The Best Toys for Outdoor Play (Ages 1 – 8)

These playhouses and swing sets have become very popular over the last year. With most of us staying home and not visiting our local playgrounds, having a swing set in your backyard became more appealing. We may look at it as just a swing and slide, but it could be so much to a little one’s imagination. This type of play helps promote imaginative play with coordination development, gross and fine motor play, and most of all, it creates social and emotional relationships that children have lacked due to virtual learning and isolation.

Is there nothing cuter than a child following Dad around with their lawnmower? We may find yard work a daunting task, but our littles think it’s the best thing ever. These toys not only encourage their future lawn skills but also helps with modeling behavior. When a child learns to model behavior or a skill, it helps them learn it faster and correctly. Fostering this type of play will help in other areas of child development as it will encourage them to model other behaviors such as self-care, independence, safety, and more. Here are some of my favorite “grown-up” tools for outdoor play!

Water play outside these days is a far cry from running through your average sprinkler. With all the new, fun ways to explore water, the possibilities are endless. It has been shown that water play is such a beneficial type of play for littles as it helps explore different senses, science skills, gross and fine motor skills, patience, cause and effect, and more. Starting at 6 months and up, there is something for everyone in this category.

Do you have a child who loves to create and make things? Bring that creativity and artistry outside for play. Creating things with nature or even just creating in nature will help make a calm environment for your little one. It may even make them become more aware of their surroundings and enjoy what Mother Nature has to offer. These fun toys will help let your little one’s creativity run free!

When we think about outside play, we may go to the basics of bikes and playing ball. These are still fantastic ways to promote social-emotional skills (sharing) and encouraging gross motor development in our littles. Besides your traditional bike, adding more elements to this type of play can help engage your child longer and broaden their gross motor development even more. From sport sets to simple games to play with your neighbors, these are some of my favorites.