Gift idea for mildly autistic 2yo girl? (sorry no details more than that)

[Tap]

I have been invited to a birthday party for a girl I only briefly met once. My boyfriend's grand-daughter. She is turning 2 and is at least mildly autistic. I need to think of a gift. The mom put clothes on her wish list, bedding, and a book that talks. The list was given to several people, so I figure those gifts are bought. Any suggestions?

Disclaimer: Her mom says she is dx autistic, but she is at least verbal and I don't hear stories of constant stimming, so I am assume it is mild to moderate. I worked for years with non-verbal/constant stimming adults. I have a child who is moderately autistic. Please know I am not being flippant about the dx. 

[Drama Llama]

Magnetiles?  I feel like a two year old can never have too many of those.  Little figures like plastic animals or similar?  Velcro food with the plastic knife?

What is your budget?

[Tap]

11 minutes ago, Baseballandhockey said:

Magnetiles?  I feel like a two year old can never have too many of those.  Little figures like plastic animals or similar?  Velcro food with the plastic knife?

What is your budget?

Budget under 50

 

[Drama Llama]

1 minute ago, Tap said:

Budget under 50

 

Hmmm, I still like the ones above.

A few more ideas:
 

Those talking alphabet fridge magnets (since they said talking books)

Whirly Squigz

Bath toys (Green Toys vehicles?) 

Dress up hats

Dot markers (like bingo markers but more washable and nontoxic)

playdough tools and homemade playdough

Books

 

 

[prairiewindmomma]

Wooden cutting fruit: https://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Attractive-Introduces-Concepts/dp/B000NV9G88/ref=mp_s_a_1_19?crid=2LEC69FN7E8HV&keywords=wooden+toys+for+2+year+old&qid=1662695077&sprefix=wooden+toys%2Caps%2C143&sr=8-19

 

Play silk: 

https://www.amazon.com/Sarahs-Silks-Enchanted-Playsilk-Eco-Friendly/dp/B014LOO8NU/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?crid=1LDRTNEGR52ZD&keywords=play+silk&qid=1662695238&sprefix=play+silk%2Caps%2C187&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1

[Drama Llama]

I love play silks!  

[Tap]

I don't think they have them....what is a good place to start in my budget? The little artic animal are cute, but due to the price, it isn't much.  If they like them, I can get more for Christmas. There is apx a 7, 4 and 2 yo.....so I could get a bigger set at Christmas for the younger two.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Magna-Tiles®-Arctic-Animals-Piece-Set/dp/B09J6B4ZT6/ref=asc_df_B09J6B4ZT6/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=563722789627&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8614493981600039558&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9033604&hvtargid=pla-1529542738939&psc=1

[Tap]

10 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

Wooden cutting fruit: https://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Attractive-Introduces-Concepts/dp/B000NV9G88/ref=mp_s_a_1_19?crid=2LEC69FN7E8HV&keywords=wooden+toys+for+2+year+old&qid=1662695077&sprefix=wooden+toys%2Caps%2C143&sr=8-19

 

Play silk: 

https://www.amazon.com/Sarahs-Silks-Enchanted-Playsilk-Eco-Friendly/dp/B014LOO8NU/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?crid=1LDRTNEGR52ZD&keywords=play+silk&qid=1662695238&sprefix=play+silk%2Caps%2C187&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1

I completely forgot about play silks. LOL dd23 loved hers, and passed them onto my younger daughter....who passed them on to a friends 3 girls.

[Drama Llama]

1 minute ago, Tap said:

I don't think they have them....what is a good place to start in my budget? The little artic animal are cute, but due to the price, it isn't much.  If they like them, I can get more for Christmas. There is apx a 7, 4 and 2 yo.....so I could get a bigger set at Christmas for the younger two.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Magna-Tiles®-Arctic-Animals-Piece-Set/dp/B09J6B4ZT6/ref=asc_df_B09J6B4ZT6/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=563722789627&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8614493981600039558&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9033604&hvtargid=pla-1529542738939&psc=1

For a young 2, I'd start with something plainer and more open ended.  

https://www.amazon.com/MAGNA-Stardust-Open-Ended-Educational-Including/dp/B07H14F12Z/ref=sr_1_11?crid=1D550YLN9BAM0&keywords=magnatiles&qid=1662695895&s=toys-and-games&sprefix=magnatiles%2Ctoys-and-games%2C167&sr=1-11&th=1

 

https://www.amazon.com/Magna-Tiles-32-Piece-Award-Winning-Creativity-Educational/dp/B000CBSNKQ/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=1LUJXK2I4SDXL&keywords=magnatiles&qid=1662695992&refinements=p_89%3AMagna+Tiles&rnid=2528832011&s=toys-and-games&sprefix=magnatiles+%2Ctoys-and-games%2C107&sr=1-2-spons&psc=1

 

 

[prairiewindmomma]

Magnatiles can be a choking hazard…just fyi if you haven’t had really “mouthy” toddlers. They are recommended for age 3+ (and even then we are really cautious).

[Catwoman]

Does she like dolls or plushies?

Squishmallows are adorable, cuddly, and safe, so I would probably include one of those along with whatever other gifts you buy. 🙂 

[Catwoman]

1 hour ago, prairiewindmomma said:

Magnatiles can be a choking hazard…just fyi if you haven’t had really “mouthy” toddlers. They are recommended for age 3+ (and even then we are really cautious).

I agree. I wouldn't buy Magnatiles for a child this young. 

I also wouldn't be particularly worried about the gift being educational. The little girl is only 2, so I would focus on things that are either cute and cuddly, or just plain fun. If they also happen to be educational, that's a nice bonus, but it wouldn't be my priority.

[Tanaqui]

I always think a book is the right gift, or a board book for the under-3 crowd, just so long as you check that they don't already have that title.

When I was only slightly older than this girl, my favorite thing that wasn't a book was a large plastic train that was see-through so you could see the colored gears working as it rolled along. I think it was one of those things where you push it and roll it backwards, and then it rolls forwards. I loved watching the gears spin, and I'm autistic, so that's a hearty endorsement if you can find something broadly similar! It was in no way small enough to be a choking hazard.

[MEmama]

At 2, my son with ASD was obsessed with those Leap Frog magnet letters and videos. Also, trains— those gears @Tanaqui mentioned would have been perfect. Play silks and the like were too open ended for him, he wouldn’t have known what to do with them. He was much more into educational toys even then, toys with a purpose if that makes sense. And books. Always (educational) books. 
 

editing: because of sensory issues, he didn’t like anything he needed to use his hands for or that could be dirty/sticky. So no play dough, no play sand, etc

Edited September 9, 2022 by MEmama

[HomeAgain]

DS liked toys he could play with repetitively at that age, and by repetitively I mean the same way every time with an emphasis on building or movement:

-play food that velcroed together

-stacking blocks in different, organized colors

-magnatiles

-water/sand wheels or bath toys that stuck to the wall

-construction vehicles

-ball run

-wooden puzzles in various forms: Night & Day (stacking puzzle), deep puzzles (like his Beladuc one that was a dressed boy in the first layer, naked in the next, muscles in the next, then organs, and finally skeleton), beginning part-to-whole puzzles (Montessori)

 

He didn't like open-ended toys nearly as much.  I loved his playsilks and stuffed toys, but he didn't gravitate to them like my oldest.

[Innisfree]

My dd with mild ASD would have loved a stuffed animal at that age, especially one which was reasonably accurate in appearance but soft, furry, and cuddly. She never liked the ones that looked deliberately cartoon-like. She had one color which was a very strong favorite— maybe this child’s grandfather might have heard of a favorite color or type of toy. The sensory elements were important here. Dd also loved baby dolls at that age. And, yes, books are always good, though dd herself would have picked stuffed animals over books every time. 

[Terabith]

I teach two year olds.  There are a LOT of magnet toys that are clearly inappropriate, but I cannot fathom actual magnatiles being a choking hazard.  We have them in our classroom. They are a huge hit.  None of the pieces are small enough that I can’t even imagine how they would be choking or swallowing hazards.  
 

Some kids love play dough.  Some hate it. Play silks, magnatiles, these giant hollow blocks (https://constructiveplaythings.com/giant-constructive-blocks-set-of-12), trains and train tracks, Little People house and farm are all hugely popular.  My kids loved the Leap Frog magnets and 17 years later they’re still on my fridge because they are the best magnets ever, but I’m annoyed they don’t make the lowercase letters anymore.  

[Katy]

Elephant and Piggie books.

[prairiewindmomma]

1 hour ago, Terabith said:

I teach two year olds.  There are a LOT of magnet toys that are clearly inappropriate, but I cannot fathom actual magnatiles being a choking hazard.  We have them in our classroom. They are a huge hit.  None of the pieces are small enough that I can’t even imagine how they would be choking or swallowing hazards.  
 

If the magnatiles break (ie—dog or kid chews on them enough), the magnets become available— swallowing the magnets that is the danger. The average neurotypical dog-free home is safe, but since we were talking about atypicality, it is worth mentioning.

 

[Lawyer&Mom]

My autistic two year old was obsessed with the color purple.  Two isn’t too young for a special interest.  If she has one, she would probably love something related to that interest. 

[Terabith]

3 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

If the magnatiles break (ie—dog or kid chews on them enough), the magnets become available— swallowing the magnets that is the danger. The average neurotypical dog-free home is safe, but since we were talking about atypicality, it is worth mentioning.

 

Yeah, that's true.  We don't have a dog, and obviously preschool doesn't have a dog, so that's never been a factor.  My experience with at least the name brand ones has been that they can take a ton of abuse, but maybe not dog chewing.  

[kbutton]

6 hours ago, MEmama said:

At 2, my son with ASD was obsessed with those Leap Frog magnet letters and videos. Also, trains— those gears @Tanaqui mentioned would have been perfect. Play silks and the like were too open ended for him, he wouldn’t have known what to do with them. He was much more into educational toys even then, toys with a purpose if that makes sense. And books. Always (educational) books. 
 

editing: because of sensory issues, he didn’t like anything he needed to use his hands for or that could be dirty/sticky. So no play dough, no play sand, etc

I will echo that sentiment. Now, my son would've incorporated play silks into his other interests if he had some established interests already, and if he had ways to fasten the silks to something for costumes or for accessories for whatever he was playing.

He did pretend play, but it wasn't open-ended. It was very, very elaborate mimicry, and it meant a lot to him to have very authentic props. For instance, we had a tree taken down when he was three. He watched every single detail and stored it all away. Not long afterward, he spent hours/days pretending to cut down a small tree in our yard, and he was almost apologetic about not having specific parts and pieces, such as spiked shoes (he did have little boots that looked like work boots). 

I would say this developed between ages 2 and 3 for him, but when he was younger, the only toys he really liked (some caveats after the next quote) were ones that had some life purpose or education purpose as MEmama says. He loved his toy vacuum cleaner that made real noises. It was the first real toy that brought him pleasure and actually occupied his time. He also received a toy camera and a play kitchen (sized smaller) with real food, and I finally had the first glimpses of peace in two years (not exaggerating).

6 hours ago, HomeAgain said:

DS liked toys he could play with repetitively at that age, and by repetitively I mean the same way every time with an emphasis on building or movement:

-play food that velcroed together

-stacking blocks in different, organized colors

-magnatiles

-water/sand wheels or bath toys that stuck to the wall

-construction vehicles

-ball ru

-wooden puzzles in various forms: Night & Day (stacking puzzle), deep puzzles (like his Beladuc one that was a dressed boy in the first layer, naked in the next, muscles in the next, then organs, and finally skeleton), beginning part-to-whole puzzles (Montessori)

He didn't like open-ended toys nearly as much.  I loved his playsilks and stuffed toys, but he didn't gravitate to them like my oldest.

Ditto, though he didn't necessarily have these, and one of his big deal things was repetitive noises. He like things like phones that played a song for each button, and then he'd actually play the phone like it was an instrument--he didn't always listen to the song.

If you can find them these days, books that you listen and turn the page when you hear a tone were super, super popular with him. He would also listen to early chapter books, which shocked me, but he loved them (Wendy's was giving out Magic Treehouse books on CD in their meals). 

Non-annoying children's music was much loved. We had this collection: https://www.amazon.com/Singable-Songs-Collection-Raffi/dp/B0000003IO/ref=asc_df_B0000003IO/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=319076464002&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1755669487370098759&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9015622&hvtargid=pla-565626594698&psc=1  It's kid themed, but the music is real and not just attention getting/repetitive--it's serious music but for kids. When my younger son was little, we also received a DVD which was a big hit. 

He also liked these, but some have not great origins (words are fine but sometimes were used in blackface routines from what I understand but wouldn't have known at the time), but the musicians play like they are giving a serious concert (high quality), and many, many of the songs are well-known, so grandparents would sing them too. There are four albums: https://www.amazon.com/Childrens-Favorites-2-M14029-Disney/dp/B0018Q7K2Q/ref=sr_1_8?crid=1SNP8UBKOXC56&keywords=disney+children's+cd&qid=1662744773&s=music&sprefix=disney+children's+cd%2Cpopular%2C95&sr=1-8   There were some really fun ones like Froggy Went a Courtin' and Big Rock Candy Mountain, and the musicians vary the playing styles to suit the music vs. just being a sing-songy children's band. 

[kbutton]

Also, I just think it's kind to let parents decide when to introduce playdough, or else stick with super, super simple sets (cookie cutter or "stamp" sets) and 1-2 colors. My kids were super messy with playdough (little pieces ground into the floor even when they played at the table) and wanted to keep it nice and neat. That meant that, to some extent, playing with it was frustrating for them or for me, or for both, though it worked well with one grandparent. They eventually enjoyed it (so much so that I saved their sets), but they were older when it became fun.

Nothing is worse than having a highly desired toy that is frustrating for one or more parties or adds more work to the parents' plate.

Modeling clay required less supervision as it didn't shed little pieces nearly as much, and when it did, they would work out of carpet, etc. better. It also didn't dry out, so if they left it under the bed, no big deal. It's harder to work, but that also builds hand strength.

[prairiewindmomma]

Playsilks here were a preferred sensory texture. They were worn a lot by one as a cape to shield light and sound. Another used them as a wearable snuggly.  They were used more for reenactment type costuming around age 4-5. 

 

[Hilltopmom]

Fat Brain Toys Spin Again- image below

[BusyMom5]

Good board books! 

Little people

Play doh (maybe?)

Ride-on toy

Wooden puzzle

 

[pinball]

A stuffed animal with pockets. And little things to hide in the pockets.

or one of those stuffed animals that has little baby animals inside it.

Or a ride-on toy where the seat lifts up…and put a little toy in the seat.

IME, little ones love stuff that they can hide other stuff in…

oooh…a purse! With stuff inside!

[Innisfree]

43 minutes ago, pinball said:

A stuffed animal with pockets. And little things to hide in the pockets.

or one of those stuffed animals that has little baby animals inside it.

Or a ride-on toy where the seat lifts up…and put a little toy in the seat.

IME, little ones love stuff that they can hide other stuff in…

oooh…a purse! With stuff inside!

Yes to all of this! Continuing the theme, we had a little “vet clinic” with six locking compartments for small stuffed animals and a handle on top, plus a set of fat little keys on a key ring. Something like this would have been a hit, also, though this particular one seems to have small parts.

https://www.amazon.com/VTech-Care-Me-Learning-Carrier/dp/B01CNBJYD2/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=9BMJAE8LM7C9&keywords=vtech+care+for+me+learning+carrier&qid=1662815906&sprefix=vtech+care+for%2Caps%2C101&sr=8-3

Oooh, this is very much like ours, and it does fit the age range: no tiny parts.

https://www.amazon.com/B-Critter-Clinic-Toy-Play/dp/B00B16U50C/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?crid=1AY9HGTFYZGPP&keywords=toy+vet+kit+for+kids+critter+clinic&qid=1662816111&sprefix=toy+vet+%2Caps%2C79&sr=8-4

Edited September 10, 2022 by Innisfree

[MercyA]

A baby doll with a cuddly soft body but realistic vinyl face and hands, along with a small doll care kit (bottle, dish and spoon, etc.)

[MercyA]

2 minutes ago, Innisfree said:

Yes to all of this! Continuing the theme, we had a little “vet clinic” with six locking compartments for small stuffed animals and a handle on top, plus a set of fat little keys on a key ring.

We still have ours! Looks like they are still being made: Critter Clinic

[Innisfree]

5 minutes ago, MercyA said:

We still have ours! Looks like they are still being made: Critter Clinic

You were posting while I was editing to add this! 😁 Yes, this was a huge hit, and continued to be for a long time.

Edited September 10, 2022 by Innisfree

[Condessa]

Mozart’s Magic Cube

[katilac]

I like to subvert the patriarchy and think of gifts the child might enjoy that are typically thought of as for the other gender. 

So, for a 2-yr-old girl, I'd think in terms of a good gift for a 2-yr-old boy. Tonka-style truck, play dinosaur, plastic bat and ball set. 

You can be almost certain that your gift will not be duplicated. 

[MercyA]

5 minutes ago, katilac said:

I like to subvert the patriarchy and think of gifts the child might enjoy that are typically thought of as for the other gender. 

So, for a 2-yr-old girl, I'd think in terms of a good gift for a 2-yr-old boy. Tonka-style truck, play dinosaur, plastic bat and ball set. 

You can be almost certain that your gift will not be duplicated. 

When my daughter was two years old, these were her favorite dinosaurs. So much play value:

Learning Resources Jumbo Dinosaurs

She played with them at a Children's Museum and was besotted. 🙂 

[almondbutterandjelly]

2 hours ago, MercyA said:

When my daughter was two years old, these were her favorite dinosaurs. So much play value:

Learning Resources Jumbo Dinosaurs

She played with them at a Children's Museum and was besotted. 🙂 

Wow! I want those dinosaurs and I’m almost 50!