It is a well established fact that toddlers go crazy for plush toys. I know it from personal experiences, and whenever I have to choose a gift for a toddler, I narrow down my choice to a plush soft toy, more often than not.

Choosing a plush toy in particular can be a brainstorming experience though. How would you know the preferences of a two year old child? To be frank, I mostly go in for the toy that looks the cutest and the most inviting. Still, there are a few pointers you can take care of. For example, if you are choosing a dog, make sure that the child is not afraid of dogs. Again, you need to be sure that the toy you are giving is adorable, say for example, a bugs bunny might be an adorable gift on the face of it, but it the material it is made out of is rough and the toy doesn't feel good while holding it, then you might face difficulties with the child accepting it.

One thing that we must understand is that for toddlers their teddy bear is the most important friend of their lives. It accompanies them to the dining table, to the bathroom and even to their beds. So, the one most important thing while choosing a plush toy is that it should feel soft. If you are unsure about a child' preferences and are dubious about your toy's chances of being appreciated, then it is suggested that you go for a toy that is the softest. The softer the toy, the better are your chances of ripping it off to a child and getting him excited.

One final inspection regarding the toy's stitching, eyes, nose and loose parts needs to be done before going in for the buy. Toddlers are most prone to swallowing anything they come across, and therefore, it is a must that there are no hanging or loose parts with the plush toy you choose.

Apart from plush toys, I prefer wooden toys for toddlers. There are certain qualities that wooden toys have, and these are particularly why I choose wooden toys over plastic or toys made out of other materials. Three most important reasons for my choosing wooden toys are as follows.

Firstly, wooden toys have a lot of variety to offer, from puzzles to pedal cars, they cover the whole gamut of toy ideas and being environmental friendly, they definitely score over plastic. Secondly, wooden toys are especially useful for pretend play games. Pretend play games and other developmental games help in increasing your child's motor sensing abilities. Besides, wooden toys are good for building blocks and such educational games, boosting your child's appetite for knowledge. Thirdly, wooden toys are a collector's love. They are good for preserving over the years, and act as lovely souvenirs. They look good with your interiors and sometimes, have a sentimental value attached to them, which makes them indispensable.

Overall, there are a lot of other toy categories to choose from while gifting, but plush toys and wooden toys definitely top my list of candidates.