24 Awesome Outdoor Toys for 2 to 4 Year Olds
Looking for some fab outdoor toys to wear out your 2, 3 or 4 year old?
Then, look no further! This article gives a wide range of outdoor toys suitable for 2, 3 and 4 year olds based on those my two boys, nephews and niece liked to play with between 2 and 4 years old.
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Climbers and Slides
A toy both my sons have enjoyed are climbers with slides. See the picture of my son on a climber, ready to go down the slide above!
Climber
A Rollercoaster?!
It's a car that goes on a downhill ride with another smaller bump halfway through. I had to include it in my list as it's so much fun.
We used one at a toddler group we used to go to. All the kids loved this. It is one they used to fight over! They also enjoyed pulling and pushing the car along the track as well as riding in it.
It can be set up in the outside in the summer and inside when the weather isn't too good if you have the space.
Older kids enjoy having a go on the rollercoaster as well.
Push Along And Ride On Cars
My sons, nephews and nieces also love the push car kept at Grandma's house. They both love to just sit in it or be pushed round and round the garden. A great toy for a 2 year old.
Little Tikes Cozy Coupe
This is the dino car version of the cozy coupe.
There is also an moving, clicking ignition switch and an open-and-close gas cap. Kids like the gas cap and will pretend to fill the car up with gas.
There's cup holders in the rear.
It's perfect for use on flat surfaces and can be used indoors and outdoors. There's a handle on the back so parents can push their little one around. There is also a removable floor so kids can use their feet to move as well.
Water Play Table
My 2 year old loves his water play table and spent ages playing with it with his 3 year old friend just the other day.
It's a great toy on a Summer's day as the children can splash as much water and get as wet at they want. My son will play with it for a long time giving me the chance to have a break in the sunshine.
There's lots of cool play opportunities in the table opposite. It includes a 13 piece acccessory set with a rubber duck, squirting frog, fish, 5 maze pieces, a large bucket, 1 flipper adn three water scooping tools.
Play Tent and Play Houses
Play houses are a great summer toy to have outside.
Keep the sun off when it gets too hot. Children can enjoy eating picnics inside and playing with their toys.
There is playhouse at my kids Grandma's house. It was given to her in a used condition but it still holds up really well after years of use (see the picture below) They enjoy playing in it and it's great for facilitating all kinds of imaginative play.
My 2 year old especially loves just going in and out the door, looking out from the window and opening and closing the shutters on the window (this keeps him occupied for ages).
Little Tykes Playhouse
This has lots of fab features perfect for 2 year olds.
The open design means that it's easy to keep an eye on your child.
There are some great features to encourage imaginative play
Kids will love opening and closing the windows and front door, passing mail through the letterbox and playing inside.
There's also a flagholder
Play tent
Play tents are cheaper than play houses but facilitate much of the same imaginative play.
They are also great for keeping the sun off young children in the hot weather.
Another plus with play houses is that they are portable.
You can use them outdoors in the summer and indoors in the winter.
Little Tikes Lil' Wagon
Another favorite toy of my son's (again at Grandma's house - he's a bit spoiled there!) is a wagon
Young children enjoy pushing and pulling their toys round and round in a wagon
The wagon can be used indoors and outdoors.
The handle folds flat for storage.
Gardening Toys and Sets
There's lots of gardening toys that 2 year olds love. One of my son's favorite has been a watering can.
He loves to sprinkle water over the flowers.
If they want to help with the gardening. you can also get small gardening tools for kids. And what young child doesn't enjoy digging!
The Green Toys gardening set featured is made out of recycled plastic so good for the environment too.
Little Tikes Pretend Mower
My son loves to push things around and I don't think he's the only one.
Kids from 2 to 4 love imitating Mom and Dad so will love this lawn mower with realistic sounds. It doesn't need batteries for the sounds which is a huge plus as the sounds are mechanical.
Pull the cord
And it has a removable gas can - Kids can open the tethered gas cap and pretend to fill up the lawn mower
Balance Bike
One of my 2 year olds favorite toys has been a balance bike. He uses his balance bike everyday. These are bikes without pedals but they give young children the opportunity to master the balance and co-ordination needed to ride a bigger bike. Little children can get on them and use them pretty much right away.
Micro Mini Deluxe Scooter
The handlebar on the scooter adjust from from 17 to 25 inches so will accommodate kids of varying heights and will grow with your child..
The great thing about the micro range of scooters is that they offer a really smooth ride due to the high quality polyurethane wheels.
The scooters are lightweight and this makes them easier for young children to control. It also makes them easier to pick up and carry when kids have had enough.
Basketball Set
If your child is like mine and loves balls, bouncing, throwing and catching they will love a basketball set. The best ones allow you to adjust the height. This is a great family toy as everybody can have a go.
The basketball set featured is a great little set as it will grow with your child. The height adjusts from 2 to 4 feet so suits kids from age 18 months to 5 years.
This set also includes an oversized rim and junior size basketball
The base will need to be weighted with sand
Little Tikes TotSports T-Ball Set
The Little Tikes totsports t-ball set is extremely popular outdoor toy with 2 to 4 year olds who love wacking balls off the tee.
It's a great introduction to baseball and will also help improve basic batting skills along with motor skills and coordination. The balls and bats are plastic so kid friendly.
The set includes 2 oversize baseballs and tee. The big bat and oversized balls make it easier for them to hit the balls of the tee. It is adjustable in height so can grow with your child.
It can also be hung on the wall for easy storage.
Stomp Rocket
We have one of these and when we take it out to the park everybody wants to have a go (including adults!).
As well as jumping on the stomp pad the kids also enjoy having races to see who can reach and bring back the rocket first.
My 2 and 6 year old both enjoy having a go!
Sand Table
My own son loved sand play from when he turned 2.
He would push diggers through the sand, build sandcastles, tip it in and out of buckets, put it over his hands and lots more.
Trike
Tricycles are another great outdoor toys for 2 to 4 year olds. They can use them to master pedalling which is great for later on when they learn to ride a bike.
Look for a trike like the Red Flyer trike featured that has an adjustable seat so will grow with your child.
The solid steel frame means the trike is super durable and should last for years through siblings.
Water Sprinkler
It's amazing how young kids will be entertained by water for hours.
This sprinkler from Melissa and Doug will do just that. Set it up by attaching it to a garden hose and relax and watch while the kids have tons of fun.
It's fab for the hot weather. Kids can run outside in the water and cool down while enjoying themselves
Inflatable Pool
When the weather is really hot, there is nothing better than having an inflatable pool for kids where they can have fun and cool off.
Kids love water, they will be entertained for hours splashing and playing in a water filled pool.
Inflatable pools are also great for kids and adults to have fun in together if they are big enough.
Outdoor chalk
Outdoor chalk is fab. Young kids can draw on the ground and It can be washed away.
No mess indoors.
It's great for first drawings and practising writing letters.
As kids get older it's also good for playing games such as tic tac toe and hopscotch.
Slide
Sometimes the traditional toys are the best. And what child doesn't love a slide? My son will go up and down the slide for a long time and then he likes to push different toys down there and see how fast they go. A toy that will last for quite a while.
Kids will love going up the steps and whizzing down a slide.
In the summer, we splash water down ours and put it an inflatable pool for extra fun.
Outdoor rocker
Another fairly traditional toy that can be used both indoors and outdoors is a rocker like the one by little tikes featured.
2 to 4 year olds really love rocking away to their heart’s content.
The rocker featured is lightweight so can easily be moved for indoor and outdoor use.
Trampoline
For generations kids have loved to bounce up and down on trampolines.
It’s super fun and great exercise.
Make sure you have the safety gear required such as a net and cushioning round the trampoline.
Another option is a trampoline with handle bar. These are perfect for younger kids. They had one at my son's nursery and he loved to bounce up and down on it there.
Bubble Machine
Young kids love bubbles.
They love watching them, chasing them, popping on them stomping on them!
A bubble machine take the hard work out of blowing lots of bubbles and provides many more than you can manually produce.
The bubble machine featured blows up to 500 bubbles a minutes with 10 bubble wands.
Sprinkler Pad
What's better on hot, sunny days then running around and having fun in the sprinklers.
Kids will love this sprinkle mat to keep cool.
Just attach a hose,easy to adjust to higher and lower water splash heights.
More Outdoor Toy and Games Ideas for 2 to 4 Year Olds
Still not found what you're looking for. Here are a few more ideas:
Ball - just a simple ball can be enough to entertain a toddler. Practice throwing, bouncing, kicking and trying to catch can be lots of fun!
Swing - Sometimes the traditional toys are the best. Toddlers love swings. You can get swings which convert from toddler swings to swings for older children too.
Inflatable bouncers - are a great toy to have in your garden in the Summer. Children between 2 and 4 (and older) will absolutely love jumping up and down and wearing themselves out. They are also great to have for birthday parties.
First pogo sticks - one for the 3 and 4 year olds. They make pogo sticks for young children which are great fun!