The Perfect Pandemic-Appropriate Birthday Gifts for my 2-year-old Twins

One of the biggest challenges of working full time and juggling little ones has been finding activities that keep them entertained for prolonged periods. Watching TV is saved for the days that I'm really desperate for quiet work time. So, as the boys' second birthday came closer, I started looking for toys that they would enjoy and I could rotate overtime to keep their interests. Everything they play with eventually turns into a fight and kids find a way to make anything dangerous but we constantly keep an eye on them from the other room through the webcam we have mounted in the living room. Those few moments of peace and quiet when they're on their own are so, so worth it. Some of these have really been winners for us though so I wanted to share with anyone else who might find it useful!

1. Melissa & Doug Dust, Sweep & Mop set

My kids love helping us clean especially since we end up brooming or mopping the floor at least 2-3 times a day. But their help is really counterproductive and ends up making our job harder. This is even more frustrating when you're just trying to hurry up so you can make it to your next Zoom meeting in time. Now, we just hand them their own wooden broom or mop and let them have fun. This is made of wood though and often will result in someone hitting someone else in the head and a lot of scream crying so definitely want to keep an eye on the kids while they play with it.

2. Battat Activity Cube

This has been another good find. Enough to do here for all 3 of them to play with it at once. It's so well-made, also out of wood and extremely durable. However, be wary of that extra strong child that will drag it to under the mounted TV to hit the TV or under the thermostat or, the worst, the front door and unlock BOTH locks. I told you, they find a way to make everything a hazard.

3. Melissa & Doug Jigsaw Puzzle

This one I didn't buy for my boys but rather as gifts. I'm part of an amazing FB group of women who were pregnant and had their babies around the same time as my boys were born. They are definitely part of my tribe. This year we tried to create a gift exchange for their birthdays and a way to hopefully, one day, make room for pen pal relationships between the kids. This puzzle is such a good gift for 2-year-olds to grow into over the next year. At this price point, I ended up sending out 4 of them.

4. Zen Lab Doodle Mat

This one was another gift to another mom-friend's kids from the above mentioned FB group. She happens to have a similarly aged set of kids as mine and this seemed like something great they could do without a huge mess or fights. I am still contemplating buying it for my kids as well. They are really starting to enjoy writing but sometimes all I do is blink and suddenly there's marker ink all over our bedsheets.

5. Timex Boys Watch

The boys have been noticing our Fitbits and wanting their own watches so these watches were perfect! The straps are soft and comfortable. They can pull them off when they're done wearing them and there's not much that can be broken. We quickly hide it whenever we find it on the ground until the next time they ask for it (this is true for most of their toys, we only try to keep a limited number out at a time).

6. Melissa & Doug Latches Board

Another great Melissa & Doug product. This wooden board and the latches on it keep my boys busy for hours. They also don't mind sharing the board. While one plays with one latch, another plays with a different one. Each latch opens up a door with a different number and animal. You can also use it to teach them colors. The latches encourage so many of the developmental milestones that I would buy this so many times over. I've recently hidden it because I noticed they weren't playing with it as much but will be pulling it out again. For the price, the board is really well-made.

7. Lewo Wooden Ramp Racer

This one was a great find. I was looking for something like the battery-operated penguin stair toy that I had as a kid (#iykyk) when I came across this. It's wooden again which I absolutely love because it means the quality is most like very durable. And the cars are perfect for helping the kids work on their hand-eye coordination.

8. Step2 Rain Showers Water Table

This one I actually bought back in October so the boys would have a chance to play with it on the balcony before the Texas winters set in. I had had my eye on it for a while and I finally bit the bullet and bought it. Of course, my boys fight over the green spade so I try to keep it hidden now. And they're always supervised in the balcony but it does give me a few precious minutes of drinking my coffee without someone pulling my hair/clothes/skin/anything else.

Normally, it's priced around $60 so I would wait until the price drops to that.

9. Hide N Side Kids Play Tunnels

This toy we pull out once a week. The kids love crawling through it and playing tag, or whatever their 2-year-old version of tag is. My 1-year-old was initially scared to go into the tunnels but loves it just the same now. The kids haven't found a way to make this one dangerous but it does take up a lot of space in the living room so we try to put it away asap.