Hopefully there will be some glorious sunny days this summer, and what's better to do on a sunny day than get outside to play. There's no need to go out, just get out in your garden with some of these brilliant water toys, or just a hose and a bucket!
Paddling pools
Water fun really can be as simple or as complicated as you like. If you have a paddling pool or a big plastic tub sitting around, fill it up. Plus, the kids will have just as much fun splashing around in a paddling pool as they would if you were heading to the local pool or beach, especially with these brilliant pools.
Perfect for little kids up to age 4/5, this Dinosaur Play Centre is great fun. It features a shallow pool with slide, plam tree water sprayer and adjustable waterfall.
If you want something more substantial for all the family, and you have the space, this metal frame rectangular pool would be a fantastic investment. It's a reasonable 3m x 2m size but gives you plenty of space to swim and play.
Pool toys
When you already have the pool, it's time to start thinking about some fun pool toys. Bath toys are great of course, and their regular plastic toys will be fine too, but if you want to invest in some new toys, these are great.
Big inflatables you can lie on, hang off and generally mess about with were huge last year, and even bigger this year. These fun giant inflatbale donuts are cute as well as being strong and highly durable so they will last into next year too.
Or let them terrorise the neighbourhood with this 6 foot green crocodile inflatable. Despite those sharp teeth, he's not as scary as he looks, and will be quite happy to give you a ride in the pool or even play games.
Get kids to practice the underwater swimming techniques from their lessons with this bumper range of diving pool toys, suitable from age 5 for those happy to go under water to retrieve them.
Younger children will love the gorgeous seaplane from Green Toys which is made from recycled plastic milk jugs. It floats on water and the propellor actually spins. Great fun for little tots, and they also have a submarine for under the water.
If your pool is big enough this brilliant inflatable volleyball set is perfect for keeping everyone active in the water, and great fun. The width adjusts to fit different size pools and it has two anchors to stop it floating around.
Sprinklers and Slides
Turning on the sprinkler or garden hose is another great way to cool off in your own garden. If you haven’t run through sprinklers in the past decade or so, I dare you to give it a try! It’s just as much fun at 35 as it was at 5. And frankly you owe it to your kids to introduce them to this old-fashioned summer tradition.
You can even build your own fun splash pad with a large and clean tarpaulin or plastic sheet and a sprinkler. The water from the sprinkler will keep the tarp wet for a full day of fun splashing. Or try some of these fun toys.
You could even turn your back garden into a splash park with this fun water play mat with sprinkler holes. The water even goes high enough for older kids and adults to join in the fun.
Zuru's Bunch o' Balloons water slide combines water balloons and a water slide for endless soaking fun. You might want to stay well out of the way when they're running riot with this one!
For the ultimate water slide on which you can race along the 31 foot length in pairs, you must get the Team Magnus extra large slide. It's amazing!! Dads will have their mates round to play on this!
Water pistols
Water pistols are another traditional and fun way to play outside, get wet, and cool off. Head to your local supermarket to pick up a few of them, or invest in some more robust models like those below. Fill them up and let the games begin. Having big buckets of water sitting around the garden ready for refills makes it easier to keep playing.
The Storm Blaster Jet Stream Blaster will help them cover a lot of ground very easily, with an easy to hold handle and pump action firing, the kids will love it. Just £2.50 too!
Step it up a notch with the two streams from the Nerf Super Soaker Twin Tide. It holds nearly a litre of water and can fire up to 9 metres, so stand clear!
Or to really soak your opponents try this 4 nozzle soaker which holds 1.2l water and can hit a target up to 10 metres away. "That's not a water pistol. THIS is a water pistol." to paraphrase Mick Dundee.
Water balloons and Bubbles
Water balloons are another fun option. Fill them up, divide the balloons and let the battle begin. Lots of giggles and screams are sure to be heard. Get the kids to pick up all the little plastic pieces from the balloons before everyone heads inside, then they'll be dried off and ready for a bath or food by the time they are done. You simply can't beat Zuru's Bunch O Balloons, so we won't try.
You could even try making a Water Balloon Piñata. Throw a summer party or just get the kids involved and use a water balloon as an alternative to the traditional piñata. It's perfect for cooling down, and your kids will love it.
Bubbles never stop being fun either, whether you're chasing them or catching them. We love this cute dinosaur bubble machine which will turn any garden afternoon into a fiesta.
Games and Imaginative play
Water games can be as simple as setting up some fun water races that involve getting the water from a bucket at one end of the garden to another at the other end using some plastic cups. It’s a great way to get the kids moving, and can get quite competitive if you have two or more teams playing.
If you have the space to set up some play areas for the kids, then a mud kitchen, water table or water play table is perfect. Just be sure to clean the water table out regularly so algae doesn't start growing.
The Little Tikes Fountain Factory Water Table is amazing fun, and a great way to sneak in some STEM learning this summer too. There are so many ways to play with it and endless possibilities for fun. Just let children add their own extras such as plastic figures, boats and the like and they'll spend the whole day playing.
If you have less space, this waterfall discovery wall is brilliant fun for little ones with endless pouring and splashing possibilities.
For kids of any age, why not build or invest in a beautiful mud kitchen. Full of huge potential for imaginative, creative, explorative sensory play with endless learning opportunities and so much fun, it will last for years, and probably still be around for your grandkids too.
No matter what you do and how you end up playing outside with the kids using water, they are sure to have a great time as well as expending loads of energy. Have fun out there!
Hint: Many of these products are on offer right now. But if you can't buy now, bookmark this post to come back to towards the end of summer when pricier water toys like larger pools, sprinklers, and slip-and-slides may well be reduced. You can then pick them up for a great price, stick them in the cupboard and have them ready for next summer's water fun.
Pin it:
Paddling pools
Water fun really can be as simple or as complicated as you like. If you have a paddling pool or a big plastic tub sitting around, fill it up. Plus, the kids will have just as much fun splashing around in a paddling pool as they would if you were heading to the local pool or beach, especially with these brilliant pools.
Perfect for little kids up to age 4/5, this Dinosaur Play Centre is great fun. It features a shallow pool with slide, plam tree water sprayer and adjustable waterfall.
If you want something more substantial for all the family, and you have the space, this metal frame rectangular pool would be a fantastic investment. It's a reasonable 3m x 2m size but gives you plenty of space to swim and play.
Pool toys
When you already have the pool, it's time to start thinking about some fun pool toys. Bath toys are great of course, and their regular plastic toys will be fine too, but if you want to invest in some new toys, these are great.
Big inflatables you can lie on, hang off and generally mess about with were huge last year, and even bigger this year. These fun giant inflatbale donuts are cute as well as being strong and highly durable so they will last into next year too.
Or let them terrorise the neighbourhood with this 6 foot green crocodile inflatable. Despite those sharp teeth, he's not as scary as he looks, and will be quite happy to give you a ride in the pool or even play games.
Get kids to practice the underwater swimming techniques from their lessons with this bumper range of diving pool toys, suitable from age 5 for those happy to go under water to retrieve them.
Younger children will love the gorgeous seaplane from Green Toys which is made from recycled plastic milk jugs. It floats on water and the propellor actually spins. Great fun for little tots, and they also have a submarine for under the water.
If your pool is big enough this brilliant inflatable volleyball set is perfect for keeping everyone active in the water, and great fun. The width adjusts to fit different size pools and it has two anchors to stop it floating around.
Sprinklers and Slides
Turning on the sprinkler or garden hose is another great way to cool off in your own garden. If you haven’t run through sprinklers in the past decade or so, I dare you to give it a try! It’s just as much fun at 35 as it was at 5. And frankly you owe it to your kids to introduce them to this old-fashioned summer tradition.
You can even build your own fun splash pad with a large and clean tarpaulin or plastic sheet and a sprinkler. The water from the sprinkler will keep the tarp wet for a full day of fun splashing. Or try some of these fun toys.
You could even turn your back garden into a splash park with this fun water play mat with sprinkler holes. The water even goes high enough for older kids and adults to join in the fun.
Zuru's Bunch o' Balloons water slide combines water balloons and a water slide for endless soaking fun. You might want to stay well out of the way when they're running riot with this one!
For the ultimate water slide on which you can race along the 31 foot length in pairs, you must get the Team Magnus extra large slide. It's amazing!! Dads will have their mates round to play on this!
Water pistols
Water pistols are another traditional and fun way to play outside, get wet, and cool off. Head to your local supermarket to pick up a few of them, or invest in some more robust models like those below. Fill them up and let the games begin. Having big buckets of water sitting around the garden ready for refills makes it easier to keep playing.
The Storm Blaster Jet Stream Blaster will help them cover a lot of ground very easily, with an easy to hold handle and pump action firing, the kids will love it. Just £2.50 too!
Step it up a notch with the two streams from the Nerf Super Soaker Twin Tide. It holds nearly a litre of water and can fire up to 9 metres, so stand clear!
Or to really soak your opponents try this 4 nozzle soaker which holds 1.2l water and can hit a target up to 10 metres away. "That's not a water pistol. THIS is a water pistol." to paraphrase Mick Dundee.
Water balloons and Bubbles
Water balloons are another fun option. Fill them up, divide the balloons and let the battle begin. Lots of giggles and screams are sure to be heard. Get the kids to pick up all the little plastic pieces from the balloons before everyone heads inside, then they'll be dried off and ready for a bath or food by the time they are done. You simply can't beat Zuru's Bunch O Balloons, so we won't try.
You could even try making a Water Balloon Piñata. Throw a summer party or just get the kids involved and use a water balloon as an alternative to the traditional piñata. It's perfect for cooling down, and your kids will love it.
Bubbles never stop being fun either, whether you're chasing them or catching them. We love this cute dinosaur bubble machine which will turn any garden afternoon into a fiesta.
Games and Imaginative play
Water games can be as simple as setting up some fun water races that involve getting the water from a bucket at one end of the garden to another at the other end using some plastic cups. It’s a great way to get the kids moving, and can get quite competitive if you have two or more teams playing.
If you have the space to set up some play areas for the kids, then a mud kitchen, water table or water play table is perfect. Just be sure to clean the water table out regularly so algae doesn't start growing.
The Little Tikes Fountain Factory Water Table is amazing fun, and a great way to sneak in some STEM learning this summer too. There are so many ways to play with it and endless possibilities for fun. Just let children add their own extras such as plastic figures, boats and the like and they'll spend the whole day playing.
If you have less space, this waterfall discovery wall is brilliant fun for little ones with endless pouring and splashing possibilities.
No matter what you do and how you end up playing outside with the kids using water, they are sure to have a great time as well as expending loads of energy. Have fun out there!
Hint: Many of these products are on offer right now. But if you can't buy now, bookmark this post to come back to towards the end of summer when pricier water toys like larger pools, sprinklers, and slip-and-slides may well be reduced. You can then pick them up for a great price, stick them in the cupboard and have them ready for next summer's water fun.
Pin it:
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