Part of the reason we picked the land our house is on is because of the amazing back yard. We have a few acres of woods to play in to our hearts content! We can’t wait to spend tons of family time outside and have big plans for a fire pit and treehouse out there one day. Unfortunately this summer we’ve had to get a little creative. We just got grass seed in our yard and can’t quite play on our grass yet…so we spend a lot of time on our deck…and we are counting down the days till we can romp around in all that grass! So today I’m sharing all of our tried and true favorite outdoor toys.
1. Our number one most favorite toy is a water table. We love it so much we have two! The one above is by Step2 from Costco…similar here. I like it because it came with some fun toys, an umbrella, and has a partial cover (in green above).
We just got this water table (on sale now!) and it’s a new favorite. I love having two because the kids fight a lot less over them…and Sadie loves walking back and forth between the two. But…you probably only need one. And here are a few of my water table tips: 1) Pick a table that is a color. The one we have from Costco (although great) is a beige color and it’s hard to keep it from looking dingy. The blue one looks a lot better in my opinion. 2) Clean out the water table every night. We live in the woods so if I leave the water in the table overnight it get’s filled with bugs and debris. Hudson and I drain the water into a watering can and use it to water all of our plants. I also cover up all the water toys under the first water table cover and then put the blue water table on it’s side so that stuff doesn’t collect in it.
2. Little red play house. Sadie LOVES this play house. It’s currently on the deck but we plan to move it in to the yard as soon as we can. We got this house before she was born and Hudson played in it a few times…but it is truly Sadie’s house. She loves going in and out and peeking out the window. It’s so dang cute. I love this house because it’s lightweight enough that I can move it myself around the yard. And we can move it in to the basement during the winter.
3. Another favorite of both kids is this Step2 car. Hudson got this for his first birthday and it was a huge hit! He still loves it. And Sadie loves it too. I would say it’s good for kids once they can hold themselves up and are fairly steady…like at least 10 months. And a five year old would probably still fit in it. We take this car everywhere! I recommend the blue or the red if you have several kids because it’s gender neutral….but they also make it in pink!
4. This lawn mower is a favorite of both kids, but especially Hudson. At our old house he used to LOVE to “mow” the lawn. It also blows bubbles, but that part broke about two days in….but we still love it!
5. Cozy Coupe. We have the Costco firetruck version and both kids love it. Everyone needs a Cozy Coupe! (p.s…two year old Hudson!!!!)
6. Slide. Duh. Most fun ever.
7. Color change cars. These are hands down Hudson’s most favorite toys right now. If you have a little boy in your life, RUN, DON’T WALK, and get these cars! They change color when you put them in warm and cold water. And he thinks they are the best things ever. We play with them a lot inside but it’s a big mess…so they are perfect for outside. I’ve seen them at Target and Walmart.
8. Sprinkler. We LOVE to run though the sprinklers! Skip the fancy kid-themed ones and pick this one up from Home Depot for a few dollars.
9. Kids picnic table. Everyone loves a mini picnic table. We picked ours up at a garage sale!
10. A big old truck. Hudson loves to push around a truck when he’s outside! It’s probably a boy thing…so if you have a boy you better get one of these trucks! Look for one that is sturdy and made of steel like this one…because in my experience they hold up the best to little bodies leaning on them and rolling them around. Or sitting in them. Look at those cheeks!
11. A scooter and a bike! Hudson loves this scooter and it’s easy for him to balance on it. And he loved this balance bike when he was younger. Every kid needs a bike and a scooter. And a helmet.
12. A basketball hoop. We play with this all summer long and in the house during the winter. It’s a must have.
13. A sand box. I had a turtle shaped sand box as a kid and loved it. Hudson loves digging around in his. We got ours for free but this is the one I had growing up. And I HIGHLY recommend this sand. It’s super soft and safe for kids.
14. Bubble maker! I just picked up this bubble machine and both kids LOVE it! And I love not having to sit there and blow bubbles for hours at a time.
15. A kid’s pool. We love to splash around in a mini pool when it’s hot outside. We have this one, but you can pick them up basically everywhere.
What are your kid’s favorite outdoor toys?
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Oh I love the idea of emptying the water table into a watering can! We just bought a fire pit cover that fits over our water table. We still empty it each day but this helps the bugs and leaves from making a mess out of it!
Love the pictures of toddler Hudson, especially the one with the balance bike….that sweet face!!!
Brielana just got a slide for her birthday and both girls clamor over it all the live long day. Had I known itd be such a hit I would have bought one years ago. And yes to the Cozy Coupe! Cant mess with a classic.
Do you have any tips on how to keep your outdoor toys from getting NASTY? Because the few that we have get sooooo gross after like….a day. And then none of us want to touch them let alone play with them lol
So many of our favorites too! And I love Sadie in her little playhouse!! TOO cute!
Yes to so many of these, I would say the cozy coupe is the favorite from both kids for the longest amount of time!