Gifts for a nearly 2 year old who loves letters and numbers

[SmallWaistFatFace]

Hello,

My son loves numbers and letters. If we go for a walk we stop at every car to look at the license plate or stop at bins. He is advanced (first kid so who's knows) and knows the alphabet and numbers up to 20. I am wondering if anyone knows of any fun letter or number based gifts I could buy him for Christmas? Or any toddler 'computer' type thing that he could explore? He will have just turned two by Christmas.

Magnetic numbers and letters for the fridge/or a magnetic board.

Foam letters and numbers for the bath.

Jacques of London also do nice wooden number/letter games.

Letters/numbers puzzles.

Orchard toys do nice puzzles and board games featuring numbers (he may be a bit young to fully get the idea, but can start now and see).

Aquadraw mat is good for practising mark making/writing and you can get ones with the alphabet round the edge to colour/trace.

If he likes arts & crafts type stuff, you could get some of those Papier mache letters/numbers he could decorate and play with afterwards? The Range have some on offer?

www.sportsdirect.com/play-doh-play-doh-numbers/letters-and-fun-mould-831037
Playdoh letters and numbers reduced to £4.50 (its £13 on Amazon)

Duplo number train or alphabet truck
Foam bath letters and numbers
Galt toys alphabet puzzle
Alphabet fishing game

www.smallecosteps.co.uk/collections/home-learning/Literacy

Beautiful Reel Wood letters and Yellow Door letter sets are 20% off here

How about the Melissa and Doug house? It has numbers on each door and keys to match and open them. Very popular with the 2/3 year olds at our preschool.

Also magnetic board with balls you use the pen to press we have letter and number ones. Like these
www.amazon.co.uk/Educational-Magnetic-Alphabet-Letter-Tracing/dp/B07WG7HSNV/ref=asc_df_B07WG7HSNV/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=399546068574&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10691572603091814546&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045812&hvtargid=pla-846463725540&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=85329203495&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=399546068574&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10691572603091814546&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045812&hvtargid=pla-846463725540

If you wanted to go the computer route, I would recommend an amazon fire tablet. Great child settings available and lots of number/letter games free or you can sign up for kids membership to additional apps.

I dont know if they do numberblocks merchandise?

How about wipe boards with numbers/letters.

Does he like games? Orchard toy games are great for that age group and lots of them are educational some with numbers/letters.

Look at learning resources toys and alphablocks and numberblocks. If you’ve taught him the alphabet then I would stop because in the U.K. children do phonics first and need to know the pure sounds.

If you are wanting to help him get ready for nursery/school get him some funky finger tools and look at funky finger activities.

How about one of the pop it/fidget toys? My 2 year old is fascinated with hers and they do various designs with letters and numbers, they also do times table versions for older children that I'm looking at for my eldest.

My DS got a lot of use out of stacking cups with numbers on them, and a set of blank, coloured dominoes/wooden chips. He would count the correct number of chips in to the cups. Later, he would use them for addition, ie, put 4 chips in to number 4 cup, 6 in to number 6 cup, upend both and count the chips. Cheap and versatile, as he also learned colours and sorting/ classification. He would make symmetrical patterns with them, too.
The best thing I ever bought, though, was a chalkboard/easel. It was used daily for years.

Bright minds is a great online toy shop for bright kids, all their stuff is educational but fun. My now teens used to love the toys they have without realising they were learning at the same time.
www.brightminds.co.uk/

We have an ELC tabletop magnetic chalkboard easel thing which came with letters and we have another set of magnetic letters mixed in too. My 2 year old loves it, although her older siblings get more use out of the letters word building, she doesn't recognise any letters yet. But loves moving them about, drawing with the chalk and pretending she can read them.
Melissa and doug do alphabet and number puzzles where they match.

Orchard games, match and spell. My son loved number and letters too at that age, we bought him this game and he just absolutely loved finding the correct letters and putting them on top in the game cards.

My DS was similar (reading by 2) and we got him a pocket calculator and Duplo ABC truck. Still loves them

Sumblox from YesBebe

Amazing suggestions all, I really appreciate it. Some great suggestions on here. Pocket calculator I think he will love and the stencil letters!

Someone suggested a fire amazon tablet thing which looks good, I'm a bit on the fence about a two year old having a tablet, I think it might be a bit young. Has anyone else's toddlers have a tablet?

There's no way I would let a toddler have a tablet. Time enough for that later.

@SmallWaistFatFace

Amazing suggestions all, I really appreciate it. Some great suggestions on here. Pocket calculator I think he will love and the stencil letters!

Someone suggested a fire amazon tablet thing which looks good, I'm a bit on the fence about a two year old having a tablet, I think it might be a bit young. Has anyone else's toddlers have a tablet?

It was me who suggested the tablet. At 2 I would be using it as a learning and a sometimes toy. Definitely adult supervised and not left to use and access at any time. My dds had theirs at 2 and 3 and had 30 mins per day where we played games or they watched age appropriate videos. Personally if you are thinking of computer type toys a tablet would be better value in the long run.

Just some food for thought on the technology debate, my dds had a tablet they could use from a young age however Ive never allowed them on my phone for games or YouTube etc. Whereas I had friends who said their children were too young for a tablet but their child was allowed on their phones to play when out and about quite frequently.

And we also use the amazon fire tablets as a learning tool in the preschool I work in, always adult led - game playing, lesson in turn taking and to find out information. Used the right way a tablet can be useful in their development.

Some cute, well thought out kits here www.littlewisetoys.com/

Asda sell foam letters and numbers for playing with in the bath - my DS loves them!

Also, my 2 year old most certainly does not have a tablet.

Your child is like mine, who is hyperlexic (your child might not be, website on hyperlexia alphabetchildren.com )

• Tactile numbers - from special needs stores. Really nice, letters with a ‘tactile’ feel so you can play with them.
• Wooden alphabet blocks
• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom - great book about anthromorphic letters living in a tree
• IPad mini or tablet - for Endless Alphabet and Endless Numbers Apps
• Big wooden alphabet jigsaw and puzzles. Good ones from Melissa and Doug who do a good range of toys many with letters on.
• Water drawing mat - where you have magic pens to draw on
• Numberblocks have them free on their magazine about once a year
• BIG calculator
• so many home accessories have the alphabet and letters on.

I wouldn’t worry so much about the mechanics of letters and numbers but would buy lots of good books that you can read to him and talk about together.

@NCBlossom

Your child is like mine, who is hyperlexic (your child might not be, website on hyperlexia alphabetchildren.com )

• Tactile numbers - from special needs stores. Really nice, letters with a ‘tactile’ feel so you can play with them.
• Wooden alphabet blocks
• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom - great book about anthromorphic letters living in a tree
• IPad mini or tablet - for Endless Alphabet and Endless Numbers Apps
• Big wooden alphabet jigsaw and puzzles. Good ones from Melissa and Doug who do a good range of toys many with letters on.
• Water drawing mat - where you have magic pens to draw on
• Numberblocks have them free on their magazine about once a year
• BIG calculator
• so many home accessories have the alphabet and letters on.

Thank you so much! I have looked at this a few times and I'm not sure this fits for my son, main reason being he can talk and says about how he feels about things (in a basic way) rather than just pointing things about. For example if he doesn't get what he wants and is having a little sulk 'I feel sad', but I will keep my eye on it as I have read on here a lot that the interest in letters and numbers might mean hyperpraxia!

Leapfrog scribble and write has been an unexpected big hit with all my 3dc at that age (and beyond). My 18 month old loves it. It is very very sturdy and hasn't needed new batteries in the 6 years we have had it.