We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed collects a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
1. A budget-friendly 3-in-1 sprinkler, splash pad, and wading pool that'll not only have your munchkin learning their letters and numbers but will also make you say, "Dang, my toddler's living their best life."
Promising review: "Big enough for three kids under 5 to play on, so easy to set up, best $10 I have spent! Would have easily paid $20 for it. I'm sure we'll get a few years' use out of this." —Haynes Humphries
Get it from Amazon for $12.99
2. Or an Intex family-sized pool with a ~blow-up lounge bench~ and cup holders so parents can chillax and sip mimosas while watching the kiddos splash around! It can comfortably fit a family of four — whenever you're in the mood for a staycation in your own backyard.
Promising review: "I bought this pool. It is awesome. I swam in it with my 6-year-old, and we had a blast. I’d totally recommend purchasing. He loved it and I loved it. It was big enough for at least two adults and two kids. We lounged on the lounger, and he jumped off of it and played and played for at least two hours, maybe three hours. It kept inflated and was very sturdy. The lounger was sturdy as well. I was concerned it would not take much weight or might deflate, but it held up nicely." —Customer C
Promising review: "Great size pool for price! My kids love this pool, and we love the little couch feature with cup holders! My husband and I can sit in the pool while the kids play or the kids bounce around on it as well. Thus far we’ve had about four toddlers (6–2) in the pool at once, and they had a blast. Was even able to fit my giant float in there, ha!" —mpinder
Get it from Amazon for $52.99.
3. A Melissa & Doug Sand Baking Play Set complete with a shell-shaped measuring cup, octopus whisk, crab mixing spoon, mixing bowl, and turtle lid sifter — so they can pretend to "bake" all kinds of treats at the beach or in the sandbox.
These thick and durable toys are an AWESOME alternative to traditional beach toys. I cannot tell you how many children have befriended my toddler in the sandpit after this play set caught their attention. Not to mention *countless* mamas have approached me at the park asking where I bought this. You won't regret buying this!
Promising review: "This is hands-down the best sand toy we’ve purchased. Sturdy and high quality. Our boys will get years of use out of this, unlike the thinner toys we’ve purchased in the past. Very comparable to a true kitchen mixing bowl and measuring cups." —Kevin
Promising review: "Super cute set for the beach...my daughter loves it!! It's kind of hard to get 'creative' when it comes to stuff for the beach, so the second I saw this on Amazon, I had to get it. She was awestruck when I showed her what I bought! We took it to the beach in Hawaii for our trip last week, and she played with this mostly while leaving the other sets of buckets, rakes, shovels, and molds I purchased off to the side. This is definitely worth the money, especially for kids who like playing with sand but are sick of the usual beach 'stuff,' especially if your child really likes cooking or pretending to cook. They will throw seashells and rocks in their simulated 'soup' they are making right on the beach while you can relax and read a book for once! :-)." —Monica Main
Get it from Amazon for $11.99.
4. A Melissa & Doug "Louie Lobster" claw catcher pool toy because what child won't be *instantly obsessed* with a cute lobster boasting a squeeze handle that'll let them pick up things in the pool, bathtub, and even around the house. (Perfect for developing their dexterity!)
Promising review: "Another family at our neighborhood pool had this toy, and the kids loved playing with it so much I had to get one! This toy is perfect for the pool as well as the bath. The lobster toy is great by itself even without the other pieces — our kids went from the pool to trying to catch bugs with the lobster! The lobster has now become one of our main bath toys, enjoyed by my 3-, 5-, and 7-year-old!" —Carolyn
Get it from Amazon for $10.99.
5. A giant wooden Connect 4–style game you'll wish you'd had when you were a kid because it'll take family fun to a whole other level.
Chroma Fling is a small biz based in Cincinnati, Ohio, that specializes in personalized gifts and accessories.
To personalize, enter the name you want on the game in the notes box before checkout.
Promising review: "This is the second game I have ordered. I wanted one at each of our homes. Our grandkids can understand it and love it. So do the adults. It’s fun to have a game we all can play together. Nicely constructed and two screws for construction, so easy." —BKLutes
Get it from Chroma Fling on Etsy for $199.99 (available in six disc colors).
6. A WowWee Nerf Super Soaker RoboBlaster so the whole fam can take water battles to an *epic* level. But let's be honest — if you'd rather kick back with a beer — just let your kiddo compete solo against the automatic targets.
Promising review: "This water blaster connects to your garden hose — and then it's so much fun for the kids. We've had some recent hot days, and my son and his friends have entertained themselves for hours outside with this SuperSoaker blaster. It comes with some targets to aim at — but the kids like spraying each other." —Kevinbeijing
Promising review: "Summer fun game changer. My son and his cousins absolutely love this! They had so much fun when we set this up! It was easy to set up and brought so many smiles to their faces!! If you don’t have this, I highly recommend you order it for summer fun!!" —Mary Kate Matthews
Get it from Amazon for $29.99.
7. A bubble toy lawn mower that'll become your kiddo's BFF this summer. It requires no batteries and will have them enchanted as they "mow" the lawn and watch it transform into a bubble wonderland.
Promising review: "Lots of bubbles! We bought this for our 2.5-year-old, as the one her big sister has (the more expensive brand everyone knows) doesn't blow bubbles anymore, and we wanted her to be able to have one that worked. The first time they used it, I only put in maybe a third of the bubble solution, and they were out there FOREVER chasing bubbles and 'mowing.' We are very very happy with this purchase!" —Jennie
Get it from Amazon for $13.91.
8. A Stomp Rocket launcher because they'll have such a *blast* while jumping on the launchpad, counting down to liftoff, and watching the rockets shoot up to 200 feet high into the air.
Promising review: "My 4-year-old goes nuts over this. He’s so loud with excitement, it draws out the neighborhood kids, and next thing I know the neighbors are over chatting outside with me while their kids are COMPLETELY occupied playing this thing. The assembly is EXTREMELY easy. The rockets launch well above my two-story home that I have to make sure it’s not too close so one doesn’t land on the roof. It’s actually fun for the adults as well. My son loves to watch me really launch one. This is a great outside activity for any boy or girl. You don’t have to chase the kids around, and they get plenty of exercise running to get the rockets after they’ve landed. Fun for everyone. Well worth the 20 bucks I spent on it." —Geno
Get it from Amazon for $17.99.
9. Banzai Bump N' Bounce Body Bumpers perfect for impromptu sumo tournaments in the yard that'll elicit nonstop silliness and laughs.
PSA: Make sure helmets are worn during bump-offs.
Promising review: "Absolutely hilarious to watch! I got these for my kids (7 and 8) because I thought it would be a perfect way to blow off steam and get out some energy... It was great! They ran at each other pretty hard, but it didn't pop, and no one got hurt! If your kids do a lot of bickering like mine do... Get these! 😅" —Sky Moran
Get it from Amazon for $21.99.
10. A six-pack of Max Liquidator water blasters that'll give you the perfect excuse to chase your kids at lightning speed around the yard and squirt each other until everyone's fully soaked. These bad boys can shoot water up to 30 feet!
Promising review: "I got these for my kids to play in the pool with, and they most certainly didn't disappoint. The maximum range on these (around 30 feet with a little elbow grease put into it) surpasses any Super Soaker that I've ever tried, and they're extremely easy to use. Granted they have no water reservoir, so you have to use them in the pool, lake, ocean, etc. for them to be effective, but aside from that, they are a fantastic water toy. Plus, they're brightly colored and float on the surface of the water so almost impossible to lose." —iEspresso
Get it from Amazon for $22.93.
11. A Little Tikes Big Digger Sandbox with an actual ~working excavator~ so your thrilled toddler can scoop up sand and load the trucks to their heart's content, while singing the Blippi song: "I'm an excavator / hey, dirt, see you later...".🎶
P.S. This compact sandbox is perfect for a smaller yard and comes with two characters, sand cup, sand sifter, shovel, rake, and a dump truck.
Promising review: "Love this little sandbox :) I'm writing this review as I relax under the shade of a tree drinking my coffee that's still HOT. That's because this little sandbox is amazing and occupies my little guy for hours :) it is small, but he doesn't seem to mind digging from the outside. I think a friend or two could join him comfortably. We filled with a little less than 28 lbs of sand that we bought at Hone Depot for $10. We hid little dinosaurs at the bottom so every now and then he finds a 'fossil' and gets really excited. Great investment!" —Boogies Mommy
Get it from Amazon for $39.98.
12. And a Little Tikes Frog Pond Water Table that won't cost you your entire paycheck and reviewers say will provide as much nonstop splish-splashin' fun as the "fancier" tables. Toddlers will love catapulting the frogs onto the lily pads or watching them float around the "lazy river."
Promising review: "Don’t think twice this is better than the more expensive FUN looking ones! I chose this one above the other FUN looking ones with the ponies and waterfalls. For a few simple reasons: 1. easier to flip/drain and dump water out for daily cleaning to prevent any bacteria or slimy water. With the others they are larger and too many attached things that wont allow you to clean and can build mold. 2. its simple to use it as a fishing pond too! I paired this with the munchkin magnetic fishing. Super fun and easy. 3. Lastly, it's so portable you can break it down pop it into a small trunk with toys and take it to a park/beach or families house!" —Araceli Robles
Promising review: "This is a great water table for the cost! It’s pretty big and comes with 4 frogs, 2 lily pads and a net. It’s also come with a little centerpiece and two toy flickers. Hours of enjoyment right there. I filled it up and my daughter played for hours." —Sheena E
Get it from Amazon for $34.99.
13. A toss and catch ball set to bring back fond memories from your childhood and probably even make you shed a happy tear because you can now teach your kids how to catch — the same way you were taught!
The set includes two velcro paddles, two balls, and a storage bag.
Promising review: "My 5-year-old granddaughter loves playing catch with me. She is able to easily develop great eye-hand coordination with this toy. Great for indoors or outdoors." —Barbara Smith
Get it from Amazon for $14.39 (available in 10 colors).
14. And Twister Splash, an outdoor version of the classic with just one twist: The colored spots SPRAY water! Perfect for some family bonding time as everyone slips, slides, and hilariously attempts to be the last one standing.
The game comes with an inflatable splash mat, hose connector, waterproof spinner, and gameplay instructions.
Promising review: "Fun for all ages. Such a fun twist on an already loved game! This kept my 4 and 7 year old's attention for a while! Each spot you put your hand on sprays water, whoever stays up the longest wins! Even the adults had to try it out. I was a little nervous with the quality of the plastic but it withheld adults abs kids moving all round it without any holes." —Deborah Gaffney
Get it from Amazon for $19.99.
15. A pair of GeoSafari Jr. binoculars specifically designed for toddlers who would love nothing more but to get an up-close look at wildlife, bugs, planes (and other fascinating things) up close at the park or at the zoo!
