What to get for a DD2 (also 2) when DD1 has everything?!

[Twobabiesandamadcat]

DD2 turns two on the 15th of January. We have a large family and her sister (5) has everything. Anything she grew out of that was still in great condition was kept and brought out for DD2 which means we have everything a two year old could possibly want 🙈:

Toy kitchen and enough play food/accessories to stock and run a restaurant
What feels like all the happy land
Mega blocks,/duplo/ sticklebricks
Water table/sandpit/climbing frame etc
Multiple wheeled toys
Toot toot
Easel and arty stuff
Ice cream cart

Does anyone have any genius out the box gift ideas? Double dunt of Christmas and birthday within three weeks doesn't help

So just spend a tenner so she has something to open then take her on a nice day out later / put money in her bank

We've combatted this in two ways...

1. Gift the younger one things that the older one is heading towards wanting or needing. For example when my smallest was 2 we gave her a slackline. The bigger ones use it much more but because it arrived for her birthday they make sure she gets turns and help her to use it more than they would if it felt more theirs. This also means the big ones are more likely to share their stuff with the smalls because the smalls also have things that they want to share and use.
2. We try to have a mantra that the majority of stuff in the house belongs to the family rather than the individual. So things like the play kitchen etc would be a family toy. Mostly we try and make gifts stuff that's for the whole family (like a football goal, trampoline etc) Sometimes it does still revert to who originally was gifted that toy, but mostly it's harmonious. Individual presents are then focussed around experiences, where we may all go but it's definitely about the birthday person (IE not everyone would have chosen peppa pig world but the 3 year old was WAY into it so that was a day all for her)

Everyone then has a box/basket which is for their precious things and everyone else respects that and doesn't take things from it) but otherwise everything is shared.

I would bring them on a day out and get them a few little gifts based on their current favourite things like a teddy of their fave cartoon character, a little basket full of their favourite things to eat, cute hair clips, and umbrella that changes colour in the rain etc. things that they love but don’t necessarily need to be huge.

Thanks everyone. Of course everything in the house is just "in the house" unless it's the wee toys like Polly pocket or Playmobil. It's more DD1 will be expecting presents from Santa/family and obviously DD2 will get the equivalent so trying to come up with ideas. Desperately trying to ask/tell family that they have everything they could need or want and annual passes/cinema or soft play vouchers and money to save would be great. But the family like to give something that can be opened.

Something a bit older sounds good. Magnetiles would work here I think and nice stuff she needs like the umbrella and hair stuff also sound good.

Does she have a tonie box?

Or a Yoto player . We went for the Yoto because it has stories for much older children as well. Other ideas:

play doh sets
dressing up clothes
sticker books
doctor’s kit
Orchard toys games/puzzles
something for her room? Cushion, bed linen, fairy lights

We went for the Yoto too as it sounded like the better option over Tonie!

Magnatiles are on our list for DS. He has all older cousins so we have a similar issue - all their old toys are his now!

Just stop making it all about consuming & 'expecting '
Change the narrative 🤷‍♀️

We're in a similar position - DS2 is 2 the week before Christmas and DS1 is 5! We put a lot of stuff DS1 outgrew up the loft, so from us DS2 is getting the play kitchen down from the loft. From Santa he's likely getting a light up electric toothbrush like his brother's, which he deeply covets. We're doing a photo album of his family members, which is something we did for DS1 during COVID and is lovely to look back on. I've tried to say that he needs nothing to family, but they're proving resistant. Last Christmas we did things like finger paint and one of those pictures frames that you can put lots of their art in. Outside toys and bath toys we also like, because the older ones can get a bit disgusting. There's a few things he likes that his brother didn't, so music books and things featuring cats will likely be presents from other people.

I'd go with this. They're young enough that you can still change what the expectation at Christmas/Birthdays is.

I'm not saying they should get a piece of coal each, but you can wind it back to a stocking from Santa and a few (or more) smaller presents under the tree.

Then if they need other stuff through the year, get it for them. This is particularly good for the one who has a January birthday. Don't let Santa bring a trampoline because it's so much pressure to beat that next year. Instead have Santa bring a few bits and then gift them a trampoline at the start of the summer holidays, for example. This works for all 'big' presents.

You don't want to get into a place where you buying stuff you know they don't want or need because you can't let them be disappointed.

A nice snuggly blanket for her bed or cosying up with on the sofa
New dressing gown & pyjamas
Character slippers
Cute wellies
Ball pit
Pop up play tent
Dress up set
A Trunkie type case for future travels (suitable from 3 I think)
Favourite character nursery bag/rucksack
Bath toys
Toy box
Night light projector that shows star constellations on the ceiling

For dd5 have a look at www.bakerross.co.uk
Loads of art & craft stuff. Good quality & not silly prices.

A big girl bed ready for moving out of the cot?

A scooter and/or balance bike with helmet
Books,sometimes batteries run out etc
Play dough - play dough never seems to last lol
Bath toys again get grubby
Magnatiles
A costume/dress up something they are into?
Is there anything "boyish" you didn't buy the first time? May car set or dinosaurs or farm?
And yes something to o with bigger sister

My DDs are almost 2 and 4 and I have a similar dilemma.

I got DD2 this Little Tikes story projector for her 2nd birthday this month. It’s something a little different that we don’t already have and I thought it’d be nice for bedtime.

https://www.smythstoys.com/uk/en-gb/toys/educational-toys/little-tikes-story-dream-machine-with-fairytale-stories/p/237635

Definitely second the magnatiles. You need at least 100 tiles to make anything decent. Can recommend the desire deluxe ones on Amazon. Last year we bought a set per child so everyone had something to open (and got us to 100 tiles) but they mostly all work together on builds, and if there's any arguments over how many of each people have then it's still easy to separate down into equal sets !

When DS was 2 he got a large gift from my DM and DSis, which stayed useful for years, but came in a huge box which he must have knocked about 6 months of amazing fun out of.

Maybe you/family could get her new character bedding, cushions for the bed, dressing gown and pyjamas etc.
Or a named swim bag, swim suit, towel, noodle and maybe swimming lessons.
Annual pass to your local farm/zoo type thing.

I think a tonie box is better suited to a 2 year old. More robust, cute figurines and easier to use. Mine have had tonie boxes from 2-5 and then on their 5th birthdays got Yotos. If I’d have given them the Yotos as two years old, the cards would have been lost, bent, posted behind radiators etc.

Guess it depends on your kid and your budget. Couldn't have afforded to do both so we got a yoto when my oldest was 3 and the littlest 1 and haven't had any issues with the cards being abused. We keep them in a card wallet type thing and have had tears in 2 of the pockets that I've had to sellotape as I wasn't quick enough with the baby on one occasion and the other when my oldest accidentally dropped it about 2 weeks ago. Can totally see that tonies are better for little hands, but just offering a different side to the story.

Tonie storage also was something to consider as we don't have a lot of room. Preferred the cards as they can be kept in a pretty slimline book. We got the yoto mini and it's travelled everywhere with us. Honestly has been the top item since day one!!

Surely a 2 year old and 5 year old have different tastes.

I have a 3 and 6 year old and they are wildly different as was my teen when he was that age.

While my oldest love Chuggington and Cars neither of my younger two cared at all (maybe could be put down to 10 year age gap and styles changing) but my middle loved PJ Masks and Paw Patrol however my youngest is not bothered with those and instead loves Peppa Pig & Hey Duggee that my middle had no interest in.

My oldest was not a very creative child/person at all and like to 'watch' stuff. My middle has a wild imagination for role play and world creating and my youngest is very artsy and likes to create things.

My kids all have their own unique tastes that means they all want different things so what one has rarely matters in terms of the others.

Following op as in the same situation. It's very hard ever knowing what to get DD2 and hate just buying stuff she's not that fussed about for the sake if buying. I agree with pp's a tone box is good if you don't have one

A pop up tent?

Or alternatively we have one of these wooden tent frames from hobby craft and we can make different types of dens depending on what we choose to throw over it and how we decorate it etc. www.hobbycraft.co.uk/hobbycraft-wooden-den-kit-80cm-x-125cm/6494191000.html