The Viral Step2 My First Christmas Tree Is Back and My Toddler Loves It

A couple of years ago, the internet just about lost its mind with the Step2 My First Christmas Tree. It wasn’t even the first year it was available, but the next round of toddler parents were discovering this new-to-them seasonal toy. The same thing happened last year, as the sold-out toddler toy (talk about a Christmas struggle!) got some charming upgrades, like a blinking light-up star and see-through ornaments.

The Step2 My First Christmas Tree also went viral when the internet banded together to shake their heads at a ”sad beige mom” on TikTok who turned the bright toy into a neutral nightmare last year. For once, people agreed that the holidays should be colourful.

It’s natural to be skeptical of constantly talked about products, especially when your playroom is probably already busting at the seams as it is. I’m here to tell you that this toddler toy absolutely deserves a spot in your home for the holiday season. Here’s my Step2 My First Christmas Tree review and why it’s one of the best toddler toys for a holly jolly Christmas.

Why my family loves the My First Christmas Tree

This toy was made for children ages 1.5 years old and up. When assembled—which takes practically no time at all—it stands at 31 inches high by 21 inches wide by 21 inches deep. The Step2 tree includes a brown base with a train track, two green tree pieces that slide into each other, eight colourful ornaments (the newer model comes with 12), and a yellow star. Your child can easily place the ornaments in their designated places on branches and rearrange them as they like.

My husband got sucked into the my-kid-needs-this-seasonal-toy-immediately craze in 2022—and our daughter wasn’t even two months old yet. He scoured various online retailers, all of which were out of stock, and randomly found it in stock. We knew she wouldn’t be able to play with the toddler Christmas tree yet, but we were excited for her to have it.

The following year, she was old enough to play with it. I didn’t even notice that our Step2 My First Christmas Tree had the lights and sound effects. But there’s a space behind the star for batteries, so it’s going to come to life even more this year. If you need to, you can upgrade your existing tree with a battery-operated star without buying a whole new tree. You can also get replacement ornaments if a couple have gone missing since last season.

My daughter has her own playroom, so we don’t keep many toys in her bedroom. I don’t want her to get distracted before naptime or bedtime anyway. But my husband and I made this tree one of the exceptions. It’s not a loud toy and it doesn't lead to an overwhelming mess. My daughter mostly enjoys taking the ornaments off, moving the train cars around and maybe the occasional ornament throwing. It’s just the right height for my almost two-year-old, and I reckon she’ll still be into it next year, so it hasn’t been a short-lived toy in our home.

One of the best parts of this toddler-proof tree is that you don’t have to find yet more places to store the pieces between the holiday seasons. The toy is storage, as the ornaments live on the tree branches or in the base in designated slots, and the train cars live on the indented tracks. We saved the box to disassemble the tree and store it in the garage come the new year, but it’s just as possible to leave it as is to be stored away until next Christmas.

It looks like Step2 is constantly evolving the toddler Christmas tree. This year, Target has an updated version that exclusively has red and white ornaments. (Maybe the “sad beige mom” will be more into those?) But no matter what colours or ornament type you end up with, know that it’ll be $65 well spent (my daughter, my husband and I all think so!). Plus, maybe, just maybe, it’ll convince your child that a plastic tree is more fun than messing with your actual tree.

Step2 My First Christmas Tree