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Rally Takes the Train is our own picture book, so it sits at the top of every list. Some links to other gifts are affiliate links: as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Prices are approximate and change often, so check the current price before you buy.
#1 pick · Our own book
Rally Takes the Train
Two year olds love pointing at things in a book and naming them, and every watercolor page gives them a dog, a train, the ocean or a grandparent to find. The rhymes are short and bouncy, and the dark tunnel moment, where Rally is scared and then finds the light, is a gentle way to talk about feeling brave at an age when new things can be scary.
Ask 'where's Rally?' on each page and let them point, then pause before the last word of a rhyme so they can fill it in as their words grow. It is about a five-minute read, just right for bedtime.
Quick picks
Two is the year pretend play switches on. A 2 year old feeds a toy baby, puts toy food on a toy plate, presses every button they can find and announces 'me do it' about everything. They run, kick a ball, climb and start stacking tall towers, and many can point to things in a book and say two words together.
The gifts on this list are chosen for that stage: a first dollhouse and bedtime playset for pretend play, chunky trains and bricks for building, a ride-on for all that energy, and bath and bubble toys for everyday fun. Every pick is graded for under 3 or at 18 months, none matches a 2026 safety recall we found, and four cost under $25. Prices are approximate and move a lot in December.
Looking for a 2 year old boy or girl? These gifts suit both. At this age the best choice comes from what the child is into (trains, babies, balls, bubbles), not from a pink or blue aisle.
What 2 year olds love right now
By age 2, the CDC says most children try to use switches, knobs and buttons on toys, play with more than one toy at once (like putting toy food on a toy plate), kick a ball, run and walk up a few stairs. They point to things in a book when asked and put two words together. Zero to Three adds that between 24 and 36 months children copy what adults do, begin pretend play, build towers and jump with both feet.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends keeping screens under an hour a day from age 2 and leaning on shared, hands-on play. For gift buying, that points to toys a child can act out real life with, build with, or move with, ideally with a grown-up nearby.
- Acting out their day: feeding babies, bedtime, driving to the store
- Pressing buttons and switches to make things happen
- Stacking towers and pressing chunky bricks together
- Running, kicking, rolling and pushing themselves along
- Trains they can connect and run by themselves
- Pointing at pictures in books and naming everything
Development notes based on 123 sources below.
The 13 best Christmas gifts for 2 year olds
Rally Takes the Train is number one on our list (above). Here are the other twelve, chosen for this age from current gift lists and reviews.
My First Railway Beginner Pack
BRIO · Train toy
The extra-chunky track and rainbow bridge are made for toddler hands, so a 2 year old can help lay the loop and then push the train around it on their own. The cars join with magnets they can manage without help, which matters hugely in the 'me do it' year. The track works with standard BRIO and wooden railway sets, so this is the start of a railway that grows for years.4
Good to know: It is BRIO's toddler line, graded 18 months and up, so it is sized for small hands, and later wooden track sets add straight on.
LEGO DUPLO Town Interactive Adventure Train (10427)
LEGO · Train toy
Colored action bricks on the track make the train stop, play sounds and change its lights, so the 2 year old obsession with buttons and switches turns into a train game they control. It is graded 2+ with 57 DUPLO pieces, and it is meant to be built together with a parent, then rebuilt again and again.5
Good to know: It needs a grown-up for the first build. It works with any other DUPLO bricks, including the Classic Brick Box below.
LEGO DUPLO Classic Brick Box
LEGO · Building
Two year olds are just learning to stack towers and press pieces together, and DUPLO is the right size and grip to make that work rather than frustrate. Expect towers, 'cakes' and lots of knocking down now, and simple houses and vehicles by 3. Every DUPLO set added later, including the trains, works with this box.4
Good to know: DUPLO bricks are sized for toddlers, but regular LEGO from older siblings is a choking hazard, so keep the two sets separate.
Cloud Collection Cozy Coupe
Little Tikes · Ride-on
Most 2 year olds can now scoot themselves along with their feet, and the Cozy Coupe lets them 'drive' to the store, the park or grandma's, which doubles as pretend play. The removable floor means you can push for a younger 2 and take it out as they get stronger. It is on Amazon's 2026 Toys We Love list and has been a toddler favorite for decades.64
Good to know: It needs assembly, so build it the night before. This is the 2026 Cloud Collection; the classic red and yellow version (B01LY451EC) is about $54.
Cheery Lane Modular Play House with Figures and Car
Melissa & Doug · Pretend play
A first dollhouse is where 'baby goes night-night' and 'daddy drives car' begin, and the chunky figures and car are sized for a 2 year old to grab and move room to room. The modular rooms rearrange, so it changes as their stories get longer. It is graded 2+ and on Amazon's 2026 Toys We Love list.76
Good to know: Figures wander, so a small bin for the people and car makes cleanup easier.
Sesame Street Tickle Me Elmo Giggle Max 18-Inch Interactive Plush
Hasbro · Plush
Two year olds love cause and effect they can trigger themselves, and squeezing Elmo to make him laugh never gets old for them. Elmo is a familiar friend for many toddlers, and this one is on both Amazon's Toys We Love and Target's Top 50 lists for 2026, so it is likely to be one of the most-searched toddler toys of the season.78
Good to know: It is battery powered and loud. Graded 18 months and up. If it is the big gift, buy early, because popular toys can sell out in December.
Monster Bowling
Melissa & Doug · Games
A 2 year old rolls or kicks the ball at the soft monster pins and cheers when they fall, which matches the CDC's 'kicks a ball' milestone. Setting the pins back up is half the fun for them. It is a great answer to a long winter afternoon inside.41
Good to know: There is no real scoring at this age; it is about knocking down and setting up, and that is fine.
Splash & Discover Fishing Set
Skip Hop · Games
Catching floating fish with a little rod is just hard enough for a 2 year old's hand-eye coordination, and it turns bath time into a game instead of a battle. It is cheap enough to be a stocking stuffer.4
Good to know: Drain and dry the pieces after use so they stay fresh for the next bath.
No-Spill Big Bubble Bucket
Fat Brain Toys · Outdoor
Two year olds adore bubbles and knock over every bottle within seconds. This no-spill bucket keeps the solution in, and several kids can dip their wands at once, so it works for siblings and cousins on Christmas afternoon.4
Good to know: We could not confirm an Amazon listing for this one, so search for it by name at your favorite toy store. Bubbles are a with-a-grown-up activity at this age.
Goodnight Frankie Bedtime Playset
Ms. Rachel · Pretend play
Many 2 year olds know Ms. Rachel, and this playset lets them act out the bedtime routine they live every night: bath, pajamas, story, lights out. Pretend play like this is a 24 to 36 month milestone, and putting Frankie to bed can make their own bedtime a little easier too.42
Good to know: It is a playset, not a screen. If your family keeps screen time low, it works just as well with a child who has never seen the show.
How Many Acorns? Puzzle
Tender Leaf Toys · Puzzles
It bridges the simple shape puzzles of age 1 and early number sense: a 2 year old matches the wooden pieces, and you count the acorns together as they go. The pieces are big enough for toddler hands, and it looks nice enough to leave out in the living room.4
Good to know: Most 2 year olds will match pieces before they really count, so treat the numbers as a bonus for later.
The Music Set
Lovevery · Music
A kit of real-sounding wooden instruments gives a 2 year old something to bang, shake and dance with, and copying your rhythm is a great back-and-forth game at this age. It is exactly the kind of shared, hands-on play the AAP recommends over screens, and families tend to keep it for younger siblings.493
Good to know: It is graded 18 months and up. Price differs by store: about $120 on Amazon and $130 from Lovevery directly.
Rally gifts to wrap with the book
Pair the book with something from the Rally shop for a gift that feels finished: hand-painted watercolor art from the same pages.
Christmas gifts for 2 year olds by price
| Budget | Gifts | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Under $25 | Monster Bowling, Splash & Discover Fishing Set, No-Spill Big Bubble Bucket, Goodnight Frankie Bedtime Playset | Games, Outdoor, Pretend play |
| $25 to $50 | LEGO DUPLO Classic Brick Box, Cheery Lane Modular Play House with Figures and Car, Sesame Street Tickle Me Elmo Giggle Max 18-Inch Interactive Plush, How Many Acorns? Puzzle | Building, Plush, Pretend play, Puzzles |
| $50 to $100 | My First Railway Beginner Pack, LEGO DUPLO Town Interactive Adventure Train (10427), Cloud Collection Cozy Coupe | Ride-on, Train toy |
| $100 and up | The Music Set | Music |
Gift tips for 2 year olds
Still under 3, so still no small parts
CPSC rules ban small parts in toys made for children under 3, and a 2 year old still puts things in their mouth. Keep older siblings' LEGO, playset accessories and magnet toys out of reach, and avoid anything with a reachable button battery. Skip the Tiny Land teepee and other recalled 2026 toys; a quick look at the CPSC recall list before you wrap is worth it.
Feed the pretend play
Two is when acting out real life begins, so a dollhouse, bedtime playset or ride-on car often gets more play than a toy that 'does' something on its own. Small add-ons like a toy plate or a blanket for a doll go a long way. Join in for a few minutes and the play lasts much longer.
Start a railway that grows
If your 2 year old loves trains, BRIO's toddler railway is a great first set, and BRIO, Thomas wooden and Tender Leaf track are broadly compatible, so birthdays and future Christmases can add on. DUPLO trains are their own system that works with DUPLO bricks. Pick one path for now so the pieces fit together.
Plan for assembly and batteries
Ride-ons like the Cozy Coupe need assembly, and toys like Tickle Me Elmo need batteries, so do both the night before. A 2 year old wants to play the moment the paper comes off, and waiting for a screwdriver is hard. Keep a spare pack of batteries in the stocking drawer.
Look inside the book
Story time with Santa in Chicago? Bring Rally home.
Rally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi’s first train ride, hand-painted in real watercolor. It makes a cozy bedtime story after a big day with Santa. Turn a few pages here.
Rally Takes the Train
Eight pages from the book
Turn the page
That's 8 of 25 pages
See who’s waiting at the station
Grandmommy and Papa are at the last stop. Get the full hand-painted book, $16.99 on Amazon.
See the full bookPage 1 of 8
Like it so far? See the full book
25 hand-painted pages, paperback, $16.99 with fast shipping from Amazon.
Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.
Questions parents ask
What is the best Christmas gift for a 2 year old?
The best Christmas gift for a 2 year old supports pretend play, building or moving, because those are the big skills of this age. LEGO DUPLO bricks, a first dollhouse, a toddler train set or a ride-on car all get daily use. Add a picture book they can point at and name things in. Our overall pick is the DUPLO Classic Brick Box, which grows with every later set.
What to get a 2 year old for Christmas?
Get a 2 year old one main gift tied to what they love (trains, babies, cars or music) plus a book and a small stocking extra. Strong main gifts are the BRIO My First Railway, a Cozy Coupe, the Melissa & Doug Cheery Lane play house or a DUPLO set. Bath toys and bubbles make easy, cheap extras.
What do you get a 2 year old who has everything?
Give a 2 year old who has everything an experience or something that extends what they already own. A few extra pieces for their train track, a new DUPLO set, a zoo or children's museum membership, or a holiday train ride together all add something new. A picture book with a handwritten note is another gift that never doubles up on the toy shelf.
What toys should a 2 year old have?
A 2 year old does well with a small, varied set: building bricks like DUPLO, a few pretend play toys (a doll, a play house or toy food), a ball, something to ride or push, simple wooden puzzles, a few musical instruments and plenty of books. That mix covers moving, building, pretending and early language, which are the main jobs of this year.
What toys keep a 2 year old busy?
Two year olds stay busiest with simple, open-ended toys: DUPLO bricks, a train track, a play house with figures, and toy food with plates. These can be played a new way every day, unlike toys that do one thing. Expect short bursts of solo play, longer if you start them off, and rotate toys every couple of weeks.
What do 2 year olds like for Christmas?
Two year olds like gifts they can control themselves: buttons that make sounds, trains they can push, cars they can sit in and balls they can kick. Familiar characters like Elmo or Ms. Rachel are a big hit too. They also love the unwrapping, so wrap in easy-tear paper and let them take their time with each present.
What are good gifts for a 2 year old that are not toys?
Good non-toy gifts for a 2 year old include picture books, a step stool for helping in the kitchen, a toddler-sized apron, rain boots, pajamas with a favorite character, a membership to a zoo or children's museum, and a holiday train ride or outing together. Books are the standout, since 2 year olds love pointing at pictures and naming what they see.
How many toys should a 2 year old have?
A 2 year old does not need many toys out at once; a small number of visible toys is plenty, with the rest stored and rotated. Fewer choices often mean deeper, longer play. At Christmas, one main gift, a book and a small extra or two is generous. If relatives send a lot, put some away to bring out in the new year.
How many Christmas gifts should a 2 year old get?
Two to four gifts is plenty for a 2 year old. This is the first Christmas many children start to understand presents, but a big pile can still overwhelm them. Many families use the 'want, need, wear, read' idea: one toy they will love, something useful, an outfit and a book. Spread the opening out so each gift gets attention.
Is a train set a good gift for a 2 year old?
Yes, two is a great age for a first train set. Look for toddler track that is extra chunky and easy to connect, like the BRIO My First Railway (18 months and up), or a DUPLO train like the Interactive Adventure Train (2+), which a child can build with a parent. Skip sets with small accessories meant for 3 and up.
BRIO or DUPLO train for a 2 year old?
Choose BRIO if your 2 year old loves pushing trains around a track, and DUPLO if they love building and pressing buttons. BRIO's My First Railway grows into standard wooden track shared by BRIO, Thomas wooden and Tender Leaf. The DUPLO Interactive Adventure Train uses action bricks that trigger sounds and lights, and connects to any DUPLO bricks you own.
How much should I spend on a Christmas gift for a 2 year old?
You can find excellent gifts for a 2 year old at any budget. Under $25 there is Monster Bowling, a bath fishing set, a no-spill bubble bucket and the Ms. Rachel bedtime playset. The $25 to $50 range covers DUPLO bricks, a play house and Tickle Me Elmo. Train sets, a Cozy Coupe and a music set run from about $65 to $130.
Are books a good Christmas gift for a 2 year old?
Yes, books are one of the best gifts for a 2 year old. At this age children point to things in a book when asked and start putting two words together, so picture books with clear, beautiful illustrations and rhyme are perfect. Ask them to find the dog or the train on each page, and let them finish the rhymes as their words grow.
How much screen time is OK for a 2 year old?
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends less than one hour a day of screen time from age 2, ideally watched together. For gifts, that is a good reason to choose hands-on toys over tablets. Shows a child loves, like Ms. Rachel or Sesame Street, can still inspire screen-free gifts such as a playset or plush they act out stories with.
Is Tickle Me Elmo a good gift for a 2 year old?
Yes, Tickle Me Elmo Giggle Max is a good gift for a 2 year old who knows Elmo. It is graded 18 months and up, and toddlers love making something laugh by squeezing it. It is on Amazon's and Target's top toy lists for 2026, so buy early. Know that it is battery powered and loud, so it is not a quiet bedtime toy.
What toys are not safe for a 2 year old?
Avoid toys with small parts, reachable button batteries, small loose magnets and water beads for a 2 year old. CPSC rules ban small parts in toys for children under 3, so check the age grade on every box. In 2026, Tiny Land play tents, several unbranded busy boards and magnet sets were recalled, so check the CPSC recall list before buying.
What are good stocking stuffers for a 2 year old?
Good stocking stuffers for a 2 year old include a bath fishing set (about $8), a small board book, bubbles, chunky crayons, a soft ball, cozy socks and a toddler toothbrush with a favorite character. Skip candy and tiny trinkets. Every stocking item should be graded for under 3, since small extras are an easy place for choking hazards to slip in.
What should grandparents get a 2 year old for Christmas?
A gift that builds over time is a lovely grandparent tradition at two, like starting a train set that grows each birthday, or a beautiful picture book with a handwritten note. A story about visiting grandparents makes the connection sweeter. Bigger gifts like a ride-on or a music set are also good grandparent gifts. Check with the parents first to avoid duplicates.
What is a good last minute Christmas gift for a 2 year old?
The easiest last minute gifts for a 2 year old are a picture book, LEGO DUPLO bricks, bubbles or a ball, which most big stores carry. Melissa & Doug, LEGO and Little Tikes are widely stocked in stores if shipping is too slow. An experience works too: plan a holiday train ride or a trip to see Christmas lights together.
What are good Christmas gifts for a 2 year old boy or girl?
The best gifts for a 2 year old boy or girl are the same: a play house, DUPLO bricks, a train set, a ride-on car, music instruments and books suit every child. Choose by interest instead of gender. A train fan wants the BRIO railway, a little caregiver wants the play house or bedtime playset, and an energetic child wants the Cozy Coupe.
Gift guides for every age
- The full 2026 Christmas gift guide for kids
- Christmas train rides by state
- Christmas events for kids near you
- Free Rally coloring pages
- Books about visiting grandparents
- The story behind Rally Takes the Train
Sources
Picks and age notes were checked against the sources below.
- Milestones by 2 Years, CDC
- Milestones by Age Chart, Zero to Three
- Best Toys Go Back to the Basics, HealthyChildren.org (American Academy of Pediatrics)
- Best Gifts for 2 Year Olds, The Bump
- LEGO DUPLO Interactive Adventure Train (10427), Brickfact
- Amazon Toys We Love 2026, About Amazon
- Amazon's Top Toys of 2026, TODAY
- Top 50 Must-Have Toys for the 2026 Holiday Season, AZ Big Media
- Most Loved Gifts, Lovevery
- Toy Recalls (including Tiny Land play tents), Justia Recalls
- Toy Recalls (magnets, button batteries and water beads), Justia Recalls
