Check Table of Contents
- How to Encourage Play with Toddler Friends?
- Top 4 Sports Toy Picks
- Sports Toys For 2 Year Old Toddlers
- Browse More Articles
- Betheaces Kid Toy Soccer Goal Set and Hover Football
- Why We Recommend The Betheaces Soccer Goals And Hover Football
- ToySmith Get Outside Go Pro Ball Set
- Why We Recommend The ToySmith Get Outside Go Pro Ball Set
- Street Tennis Club Tennis Racket For Kids
- Why We Recommend The Street Tennis Club Tennis Racket for Kids
- Little Tikes Totsports Easy Hit Golf Set
- Why We Recommend The Little Tikes Totsports Easy Hit Golf Set
- Little Tikes T-Ball Set
- Why We Recommend The Little Tikes T-Ball Set
- Step2 Shootin’ Hoops Pro Basketball Set
- Why We Recommend The Step 2 Shootin’ Hoops Pro Basketball Set
- Sports Toys For 3 Year Olds
- Frequently Asked Questions About Sports Toys
- Sports Toys Resources
If you have an active toddler, then you’ll love our list of the best sports toys for 2 year olds and up as it covers a host of fun and engaging toys for your child to enjoy!
Young children love a challenge and they love learning a new skill.
So what better way to encourage them than by introducing them to various sports toys designed specifically with toddlers in mind.
From balls to combination playsets, we’ve researched and found the best sports toys for a 2 or 3 year old toddler and all of them are suitable for both girls and boys.
We’re confident you’ll find something special for your child.
By Mary.
Affiliate disclosure: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. This means that if you visit a link on our site and make a qualifying purchase, we may earn a commission. This is at no extra cost to you.
A Word from a Psychologist
Written By: Psychologist Natasha Tanic
- Sports toys are a great way to help your toddler burn energy
- Sports toys promote gross motor skills and confidence
How to Encourage Play with Toddler Friends?
You may be familiar with the fact that two year olds typically play next to each other instead of with each other.
While this is just fine and developmentally appropriate, you may want to use sports toys for two year olds to encourage your little one’s social skills.
Playing together with sports toys promotes social skills such as communication, cooperation, turn-taking, sharing, and patience, in addition to providing endless fun for your child and their friends.
Top 4 Sports Toy Picks
1: Special Supplies 12 Stepping Stones
2: Little Tikes Easy Score Soccer Set
Sports Toys For 2 Year Old Toddlers
Gonge American River Stones
Are you looking for a toy that allows open ended play? These Gonge American River Stones may be the ideal toy.
These river stones are made of sturdy plastic and come in a set of 6:
- 3 large stones
- 3 small stones
The sides of the stones vary in steepness and difficulty.
Each stone is rubber rimmed to better grip the floor to prevent sliding when your child steps from stone to stone or jumps from stone to stone.
The stones are designed for children age 3 through 7, but parents find that these stones work well for children as young as 2 and up to any age, as long as the child (or adult) weighs under 110 pounds.
The stones are designed to improve your child’s coordination and balance and children use them in a number of different ways.
Best of all you can increase the difficulty for your child using these stones by spacing them further apart.
These river stones can be used indoors or outside.
And when not in use they can be easily stored because they nest one in another.
Why We Recommend The Gonge River Stones
- Active toddlers have great fun using these stones to hop from one to another without touching the ground
- Rubber rims grip the floor preventing slippage
- Children can use these stones in different creative play scenarios – such as mountains for toy animals or hills for building sets
- Built to last for years
Once your child masters the skills to enable them to jump from stone to stone, you can increase this set by adding the Gonge Hilltop Stones.
These stones are different colors which you can also use to help your child learn to identify colors or use to learn how to count.
Betheaces Kid Toy Soccer Goal Set and Hover Football
If you have an active 2-year-old who becomes frustrated by the inactivity of being shut indoors during rainy or cold weather, then this Betheaces Kids Toy Soccer Goal Set with Hover Football may be the ideal sports toy that allows your 2 year old to remain active even when shut indoors for days at a time.
The soccer set comes with two goals measuring 19” X 10” X 10” and a hover football.
The Hover football moves like an air hockey disc.
It needs 4 AA batteries (not included) to activate colored lights.
It also makes sounds and has a foam edge that forms to protect walls and furniture.
This soccer set works best on:
- wooden floors
- linoleum floors indoors
- or on polished concrete.
It will also work on low pile carpeting.
Why We Recommend The Betheaces Soccer Goals And Hover Football
- Children of all ages, and even parents, find this game set fantastic fun!
- Designed mainly for indoor use, helping children to burn off excess energy
- Hover ball moves easily, making play even more fun for your child
- The goals are easy to set up – you game can begin in minutes
- Ball lights up and makes sounds, making it perfect for a dim light play
- It’s suitable for independent play but more fun when playing with toddler friends
The soccer game with the Hover Football is designed for children 3 years old and up, but the hover ball moves so easily that children as young as 2 years old can kick this ball at the goal.
This soccer set is a great way to bring an outdoor sport indoors to keep children occupied on those rainy or cold days.
ToySmith Get Outside Go Pro Ball Set
Are you looking for a simple way to introduce your toddler to the world of sports?
Then this Pack of 3 Get Outside Go Pro Ball Set may be ideal.
The set features a soccer ball, a football, and a basketball.
The balls are made for indoor or outdoor use and are recommended for children age 3 to 15, although they are much better suited for ages up to 5.
These balls are made from a soft rubber-like plastic and come already inflated, but you can re-inflate them if they lose air overtime.
They are small and light enough to be used inside, although you may want to designate a play area just to keep things from getting knocked over.
Why We Recommend The ToySmith Get Outside Go Pro Ball Set
- All toddlers love playing with balls – this set gives them 3 different balls to choose from
- Fantastic fun for your two year old toddler as they learn many new skills
- Can be used for both indoors and outdoors
- Easy for small hands to grasp so perfect for your little one to play with
- Perfect for cooperative play with other family members or friends
- Perfect sports travel toy for taking to the part, going camping and lots more!
This ball set is sure to keep your toddler happily playing outside.
Street Tennis Club Tennis Racket For Kids
If you or someone in your family plays tennis, then there is a good chance that your 2 year old toddler will want to play too.
Which is why the Street Tennis Club make Tennis Rackets the perfect size for small children.
This Street Tennis Club Tennis Racket comes in sizes 17 inches, 19 inches, and 21 inches, making these rackets perfect for smaller children.
The 17 inch racket is perfect for children ages 2-5 and fits in their hand well.
Made from high quality aluminum, this tennis racket comes in a choice of black/yellow or pink/white and has a smiley face in the center to make it more fun and appealing for small children.
These are real tennis rackets that are just made in a size suitable for small children.
Why We Recommend The Street Tennis Club Tennis Racket for Kids
- Toddlers love trying to hit balls with different objects, so this tennis racket is perfect for providing them with lots of fun!
- Great size for toddlers
- Made from good quality materials
- Tennis racket is lightweight – it’s perfect for toddler’s smaller body size
- Included video will help your child learn the basics of playing tennis
- Ideal for great bonding time with your child
Most parents who purchase a tennis racket for their 2 or 3 year old start out by simply tossing a tennis ball and allowing their toddler to the hit the ball back to them.
This tennis racket comes with a free video game that covers some of the fundamentals of tennis.
This is a great way to give your child an early start on learning the basics of tennis.
Little Tikes Totsports Easy Hit Golf Set
This Little Tikes Totsports Easy Hit Golf Set allows toddlers as young as 2 to explore the hobby of playing golf from the earliest of age.
This set comes with an all surface putting hole, 2 clubs, 3 golf balls and a cute little plastic cart with wheels.
It provides a great way for your little one to play putt-putt golf in their own backyard.
Although this golf set is either recommended for children 1-6 or 2-6 depending on where you get your information from, most parents find that it works best for children ages 18 months to about 5 years.
The great thing about this golf set is that most toddlers don’t just use it to play golf.
Some children use the cute little cart to load other toys inside and haul them around!
But eventually, children become interested in trying to hit the ball with the golf club and feel a real sense of accomplishment when they get it into the ‘hole’!
Why We Recommend The Little Tikes Totsports Easy Hit Golf Set
- From the wheeled golf cart to the sturdy little golf clubs, this set has everything one needs to play golf.
- Easy to keep the set together when it is not being played with
- Parents like that this golf set can be used by both right and left handed two year olds
- Your toddler will find many other fun uses for the golf cart, making it a very versatile toy
Little Tikes T-Ball Set
This Little Tikes T-Ball Set comes with 5 white plastic balls to bat, a yellow bat, and a red and blue stand.
The T itself is supposed to be adjustable, but several parents shared that it does not adjust so worth noting.
Made entirely of plastic, this T-ball set is designed for children ages 18 months to 6 years so perfect for your 2 year old girl or boy to play with.
This T-ball set by Little Tikes is perfect for children too young to join actual T-ball or for young children who want to practice batting at home and improve their motor skills and coordination.
Younger children can use the T while somewhat older children can use the bat and the ball without the T, just to practice some batting skills.
Both the ball and the bat is somewhat large, with the bat also being shorter than most bats so young children have a better chance of hitting the ball and can have more control over their swing since the bat is sized for them.
Why We Recommend The Little Tikes T-Ball Set
- Toddlers and preschoolers will find hitting the ball off T great fun!
- Once assembled, the T-Ball set is quite sturdy
- Will grow with your child lasting them for 3 or 4 years of back yard play
- T-ball stand comes in two pieces that need to be assembled
- Large ball and bat makes for more accurate hits by toddlers
- Helps to develop and improve your child’s co-ordination and motor skills
This T-ball set makes for a great backyard toy that your child can play with alone or with other toddler friends.
Step2 Shootin’ Hoops Pro Basketball Set
Most children of all different ages seem to want to try their hand at shooting baskets at one time or another.
This Step2 Shootin’ Hoops Pro Basketball Set is designed for children ages 2 to 8 years and can provide years of fun for your child.
The center pole of this basketball set can be adjusted from 48 inches to 60 inches and to 72 inches. It features a large backboard with a break away rim and woven net.
It has a large stable base that can be filled with water and sand to make it sturdier.
There is also a built in cup holder in the base and it comes with a 6 inch basketball.
This basketball set is fun for toddlers and most parents note that even their tweens and teens enjoy playing with their younger siblings.
Some people even bring this basketball set indoors during the colder months.
Why We Recommend The Step 2 Shootin’ Hoops Pro Basketball Set
- A fun set for toddlers who want to try shooting baskets
- Easy to assemble – which makes it a hit with parents
- Adjustable height center pole makes this basketball set able to grow with your child, allowing them to use it for several years
- Basketball is a great size for smaller hands
- Easy to adjust the height on this basketball pole
- Having it encourages your child to play outdoors in the fresh air
The basketball that comes with the Step2 Hoops Pro Set is fairly soft and smaller than a normal sized basketball, but is designed specifically to be used with this set.
It’s the perfect size to be used by small hands, making it easier for toddlers to use and to throw than a full size basketball.
Sports Toys For 3 Year Olds
Read About the Sports Benefits for Kids
The Importance of Sports for Children – https://novakdjokovicfoundation.org/
How to Get Kids Interested in Sports? – https://www.spookynooksports.com/
Space Hopper Ball
If you have a 3 year old, then you know how energetic they can be, with your little one practically bouncing off the walls in his or her exuberance.
This Space Hopper Ball can allow your child bounce to his or her heart’s content.
This ball is recommended for children age 3 to 5, but several parents shared that this hopper ball works perfectly for their two year old.
Although small in size for older children, it will bear up to 160 pounds.
This ball has a nice large handle for your child to hang onto and it is made of thick and durable inflatable material.
Why We Recommend The Space Hopper Ball
- Your little one will have a blast bouncing on this ball!
- Easy to inflate, which parents like
- Helps your child to improve their balance and coordination
- Included pump makes it easy for parents to keep the ball inflated
Note that it does not come inflated, but there is an air pump that comes with it so you can pump it up to the size needed.
If you plan on using this Space Hopper ball outdoors, then make sure you use it on grass that is free of sticks and sharp stones that could cause a puncture.
See What Else Is Available
Climbing Toys
Sports Toys
Step 2 Game Time Sports Climber and Slide
The Step 2 Game Time Sports Climber and Slide is a compact slide set that is easy to find room for.
This sports climber consists of steps that are designed to help your child gain their climbing skills.
There is a slide, a basketball hoop, and a scoreboard that your child can keep score turning clicking knobs.
In addition to these, there is also a crawl through wall!
The set by Step2 comes with a basketball, and is recommended for children ages 2 to 6 years.
It will hold weight up to 60 pounds.
We do advise that you supervise your young toddlers when playing with this toy until they have mastered the play set.
Why We Recommend The Step 2 Game Time Sports Climber and Slide
- Climbing and sliding is wonderful fun for kids and they will thoroughly enjoy it!
- Parents like that this climber and slide is easy to assemble
- Sturdy and well built and sure to last for years giving you great value for money
- Sports climber and slide offers your child plenty of activities to keep them busy
- Compact size of this play set is great for families with limited space
This is a great play set for children, providing them with a number of activities that will allow them to explore, build gross motor skills and build confidence.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sports Toys
What are Best Sports Toys for Two and Three Year Olds?
The best sports toys for two and three year olds are safe and age-appropriate toys that:
- encourage physical activity and healthy development
- help kids burn energy
- provide lots of fun
Consider age-appropriate sports toys for toddlers such as:
- Golf sets
- Tennis rackets
- Soccer sets
- Football sets
- Hockey sets
- Balance beams
- Climbers
- Slides
How Sports Toys Promote Physical Development?
Sports toys can be an excellent way to help toddlers develop essential gross motor skills such as agility.
Physical agility involves balance, coordination, reflexes, speed, and strength.
Sports toys can help your child practice to move and change direction quickly while maintaining control over their body.
Can Sports Toys Boost a Child’s Confidence?
Yes, they can because mastering gross motor skills provides a sense of self-pride and belief in own abilities, boosting your child’s confidence.
Can I get golf sets for my 4 year-old?
Yes. Golf sets are safe for kids 3 years and above, although it should always be under adult supervision.
By 4 years, kids have enough strength and muscle to launch the ball!
Should I encourage my child to participate in sports?
Absolutely.
Engaging in sport activities reduces stress for kids.
It also limits their involvement in conflicts and those aggressive outbursts.
Don’t forget about the lower Body Mass Index (BMI) as the child exercises, which means lesser risk of obesity.
Not to mention that exercise is fun and feels great!
Sports Toys Resources
Novakdjokovicfoundation.org – The importance of sports for children
Douglasforestandgarden.ie – Benefits of kids using sports toys & equipment
Washingtonpost.com – It’s 2019. Why are sports-themed toys still so boy-centric?
Photo credits: a5282908