Best Outdoor Toys For Kids

Today’s piece is for you if your kids can’t get enough time outside. We’re going to show you the best outdoor toys for kids! Children will prefer spending time outside over playing devices or watching TV if they have more time and chances to do so.

Great outdoor toys are a must-have for encouraging outside play. The appropriate ones can make summer exciting for the whole family while also helping your child develop new abilities. What toddler doesn’t like a sandbox digger or a ride-on car?

Outdoor toys for toddlers that stimulate physical exercise, creativity, or new ways of playing, such as with bubbles or water, are age-appropriate. Toys that grow with kids—physically or in skill-building—are packed with enormous play value.

Fun outdoor toys can motivate kids to get off video games and get engaged into active play. Here are my favorite fun outdoor toys for kids.

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What to Look for in Outdoor Toys for Toddlers

Age Level

It is important to check the age level of the toy you are buying. When a toddler plays with a ride-on or other toy designed for larger children, they risk being harmed or becoming irritated and disappointed. New outdoor toys for kids of all ages are always a better bet.

Play Type

Choose a few different sorts of play if you’re buying two or three outdoor toys for the summer. Get one toy that includes water, such as a sprinkler, one for imaginative play, such as a playhouse, and one for creativity. You’ll also want toys that teach fine motor skills, like chalk, and gross motor skills like trampolines. Toys that promote physical activity are the best for young kids.

Durability

Your outdoor toys will be exposed to all types of weather, regardless of where you live, and should be made to survive rigorous play as well as seasonal changes.

Safety

Consider safety while purchasing a toy, particularly for children (a sharp bike wheel or a slide that is too high, for example, should be avoided) or when using water.

Space

Consider your backyard and how much space you have for outdoor games. You’ll also need a neat way to store your backyard toys so take that into consideration as well. I like toys that fold up for easy storage.

Sandboxes

Sandboxes are so much fun. I would recommend one that has a cover so you can cover it when it’s not in use and keep the neighborhood cats away. You should only need to get a few pounds of sand every year unless your toddler empties out the sandbox more often. Some sandboxes double as a picnic table for extra outdoor fun.

Water Tables

Our water table has been put to a lot of use. They’re also ideal for compact locations, such as our back deck. It may also function as a sand or sensory table. You can also get water toys as additional play pieces for your water table play.

See: Water Table Activities For Toddlers
See: 6 Best Water Tables For Kids For The Best Sensory Play Experience

Sprinklers

The sprinkler fosters vigorous outdoor play and improves coordination. You can use your garden sprinkler or upgrade to a fun and fancy sprinkler – regardless, it’s water and your young children will have a blast – guaranteed.

Kiddie Pools

My kids love their kiddie pool, even now that they are older. I love to dip my own feet into the kiddie pool to keep myself nice and cool as well. We usually just have the basic pool since the yard is sloped, but if you can get yourself a whole pool center with a slide and everything…well that would be the best.

Bubble Machines

I don’t know how old kids are when they stop liking bubbles… my 8 year old still loves them. But i personally don’t love blowing bubbles for my toddler all day long which is where these cute bubble machines come into play. You can get a bubble machine that makes giant bubbles for hours of fun.

Swings

Swings benefit the vestibular system and are a great toy for your yard. Here are a few swing ideas for you to consider. I wish I had a tree in the backyard that I could hang a swing off of. We used the stand alone swing with saucer!

Slides

Slides are a great outdoor toy, especially if you can’t make it out to the playground as often as you’d like.

T-Ball Sets

Your child can work on their hand eye coordination skills with a cute t ball set like this one.

Bean Bag Toss Game

Cornhole boards or bean bag throw are entertaining for kids in any shape, but I like this one because of the plush fabric and pop-up storage. This makes it considerably more kid-friendly than the previously mentioned woody variants! It also helps with spatial awareness and hand-eye coordination.

Push and ride Toys

The rider toy is one of the best outdoor toys for children under the age of three who want to be like their larger siblings but aren’t quite ready for the motorised yard vehicles and toys.

Tricycle

Your children can ride around the backyard until they hit the 2 wheel stage if your yard is large enough. I personally love the radio flyer trikes for toddlers, but any trike with a handle for the parent is a great option. You can also get balance bike that is super fun for the yard like this.

Fort Building Kit

These are fantastic (far better than the pillow/sheet combinations I used to make as a kid.) This is the ideal indoor/outdoor exercise for encouraging creativity, problem-solving, and stem learning.

With 150 pieces, your children will be able to strike the right mix between engineering and fun while focusing on creating their most inventive forts. Let your child’s imagination soar with such a perfect toy for backyard fun.

Dome Climber

A Dome Climber is a backyard must have. They don’t take up as much room as you’d think. Kids can fine tune their gross motor skills, and use their imagination with these domes too.

Water Slide

You cannot go wrong with water play on a hot summer day. A water slide like this is a great backyard toy for kids.

Scooter

Kids love scooters as outside toys. They’re ideal for a local cul de sac, an empty parking lot, a walking track, or a sidewalk, among other places. This one is fantastic because it has lights and a rear brake for added safety.

Archery Set

My kids love their bow and arrow archery set like this. We used it indoors in the winter time but now that the sun is out they play with it in the backyard.

Capture The Flag Set

Glow in the dark capture the flag anyone? So much fun to be had if you have some friends over to play.

Playhouses

A playhouse was my wish when I was a child. What a great way to get the imagination flowing!

Gardening Toys

Do you kids love shovels and rakes? Mine do too. You can let them use these tools safely by providing them with a playset like this one.

Metal Detectors

Metal detectors are super fun, and children absolutely love them. You can use something like this or something like this in your yard, depending on your child’s age. Metal detectors promote open-ended play that the entire family can join in on.

Telescope

If your kids love to look at the night sky, then a telescope is a must have summer toy. You can go basic like this for toddlers or a little more advanced like this for older kids.

Pogo Jumper

Most children love to jump around, and this pogo jumper one of our favorite outdoor toys. My First Flybar foam pogo stick provides hours of bouncing, healthful fun. This is a great first pogo stick for kids, made of tough foam that produces a pleasant squeaky sound with each hop.

Stomp Rockets

Stomp rockets like these are something that we buy every summer. Unfortunately with my kids they don’t last very long but they are a huge hit!

kites

Kites are great fun for little ones. I like to buy kites from the dollar store every year because they get ruined from so much play!

Mud Kitchens

Do your kids love to get muddy? Then maybe a mud kitchen would make a great addition to your backyard toys! Pretend stove top, easy open oven, functional faucet, detachable water basin, and lots of storage for culinary tools and toddler outside toys are all included in the Play Kitchen.

Trampoline

Another bouncy idea for backyard toys is a trampoline. I know not everyone has the space for a huge trampoline. We have a 36″ trampoline that lives inside in the winter and outside in the summer. A 60″ trampoline would be awesome for a toddler as well, and I’m loving the look of this one with a basketball hoop and safety netting.