Outdoor toys for 2 year olds

Last Summer my son was 2 and this article gives suggestions of the best outdoor toys for 2 year olds based on those that my son loved to play with.

2 year olds don't stop moving and when the weather is good its great to get outside and get them moving about to burn off lost of excess energy.

Read on for ideas of the best outdoor toys for 2 year olds.

Young children love bubbles and my 2 1/2 year old son currently loves pushing toys around so this bubble mower would make the perfect outdoor toy for 2 and 3 year olds.

Push the mower and watch the bubbles come out.
Our neighbors have this toy and my son has enjoyed playing with it round at their house. It can also be used without bubbles for imaginative play and for just pushing around.

He really enjoys trying to burst bubbles too.

As the head towards age 3, kids love imitating Mom and Dad too. My little boy loves pretending to imitate his Dad mowing the grass so it's great for imaginative play as well.

My mother in law has this toy at her house and it's been lots of fun for all the grandkids so far. We push the little ones round and round in the backyard. You could use it for taking them on short walks around the neighbourhood too. The handle folds for easy storage so you could transport it in your car.

They also like to just sit in it and pretend to drive the car with the steering wheel. There's storage which 2 year olds love. My son loves just putting stuff in and out of the storage. There's also a horn. They also like to push it themselves as well.

As well as these there are 3 cup holders (2 for the child and 1 for the parents). It comes in pink or blue.

Play tents make great outdoor toys for toddlers and preschoolers.

They are perfect for sitting in when it gets too hot and you want a break from the Sun. You can go in their and read books and play with toys. We have picnics in our play tent at lunchtime too.

As kids get older they are also great for imaginative play too.

The best thing about a play tent is that they are easy to take down and put up wherever you want. They are also lightweight and easy to move from room to room. So we use ours outside in the Summer but in Winter we can use it indoors too.

My son used to love playing in the sand at 2 years old and still does.

Last Summer at 2 1/2 he used to play for hours in the sandbox at our local playground.

It's great to have lots of different toys to use in the sand too. Buckets, spades, rakes, diggers and dump trucks were all favorites with my little boy.

My son loved climbing at age 2 and its great to have somewhere they can climb on in the backyard rather than telling them don't climb on that all the time. Most climbers have slides to come down on. The climber featured opposite by Step 2 is a really good choice of climber for a 2 year old as they can use it straight away and there is two slides - which makes it especially good for more than one child.

There are lots of games which you can play outside. Ideas include bean bag toss and the toddler golf set opposite.

One of my own 2 year olds favorites is a toddler golf set. He loves trying to hit the balls with the "stick". A golf toy is the Step 2 golf set opposite. 2 year olds will be able to just use the equipment to hit the balls wherever they want at first. Then as they get older they will love to have a go at hitting the balls along the track too.

Another idea is a bean bag toss game. For young children stand quite close to the game to start of with and older children further away for more of a challenge. This game is not only great fun but increases hand-eye coordination, number recognition and counting skills.

Stomp rockets are cheap toys which are extremely good value for money.

At 2 1/2 my son used to love stomping on the pump at the bottom to see how high he could shoot a rocket in the air. All the surrounding adults enjoyed having a go too.

Good fun!

Shopping from the UK - Junior Stomp Rocket kit - only £6.99

The step 2 rollercoaster is another fun outdoor toy for 2 year olds. Its easy to put together and most 2 year olds will love riding from one end of the track to the other. It can also be used inside if you have the room.

We didn't have one of these for my son but it looks like so much fun and the reviews are very good on Amazon so I thought it should be featured in this article.

2 years old is a nice age to get a first tricycle.

There's lots of options. 2 year olds won't be able to pedal a trike yet but they should be able to push around on one using their feet before graduating to using the pedals for the first time.

You can get one with a push bar so that you can guide the child around before they start pedalling. If not, Fisher Price do some reasonably priced trikes which kids can push themselves around upon. The batman trike features opposite also has lights and sounds for added engagement (as well as excellent reviews).

Here's an article with more information on the Best Tricycles for Toddlers

2 year olds will love motoring around on the quads featured opposite.

They are designed especially for toddlers with an push button for start/stop and go very slowly (about 2 mph).

They are also low so its easy for toddlers to get on and off by themselves.

2 year olds love bouncing up and down with mini trampolines. You can get nursery trampolines which have handles which kids hold onto when they boune up and down. There are also small trampolines with enclosures like the Skywalker trampoline opposite.

The trampoline could be set up indoors (great for burning off excess energy in the Winter) or outdoors.

Older kids can use them too but most of them have a weight limit.

Balance bikes can be used for children aged 2 years and up.

They are bikes without pedals. Kids use their feet to give them momentum and push themselves along. Eventually they will be able to coast along too.

2 year olds can pretty much use them right away. They don't need to have the co-ordination or strength to be able to pedal like on a traditional bike. Balance bikes help 2 year olds learn the balance necessary to progress onto a pedal bike too.

I have already mentioned some game, but there are lots more simple outdoor games you can play with 2 year olds.

The toddler bowling opposite is one example and his based on monsters with bright colors and characters to attract toddler's attention. It includes a and 6 pins. A game that can be played indoor and outdoors and with slightly older children too.

The LIttle Tikes T Ball set is another great idea. It comes with an adjustable height "T" that adapts to a child's developing skills. There's an oversized bat and ball. It's great for improving hand and eye co-ordination. Additionally it hangs on the wall for easy storage.

Other ideas include a soccer ball and soccer net. Little children will enjoy trying to kick the soccer ball into the net.

Or what about classic games such as ring toss. Or play games with beanbags. Toss them at a target. How many can you get into a bucket. Or throw them to each other and try to catch them.

Or just get a ball. My son loved balls at 2 years old. Roll it, kick it, throw it and try and catch and bounce it. My 2 year old used to just carry his ball with him wherever he went.