Our most used (and loved) items with an almost two-year-old
Anyone who has little kids understands the conundrum that is the cardboard box being the more entertaining thing than the toy it contains. As parents, we want to give our kids things they enjoy playing with, and to see them light up over something gives us a kind of distinct pleasure. However, to say that most things lose their luster after a couple of uses is not an overstatement. In a way, the same thing can be said for many of the “must-have” items you see on baby registries and essentials lists. So I am breaking down everything we use the most in our house currently with Grace at 23 months old. I’m including toys that continue to keep her attention, as well as household items we seem to reach for over and over again. (Note: this list doesn’t include books which are a huge love of Grace’s, which is why I’m compiling a separate round-up of just favorite books!)
This little Big Sister mouse that lives in a matchbox is of course tastefully adorable, but it is somehow actually equally appealing to young children seemingly everywhere. Grace puts her mouse to bed—“nigh nigh Mouseeee”— covered with a “bank-it” over and over and over again. Every time she sees it, she plays with it. The materials are precious and well made, and I can’t wait to get other outfits or accessories for her mouse.
2. Gathre ABC Mat
We are going to use this as a wall hanging in Grace’s room, and we love pointing at it to go over her ABCs. It’s also a cleanable mat for the floor, so I envision using it in other ways down the road with other kids if we recycle it from her room decor.
3. toy Baby Stroller
I just as easily could have included her toy shopping cart, but the point is that she likes pushing something around our house with all of her stuff in it—baby dolls, stuffed animals, toys, etc. This one looks so cute, too—I plan to keep it in her room for a long time which makes the price easier to swallow.
4. Ball Pit
This was a fall quarantine purchase that has stayed relevant. Amazon sells balls in a million different colors, but we went with white balls and a gray pit. It’s just fun (other kids who come over especially love it, which reinvigorates Grace as well), and not too obtrusive decor-wise.
5. simka rose Suction Plates
This brand actually sticks to the table (better, in my opinion, than the more expensive ezpz brand), and I like the size of the different sections on them.
6. Play-Doh
I mean, this is a classic (albeit controversial among moms) toy for a reason. And to be honest, I don’t quite understand the hatred of it. Yes, it’s “messy”—but it’s the easiest “mess” to clean up. It hardens when it dries, and it doesn’t ruin any surface that it’s on. We play with this all over our house (making snakes, various sized balls, bracelets, etc.), and it’s also one of those toys that Grace enjoys “cleaning up” because it means putting it back into its various containers and putting the lids on which, at two years old, is a favorite activity in and of itself.
7. Straw Cups
It’s a bonus that these little cups are so nice looking (plus they look adult, which is the only thing kids want at the end of the day), but they’re great for a step up from sippy cups. Grace has smoothies a lot, too, and these are a go-to for that. She loves drinking anything from a straw.
8. Stacking Cups
This toy doesn’t seem to get old, either. These cups both stack in a tower and fit into one another, so they seem to be endlessly puzzling/intriguing (and good for development!). Grace loves using them in the shower and bath, too—they have different hole patterns in the bottom of them for spouting water.
9. Striped ribbed PJs
Pajamas are obviously one of the most-worn items of clothing, and so I find that they get worn out looking so quickly. These striped PJs from Amazon are my favorite. They are a thicker ribbed material (but still soft) and they just seem to keep their color and shape so nicely (beyond pricier brands like Hanna Anderson even). I’ve ordered her several pairs in various colors as she’s grown.
10. Kiddie Silverware that looks adult
Grace always loves using my fork or my spoon (as opposed to her own rubber or plastic and colorful kiddie version)—so these were a must. What a genius idea.
11. “Cooking” Stool
This was a recent addition, and we’ve already gotten our money’s worth. Grace loves to “cook” beside me in the kitchen with this stool that keeps her standing at the counter safely. I give her some little utensils and cups or bowls, plus some items to cook with (blueberries, pretzels, nuts, garlic cloves—lol) and it keeps her entertained forever. I’m so excited to actually bake with her soon, too!
12. Silicone bibs with pocket
I am not sure why any other bibs even still exist in the world. These are the best, and I will never, ever stray.
13. Snack Cups
These are just nice for snacking with less spills, and they’re cute too (they also collapse to be really tiny for packing away, which is nice for throwing in the diaper bag).
14. Hunter Boots
Grace can put them on herself which is a win on a lot of levels. Plus, they’re easy to clean, and they’re THE cutest. I plan on upgrading these continually as she grows and grows.
15. Alphabet Magnets
Grace loves learning new letters—we always say “O for Oliver” and so on for other people in her life. These are something we play with at least once a day. Even if just hanging around in the kitchen, they seem to be a good distraction when she’s on the verge of boredom.
16. Craft table with Paper Roll
This table has a big roll of white craft paper attached to it, and we’ve loved having it in our playroom for markers, crayons, and stickers. I got two little chairs to go with it, and I think the whole thing will grow with her for a while. Fair warning, she sits on the table more than she sits in the chairs, but we love being able to draw together.
17. Mini Dyson Vacuum
Kids obviously love to clean (paper towels could have easily made this list), and the best part about this vacuum is it looks legitimately real. Every time I vacuum, Grace runs for her own to help—”my vacuum, my vacuum!!”
18. Washable Finger Paints
I strip Grace down to a diaper and let her play in the dry bath tub with a few of these at a time, along with a cup of water. I give her paint brushes and various toys to “paint.” Kids seem to love bath tubs as it is, and this is just a fun and creative winter activity we’ve been doing a couple of times a week.
19. Coin Bank
First let me say that Grace has never been a kid who puts things in her mouth, so she plays with coins (with supervision always) safely so far, but these might not be safe for other little kids her age. This is her latest obsession, along with beads. She loves putting them in her pockets, and she will fill up and dump out a coin bank over and over again. Plus, I’m trying to teach her the names of the various coins which she loves, too.
20. Bead Kit
(Again, just to reiterate: we haven’t any issue with Grace putting beads in her mouth, but I supervise her always with this kind of thing, just in case). But she LOVES them. She will move them around from various bowls or cups or sections in the container forever. My next plan is to attempt to make stretchy bracelets with her—even though she might struggle with stringing the beads, I know she’ll love picking out which bead for me to string next.
21. Apron
Grace loves when we all put our aprons on when we’re cooking. This kids’ one from Minted is adorable—it’s able to be personalized and comes in the cutest little patterns.
22. Stickers (!!)
This could easily take the cake for top toy in our house right now. Grace plays with stickers non-stop. She has this Peppa book of stickers that keeps her entertained for hours, looking for certain characters, and “giving” stickers to other stickers, saying “here you go Peppa!” and layering stickers on top of each other (my heart—lol). There are so many good options out there—reusable ones, big puffy ones, animal themed ones—we don’t discriminate in our house.
23. play jewelry
Grace has been really into necklaces lately (as in, won’t take them off), and while I have some chunkier ones that she can wear safely, these ones made specifically for kids are just cute and fun, so I’m excited to give them to her in her Easter basket. She also always wants to wear my rings, so these are a safer alternative to that, too. As I noted before, Grace doesn’t attempt to put this kind of stuff in her mouth—but just be aware that that might not be the same for all kids (I think these technically aren’t recommended for kids under 3).
24. Nail Art Stickers
She loves that my nails are always painted, so this is the sweetest & easiest way for her to have decorated nails, too. Plus, again, stickers!!
25. Doodle Tablet
I use a black and white version of these for studying, and I quickly realized how much Grace loves to doodle on it, too. Mess-free is a huge bonus, plus she likes that she can click the button to erase it. She loves when I spell names on it that she tells me to write, or draw things she demands I draw, lol.
26. Washable Markers
I really want Grace to love being creative, so markers (and crayons) are a must. These are actually washable, so that’s key. She has plenty of Peppa coloring books to go along with these, and she also loves coloring on the roll of paper on her table (andddd the table itself, of course).
27. Magna Tiles
These magnetic tiles are a great, popular toy for a reason. She won’t play with these as much independently yet since she sometimes gets frustrated at not being able to build actual structures, but if we help her out and play alongside her, she loves this toy.
28. Peppa Pig Figurines
Grace is obsessed with Peppa Pig, and these figurines are her most played with toy I’d say, along with stickers (which are also Peppa themed). They seem to be just simple enough and yet still able to be manipulated enough to keep her entertained.