Sister, you can read or not read this post. I leave it up to you. Just don’t read it out loud to Nephew and spoil the surprise. Also, I don’t care that you don’t want things that beep or bang or make a mess, IT’S HIS DAY!!!! I WANT TO BE THE FAVORITE AUNT!!!!
2 years old is such a tricky age! So far as I can tell, his favorite things to play with are:
a) an expensive battery powered lights and whistles fancy toy
b) a stick
My first thought is to fill a bunch of packages with trash. Well, not trash-trash. Fun trash. Crumpled up paper, bits of string, rocks, sticks, cardboard pieces, etc. etc. So far as I can tell, he LOVES that stuff.
My next thought is to buy a super high tech motorized race car.
But I feel like the sweet spot is somewhere in between.
Ideas?
dontcallitbollywood 
I decided not to read the whole post, for SPOILER reasons, but I do want to say that you are already the favorite aunt by virture of being the only sister of a parent. So no worried!
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No, I think I need to continue my policy of giving him gifts he will love and you will hate. To solidify our bond. I bet they make electronic guitars for toddlers!
On Thu, Jun 24, 2021 at 4:00 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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They do! My mom got one for my son at about that age. So many buttons, so many noises. He loved it. It lasted about a week before we put it out in front of the house with a “free” sign.
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I should TOTALLY do it! But not let them give it away. Because it is a gift from his Loving Aunt. Who just wants him to be happy, unlike the mean mean parents.
On Thu, Jun 24, 2021 at 7:22 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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If he’s a good walker he might be ready for a mini kick:
https://microkickboard.com/collections/children-ages-2-5/products/micro-mini-deluxe-scooter
More practical for getting places than an electric car.
Or if he’s still at home a lot, can’t go wrong with a Rody horse:
https://www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/kettler/rody_horse.cfm
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Oooo, the minikick could be fun!!!! He just got his first little tykes plastic car thing, but so far he can only figure out how to make it go in reverse. The minikick would give him a CHALLENGE.
Is it bad if I say I’m worried my nephew won’t be smart enough to ride a Roddy horse? Is it pretty intuitive?
On Thu, Jun 24, 2021 at 7:28 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I mean, the Rody is a step up from a bouncy seat. They’re growing fast at that stage and want to jump on everything, this is basically an alternative to the furniture or whatever else they’re using.
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Preschool education wise we would always recommend blocks. My kids still LOVE the magnetic blocks we have, though in fairness they are more fun because we have three sets. Sometimes more is better.
I !#$#!^& HATE all the beepy things. Yes the kids love those guitar stuff, bleh. If he is desperate to press buttons to make noise get him one of those classical music books:
or
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I am a non-kid-haver but was also going to say blocks! Blocks build imagination and creativity! He can sit slack-jawed in front of a screen for the rest of his life, but give him a good foundation!
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But he has blocks! And what he does is push them along the floor making a sound like a car. Maybe I could get car shaped blocks?
On Fri, Jun 25, 2021 at 5:16 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Notice that this extraordinarily expensive set COMES WITH CAR BLOCKS that you can build on! But in general, building off of a child’s interests is the way to go. So if the kid is obsessed with cars (or perhaps wheels) matchbox cars with tracks you can put together or toy cars, are the way to go (or a block set where you can build cars of course). If the child is obsessed with wheels and buttons, oooh, there are a lot of toy cars with buttons that make the most annoying sounds! If the kid is obsessed with music, musical instruments (they have bell sets for kids that are awesome, and well drums), if they are are obsessed with music and buttons a small electronic keyboard (which they have on some toy guitars) would be sweet). If you care about the sounds you have to listen to, then go for the classical music books. Feeding the obsession is good, directing the obsession is even better.
https://www.magnatiles.com/product/magna-tiles-metropolis/
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I think I made my decision. I found something his parents will enjoy even if he won’t, but then trying to find something he would enjoy is almost impossible so I gave up. Last year I gave him a soft little cuddly dog which my sister puts in his crib every night, and every night he grabs it and throws it across the room because he hates it.
On Sun, Jun 27, 2021 at 7:00 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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That’s hilarious.
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I will consider a classical music book. Although really, I feel like an electric guitar would make me Best Aunt in one stroke. Oh! It could be a THING! I could get him a new electric guitar every year and drive his parents CRAZY!
On Thu, Jun 24, 2021 at 9:06 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I still remember the year my mom gave my kids loud obnoxious toys that based on some random movie that was popular at the time. It was so unlike her, it was so unlike anything we asked for. The kids loved them, and two years later they were all in the landfill. However, my oldest son’s best friend had a snoopy guitar that was loved for over 5 years and was the favorite toy for my boys when they visited his house.
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1. My sister (who has 3 irrepressible kids) recommends balance bikes. If your nephew likes sports and movements he will like it.
2. If your nephew is more like my son, and he likes more peaceful toys – Lego. We spent countless hours playing Lego. First Lego Duplo, then the regular Lego, now Lego Super Mario. It can look like a boring present but it’s something he will play over and over.
3. But do you know what all the kids love? Sand and water. I’m sure you will be the best aunt if you buy one of those Sand & Water Tables.
https://www.fatbraintoys.com/toy_companies/step2_company_llc/dino_dig_sand_water_table.cfm
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He has Duplos currently, but has not progressed to combining them. Although I suppose that is coming soon! Kids just keep growing!
He has a little plastic pool in the backyard which he has turned into a sand and water table by pouring all the dirt from the yard into it. Fun! I could get him a REAL sand and water table, but I am worried he would still prefer his home made one.
On Fri, Jun 25, 2021 at 3:23 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I liked the Sand & Water Table idea so much I will buy it for my nephew.
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Guaranteeing the perfect gift is basically impossible at that age. I know our boy was most in love with a little add-on from my sister’s family. Something like this, in rainbow colors:
I don’t know the English word.
If you’re ever going to give him Lego Duplo building blocks, I’d say start early, so he gets the maximum amount of play time out of them.
But I squeed at your idea of just getting him stuff to touch and move around and so on. Maybe add in some things that he can use to make noise himself. Like fill an old plastic bottle with rice or dry beans. Or an old pot to bang against. A length of flexible tube that he will eventually learn to whirl through the air. Things like that. I bet you’re crafty enough to even build him a little tambourine, if you wanted. Or you buy one. Your sister won’t dare throw away “musical instruments” and your nephew gets to be loud to his heart’s content. Everyone wins.
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Yaaaay! Box o’ Moving Trash is going up the list of possibilities! I’ve got old keys, bubble wrap, packing paper, plastic ties, all the greatest toys of all.
On Fri, Jun 25, 2021 at 4:10 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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If you get a hamster those duplo blocks last longer as you can make hamster cage structures for you pet! Yeah, so basically Santa got my kids a hamster so I don’t have to throw away the duplos yet.
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I love the Box ‘o Trash idea. Barring that, a set of drums, stix, cymbals, floor pedal, the whole nine. Caveat: our kids had one but we only pulled it out of the closet on nights we weren’t home. Our 16-year-old babysitter who played in a band, downloaded old drum solos and they had a blast. He’s a dentist now.
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I am strongly leaning towards “Box o Trash”. Especially since I will be packing and moving and things all July, so lots of opportunities to collect Trash.
On Fri, Jun 25, 2021 at 11:40 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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