Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in Austin, TX

The wise moms here at SavvySource have selected literally hundreds of Books, Toys & More to highlight during the holiday season.  I have selected five toys which have been very popular for my 2 year old son and his friends (and our family!): 

Butterfly Pavilion

This was a gift from my mother-in-law for my 2 year old's birthday, and one that we will continue to use for years to come (we'll just order more "live butterfly cultures" from Insect Lore). The process of watching the butterflies come out of their cocoons was perhaps more exciting to the parents for the younger children, but we often see butterflies and my son still asks whether those were the ones we raised.

Victor Vito by Laurie Berkner

My mother-in-law introduced me to Laurie Berkner, and we have come back to her music time and time again. It's catchy, my 2 year old can sing the songs, and it makes for great post-dinner family jam sessions with some instruments. The title track is actually a big hit at our house, but with 22 songs to choose from, you can't go wrong.

Geotrax Rail and Road System Grand Central Station

This was purchased by my in-laws and all the grandchildren had a blast playing with it. My son was not quite two at the time, so his interest in it was a bit more limited, but our nieces, then 3 and 5, really enjoyed using the "remote" to move the trains forward and backward.

Band Set by Melissa & Doug

We have had this set for about a year, and it's still something my son uses several times a week. The instruments have withstood a lot of toddler abuse, and there are plenty of different instruments to go around, if you have regular family jam sessions like we do!

Lego Road Construction Set

Ever since my mother-in-law brought us some of my husband's old Lego sets on a trip, my 2 year old son has been hooked. First it was all about the Lego men (and hats), and now that he's almost 3 he can start to do some basic building. The construction set was a no-brainer to add to our collection, and would be a great way to introduce Legos to your child.