Top Toys for the Terrible Twos

I have five children, two of which are under the age of two. My 22-month old is beautiful, happy, and very active. My mother calls her "busy". In layman's terms, this means that thirty unsupervised seconds gets you candy sprinkles all over the pantry. That an unshut bathroom door means a bath in the toilet followed by a tube of toddler toothpaste being emptied into a shoe. In order to keep my sanity, I've chosen to believe she does these things because she is so eager to learn and that her curiosity about the world will drive her to accomplish amazing things as an adult. Until then, I've found positive things to keep her busy that don't end in mess after mess (after mess).

Music: Maybe it's a natural instinct for babies to move their bodies when they hear music, to bob their heads and bend their knees. Whatever the reason, toddlers--in general--love to dance. My daughter dances to songs on the radio, commercials on television, and really shakes her groove thing to "Boom Boom Pow" (don't judge me...my brood of kids also includes a 14-year-old who is, more often than not, in charge of the radio in the car). Granted, though, Black Eyed Peas is not the ideal choice for toddler music. Music for young kids should be simple, have repetitive words or chorus, and be easy to understand. My new favorite (and my daughter's) is Stomp Yer Feet! by Johnny Bregar. It has great upbeat songs, most of which are folk songs we parents grew up with, like "Polly Wolly Doodle" and "Bingo". Bregar's soothing, friendly voice and the group of kids singing background vocals are an instant hit for young kids. It's compatible with MP3 Players (including iPod), iTunes and Windows Media Player, and is also available in CD format.

Sand and Water Table: This is a must-have for busy toddlers. It's a mess, yes, but one you can dress for. Put it outdoors and let your toddler splash (or dig) to his or her heart's content. Pouring the sand or water from one container to another aids in hand-eye coordination and improves fine motor skills. Try Step2's Sand and Water Activity Center, an all-in-one table with separate sides for water and sand. It comes with a plastic cover to keep the sand clean and dry and a removable umbrella to keep your toddler protected from the sun. It retails at Target for $85.00.

Blocks: All toddlers love blocks, and you won't find any better than the B. Elemenosqueeze Soft ABC Blocks. For $15.99 you get 26 blocks, each of which illustrates a letter of the alphabet with a different animal. The blocks are soft, so your toddler can throw them, chew them, even play with them in the bathtub. Stacking helps with the development of fine motor skills and the knocking-down part is just as fun.

These are just a few of the many great toys available on the market for two-year-olds. Try one--or all--of them to keep your busy toddler busy.