Forget gimmicky new ideas and passing fads, the best outdoor toys for toddlers are the simplest: swings, sandpits, playhouses and garden tools
Best for ... little green fingers
Plastic garden tool set, and metal watering can,
Now, it may be that you have no desire whatsoever to furnish the means for a toddler to start digging in your beloved begonias. However, should you wish to nurture the first stirrings of an interest in horticulture, then these tools should do the job. Also available in pink, the little ones seem to have just as much fun trying to put all the bits back in the carry box as actually doing any gardening (thank God). The watering can is also a perennial toddler favourite and, being metal, can be safely left outside to weather the summer.
Toddler review: "I don't want to stop watering, Mummy! Noooo!"
Best for ... classic fun
It's an unusual tot who doesn't enjoy a slide. No, the bright plastic colours won't exactly give class to your garden, but you probably abandoned hope of that a while ago, didn't you? This one is a good size for novice or timid sliders (though plenty of larger ones are also available) and folds up into two pieces for easy storage over winter in a garden shed. The rungs are rounded and easy for little legs to negotiate, and the sides are high enough to avoid sideways spills. It takes about 30 seconds to assemble, which is key when you have eager little hands tugging at your legs demanding to know if they can go on it yet.
Toddler review: [crying] "I can't go on my slide 'cos it raining! I'm sad!"
Best for ... homebodies
This sweet tent is extremely easy to put together. It comes in a cardboard case (surprisingly compact for the size of the tent) and all the frame pieces are pre-strung, making construction idiot-proof. Then you simply slip the canvas cover over and tie at the bottom for safety.
Easy to put together also means handily quick to disassemble, as you wouldn't want to leave this out in a rain shower. It also means you can quickly pop it up indoors and keep toddlers happy on a rainy day. The door folds up (there's another tie to secure it if you prefer to be able to see indoors ...) and the window is covered in a light mesh, presumably for added safety.
Toddler review: "Is this my tent house? Can I have this tent house? I love my tent house!"
Best for ... baby drivers
If you've ever been to a toyshop or playgroup where they have one of these, you'll have witnessed the ugly scenes as toddlers battle it out for the first go. You need a bit of space (and a disregard for your lawn and borders) to let them lose on this in your garden, but if you have the space - or a nice big green area nearby - your reward will be one very happy toddler, as they can happily spend (depending, of course, on their attention span) a considerable amount of time making frenzied beeping noises and zooming around. One clever feature is that the floor can be put in or removed. For very small children, you can leave it in and push them around yourselves; then once they get older, remove it and they can do the running around with their own two legs. As with all Little Tikes toys, it's sturdily built and easy to construct, taking about an hour for a single person to put together at an easy pace.
Toddler review: "Beep! Beep! Broom broom!"
Best for ... nostalgic parents
Admittedly your toddler is going to be pretty baffled when you start waxing lyrical about your own childhood, Hiawatha and why, no, you absolutely can't call them Red Indians, but they will still love this simple wigwam (or is it a teepee? Answers on a postcard please). It's easy to put up, which is good as of course the cloth covering isn't waterproof so will have to come down again sharpish in a shower. The colour is perhaps not the most practical, but the canvas is washable, so you can get rid of the grass, chocolate and ice-cream stains easily enough. This is actually a very good indoor toy too, if your child's bedroom is big enough (it measures 150cm by 140cm).
Toddler review: "I hiding Mummy! I hiding in the tent! You can't see me!"
Best for ... pampered princesses
Now, this is clearly not the budget choice - there's no getting around that price tag. But if you are feeling generous, or possibly guilty, this is one amazing present. It takes roughly one stress-free hour to assemble (that's solo - the instructions suggest two people and while that would no doubt be quicker, it isn't essential) and requires no tools more complicated than a two-euro coin. Don't cheat and use sterling, now. There are no metal parts on the simple plastic fittings, which means no possibility of prying fingers getting trapped, or rusty metal in the garden. The two windows open and shut, there's plenty of space inside for growing children, and the little front garden and window boxes offer the ideal opportunity to start encouraging those green fingers. The only problem you will have is dragging them out when it's time for tea or bed.
Toddler review: "This is MY house Mummy! Not your house! You go away from my house! My house got windows!"
Best for ... making a splash
Another classic toddler favourite: liberally dispersing sand throughout your garden and traipsing it into your house will certainly keep them happy for quite some time. This is a basic model, perfect if you don't want to splash out lots of cash or suspect it might be a one-summer-only job. An added bonus is that the removable trays are very easy to clean - sand and water do, after all, tend to make mud.
If you want do want something more multifunctional and durable, and in-keeping with your no doubt terribly tasteful garden furniture, the Great Little Trading Company has a clever sandpit/picnic table hybrid.
Toddler review: Totally absorbed silence.
Best for ... little siblings
What to do if you have a small baby to keep an eye on while the toddler demands you help them up the swing? This playmat from Chicco is a good practical choice for indooors and out - it's machine washable, though obviously you need to remove the electronic component first, and robust enough to stand being run over by that toddler car. There are both animal sounds and nursery rhymes for them to listen to, and mirrors or teething rings to grab at. You never know, it might even give you 10 minutes to sit down and have a cup of tea.
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