Almost every kid looks forward to summer, but being out of school can sometimes get boring. That’s when it’s time to get creative and find fun ways to keep them entertained without relying too much on screens. These outdoor summer toys aren’t just entertaining — they have extra benefits, too, like boosting STEM skills, keeping kids active, and encouraging creative play.
Outdoor Water Slide
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Your kids will be slippin’ and slidin’ to their hearts’ content when you set up this outdoor water slide from Joyin. Measuring 22.5 feet long, the double slide can be set up in mere minutes and comes with two inflatable boards to make flying down the slides even more fun. And the built-in sprinklers ensure that the slides will always stay slippery, silly — and so much fun.
Bounce House
Who needs to wait for the carnival to come to town when you can have your very own backyard bounce house? The Neche Inflatable Bounce House isn’t just any ol’ inflatable, though. For starters, it comes with a slide, swimming pool, basketball stand, and a water gun to shoot at unsuspecting sliders. Handrails help little ones make their way up the climbing wall and then splash down into the mini swimming pool.
Sidewalk Chalk
When you get tired of your toddler drawing all over your walls, direct them toward your driveway instead. The Sun Squad 20 pc Sidewalk Chalk Set has all the colors under the rainbow, so your little artist can create iconic sidewalk artwork. The chalk is ideal for kids ages 3 and up and is designed with little hands in mind.
Bucket & Sand Toy Set
It’ll always be a day at the beach when you bring along the Bucket & Sand Toys Set. The set has all the beachy basics, including a shovel, rake, and a cute little crab scooper. Kids can pack the sand in seashell molds, build castles, or do what toddlers do best — fill the bucket with sand, dump it out, and do it all over again.
Body Bumpers
Listen, if your child is going to spar with their sibling, you might as well get a laugh out of it. And you definitely will once your kids don the Banzai Bump N’ Bounce Body Bumpers. Simply inflate the bumpers, help your kids put them on, and then step back to watch the show as they boing, bounce, and bump into each other…hopefully without getting hurt.
Stomp Rocket
Got a kid who loves to sulk and stomp their feet? Well, now you can put all that energy to good use. The Stomp Rocket launches foam rockets right to the moon (well, maybe not that far). Once the rocket is loaded onto the launchpad, all your child has to do is stomp their foot — hard. The rockets are designed to fly up to 100 feet, and with eight of them in the set, that means your child can stomp to their heart’s content and even score some early STEM skills, too.
Underwater Gem Hunt
The Underwater Gem Hunt from Dan & Darci isn’t just a game — it’s an amazing aquatic adventure. From the pool deck, players draw a card before diving underwater to retrieve the matching gemstone. Beyond selecting shimmering stones from the pool floor, the game helps kids practice holding their breath, improve hand-eye coordination, and build confidence with their diving skills.
Water Balloons
A water balloon fight is a summertime staple, and the Bunch O Balloons from Zuru will get your child ready for battle. But filling each balloon can break the momentum when you’re in the middle of a balloon war. Fret not, because this set allows you to fill and tie 100 water balloons in 60 seconds. And with its patented O-ring technology, you won’t have to get twisted about tying (or popping) the balloons, which gives your kids more time to soak their siblings.
Croquet Set
Your child will become a proper preschooler when they pick up a mallet and learn croquet. This Indoor/Outdoor Kids’ Croquet Set includes four wooden mallets, four balls, and animal targets featuring a lion, hippo, elephant, tiger, and a zebra. It’s a fun way for your kid to get coordinated and may even inspire some family-friendly competition.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Irina Wilhauk/Shutterstock.com