Tammy's Ten: Great Gifts for Toddler Girls

With my daughter's second birthday just around the corner, relatives and friends have been asking what to buy. For many people who do not have a toddler girl at home, it can be a challenge to select the perfect gift. Stores today have an enormous selection of toys and shopping can feel like an overwhelming chore. To help narrow your search a little, see Tammy's Ten for some great suggestions.

1. Dolls and stuffed animals. Little girls love to play mommy and like to have an assortment of dolls. Holding a tea party is more fun with lots of animal friends!

2. Doll accessories. Today you can purchase a wide variety of gear for almost any doll. Doll clothing, play strollers, playpens, car seats, highchairs and bottles are just a few options.

3. Books. Parents and toddlers both benefit from books. Toddlers love books with silly rhymes and fun pictures and parents love books that are educational and hard to damage. Good choices are board books of Silly Sally by Audrey Wood, Alligator Pie by Dennis Lee or Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb by Al Perkins.

4. Kids movies. As toddler's attention spans are greatly limited, try purchasing a video of a popular show. They usually have three or four episodes per tape and each episode is generally 30 minutes or less. Dora the Explorer and The Big Comfy Couch are popular choices for toddler girls.

5. Craft supplies. Toddlers like to create new things and love to get messy playing. They are just developing their coordination for crafts and supplies make an excellent choice of present. Crayons, markers, fancy paper, stickers, glue, plastic scissors, coloring books and Play dough are just some of the options available.

6. Kids music. Toddlers love to sing and dance and music makes them happy. Kids CDs are great for playtime and entertainment for the car. I highly recommend any CD from the Fisher Price collection.

7. Kids puzzles. Puzzles are a great educational tool and kids love putting the pieces together. Make sure to select age appropriate puzzles with cute pictures or popular characters. My daughter loves the SpiceBox collections that contain 26 two-piece puzzles.

8. Dress-up clothes. Little girls love to play dress-up and princess attire is available everywhere. Buy her costume jewelry, tiaras, fancy shoes, frilly hats and dresses to fill her tickle trunk.

9. Pretty clothes. Toddlers are messy and tend to wear a lot of clothes. They grow out of them quickly and stain them often. Parents will appreciate the extra options and toddler girls love to look their best.

10. Outdoor Toys. Now that she's a big girl and running around the yard, outdoor toys make a great choice of present. Try bubble supplies, balls, tricycles, helmets, sand toys or sprinklers. Anything for fun in the sun!

Little girls are easy to please and get excited over the simplest of gifts. Presents don't need to be large or expensive to put a smile on her face. Keep it simple and wrap it pretty. Happy shopping!