The Best Outdoor Toys for Toddlers and Preschoolers to Explore the World Around Them (2024)

• Our Picks

• How We Selected and Tested

• What to Look For

• FAQ

• Why Trust Verywell Family

Parents recommend this T-ball set from Little Tikes for developing skills and to teach the concept of "keep trying," which is why it earns our top spot. Even if your family has no interest in sports, toddlers ages 18 months and up will benefit from developing motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

The tee’s height is adjustable, so you can change it as your child’s skills develop or for multiple children. Once everyone has hit a home run, simply store the set on the wall via a unique hanging design.

The Melissa & Doug Sunny Patch Giddy Buggy Tote Set features fun tool pieces for gardening and a place to store them. The Melissa & Doug set includes a durable tote bag to hold the included garden tools: a spray bottle, rake, and shovel.

The tools are made from plastic that’s easy to clean when your kiddo is done digging. The set is safe for children 3 years old and up, so they’ll likely get plenty of use out of it in the next several years.

Kites are fun for the whole family, and with this kite from Melissa & Doug, even the smallest family members can soar. The Melissa & Doug Multi-Color Spectrum Diamond Kite features durable ripstop nylon, reinforced seams, and flexible fiberglass poles. The kite includes 164 feet of strong kite line on an easy-to-grip line holder for kiddos 3 years and up to maneuver.

Assembly is a breeze, but keep in mind that younger children may need help putting the poles together.

A water table is a must for outdoor fun with your toddler (ask the parents in our survey whose kids love to play with their own Step2 water table). They are great because they combine sensory exploration and motor skill development while introducing children to early physics concepts. Additionally, they also incorporate STEM play that teaches cause and effect and promotes social skills such as sharing and taking turns, explains Michalik.

Aside from STEM play and other social skills, your child can spark their creativity and pretend play by making the duck swim on the bottom level or pouring water over other toys.We love the Step2 Summer Showers Water Table, particularly for its bright colors, the springboard attachment, and the extra accessories included, like the rubber duck, bucket, and scoop. Kids love the sound of the rain as the waterfalls from the top tier!

Bubbles are a favorite toy among toddlers, so you can’t go wrong with the Lydaz Bubble Lawn Mower. This push bubble mower makes realistic sounds while shooting out tons of bubbles. While it requires three AA batteries, the bubble mower does include three bottles of bubble solution and three bubble wands.

Bring the playground home with this budget-friendly playset for children 2 years old and up. With a rotating steering wheel, secret hiding place, telescope, slide, and more, the Radio Flyer Play & Fold Away Tower can be used outdoors and indoors, making it a great investment.

We think parents and caregivers will appreciate this playhouse’s folding feature, which allows the playset to fold completely flat for easy storage. The Radio Flyer Treetop Climber only weighs about 32 pounds and measures 58.1 x 24.67 x 61.3 inches, so there’s plenty of space for multiple children.

Some of the best outdoor toys are also great to use indoors, which is why the Sisland Bean Bag Toss Game earns a spot on our list. The cornhole target can be set up in less than one minute, and it’s lightweight enough to carry outside to inside or vice versa. It comes with six bean bags, so kiddos 3 years old and up can play independently or with a friend.

A bicycle is a classic outdoor toy that’ll never go out of style. The Strider Sport Balance Bike, which doesn’t have training wheels or pedals, is perfect for beginners learning to find their balance, and it’s safe for children 18 months old and up.

Available in a variety of colors, the bike comes with 12-inch tires that are puncture-proof, so you don’t have to worry about filling them up or replacing them. Plus, the lightweight bike includes an adjustable seat and handlebars to find a comfortable fit.

Sometimes, all toddlers need to burn off energy is a ball. At 8.5 inches in diameter, this ball is available in a variety of style options, like rainbow or the American flag. While a pump is typically not included with the ball, there are other buying options that include a pump if you need one. Whether your toddler kicks, tosses, rolls, or bounces the ball, it’s made of durable, child-safe materials to withstand hours of play.

For families who love the beach, we think you’ll love this beach toy set from Click N’ Play. The set is recommended for children 3 years old and up, and has 18 pieces for digging, scooping, and molding fun, including a rake, watering can, and bucket. All the pieces fit nicely into a mesh backpack, so your little one can carry it down to the beach. If you aren’t near a beach, the toys are just as fun in regular sandboxes or kinetic sand.

The Kidzlane Bubble Machine is automatic, easy to use, and has a 500-bubble output per minute and 10 spinning wands. Bring this bubble machine to the park, set it up at a birthday party, or just have fun with it in the backyard. It’s adorable and sure to keep your toddler engaged for hours alone or with friends.

Your child’s imagination will soar with this pack of sidewalk chalk from Crayola. It includes 48 color options for your little ones to choose from, and each has fun color names, such as “Granny Apple,” embossed on the side.

The chalk pieces are thick, so they won’t break easily or run out, and are easy for toddlers to grip. We love how the sidewalk chalk colors stay vibrant and are easy to wash out of clothing.Goldman says a few simple colors can unleash tons of design options using a driveway or sidewalk as their canvas.

The Flybar pogo stick is designed for both indoor and outdoor use and made to withstand all conditions. It’s made of high-quality, durable foam that was built to last and won’t scratch your floors.

You can’t go wrong with a toy that keeps the kiddos active while also working on hand-eye coordination and balance. With every bounce, the pogo stick makes a fun squeaking sound for kids, and the fun characters and colors are a bonus.

Bring the park to your backyard with this 3-foot slide for beginners from Little Tikes. This slide is easily assembled with no tools required and folds up nicely for compact storage or to move and take on the go. The Little Tikes First Slide will grow with your toddler as it holds up to 60 pounds and is great to put on the edge of a ball pit or in the backyard.

The SplashEZ Splash Pad is a 60-inch in diameter pool that's deep enough to kick and splash but shallow enough for sit-down fun. The fun animal and ABC design is playful and makes for a fantastic learning opportunity. Aside from sparking their imagination, this toy turns water into a sprinkler, leading to a lot of physical activity and just enjoying the summer sun.

A re-designed classic, this ride-on truck with a removable floorboard is durable and comes fully loaded with a drop-down tailgate, gas cap, working horn, and off-road wheels. Ride-on toys help with mobility, endurance, sensory awareness, and coordination, explains Michalik. The Little Tikes Cozy Truck Ride-On has a realistic front grill that will make your child feel like a true adult driving a vehicle. From there, you can help your child tap into their imagination and go wild.

Kids will develop strength in their arm and leg muscles as they ride around and explore their surroundings. In addition to keeping their bodies moving, ride-on toys help to develop fine motor skills as kids grip onto the wheels and handlebars and turn to steer. You can either push the car or use the removable floorboard so your toddler can exercise their independence and move the truck with their own little feet.

The Radio Flyer is a well-loved brand that’s been around for generations, and its tricycle is great for beginner riders. It has quiet wheels and durable construction. We love the back compartment (or, as their little ones call it, the “trunk”) because it can be filled with your toddler’s favorite toys to take along for the ride.

With an adjustable seat, it is perfect for your growing child and is good for ages 3 to 5 years old.

Kids love to dig, and this functional digger makes them feel like true construction operators.It has a 360-degree swivel action and a two-handed crane that reaches 33 inches when extended to dig and dump. With its 110-pound weight limit and sturdy construction, The Big Dig Sandbox Digger Excavator will keep your toddler immersed in the construction zone for many years.

For kiddos who love helping in the garden, we recommend checking out this gardening set from Liberty Imports. The set includes more than a dozen pieces needed for playing in the dirt, like a metal rake, shovel, buckets, watering can, and more. The highlight of the set is the wagon, which stores all the pieces when they’re not being played with.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Why is outdoor play important?

  Playing outside helps to make sure kids get enough physical exercise each day. Toddlers and preschoolers need three hours of active play time each day and older children need a cumulative 60 minutes. Outdoor play also helps kids discover nature, which helps them develop their curiosity.

  Learn More:50 Things to Do Outside With Kids

• Can outdoor toys be left outside all the time?

  It is best to cover outdoor plays when they are not in use if you want to leave them outside all the time. Use a tarp or a sheet and tie it down well, or put toys in a large plastic tub. This helps protect your toys from the elements, so they last longer. It also helps to keep them clean for the next time they are used.

• How do you get water out of outdoor toys?

  To get water out of toys, first squeeze out all the water you can. Then, point a blow dryer right at the opening to dry out any water than didn't get out. If you think mold might have grown, you can put a mixture of hot water and bleach into the toy and leave it in there for about 10 minutes before following the above steps.