What are the best backyard toys for toddlers to let off steam? Should you get playgrounds, slides, or push trikes?
There are many benefits for toddlers and kids to stay outdoors. They can get the much needed oxygen-rich fresh air and free vitamin D while learning about nature. The most convenient way to achieve this is to set up toys and playsets right in your backyard.
In this article, we will explore the best backyard toys for toddlers. Our list of recommendations will include toy ideas for different weather and toddlers with different interests. You can also view our post for playsets ideal for small backyards.
More Toy Ideas:
Best Backyard Toys for Toddlers
1. Best Backyard Water Table for Toddlers
Little Tikes Waterpark Play Table
What Makes It Special?
- It teaches water movement and gravity while enhancing a toddler’s motor skills
- It’s can be shared by many toddlers and kids
Not only do adults love waters, toddlers too! This Little Tikes Waterpark Play Table is a fantastic backyard toy for toddlers to enjoy the fun of water splashes.
Your toddler can drop the balls and see them traveling through the spiral, turn the wheel to scoop up the balls, and use the squirting toys to start a water fight.
This water table is a wonderful backyard toy for toddlers to practice their motor skills while having a water party with his friends.
Related: Best Water Table Toys
2. Best Backyard Basketball Set for Toddlers
Little Tikes Easy Score Basketball Set
What Makes It Special?
- The height is adjustable from 2.5 to 4 feet.
- It encourages toddlers to stay active and is a great toy to share with parents.
If your toddler boy or girl starts to show interests in sports, Little Tikes Easy Score Basketball Set is a hassle-free backyard toy that can bring lots of fun to the entire family.
Made with plastic, this basketball hoop weighs only 7 pounds. You can use it outdoors when the weather is nice as well as indoors during winters. The base can be weighted with sandbags but you may need to purchase them separately.
3. Best Backyard Clubhouse for Toddlers
What Makes It Special?
- It sports a climber, raised slides, and many peek-through windows.
- It encourages toddlers to climb, crawl, and discover
If you have multiple kids or your toddler gets bored with simple toys easily, we recommend this
Clubhouse Climber by Step2. It is one of the most elaborate medium-sized playset for backyards.
Besides two slides and a climber, this clubhouse sports many crawling tunnels and discovery windows. It’s spacious enough for 4 kids to party on it at the same time.
This backyard playset measures 92 inches long and 137 inches wide, and weighs around 200 pounds. Make sure that you have enough space in your backyard for it before purchase.
4. Best Backyard Playset for Toddlers
What Makes It Special?
- It can be used both indoors and outdoors
- It is easy to assemble and move around
Not every parent has an appetite for gigantic permanent playgrounds in the backyard. For those who prefer convenience and simplicity, Jungle Gym Outdoor Climber is an excellent choice.
This plastic playground features a slide, a climber, and cut-outs for peeking and crawling. It can hold multiple toddlers as long as their combined weight is less than 66 pounds.
What you will love is that this playset is super easy to assemble and is light enough to move around. The plastic used on this playset is weather-resistant so you don’t need to move it inside on rainy or sunny days.
5. Best Backyard Sprinkler for Toddlers
What Makes It Special?
- It’s easy to connect to a water hose and fold flat when not in use
- It’s spacious enough for multiple kids and even adults
Most toddlers are yet to swim on their own but this doesn’t stop them from enjoying playing with water. The 3-in-1 Sprinkler makes it possible for your child to enjoy water splashes right in your backyard.
Once hooked to the water hose, the water will fill the side of the pad and the water pressure will create water fountain streams. Not only toddlers but kids of all ages also love it! You can adjust the height of the water spray by changing the water flow.
Once you finish using the sprinkler, you can air dry it in the backyard and fold it up like a blanket. This sprinkler is one of the best backyard toys for toddlers who love waters.
6. Best Backyard Rocket Toy for Toddlers
What Makes It Special?
- It can shoot up to 100 feet
- It encourages toddlers to run around
For toddlers who have hard to impress, this Toy Rocket Launcher will be a huge hit. Your child will learn to aim the rocket, stomp on the launcher as hard as he can, and then enjoy watching the rocket flying into the skype. But this is not over yet, he then will need to dash away to pick up the rocket!
This rocket toy will make your toddler work. It is hands-down the best backyard toy for toddlers to get lots of exercises outdoors.
7. Best Backyard Soccer Toy for Toddlers
What Makes It Special?
- It is portable to bring everywhere
- The size of the soccer ball and goal is perfect for toddlers
Your toddler will love this Mini Soccer Goal Set if he is into soccer balls. The biggest advantage of this toy is how portable it is. It measures 24 by 16 inches and weighs less than 2 pounds. You can use it in your backyard, inside the house, or take it to a public park.
The frame of the goal can be folded in a few seconds. You can easily fit the whole thing in a tote bag. It also comes with a pump so that you can inflate the ball on the go.
It is one of the best backyard toys for toddlers who are into soccer ball.
8. Best Backyard Play House for Toddlers
Little Tikes Cape Cottage Playhouse
What Makes It Special?
- It features a contemporary cape cottage design
- It encourages pretend play and promotes imagination
If your toddler is into make-believe play, this Cape Cottage Playhouse will be a nice addition to your backyard.
This playhouse features working windows, doors, a mail slot, and a flat holder. Your toddler can invite his friends over for a house warming party or to enjoy some tea.
This backyard playhouse measures 49 inches tall and weighs about 35 pounds. So you can easily move it indoors and it can fit nicely in your toddler’s room.
9. Best Backyard Water Park for Toddlers
What Makes It Special?
- It makes a fun water park right in your backyard
- It features a water cannon and can turn into a mini pool
Is your little one a huge fan of water parks? Why not build a personal water park right in your backyard? Inflatable Bouncing House will make your toddler’s dream come true without adding too much hassle to you.
This backyard waterpark toy sports a pool area, a climber, a water slide, and a water cannon to shoot water. The inflation is powered by a ETL certified heavy-duty blower. The entire set only weighs about 35 pounds.
This inflatable can hold up to 200 pounds and is designed for kids older than 3. It’s the best backyard toy for toddlers to enjoy waterparks all summer long.
10. Best Backyard Playset for Multiple Toddlers
What Makes It Special?
- It can withstand tough weather and the structure is super stable.
- Your toddler can invite his friends for a playground party right in your home.
When it comes to the best backyard toys for toddlers it’s hard to not consider playgrounds. This Backyard Discovery Playset is a medium sized wooden playground that will entertain your toddler for many years to come.
Consisting of slides, swings, climbers, and snack benches, this playground has so many fun elements for a group of kids to enjoy together. Additionally, the main structure is made with 100% cedar. This type of material is suitable for extreme weather and require minimum maintenance.
11. Cool Backyard Watermelon for Toddlers
Giant Inflatable Watermelon Sprinkler
What Makes It Special?
- It’s a novelty idea to splash water from a watermelon
- It’s easy to set up and fold down
If you are shopping for toddler who has seen it all, this Giant Inflatable Watermelon Sprinkler will impress her. Its interesting appearance alone will attract your toddler’s attention, not to mention its ability to splash water around.
This inflatable watermelon is almost 4 feet tall. But once fold down, it measures 2 x 3 x 3 inches. It’s so small that you can fit it in your pocket. All you need to use it to connect it with a garden hose and place it on the lawn of your backyard.
12. Best Backyard Swing Set for Toddlers
What Makes It Special?
- It comes with a saucer and a swing seat.
- You can anchor it to the ground to ensure stability.
It’s no secret that toddlers love swings. This 2 Seat Swing Set is an excellent choice for those who are looking for a swing for the backyard.
This swing set comes with a saucer and a regular swing seat. The saucer is 32 inches in diameter and can hold two kids at once. The entire swing set can support up to 440 pounds, strong enough to support two adults.
This swing set comes with ground anchors and stakes so that you can secure it into the ground.
13. Best Backyard Slide for Toddlers
What Makes It Special?
- It can fold flat and store away easily
- It’s suitable for indoor and outdoor use
If you are looking for a simple backyard toy that doesn’t take you hours to assemble or takes lots of space to store, you will like the First Slide by Little Tikes.
This portable slide is designed for small toddlers 18 months or older. The slide is 38 inches long and weighs only 9 pounds. It doesn’t require any tool to assemble and you can fold it flat for storage. The weight capacity of this slide is 60 pounds.
It is not only one of the best backyard toys for toddlers but the most user-friendly backyard toy for parents.
Related: Little Tikes vs Step 2 Slides
14. Best Backyard Sports Toy for Toddlers
What Makes It Special?
- It consists of baseball and golf sets.
- All parts can fit inside the golf cart for easy storage.
If your toddler is a huge sports fan and is interested in a wide range of sports, this 2-in-1 sports set will make a great backyard toy.
This toy set comes with three golf clubs, a baseball bat, 6 golf balls, 3 baseballs, golf goals, and even an automatic baseball server. All these parts can fit inside the included golf cart and your child can pull it on his own.
It is one of the best backyard toys for toddlers to practice sports in the comfort of your backyard.
15. Best Backyard Ride-On for Toddlers
What Makes It Special?
- It’s specifically built for tough outdoor grounds
- It has a unique and realistic appearance
How can we not include a ride-on toy when it comes to the best backyard toys for toddlers? We recommend the Harley-Davidson Tough Trike because it’s one of the coolest backyard ride-on toys for toddlers.
Made by Fisher-Price, this trike resembles a flashy Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Its rugged tires are designed for tough outdoor terrains such as muddy grounds.
This stylish bike is foot petal powered and makes one of the best backyards toy for toddlers to practice biking.
Related: Best Toddler Ride-On-Trains
16. Best Backyard Inflatable Bouncer for Toddlers
What Makes It Special?
- It can be inflated in a few minutes
- It comes with a carrying bag
For toddlers who love to jump up and down, a bounce house not only keeps them entertained for hours but also tires that out. This Inflatable Bounce House is a fun backyard toy just perfect for hyperactive toddlers.
Once inflated, this bounce house measures 9 feet long and 7 feet wide. It can hold multiple kids weighing up to 200 pounds. This kit comes with everything you need, including an air blower, anchor stakes, repairing kits, and even a carrying bag.
It is the best backyard to toy for toddlers to burn off their unlimited energy.
17. Best Backyard Bubble Machine for Toddlers
What Makes It Special?
- It’s suitable for small toddlers who just learned to walk.
- It features realistic engine and gear sounds.
Toddlers are fascinated by bubbles! My daughter also demands us to blow bubbles for her but doing it manually can be quite labor-intensive. This Bubble Mower can come to parents’ rescue.
This automatic bubble machine features can produce unlimited bubbles in an instant. Additionally, it also functions as a push walker that looks like a lawnmower. Your toddler will be proud to help take care of the backyard grass while enjoying the dance of the bubbles.
Don’t forget though you need to purchase three AA batteries separately.
Related: Best Toddler Bubble Guns
18. Best Backyard Camping Set for Toddlers
What Makes It Special?
- It includes a complete set of camping essential equipment.
- It encourages a toddler to explore and learn about nature.
Toddlers are not only curios but also not shy to explore new things. This toy camping set is just perfect for your little discoverer to learn about a new terriroty.
Coming with tents, binoculars, an oil lamp, cookware, and more, this toy set includes 18 pieces of camping gear. Your child will be proud to own a working watch and a compass and will be eager to help “lead the way”.
This toy set is not only one of the best backyard toys for toddlers but also suitable for real camping trips or fishing trips.
19. Best Backyard Wooden House for Toddlers
Wooden Playhouse by Backyard Discovery
What Makes It Special?
- It comes with 3D assembly instructions
- It comes with toy pot and pan set
The Wooden Playhouse by Backyard Discovery is another attractive kids shed for pretend play. Your toddler can decorate this mini house with plants and flowers, and cook a delicious meal using the built-in toy stove.
This pretend-play house measures 42 by 55 inches wide. It doesn’t take much outdoor space in your backyard. Because it’s made with cedarwood, it weighs 88 pounds, much heavier than most plastic playhouses. But the obvious benefit is its beautiful appearance and its ability to preserve the color over time.
Summary
Tired of staying inside the house? Now it’s time to let your spirited toddler go wild in nature and enjoy some backyard time! Besides the fresh air, the natural sceneries, and the sweet sunshine, these best backyard toys for toddlers brings awesome entertainment to your child.
Cecilia Yeung is a successful entrepreneur and product researcher. She has a background in psychology and children’s education. As a working mother of two, she loves to write about children’s education and development.
