Best outdoor toys for kids of all ages

Dr Amanda Gummer, founder of the Good Play Guide, talks us through her favourite outdoor toys.

Summer is an exciting time for many people. The days are longer, the weather is warmer and we have more opportunities to be outside in the fresh air. The start of the summer also means that the six-week school holiday will soon be upon us, with the smallest members of our family needing to be entertained.

Here at the Good Play Guide, we have got you covered: a range of toys and activities that will be sure to make your children smile and provide hours of entertainment that will help get you through those long summer holidays, relatively unscathed.

Smoby House On Stilts

The House on Stilts is ideal for having fun with friends. Placed on a 70cm high platform, your children can reach their house using the ladder. Thanks to the gate and the three windows located on the different façades, your little adventurers will have an eye on everything. While one is having fun sliding, the other can imagine a thousand and one stories on the porch of the cabin.

The House of Stilts playhouse is equipped with one half door, two windows with louvered shutters, one porthole window and two sliding shutters. Little ones can use the ladder to climb up to the house for a fun adventure and can use the 1.5m slide as a thrilling, confidence-building way down to the ground. The playhouse gives children a private space to play imaginatively.

The playhouse is a sturdy, stable structure, which has been anti-UV treated for resistance and better durability over time. The playhouse is great for climbing, encouraging children to strengthen their arms and legs (gross motor skills) as well as hands and feet (fine motor skills).

The playhouse is easy for children to use, with a ladder suitable for children as young as 18 months (with supervision), but will last for many years after that. It’s great for siblings to enjoy together.

Naylor Activity Tunnels

Designed for those aged three and over, this exciting and robust activity tunnel is sure to be a big hit with all children. Coming in a choice of four different colours, the Naylor Activity Tunnel is versatile and has limitless possibilities for a child’s imagination to grow and develop. One minute they are crawling through the tunnel to a different imaginary world and the next they are using it to make an amazing entrance into their newly built fort. What’s not to love?

For those younger children, the Naylor Activity Tunnel is a great way to develop their language and social skills, by encouraging children to communicate as to how best they want to use the tunnel as part of their play session. Through communicating they learn to share, think and reason – all great skills for a developing mind.

Made from a lightweight and flexible material, the Naylor Activity Tunnel can be folded down, making storing it in small spaces a breeze – whether that be under a bed or in the garden shed. Importantly, it is both weatherproof and waterproof, which is great when taking into consideration the fact that a traditional British summer is one that has you soothing your sunburn one day and layering up your waterproofs the next. It can equally be used indoors to help keep your child active, when getting outside isn’t an option.

Waterwall

For a splashtastic time, look no further than the Waterwall for hours of fun! Although the Waterwall has been designed for children aged between three to eight years, this has something for everybody.

Perfect for long summer days in the garden, your child will love designing a pathway for the water to successfully run through the tubes. They may not succeed straight away, but they will have great fun trying. As well as being entertaining, there are many learning benefits from the Waterwall. It is a great opportunity for improving hand-eye coordination skills and visual thinking skills, while actively encouraging creative problem-solving, teamwork and collaborative play. It allows for the child to develop their communication skills, verbalising their ideas to their friends and listening to their friend’s ideas too. Alternatively, if your child wishes to play solo, then this is a toy that can be just as fun for individual play. on your own, but for maximum impact, playing with friends would be better. It also encourages the development of hand-eye coordination and needing the child to control the wand to create bubbles and release them before they burst. This also improves a child’s judgement, which is a great skill to have.

As well as all these learning benefits, through the turning of the water wheels, they will begin to understand the basics of cause and effect. It allows for trial and error, with children needing to try out different options and techniques to get the water to flow successfully to the bottom.

Little Tikes Junior Picnic Table

Dining alfresco has never been more fun with this high-quality Little Tikes Junior Picnic Table. Although this can also be used as an inside table, having it in the garden is a great option for snack times among the flowers.

Gazillion Bubbles Giant Power Wand

Sometimes it’s the simplest things in life that are the most fun. Kids and grownups will love the giant bubbles that can be made from the Gazillion Bubbles Giant Power Wand. Watch your competitive side come out as you see who can create the biggest bubble and who can catch them the quickest! Great for an active summer afternoon in the garden or for entertaining children at a birthday party, this is sure to be a big hit.

Suitable for those over the age of 18 months, this table is great for developing social skills, as the children sit around the table, eating and talking. The Little Tikes Junior Picnic Table is a great opportunity to show your children a bit of independence at mealtimes. Letting the children sit at their own table with the adults sitting separately, gives them the space to feel grown up as they communicate with their peers. With its wipe-clean top, when not using the table for mealtimes, why not use it as a space to do some painting or other forms of arts and crafts? That way, your house stays mess-free and the children have a space to be creative with friends.

These selections show some great options for a fun and active summer with your family, which will satisfy a variety of budgets and needs. Embrace the summer holidays and be prepared for hours of fun with your little ones.

Like all the toys endorsed by the Good Play Guide, there are always educational benefits for a child’s development and this is no exception. It encourages your child to be active and improves their social skills. Sure, you could play this

The Good Play Guide was established by Dr Amanda Gummer to ‘make the world a more playful place’. To learn more, visit the website goodplayguide.com