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9 Outdoor Toys That Your Kids Will Be Begging to Play With

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As a mom, there are times when I want (or even need) my kids to go outside and play for a while. I’ve found that if there are things that they want to do outside, then it makes things go a lot smoother when I say, “Hey why don’t you guys go and play outside for a while?”

So what are some of these magical items that will make your kids want to go outside and play even if it’s 100 degrees outside? Well, I’ve compiled them into a list with pictures and a short description of each one. My kids wanted to chime in on this post too, so you’ll see some of their comments as well.

Jumbo Connect Four – Did you love playing Connect Four as a kid? It’s one of the games that I remember playing with my parents and my brothers over and over again. I like games that have some strategy to them. How about a Jumbo Connect Four that’s as big as your child? My kids have loved playing with this Jumbo Connect Four. It’s made of super-sturdy plastic, but it’s lightweight enough to easily move around or carry it inside or out.

Cullan (10) – “I love that it’s jumbo sized!”

Water table – Kids of all ages love water tables. Our very first water table was a pirate ship and my kids loved it. This is the one we have now and my 8, 10, and 11-year-old will still play with it with my 4-year-old. I love how you can pour water in the top and it creates a rainfall effect. It comes with a lot of fun accessories too.

Hadassah (4) – “I like to scoop up the water with the water table cups.”

Big Joe Pool Petz – Micah got this penguin for her birthday last year and it has been a great addition to our pool toy selection. Big Joe Pool Petz come in so many different designs. Penguin, shark, frog, turtle, jellyfish, polar bear, hippo, and even a fruit slice. Our penguin dries out quickly and has held up to abuse from her brothers as well as many well-meaning friends who visit our pool each summer.

Micah (8) – “I like that I can ride on the penguin and you can use it to make waves.”

Saucer Swing – When we moved into our current house three years ago, our kids were 8, 7, 5, and 1. The perfect age for outdoor play equipment. The only problem was that our yard is mostly sloped. Guess where all of the level ground is? Yep. In the front yard. We didn’t think our neighbors would appreciate us being the house in the neighborhood with their large playset planted right in the front yard. So we decided to go with something smaller and put it as close to the side of our yard as we could. We found this saucer swing and it’s been great. All of the kids have been able to use it, and they’ve even found some creative ways to use it too. Micah and Cullan’s favorite thing to do is have one of them lay on it while the other one turns them around as many times as they can and then let go. I would be so dizzy! But they just laugh and do it over and over again. It’s light enough for Rob to move out of the way when he mows, which is convenient.

Cullan (10) – “The saucer swing is really fun because you can adjust the height and make it to where if you’re on one side you stay up and on the other you slide off. “

Geometric Dome Climber – We also bought this geometric climbing dome for the kids to play on outside. It’s been great for them to climb on, and they also use it as a fort/clubhouse. There are so many different ways that they can use this climbing dome. Eat a picnic inside it, read a book, swing from the bars, etc. It’s metal and very sturdy. You have to assemble it, but the kids and I were able to put it together in about an hour. We haven’t had any problems with it. We’ve had it over a year and it still looks brand new, no problems with rusting or with the paint coming off. It’s also light enough for Rob to move out of the way when he mows. Interestingly enough, the tornado that came through our area destroyed our trampoline but didn’t move the climbing dome.

Hadassah (4) – “I like swinging and climbing all the way UP.”

Glow in the Dark Basketball – Have you ever played basketball in the dark? If not, your kids will be begging to stay up late to play when it gets dark outside once they have this light-up basketball. We bought this basketball for Silas and hoped that it would actually work and hold up to wear and tear. We have been so impressed. It has been so much fun for the kids.

Micah (8) – “We still like to play with the basketball even though our hoop was destroyed by the tornado.”

Light up Ice Cubes – Who would’ve thought that light up ice cubes could be so much fun? We first discovered light up ice cubes at Epcot when we went to Disney World. The kids thought they were so cool, and I wondered what else we might be able to do with them. Well, when you put them in the pool when it gets dark the kids feel like they are having their own party. They love swimming with the colored flashing lights. You could also use these in the water table too.

Micah (8) – “I like to go night swimming and play with the light-up ice cubes.”

Cullan (10) – “It’s so cool that you can put them all in a cup, put your hand over the cup and swim down to the bottom of the pool and let all the ice cubes float up to the top. It looks really neat because it flashes different colors.”

Laser Tag – Laser tag is the perfect outdoor activity for when you want to wear your kids out before bedtime. This laser tag set comes with 4 guns in different colors, and you can play on teams. My kids have gotten a lot of use out of this laser tag set. Your gun keeps track of how many times you’ve been hit and lets you know when you’re out of the game. Your gun also vibrates when you’ve hit someone else.

Silas (11) – “Laser tag is really fun to play with friends and family. I like playing in teams, and it’s more fun to play when it’s starting to get dark outside. I think it’s cool that when you’re about to run out of “lives” your gun makes a loud noise, so you know you need to protect yourself from any more hits.”

Corn Hole – Corn hole is a great outdoor activity for kids because it’s something active for the kids to get up and do, but it’s something that kids with all skill levels can play. Kids can play in teams or just one against the other. It’s also something that one child can get out and practice by themselves. You can also adjust the length between the corn hole boards for different ages. It’s completely adaptable. You can make it as hard or as easy as you want. My 4-year-old just has fun throwing the bean bags around. The older three get a little competitive and are always trying to knock each other’s bean bags off the board.

If you want to enjoy some peace and quiet while the kids spend hours outside happily playing together, go ahead and add some of these outdoor toys to your collection. Your kids might even think you’re the coolest mom on the block.

If you need an indoor activity that your kids will love, check out my review of Election Night, an educational game that your kids will love!

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