Hop to it! Just in time for Easter, we’ve rounded up some top outdoor toy ideas kids will love.
Outdoor playtime is about to ramp up again as the weather begins to break for Spring. With these toy ideas for toddlers, you’ll create a backyard hangout spot they’ll enjoy throughout Spring (and Summer) that’s loaded with lots of pretend play and a bonus in a range of developmental benefits!
Outdoor Spring Toy: Step2 Springtime Wheelbarrow™
Just like a mini shopping cart, our Springtime Wheelbarrow helps little ones practice gross and fine motor skills as they push the toy around. Spatial relations are a big part of play with the Springtime Wheelbarrow too, as toddlers craft solutions to get all of their items to fit into the basin or maneuver around a blocked path. Also note that gripping a handle, grabbing a toy and then dropping it into the basin all help develop hand-eye coordination and physical dexterity!
Kids’ Water Table: Step2 Car Wash Splash Center™
Water tables for kids include a variety of developmental benefits, from teaching cause and effect to gross and fine motor skills. Water play introduces toddlers to new textures, temperatures, sights, and sounds. Actions like splashing engage multiple senses, and show an example of early physics concepts like motion and flowing. Plus, water play is a great way to practice physical development. When your child pours water from a bucket, they practice both physical dexterity and hand-eye coordination. The Car Wash Splash Center is a great toy to teach taking turns as little ones sit in the drivers’ seat where all the splashing fun happens!
Outdoor Fun for Kids: Step2 All Around Canopy Wagon™
Get ready for neighborhood walks with a wagon like the family-favorite Step2 All Around Canopy Wagon! Wagon and car ride-ons for toddlers help build understanding of space and the objects contained within, from their cargo under the seats to how their legs fit inside. Creative thinking and language practice are present with wagon play, so encourage your little one to share their thoughts as they travel through the neighborhood or backyard and feel the wind on their face!
Water & Activity Play Table Toy: Step2 Ball Buddies Adventure Center™
Where ball activity play and water tables meet! Cool outdoor toys like our Ball Buddies Adventure Center combine ball play and water play for an exciting toy with tons of interactive stations to explore. Ball play is great for toddlers, because gripping the spherical ball shape requires balance to grip and hold, a lesson for your child in physical control and muscle memory. In addition, the physics concepts of movement, force, gravity, and cause and effect are present in ball play toys!
Kids’ Playhouse: Step2 Charming Cottage™
Why should kids play with a playhouse? With outdoor playhouse play like with our Charming Cottage, they’ll have a blast making up stories and communicating with friends the roles they play within the events. In addition, playhouse play for toddlers encourages little ones to express themselves to others in their own words to move the conversation along. Kids will also mimic their adult role models through play as they care for their very own home, feeling a sense of accomplishment and power in being able to do what you can do!
