My daughter is two years old. I will be coming to the United States soon, and would like to know the best toys to purchase for a two year old.

Toys are one of my favorite subjects. Play is a child's work. A child's joy in playing encourages her to engage in those activities that stimulate her growth and development -- provided that this mechanism isn't short-circuited by a steady stream of passive entertainment (something only likely in the past 40 years of human history). Activities such as television, or fancy toys that perform while she watches, can artificially satisfy her inborn desires both for play and for adult attention, thus robbing her of joy-filled opportunities for growth (in much the same way that processed, partially-hydrogenated snack foods can replace the magic of a ripe peach).

To find clues as to the best toys at any age, turn off the TV, put away the passive-play toys, and watch your child. Many kids will begin to play spontaneously, using whatever is at hand; take note of what they choose to play with. Others will be directionless or frustrated; interact with them playfully, and their choices will begin to emerge. Spontaneous play gives us important clues to the cutting edge of a child's development.

Children put the most energy into newly emerging skills. Activities of moderate novelty tend to be the most interesting and the most fun. Once a child has mastered something, she will want to repeat it to wallow in her success, but eventually she will begin to grow bored, either changing the activity slightly to keep it interesting, or moving on to something else. Activities that are too new, too difficult, or too overwhelming will frustrate her and fail to hold her interest.

One of the joys of parenting is finding that zone of moderate challenge for your child, and setting up fun opportunities for her to teach herself through exploration and play.

With this in mind, here are some ideas that will provide hours of child-directed play for many two year olds:

• Kindergarten blocks -- natural wood blocks in a variety of shapes and sizes, for creative building.
• Sorting toys -- sorting is one of the most important intellectual tasks for two year olds. A simple sorting toy can be made out of an egg carton and some buttons (make sure the buttons have open holes, in case the child gets one in her mouth -- they shouldn't be used unsupervised). Have the child put the red buttons in one receptacle, the blue in another, etc. Then, dump them out and put the round buttons in one, the square in another, and so on. As she learns how to organize the same information in several different ways, it will prepare her to receive and organize the massive information influx over the next year.
• Dolls of all sizes, animals, puppets, toy telephones, toy buildings, simple vehicles (cars, trucks, and trains), old clothes, and simple costumes -- all of these can encourage vibrant, imaginative play. Again, observe your child. Some kids would love to pretend with a toy lawn mower, others with a kitchen set, and others wouldn't like either.
• Balls of all shapes and sizes, connecting toys (large stringing beads), digging toys (bucket, shovel, and rake), a sandbox, a beginner's tricycle, a child keyboard (or other musical instruments), and large crayons can all stimulate physical as well as intellectual and emotional development.
• Books.
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