Outdoor toys for the children this summer

There’s not much more fun that whizzing down the garden at speed on a waterslide. There are many different slides on the market, but here are two available from Amazon that we think are great!

The original waterslide from TP Toys– an all time family favourite being 10M in length (enough to fit in most gardens). There are many water slides out there. Some that you can plug into your hose and others that don’t. In this case, because it is made of heavy duty silicone, you only need to spray the slide for it to be effective. You can also put your slide at the top of it or place it on a gentle slope if you are fortunate to have one. Available on amazon

However, for those with a larger garden, you may with to opt for the Team Magnus (31ft long Water Slide) which the manufacturer states is for those between 3 and 12. This slide is a whopping 31ft long and 5ft wide boasting dual racing lanes and a splash pool at the bottom. The line down the centre of the waterslide attaches to a durable hose socket so that there is a contestant stream of water going down the middle of the slide. This slide will no doubt make you one of the most popular houses in the neighbourhood!

Water tables are a great activity for the garden and not just limited to the summer. However, in hot weather, it can be a great way for the children to play with water but not to get drenched. Some tables also allow you to put sand in them which the children can enjoy turning into a right mess!

This model is the Little Tikes Fountain Factory Water Table. This table comes with numerous pipes that can be rearranged to give different play scenarios and improve their fine motor skills in the process. The table is also a great height for toddlers as everything is at waist level and reachable. Another fun feature of this table is that as the water rises, a peekaboo character pops out to say hello!!!

This inexpensive water table is the summer fun sand and water table that will provide your children with endless amount of fun outdoors. It is a relatively basic water table but from experience allows the child to play with imagination. The height of the unit will match the waist of most toddlers (2 years) and it quite easy to mix with sand which will no doubt add to the fun. It is easy to put together and works with many accessories.

With any water table, you may also want to supplement it with some play sand. This play sand is one of the premium brands on the market and we cannot recommend it enough.

This is also available on Amazon

This Bestway Pool is the one that we are using this summer. It is large enough for a toddler of 2.5 years and certainly fits him and all of his friends in. We had a circular paddling pool before hand but this is a real game changer. For me, what I like most about it is that it does not seem to kill the grass underneath. I can only put it down to the fact that because it has a white base, it lets some of the light through and does not scorch the grass with heat (have only left it in one place for four days). For those who are lawn lovers, this is a great feature of a paddling pool. These pools are also available in a number of different sizes to suit your needs. This is a must for the summer for all families with little ones that they want to keep cool. What we would recommend is purchasing a pump as it would take a long time to blow the pool up manually. There are two air cavities that need filling with air and believe me, they take a lot of it. With the pump you will be able to use it for many applications, especially if you go camping.