With children this young, especially around age 2, don’t expect strict posing. A good approach is to set up a defined shooting area, then let them play, dance, talk, or interact naturally. That often gives more relaxed, successful portraits than trying to force formal poses.

It helps to decide in advance what you want: group shot, formal portrait, relaxed lifestyle look, or one child at a time. Younger kids may do better in shorter, simpler setups.

A standard zoom is useful because children move constantly; a lens in the roughly 35–70mm range can give flexibility without needing to reposition constantly.

For a simple studio setup, one contributor had success with a white background, diffused lighting, apertures around f/6.3 to f/11, and a shutter speed around 1/125 sec. That can provide enough depth of field for multiple children while keeping the setup controlled.

Overall, keep it fun, give the kids something to do, and capture interaction rather than chasing perfect poses.