It was the sunny, balmy weather we experienced on Monday that made me start thinking about Summer days spent outdoors with Hector. Granted we’re a LONG way off from even getting half way close to the season – I know some of you experienced snow yesterday! – but with all the Spring flowers shooting through the soil I can’t help but get a little bit excited about the warmer days ahead in the garden.

Whilst Hector was mobile last Summer (read crawling) we didn’t get the chance to do all that much other than explore the grass surrounding the rug on which I placed him so I’m ridiculously excited about this year now that he’s kicking balls and regularly pulling me towards the back door with his wellies in his hands.

In preparation then I’ve started to have a look at the toys on offer for kids for the great outdoors. The below is a carefully curated selection of the best things on offer for all age and price ranges.

On The Move

Did you know that the classic Cozy Coupe from Little Tikes has now been in production for more than 30 years. As a child I was desperate to have my very own but had to make do with hijacking friends rides instead. Now of course there are numerous variations but this Fire Truck complete with pressurised tank and hose pipe is especially cute. Well if you can get the kids to water the plants at the same time as having fun then everyone is a winner!

Staying with the mobile theme, then it’s got to be a mini scooter or actually in fact a scooter of any kind. Granted these aren’t necessarily restricted to just the summer months but seeing as Hector is obsessed with watching older kids whizz past at the moment I just had to include them in today’s round up. I like this special edition luminous green version especially when paired with this awesome ‘scootersaurus’ helmet. That’s a speed fin didn’t you know 😉

Water Fun

I’m not sure if Hector has inherited his love of messing about with water from his dad or whether it’s a ‘thing’ that all 17 month olds go through but I have to say that the ‘squirting water all over the highchair from the beaker’ trick is wearing a bit thin.

I’m determined to move things outside as soon as it’s warm enough to do so with this sand and water table from ELC. With two troughs, it’s possible to fill one with sand and one with water or fill both with sand or both with water depending on your little one’s preference. This particular version comes with 10 fun toys including a rake, spade, boat, scoop, funnels, moulds, wheels and more and there’s a handy waterproof lid for when the fun is over too. Currently on offer at £40 it’s going in my shopping basket for when payday next comes around.

For older kids (including Dads too) this water cannon complete with tripod will tick all the boxes. Attach it to your garden hose and enjoy some serious water fights, with water jets shooting up to 30m. Suitable for children aged six and over, the only downside may be your increased water bill. Alternatively play it safe with these handheld water guns instead….

For really baby littles then I highly recommend this froggy paddling pool with integrated shade. I purchased this for Hector last year and he loved splashing about for a decent 15 minutes or so at a time. This paddling pool comes with an inflatable shade providing a fun haven to play in safe from the sun, so that they remain cool and protected. Once the weather got cooler I bought the pool inside and filled it with balls instead for hours of fun!

Back in the day we whiled away the entire summer by running in and out of a water sprinkler (or two if you were REALLY lucky…tunnel of death anyone??!) but now kids get their very own water sprinkler tube! Perfect for a warm and sunny day in the garden, this product is basically a big inflatable ring that sprays water in all directions. I’m not going to lie…I’m probably more excited than Hector about this.

Trampolines

Every kid loves to bounce. Fact.

If you’re lucky enough to have a large garden then this enclosed 8ft Octagonal trampoline is worth considering. Apparently the octagonal shape allows you to remain central rather than bouncing skewiff which happens on rounded versions but it does come with an ouchy £300 price tag. Gulp! Definitely an investment buy.

For those with more limited space and younger kiddos this junior trampoline is perfect for encouraging young children to gain jumping confidence quickly. Plus it’s under £30 too!

Inflatables

We nipped to our local Mothercare at the weekend to find a travel cot for Hector and somehow ended up in the toy department looking at bouncy castles such as this one (blame Daddy!). Technically it’s only for children aged three and upwards but I wouldn’t be surprised if one of Hector’s uncles or aunties turned up with it on the doorstep! The castle can accommodate up to three children and is the perfect size for small children to jump around in with plenty of room without taking over your entire garden!

If inflatables are your thing then try this child-sized Roller Wheel from The Science Museum. Kids can both climb through or roll around in the wheel which has a collection of colourful balls inside that jiggle and bounce around as the wheel rotates. Hours of fun plus it comes with a pump too!

Climbing Frames & Slides

So I’ve saved the biggest until last. I mean just look at this castle! Complete with realistic stone walls, a secret crawl-through door behind the fireplace, and a lookout tower with a platform and hidden slide; it’s so good I want to move in myself. Aged from 18months – 5 years, the price tag (£300.00) doesn’t feel quite so bad when you apply a cost per play analysis to it.

Alternatively opt for an ‘Adventure Tower‘ at half the price from Smoby. With a platform, ladder, large slide, fabric tunnel and climbing there are a myriad of different ways to climb, slide, crawl and play. Aged from two years, kids will be enthralled for hours.

So there we are, my round-up of the best outdoor kids toys. I know that I’m bound to have missed a whole host of awesome goodies out there so definitely let us know in the comments below if you feel we need to know about a product that you couldn’t have lived without. This sports day kit from The Great Little Trading Company is definitely pulling at my heartstrings but I know Hector isn’t quite old enough to appreciate it just yet…

Maybe next year…