To ask you all what present did your 2 year old child like the most/get the most value out of?

[SybilRamkin]

DH and I need to buy a gift for our 2 year old niece's birthday, but don't have DC of our own and have no idea what to buy her! Something under £50 would be perfect.

Help me, oh wise MNers!

Anything role-playish is brillant at that age - kitchen, tea sets, play food, doctors kit, dress up. DS kitchen was the best thing we ever bought but I definitely agree you need to check if the parents would be happy with something as physically big as that.

We also live in Edinburgh where there is an amazing shop called the Edinburgh Repository where 'gentlewomen in reduced circumstances' (I kid you not!) can sell their handcrafts and I usually buy friends daughters a hand-made rag doll from there.

Microscooter

this has been played with every single bath time for 18 months.

Play-doh set with some mini rolling pins, different shaped cutters and a little plunger like device which makes "hair" for any little play-doh people/aliens/animals. Early Learning/Mothercare do a cheaper version called "Soft Stuff" which is basically the same.
A toy BBQ which is basically like a mini kitchen with hobs that light up and an oven with a little tea set and plastic food. (Early Learning again I think)

Brio wooden trains/tracks and a wooden balance bike. If it was raining he was playing with Brio; if it wasn't he was on the bike. He still plays with the Brio now and he's nearly 7.

I would maybe call up your sister/brother and try and get a few clues on what your niece loves to play with so you can think about what she might like. Things that are Big Hit presents vary so much according to the child even at 2. Things that are sure fire winners for one child are not necessarily so for others. My daughter is completely uninterested in duplo and pretty blase re small world type stuff like happyland for example. She loves pretend play with baby dolls, dressing up, etc. It's astonishingly variable what they do and don't latch onto, ime. I've even met kids who are totally indifferent to mini micro scooters recently and I thought that was an absolutely sure fire winner!

I bought DD a pop up tent for her 2nd birthday. By far the best toy I've ever bought. It was only £25 - Peppa Pig thing, and she still plays with it now somethings (she is 5). Folds down as I have little storage space. Agree mini micro more for 3 yrs onwards.

Mini micro.

Sensory building blocks from www.earlyyearsresources.co.uk
are also very good and are long lasting as well as 'educational'

Duplo is easily the best value toy we have had. Still gets played with years later too.

Duplo house great, but might be quite expensive.

Garage and cars. Every day, without fail. Not necessarily what your niece might want though

Crocodile hand puppet! plays for hours, i chase her around the house trying to eat her toes.

Books- the phonics ones (fox on a box, goose on the loose etc) have proved great hits too.

Little tikes cozy coupe car comes in unisex colours and pink.
Happyland train set.
Brio train set
Megablocks

balance bike
scooter

Mini micro scooter. Used at least 3 days out of 7 every week. 1 and a half years on and it's still in brilliant working order.

Also a train set.

My sister opened a savings account for my son and adds some money every birthday and Christmas. He's about to turn 16 and there is nearly £1000 in there. He'll be able to access it when he's 18, just in time for Uni.