Laura "Half-pint" Ingalls is the second daughter; Later Almanzo's wife and Rose's mother; nicknamed "Half-pint" by Charles and "Beth" by Almanzo.

Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder (often referred to as "Half Pint") was the second of five children born to Caroline and Charles Ingalls in the dense pine forests near Pepin, Wisconsin (February 7, 1867). When she was young, Laura was the tomboy of the Ingalls daughters; preferring to go fishing or play baseball instead of doing more ladylike activities. After moving to Walnut Grove, Laura soon met Nellie Oleson and the two became rivals throughout most of their childhoods, although they did make amends when the two were older.

Laura is a spirited young tom-boy, who would do anything just to get out fishing or play three cat with the other children. She "hated homework" which she hinted throughout the first few series', but said for a fact in the episode, The Wisdom of Solomon, where a negro boy comes to the Ingalls hoping for a better home and education. Laura was a big fan of animals and had many pets. One of her first pets was her dog, Jack, who was her companion for many years. She also had a horse, Bunny, who she sold to the Olesons in order to buy Caroline a stove for Christmas. Laura did manage to get Bunny back, but Bunny's life was cut short when she fell over a wired fence. Ultimately, Pa had to shoot Bunny to put her out of pain. Jack passed away as well in the Ingalls' barn and was buried on a hill in Plum Creek. Her next dog was Bandit who she had throughout the remainder of her teen years.

Around the time when Jack passed away, Laura made a new friend, Andrew Garvey. The two did many things together including caring for a mother wolf and her babies and solving a series of burglaries in Walnut Grove.

When the Ingalls moved to Winoka for a short time, they met Albert, an orphan who they would later adopt. Andrew and Laura were also good friends with Albert. Not long after returning to Walnut Grove, Laura met her future husband, Almanzo Wilder, who was the brother of the new schoolteacher, Eliza Jane, who later helped Laura with her teaching exams.