The Two-Year-Old

First of all, finding a kid the perfect gift is hard, and I think toddlers are the most difficult of them all. They can do so much more than a year ago, but then again, there’s so much more they can’t do, or aren’t allowed to do. In the search of a good present for my boyfriend’s two-year-old nephew, I can’t tell you how much I read the line ‘not suitable for ages between 0 and 3′. It was driving me crazy!
The second thing which made my quest more difficult, was that there’s a big brother in the picture. This means that a lot of the conventional toys are out of the question, since this family already has almost everything they need.

So, I started my pursuit in all the conventional toy stores I could find. What I learned here? 1) There are so much things you can buy, it’s insane, 2) There are a lot of overpriced stuff, 3) Everything is too fun, too cute, too tempting not to buy! This was getting even harder than I thought.

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There I found my first gift: a farm animal piano. Fun, loud, colourful; everything a little boy dreams of, right? I also spotted other cool stuff, such as building blocks, night lights, wind up toys, and all sorts of figurines and dolls.

To make sure the parents wouldn’t kill us for giving such a loud and – I’ll admit it, annoying – present, I wanted to add something extra.
So I visited some of my favourite toy stores here in Leuven, called The Grasshopper, Miss Moose, and Dille & Kamille, where they have such a cute kiddie-corner.

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I must admit the masks were my favourite, but we eventually opted for the adorable night light string with colourful lamas. Maybe I’ll go get the masks for underneath the Christmas tree.

Finally, I got some new wrapping paper at Flying Tiger and ribbons at Hema and made these adorable presents.
Note that I tied the ribbons in a simple bow, and for a good reason. Nothing is more frustrating for a young child than not being able to do something themselves. By not making complicated bows, he’ll be able to untie the knot easily.

I’d love to read about your experiences in searching for the best presents for toddlers. What do you think about my choices?

Love, Louise