his creative side while also working on matching and fine motor skills.

    Continue to 17 of 23 below.
  • 17 of 23

    Skip Hop Toddler Backpack

    While not really a toy, this backpack is the perfect size for most 2-year olds. He can store all of his toys in here when he goes to grandma and grandpas or use it for preschool. No matter the use, he'll enjoy having a bag of his own.

    See more reviews of our favorite backpacks for kids available for purchase.

  • 18 of 23

    Little People Take Turns Skyway Wheelies Racetrack Set

    little-people-take-turns-track

    Courtesy of Walmart 

    Help him learn how to take turns and share with this 3-foot racetrack that has three different tracks. Included in the purchase is two cars which he can shoot down the track and watch it encounter a lot of pit stops on the way.

  • 19 of 23

    Step2 Rain Showers Splash Pond Water Table

    A water table is a gift that keeps on giving. They'll enjoy this toy from around 18 months and well towards 8 years-old and possibly beyond. They can use their imagination with all the different things they can do here.

  • 20 of 23

    Hape Kid's Wooden Toy Ukulele

    What kid doesn't want his own guitar (or in this case ukulele!). With this, he can crank out some tunes and sing along to his favorite tunes.

    Continue to 21 of 23 below.
  • 21 of 23

    Press Here

    Books are always a great gift. This favorite helps teach kids about cause and effect and get the whole family in on the silliness.

  • 22 of 23

    Skoolzy Rainbow Counting Bears

    Teach him about sorting and counting with this educational set that can be used in various different ways over the year.

  • 23 of 23

    Pacific Play Tents Find Me Multi Color Tunnel

    If your toddler loves exploring and playing peek-a-boo, this colorful tent is sure to be a hit. There's no complicated setup required, just take it out of the carrying case and undo the strings that keep it flat—it's ready for playtime!

Products Tested by

How We Tested

We bought two top-rated toys for 2-year-old boys that our reviewers tested for eight hours. We asked our testers to consider the most important features when using these toys, from age appropriateness to skill development. We’ve outlined the key takeaways here so that you, too, know what to look for when shopping.

What to Look for in Toys for 2-Year-Old Boys

Age appropriate When purchasing toys for young children, it’s crucial to ensure the products are age appropriate. Some toys have small pieces that can pose a choking hazard for little ones, so make sure you check to see if the product’s age recommendation includes 2-year-olds.

Skill development Two is a key developmental age where toddlers are learning all sorts of physical and mental skills. At this age, 2-year-old boys will need to practice walking, pulling items, building block towers, holding crayons, doing small puzzles, and more. As such, it’s often beneficial to purchase toys that encourage toddlers to further these skills.

Open-ended play In addition to practicing developmental skills, 2-year-olds often benefit from toys that encourage open-ended play. For instance, a musical toy with a few preset buttons won’t be as engaging as, say, a bucket of blocks that can yield an infinite number of creations. As an added bonus, these open-ended toys can often grow with your child, providing several years of entertainment.

Test Results: Fisher-Price Harley-Davidson Tough Trike (Best Ride-On)

Excellent

What We Like

  • Helps develop motor skills

  • Entertaining

  • Simple design

What We Don't Like

  • A little big

Fisher-Price Harley-Davidson Tough Trike
Fisher-Price Harley-Davidson Trike
Fisher-Price Tough Trike
Fisher-Price Harley-Davidson Tough Trike
Fisher-Price Harley-Davidson Tough Trike

Our reviewers liked the design, ease of use, and entertainment value of the Fisher-Price Harley-Davidson Tough Trike. “My child loved the toy and wanted to ride it all day,” gushed one of our testers. According to our reviewers, the trike was also great for teaching motor skills. One of our testers explained, “Children are able to ride (move) the bike on their own by pedaling. This gives them an understanding of movement, transportation, and they feel a sense of ownership when they play with this product.” Online reviewers noted that some 2-year-olds have difficulty reaching the pedals, so it’s good to be aware of the trike’s measurements when purchasing.

Test Results: Mega Bloks 80-Piece Big Building Bag (Best for Builders)

Good

What We Like

  • Large

  • Appropriate for kids as young as 12 months

  • Convenient storage bag

What We Don't Like

  • Not dishwasher-safe

  • Not challenging

Mega Bloks 80-Piece Big Building Bag
Mega Bloks Big Building Bag
Mega Bloks 80-Piece Building Bag
Mega Bloks Building Bag

Our testers liked the size of the blocks, the convenient storage bag, and that the blocks are appropriate for younger kids, too. “They are uniquely large blocks and are rated for children as young as 12 months, while most competitors only go as low as 18 months,” explained one of our reviewers. On the flip side, one of our testers noted, “Their size makes them less challenging and less interesting for children as they grow, so the entertainment value is limited.”