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Are you looking for some awesome play equipment to spruce up your backyard and keep your little ones entertained for hours?
Well, you’ve come to the right place! In this blog post, I’m going to share with you the best toddler play equipment for your backyard.
Trust me, I know firsthand how important it is to have a safe and engaging environment where your little adventurers can explore, play, and let their imaginations run wild.
So, let’s dive right in and discover the perfect play equipment that will turn your backyard into a magical wonderland for your active kiddos!
Types of Toddler Play Equipment
- Playgrounds: Playgrounds provide a fun and stimulating environment for toddlers to explore and play. They offer a variety of activities, such as slides, swings, and monkey bars, which help to develop gross motor skills and coordination. They also provide opportunities for social interaction and imaginative play.
- Swings: Swings are a classic playground feature that offer a sense of motion and excitement. They are also beneficial for developing balance and coordination. There are different types of swings available, including traditional swings, infant swings, and bucket swings, which provide different levels of support and safety. See Also: 3 Ways A Sensory Swing Benefits Your Child
- Climbing Structures: Climbing structures, such as climbing walls and jungle gyms, provide opportunities for children to develop strength, coordination, and balance. They also offer a sense of accomplishment and encourage children to take risks and challenge themselves.
- Ride-On Toys: Ride-on toys, such as tricycles and scooters, are a fun way for toddlers to develop their gross motor skills, balance and coordination. They also help to build confidence and independence. See also: What Kids Learn From Driving Electric Cars as Toddlers
See also: Reasons To Invest in a Ride-On Car for Your Child
Each type of equipment offer different benefits for toddlers development, playgrounds offers a variety of activities that help to develop gross motor skills and coordination, swings provide sense of motion and excitement, climbing structures provide opportunities for strength, coordination, and balance and ride-on toys help to build gross motor skills, balance and coordination as well as confidence and independence.
Toddler Play Equipment For Your Backyard
Naturally Playful Woodland Climber
The Step2 Woodland Climber is an excellent climbing toy for toddlers as it offers a wide range of fun and stimulating activities for them to enjoy. The climbing wall, platform play area, two climbing walls, two steering wheels, slide, ladder, and versatile lower level provide endless opportunities for play and exploration.
This climbing toy is perfect for encouraging gross motor skills, coordination and balance while providing a safe and fun environment for children to play alone or with friends.
It’s a great option for parents who want to bring the playground experience to their backyard and provide their little ones with hours of entertainment.
Eezy Peezy Monkey Bars Climbing Tower
The Eezy Peezy Monkey Bars Climbing Tower is an excellent climbing toy for toddlers as it provides endless play opportunities. The interlocking plastic tubes and connectors with double self-locking springs make it a durable and hard-wearing option for outdoor use.
Made of high-quality plastic material, the climbing tower is UV protected, ensuring it can withstand prolonged exposure to the sun. The climbing tower is also lightweight and easy to assemble, making it portable and convenient for indoor and outdoor use.
This climbing tower is perfect for encouraging gross motor skills, coordination and balance while providing a safe and fun environment for children to play alone or with friends. This climbing toy is perfect for parents who want to provide their little ones with hours of active and entertaining playtime.
Metal Swing Set
This is an excellent outdoor toy for toddlers because it is made of durable powder-coated steel, meets playground safety standards, and comes with a swing frame and safety seat that is suitable for indoor and outdoor use for infants between 9-36 months old. It is also the perfect size for large rooms or yards, and can support up to 55 lbs. It encourages active outdoor play and helps toddlers learn to swing, and the safety harness on the single nursery seat ensures safety and security. It is suitable for 9 months to 3 years old.
Spiro Spin Seesaw
This is an excellent outdoor toy for toddlers because the Spiro Spin Seesaw offers a new and exciting way for children to play and have fun on playground sets in backyards or outdoor playsets. It promotes gross motor activity and exercise for children ages 3-5 and is suitable for children ages 4-8 as well.
The adjustable height and balance point allows children of different ages and weights to play together and provides years of enjoyment. It is designed exclusively for kids age 3 to 8 and can hold up to 77 pounds at each end.
The option to fill the hollow base with sand for added stability or use cushioned base feet to protect floors makes it a versatile outdoor toddler toy or preschool playground set.
Big Dig Sandbox Digger
This is an excellent outdoor toy for toddlers because it allows them to pretend they are on a big construction site with this backyard sandbox excavator. The Big Dig is perfect for the beach, backyard or playground and allows children to enjoy all-season play as it digs in sand, dirt, and snow, digging up to 15 inches deep, and can reach 33 inches when crane arm is fully extended. The 360° swivel action and two-handed digging and dumping action of the seat and crane arm encourages children to play, use their imagination, and enjoy the outdoors.
Ninja Tree Climbing Holds
This is an excellent outdoor toy for toddlers because it allows them to safely and securely climb trees while providing an exciting and challenging outdoor activity. The climbing holds are made of durable plastic resin material that is not easy to break or fade and feature a large double hole design on the surface for added stability and easy grasping.
The holds are also easy to install and disassemble, with 6 strong ratchet straps included for attaching to the tree. The triangle shape of the holds ensures they fit snugly to the tree, providing a secure grip for children to climb and explore the outdoors while overlooking their backyard and nearby areas.
Kids Playground Net
This is an excellent outdoor toy for toddlers because it provides a fun and safe way for them to play on a play set. The net is extremely sturdy and heavy duty, able to hold at least 550 lbs and even more, making it suitable for multiple children to play on at the same time. The double netting is soft and easy to walk, sit and lay on, adding an extra layer of protection. The net has a good load bearing capacity and can hold 4-5 children playing on it at the same time, ensuring safety while encouraging active and imaginative play.
Little Tikes Cook ‘n Play Outdoor BBQ
This is an excellent outdoor toy for toddlers because it allows them to play and learn at the same time by simulating real-life situations of cooking and BBQ. The Little Tikes Cook ‘n Play Outdoor BBQ comes with a working oven door, molded-in pegs to hang kitchen utensils and pans, clicking knobs on the grill that make fun sounds, molded-in sink and cooktop for added creative role play, extended counter space and back counter for plenty of “prep” play, and a dual-level grill, similar to real ones. It is a great way to promote imaginative play and creativity while encouraging outdoor activities for toddlers.
Step2 Grand Walk-In Kitchen
This is an excellent outdoor toy for toddlers because it provides a spacious and realistic outdoor kitchen set that encourages imaginative and interactive play. The walk-in kitchen has plenty of space for multiple children to play together, with a grill, stovetop, refrigerator, microwave, and three-sided counter space. The open walls along all sides allow for kids to play both inside and outside the kitchen, promoting pass-through play.
The realistic touches such as the light-up and sound-making stove burner and the “stainless steel” look refrigerator with a molded-in pretend water and ice dispenser allows children to play and learn through kitchen role play activities.
With so many play stations and features, it will keep kids busy for hours, promoting outdoor activities and imaginative play.
Criteria for Choosing the Best Toddler Play Equipment
- Safety considerations: Safety should be the top priority when choosing play equipment for toddlers. Look for equipment that has been tested and certified to meet safety standards, such as ASTM or CPSC. Also, ensure that the equipment has appropriate guardrails, soft surfaces to cushion falls, and is sturdy and well-constructed.
- Durability and weather resistance: Toddlers are hard on their toys, so it’s important to choose equipment that can withstand heavy use and the elements. Look for equipment made of sturdy materials, such as metal or plastic, that can withstand the sun, rain, and snow.
- Age-appropriate design: Choose equipment that is designed for the appropriate age range. Toddlers have different abilities and interests than older children, so it’s important to select equipment that is age-appropriate and challenging, but not too difficult.
- Size and space requirements: Consider the size and space requirements of the equipment when choosing. Make sure that the equipment will fit in the area where you plan to place it, and that it won’t take up too much space. Also, ensure that the equipment is the right size for your toddler, so they can comfortably use it.
- Ease of assembly and maintenance: Consider how easy the equipment is to assemble and maintain. Look for equipment that is easy to put together, and that comes with clear instructions. Also, consider how easy it is to clean and maintain the equipment, such as whether it requires regular oiling or painting.
By considering all of these criteria, parents and caregivers will be able to choose the best toddler play equipment that will not only be fun, but also safe, durable, age-appropriate, space efficient and easy to maintain. This will help ensure that children have access to equipment that will help them develop and grow in a safe and stimulating environment.
Bottom Line
In conclusion, providing appropriate play equipment for toddlers is essential for their physical, cognitive, and emotional development. Outdoor play equipment can help children develop gross motor skills, improve coordination and balance, increase strength and endurance, and provide a sense of adventure and exploration. It also helps them to learn about the natural environment, develop social skills and encourage imagination.
Based on the criteria discussed in the article, some of the best outdoor play equipment for toddlers include:
- A lightweight and sturdy powder-coated steel swing set with a safety seat and harness, suitable for infants between 9-36 months old.
- The Spiro Spin Seesaw which combines fun and exercise to build gross motor activities for kids ages 3-5 and as an addition to outside toys for kids ages 4-8.
- Durable tree holds for climbing that are made of plastic resin material, not easy to break or fade and feature a large double hole design on the surface for added stability and easy grasping.
- A sturdy and heavy-duty net that can hold at least 550 lbs and even more, suitable for multiple children to play on at the same time.
- Little Tikes Cook ‘n Play Outdoor BBQ which simulates real-life situations of cooking and BBQ, promoting imaginative play and creativity while encouraging outdoor activities for toddlers.
- A spacious and realistic outdoor kitchen set that encourages imaginative and interactive play with a grill, stovetop, refrigerator, microwave, and three-sided counter space.
