Any unique gift ideas for a 2 year old? My bestfriends little girl is turning two and I need ideas. She is like my own child so I would almost spend as much on her as I would my own. Thoughts?
When I lived in Hawaii, we bought mother/daughter matching outfits (you can get just the little girls, too) from a boutique called Cinnamon Girl. They will at least be different, and they're fantastic for family portraits. In the Fall you can put white tanks underneath. They carry other cool things too, but allow time for shipping.
www.cinnamongirl.com
=)T.
For my daughters 2nd birthday, her favorite gifts were puzzles (Target has puzzles that make noice when you insert the puzzle piece) and books. She also loves sticker books (we buy them at Meijer) and another great gift would be gift certificates to Graeters (she loves ice cream).
I always by an "I" bond and neclace special for a toddler. $25.00 for "I" Bonda and $25.00 for the neclace.
N.
If you are looking for something she will play with a lot now...I got my 2 year old niece a set of 6 plastic high heels and she loves them. Most of the time she wears the play shoes rather than her real shoes. If you are looking for something that will last a lifetime...I started a birthday set for both my niece and nephew when they were born. Every year I get my niece a Precious Moments figurine that corresponds with her age and I get my nephew an Emmit Kelly figurine. My nephew is now 6 and he really likes having them on the shelf in his room.
2 is a good year to get them started on bikes. I got my daughter a barbie big wheel that she loved at that age. She just rode it around the house. If you get it, take it out of the box and put it together before you give it to her because it takes some assembly and my daughter waited and waited while my husband put it together. Another thing that's good at that age is anything educational. Leap frog makes those cool little refrigerator magnet sets that talk and play songs while you place letters in them. Oh! And always a winner are those treasure chests you can get that are full of princess dress up clothes. My daughter was always dressed in a princess dress when she was two it seems!
I always like personal items. When my daughter turned one my cousin gave her the cutest little toy chest. She went to Michaels (or any craft store) and purchased a plain unfinished wooden toy chest. She then asked what color my daughter's room was and painted/decorated the chest herself. She finished it off with her name in the front.
Rocking chairs are always nice too. I am thinking of painting one up for my niece. I still have mine from when I was a kid...love it.
It sounds hard but you can find kits to help you along at your local craft store. That is how my cousin got started. Both projects will probably run you between $50 and $100 after all supplies are purchased. There are a ton of items you can find to paint up...doll houses, play houses, table and chair sets all sorts of fun things. If you decide to do something like this I remember seeing a good sized toy chest at Garden Ridge. They had other stuff too.
Another really cute gift is a "baby" baby grand piano. I had a little piano as a child too. My daughter's Godmother purchased her one for her first birthday. I think they are around $100. It's so cute! White with a little stool and everything. It even came with music sheets.
I'm sure she will love anything you get her!
Good luck!
Take her to Build a Bear! Kids love it!
For children that are close family friends or family, I usually get them something small and fun (and cheap) for them to open. Something that they will like and are "in to". But for their real gift, I like to do something different. Talk to her mom and chose something to start a collection of. Or take her to the Zoo or the park. Somethings that have either been done for me, my daughter or my friends children: add-a pearl necklaces (my daughter has a necklace with 1 pearl, and with each birthday, my mom adds one), doll collection, china (this was done for me as a teen, I used to hate getting a place setting of China for special occasions, but as I got older, I really do treasure my collection), collctable figures or snow villages, charm bracelets, artwork series, i could go on and one.
But if you start her on a collection, every year she will look forward to your gift. The charm bracelets are great for kids, it is something she could add to when she get a bit older.
Check out Pottery Barn Kids - personalized gifts online! They are the cutest things - and come wrapped up so neatly! A lot of the things are really not that expensive - and yet look very fancy! :)
My daughter is 2 and we bought her a tricycle, but she can't ride it yet. Her favorite gifts were dress up clothes. Like, play shoes, glasses, and fake beaded necklglasses. Just make sure about safety and if the child seems mature enough to play with these toys. If you're concerned about safety she also loves her fake tea party set and mini kitchen w/ fake food. Hope this helps!
