Chloe was about 6 months old our first summer as a family of three, and the only outdoor activity she really enjoyed was splashing in her baby pool. Our backyard gets a lot of sunlight and even with umbrella shade I was nervous to have her out for very long. Last summer, she was 18 months and we could hardly keep her inside. Her outdoor play/exploration exploded and playing in water quickly turned into her favorite outdoor activity. We spent the entire summer in the baby pool, in her splash pad or playing in the water table. Our whole backyard transformed into her playground, ready for her to explore. She also loved picking wild flowers, berries that we’d grown, and kicking a ball around the backyard.We love spending time outdoors in the summer!

Here are our favorite outdoor toys and activities:


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1. Sandbox – We’ve been toying around with the idea of getting Chloe a sandbox for this summer.  I’m surprised to see how expensive they all are!  I like this one because it’s covered and our backyard gets a lot of sun. But, I’m turned off on sandboxes in general. We live in the northern suburbs which means we’ve got raccoons and outdoor cats… and a sandbox feels like a large outdoor litter box to me.  I figure if racoons can get our garbage can lids off, they can remove a sandbox lid!  So, while we aren’t 100% sold on getting her one, it is something we are considering if we can find one for the right price and lid.

2.  Splish Splash Kids Pool –  I bought this on a whim last summer at Target, when I found it on sale. We have an air compressor so it was really easy to blow up.  Thankfully our water bill wasn’t very high (you need to keep the hose connected and running the entire time), and this splash pad turned out to be one of Chloe’s absolute favorites last summer.  We’re looking forward to it again this summer!

3. Pool – We bought this pool for Chloe when she was about 18 months, because this one didn’t work very well.  This pool is wide enough that I can sit in it with her, and she loved swimming around in circles and making big splashes. It’s in great shape and ready to be used this summer, too!

4. Sidewalk Chalk – Chalk feels like a childhood staple, and is something Chloe has loved for a while now.  She colors all over our driveway.

5. Water Table – My mom got Chloe this water table last spring as a gift, and we were excited to put it together right away.  I was able to assemble it myself in about 15 minutes, and Chloe played with all summer long. It’s very lightweight and easy to carry, so we brought it down to our driveway a lot so she could play while we washed our cars.

6. Bubble Machine – Our last bubble machine broke on us, so I’m in the market for a new one.  I have never met a kid who didn’t like bubbles, and Chloe is no exception.  We bought our first bubble machine after she continually asked us to blow bubbles again and again.  This is definitely a good investment for us!

7. Powerwheels – Nana and pop-pop surprised Chloe (and us!!) with a jeep powerwheels for Christmas.  She’s been so excited to try it out and she’s been able to ride it a few times so far this spring. We rode through puddles the other day which was a lot of fun for her!

8. Playhouse – Now that she’s older, we’d really like to get Chloe a playhouse. We’ve spent a lot of time looking at our options (and oh my gosh, some of them are the price of a used car!!) and aren’t entirely sold on one yet, but so far this one seems to be a top contender. We like that it’s multifunctional and large enough to hold a few kids at once. Friends of ours have a playhouse for their girls and Chloe loves playing in it, so we are excited to get one for her.

I didn’t include it on this list, but Chloe seems happiest playing with whatever she can get her hands on outside.  Some days that means making mud puddles, and other days that means digging in the dirt with her shovel.  She loved running through our sprinkler last summer, so I’m sure that will make a come back this year, and she loves kicking and throwing her balls around the backyard.  We are planting a garden this spring and I know she is going to love help us planting the vegetables and picking berries again.

What kind of outdoor activities and toys do your kids enjoy?