Gifts for 2 Year Olds That Get Worn
A two year old is a different animal to a one year old. They run, they climb, they take their own trousers off in the middle of the supermarket. The gifts for 2 year olds that survive the year are the ones built for that, not the ones that look sweet in the box.
The short answer, if you have twenty minutes before the party: buy size 2Y or 3Y rather than a baby size, choose bottoms with room through the knee, choose tops they can pull on without help, and spend somewhere between $25 and $60 on one good piece rather than $60 on four forgettable ones.
We should say this up front. Yes Mila makes clothes, not toys. If the child is getting one big toy this birthday, that is a great gift and it is not coming from us. What we can help with is the part of the present pile that gets used every single day.
What actually changes at two
The Raising Children Network's toddler development guide for 2 to 3 years describes a child who can run and is falling over less, who is walking up and down stairs, who can jump on the spot and may be keen on a tricycle. It also notes that toddlers this age want to do more for themselves, and that most are better at taking clothes off than putting them on.
That last line is the whole brief for a gift, really.
Knees get punished. Waistbands get yanked up and down all day by someone who has just worked out they can do it themselves. Anything with a fiddly closure gets abandoned in the drawer, because the child cannot manage it and the parent is already late.
Buy 2Y or 3Y, not size 1
This is the mistake we see most often on gift orders.
Our sizing runs 0-3M, 3-6M and 6-12M, then 1Y, 2Y, 3Y and up to 8Y. A child turning two has usually outgrown 1Y months ago. Buying size 1 for a second birthday is a wasted present.
Buy 2Y and they will get a season out of it. Buy 3Y and it waits in the drawer until next winter, then appears looking like a fresh gift. If you are not the parent and cannot check the wardrobe, 3Y is the safer bet.
One thing worth knowing about our range. Size 2Y sits in two places. It is the top size in our baby range, so you will find it in baby girl and baby boy, and it is the bottom size in our older range, so the same number appears again on pieces that run 2Y to 8Y. Both fit a two year old. The older-range cut has a little more length. If you want the measurements rather than the labels, our guide to baby clothing sizes has the tables.
Gift ideas for 2 year olds, sorted by how they move
Bottoms with knee room
Corduroy is the quiet hero here. It is a heavier weave than jersey, it takes a knee scrape without going through, and it holds its colour wash after wash.
Corduroy Pants in Balsam or Clay are $49.99 and run 2Y to 8Y. The Corduroy Pinafore Dress in Clay or Plum Jam is $59.99 in the same size run, and it goes over a long sleeve tee in winter and on its own in spring. If the child is still closer to 2Y than 3Y, Corduroy Overalls in Balsam or Clay are $59.99 up to 2Y. The whole lot sits in corduroy.
Denim does a similar job. Denim Pants in Blue Denim are $49.99 and the Denim Pinafore Dress is $49.99, both 2Y to 8Y.
For everyday running-about, Sweatpants in Sand or Toasted Peach are $29.99 and Cargo Pants in Sand Stripe or Sky Blue are $34.99.
Tops they can get on themselves
A two year old who can dress themselves will wear the thing. A two year old who needs help will wear it when someone has time, which is less often than you think.
Pull-on wins. The Feature Print Short Sleeve Tee in Palm Beach and the Printed Short Sleeve Tee Shirt in Dolphin Fun are $29.99, and the Sleeveless Tee in Mr Crab is $24.99. All run 2Y to 8Y.
Dresses that go over the head work the same way. The Chambray Dress in Blue Chambray and the Muslin Strappy Dress in Starfish or Toasted Peach are $39.99 each, and the first two sit in best sellers for a reason.
One layer for daycare
Every daycare bag needs something warm that does not need an adult to operate it. A cardigan or a jumper goes on and off a dozen times a day between the play yard, the car and an air-conditioned room.
The Knit Cardigan in Toasted Peach or Mint is $39.99. The Knit Jumper in Candy Floss, Mint or Sand is $39.99. The Ribbed Jumper in Clay, Golden Pear, Lake Blue or Mallow is $49.99, and the Cable Knit Jumper in Wicker is $59.99. The Feature Print Jumper in Happy Bear is $49.99 if you want the print to do the talking. They are all in knitwear.
Write the child's name in it before you wrap it. Parents of daycare children will understand why.
A matching set for the photos
Two year olds get photographed a lot, and a set solves the outfit question for a parent who is not thinking about outfits.
The Printed Sweatshirt in Tortie is $39.99 with matching Printed Cotton Shorts in Tortie at $24.99, a complete gift for $64.98. The same pairing comes in Flower Power and Sandy Shells, and in Crabby at $29.99 and $24.99.
Two pieces also beat one when there is food involved. A stained top does not take the whole outfit out of rotation.
Presents for a two year old by budget
Under $30. One tee, one pair of shorts, or one pair of pants. Feature Print Short Sleeve Tee in Palm Beach at $29.99, Printed Cotton Shorts at $24.99, Sleeveless Tee in Mr Crab at $24.99, Sweatpants in Sand at $29.99.
$25 to $50. The sweet spot for a birthday present you are giving on your own. The Chambray Dress at $39.99, a Knit Cardigan at $39.99, Ribbed Tights 2 Pack at $34.99, Cargo Pants at $34.99, or a Knit Jumper at $39.99.
$50 to $70. One piece that carries a season, or a matching set at $54.98 to $64.98. Corduroy Pants at $49.99, the Corduroy Jacket in Balsam or Clay at $59.99, the Denim Jacket at $59.99, the Corduroy Pinafore Dress at $59.99, or the Cable Knit Jumper at $59.99.
Going in together. If a group of you are pooling, put it towards the outerwear. A jacket is the piece a family uses every day for a year and the piece nobody wants to buy twice.
What we would not buy a two year old
Anything with buttons up the back. Anything dry clean only. Anything in the size the child is wearing right now, because they will not be wearing it in three months.
On toys, our honest position is that the things played with hardest at this age are simple and open-ended. A good independent toy shop or your local toy library will steer you better than we can.
Frequently asked questions
What size clothes should I buy for a 2 year old?
Size 2Y as a minimum, 3Y if you want it to last past summer. A two year old has almost always outgrown 1Y. In our range 2Y appears twice, once as the top size in the baby collections and once as the starting size in the 2Y to 8Y range, and both fit a two year old.
Are clothes a good gift for a 2 year old?
Yes, if you buy the right kind. Clothes a toddler can put on themselves, in a size ahead of where they are now, get used constantly. Clothes in the current size with fiddly fastenings do not. The trick is buying for how they move, not how they photograph.
How much should you spend on a 2nd birthday present?
Most people land between $30 and $60 for a friend's child, and a bit more for family or a group gift. One good piece at $50 beats four small things at $12, because the small things get lost and the good piece is still in the drawer next winter.
What gifts do you buy a 2 year old who has everything?
Consumables and clothes. Every family with a two year old is short of the things that wear out or go missing, so socks, tights, a sun hat, or a jumper for the daycare bag all land better than another toy. Ribbed Tights 2 Pack at $34.99 and Kids Socks 3 Pack at $24.99 are unglamorous and genuinely useful.
What clothes last longest on a toddler?
Heavier weaves in the places that take the wear. Corduroy, denim and twill hold up through the knees far better than thin jersey, and they keep their shape and colour wash after wash. Pair them with softer pull-on tops and you have covered both the abuse and the independence.
Free shipping across Australia on orders over $100.
Browse corduroy and knitwear for pieces that run 2Y to 8Y, or start with best sellers if you want the safe bet.
