30 Best Outdoor Toys for Kids in 2024
Our top picks are from Melissa & Doug, Razor, Step2 and more.
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Encouraging children to embrace the great outdoors over their screens is never easy. However, with our carefully curated selection of top-notch outdoor toys, personally chosen by the toy testing experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute, your little ones won't even give Paw Patrol a second thought. (Ryder who?) The best toys are built to withstand the elements when left in the backyard, providing endless fun for kids while offering convenience and peace of mind for parents during setup and supervision.
Now comes the tricky part: deciding which one to choose. If you're feeling imaginative, you can transform any indoor activity
your child loves into an outdoor adventure. Do they have an artistic side? Elevate their sidewalk-chalk experience with a fantastic upgrade that will keep them engrossed in drawing for hours while keeping their fingers clean. Are they fascinated by STEM? Explore the world of scientific discovery with a stomp rocket and unravel the variables that propel it to greater heights, or delve into the fascinating realm of solar-powered cars to understand what influences their speed. Perhaps your little one is a budding athlete? Engage in exhilarating nighttime play with a glow-in-the-dark football that allows the fun to continue long after sunset.
And when the educational escapades wind down, be sure to stock up on timeless summer essentials such as bubble machines, scooters and kiddie pools. These classic items will be revisited by your children year after year. With our carefully selected assortment of the best outdoor toys for kids, you can simply slather your kids in sunscreen and let them revel in backyard bliss all day long.
Invented by parents, this sidewalk chalk holder means you no longer have to bend down to draw your next game of hopscotch. Genius! Ages 3+
The Nabi Compete introduces kids to the idea of fitness trackers. They can challenge each other to walk equivalent distances of the path around famous landmarks (like the Brooklyn Bridge in New York or the National Mall in D.C.) or see how quickly they can get up and moving around the park. Ages 6+
RELATED: Backyard Games for Kids That Will Get the Whole Family up and Moving
Take the fun of Fortnite off of screens and into the backyard with this powerful Nerf dart blaster, which is designed to look like the weapons in the game. The blaster comes with three darts. Ages 8+
When this ball is filled with water, it sinks to the bottom of a pool, bounces and rises back up again, so you can dribble it like a basketball or kick it underwater like a soccer ball. Ages 8+
RELATED: The Best Pool Toys for Kids
Gazillion Bubbles Incredibubble Wand
This easy-to-use wand creates big bubbles that don't pop right away. It comes with 16 ounces of solution that'll keep kids busy for up to two hours of constant play. Ages 3+
RELATED: Fun Lawn Games for Some Serious Backyard Competition
Our testers were impressed by how easy this scooter was to control. They also loved the motion-activated LED lights, especially at night. Plus, when it's not in use it folds up so you can stash it away easily. Ages 6+
RELATED: The Best Scooters for Kids
With this game, kids "stomp" on the included pump to send rockets flying up to 20 stories high. Setup is super fast and easy, so you can start having fun right away. Ages 6+
How cute is this mini Vespa? They can even have their favorite stuffie or doll ride along on the back seat. It's a foot-powered ride-on that lets a toddler practice balance and have some active fun. Ages 18 months to 4 years
Melissa & Doug Sunny Patch Pretty Petals Sprinkler Toy
How does your garden grow? With lots of water, of course! For families that don't have a lot of space to set up a kiddie pool, this is a smaller (and less expensive!) way to cool off in the backyard. Ages 3+
With this solar-powered car, kids can create a shadow to turn the vehicle around or stop it completely. Then, they've gotta move out of the way to gain more power from the sun. Ages 8+
Cool off in the backyard with an inflatable pool that, if you hook it up to a garden hose, is also a sprinkler. The rainbow arch also provides some shade. Ages 2+ with adult supervision
RELATED: The Best Kiddie Pools You Can Buy
Snag this out-of-this-world bubble machine that features a baby Grogu in his carrier. Blow an endless stream of non-toxic bubbles, no hard-work required! This machine is great for Star Wars fans of all ages. Ages 3+
RELATED: 7 Best Bubble Machines to Keep Kids Happy All Summer
Get the teams in a huddle for a game — at night! This football glows using LEDs, giving new meaning to "Friday Night Lights." Ages 3+
University Games Flickin’ Chicken
Move over, cornhole and horseshoes! The Flickin' Chicken game is the best precision-tossing game for kids, because throwing a rubber chicken is just hilarious. Ages 6+
What kid wouldn't love a bubble machine attached to a blow-up doll of Bluey? An auto function lets you just flip a switch for bubbles to fan out. Ages 3+
Step2 Rain Showers Splash Pond Water Table
Kids will flock to this water table once it's set up in the backyard. Just scoop some water from the lower table and pour it into the upper tier to watch the water fall down like rain. The rainfall adds a sound component to the sensory experience of water play. Ages 18 months+
RELATED: The Best Water Tables for Kids
Try your hand at hitting the bull's-eye with this family-friendly set of Popdarts, great for outdoor or indoor play. No need to worry about avoiding the pointy end as these darts use suction cups on either end to stick to their target. Players aim to hit closest to the target marker and first to 21 points wins. Ages 3+
This science kit lets kids make bubbles that won't pop. (Seriously!) Then, kids can make bubble stacks, bubble sculptures and just feel a general sense of awe that they can poke the bubbles without them popping. Ages 6+
If they're interested in skating, this is the "just right" board to learn on. Users say it's sturdy, yet isn't as big or heavy to lug around as other boards out there for trick riding. It also comes in a ton of fun colors and patterns. No age recommendation given
This remote-controlled monster truck is a past Good Housekeeping Toy Award winner for its ability to roll over a variety of obstacles put in its path. We also love that it's surprisingly light, which is good if one of those obstacles turns out to be a foot. Ages 4+
Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; previously, she wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her toy-collecting husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found helping out her team at bar trivia or posting about movies on Twitter and Bluesky.
Jamie (she/her) is the former parenting and pets reviews analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute. She has also worked a BuzzFeed and People. She's a graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and psychology and a master’s degree in journalism.
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