If you were turning 2 next month, what would be your dream present ?

[babybessa]

I have several friends whose little ones are now turning 2 and are having their first real parties - as it's been a while since I was that age(!), what would be a good pressie? Id like to avoid huge slabs of plastic if at all possible. Any help mucho appreciated.

Difficult - they vary so much at that age.

DS - trains planes and automobiles, or cuddly animals
DD - not there yet but I feel it will be either transport-related (but she has lots from DS) or doll-related

Are you looking for squeals of excitement from the recipient, or considered apprecation from the parents?

My dd's at that age (now 5 and 2.6) loved packpacks with stuff inside them.
DD1 has had 2 backpacks with playdoh which were big hits. (playdoh is great favourite anyway).
They both liked story books with flaps etc to look at (a good one is 'Where are my pants?' which has cut out pants to hide behind flaps )

Wooden jigsaw puzzles/easier type standard jigsaws.

Girls might like necklaces/braclets.

A tea set.

if it was my DS:

crayons and colouring books

bubbles

playdoh

A digger (full size)
Peppa Pig (and her family) to come and live with us permanently
A double decker bus, available for use all day every day
Ditto a train
A massive swimming pool with a lazy river in the garden.

wooden train track

a whistle

puzzles are good.

wooden toys are less plastic-y, esp with lots of bits to take apart.

clothes never go amiss -- even if they're not to everyone's taste, who doesn't need an extra t-shirt or 2?

pop-up tent or parachute for the garden is nice.

My DD3 is 20 months and loves

Books (especially lift-the-flap ones)
Aquadraw (you can get the little travel sized ones now)
Teasets and pretend food
Dollies and pushing them around in her £4-from-Asda buggy
Wooden puzzles
Shape sorter
Dressing up beads, hats, shoes
Bubbles

DD is 2 on friday and she loves playdoh, crayons, stickers, balls, bags, bubbles, trains and cars. Oh and her teaset

If you asked DS (2 tomorrow) he would say: a horse, a motorbike, a train, a tractor, chickens.

What he is getting ?
Bouncy castle from ELC
Books (dinosaur, Richard Scarry, tractor)
ELC fire station
ELC tractor and trailer
Curry comb for his rocking horse

ooh, yes the aqua draw mini mats are v good for trips.

ooh Playdoh - Id forgotten about that stuff and the lovely smell...but would I be hated in secret for buying something that child could eat/ grind in carpet/ stick up cat's nose?? And have heard of the love PeppaPig inspires so that's a great one... so a Playdoh PeppaPig driving a full sized digger blowing a whistle would suit all...I'll get onto it. Thanks y'all

a tea set in a basket would be very very loved by DD, I think - Elk is right - anything which comes in a bag/backpack is well received - so that would be a Playdoh PeppaPig driving a full sized digger blowing a whistle which is attached to a backpack.

a bike - my first real out door one - yeah!

DS1's most successful 2nd birthday presents were

• wooden train track
• ELC 'who nose whose nose' game (this is what I will be taking to 2yo birthday parties in future)
• wooden jigsaw puzzles
• clothes, maybe PJ's
• ELC happyland playset

scooter