The Best Outdoor Toys for Summer

Yay, it's finally summer! We love outdoor play, so let's make the most of it with these toys that are guaranteed to keep them outside for hours. Some are classics and some are new—and all are sure to keep them active, happy and breathing in the fresh air from now until well past Labour Day.

Got a climber on your hands? Us too. This low rope slackline course allows the little ones to practice their balance skills and get ready for rock climbing and bouldering.

These pool noodle water canons are the best water toys ever, and super easy for little hands to use. Put on a suit and it's just like being at the splash pad—except you don't actually have to go to the splash pad!

A huge bunch of balloons perfectly filled and tied in under a minute—nice. Just attach to the garden hose, turn on the water, and shake off the balloons...tah dah! 100 water balloons, ready to go. It's easy enough for kids to do themselves, and we guarantee you a happy, giggly bunch.

Our childhood Skip-It had a lemon on it, did yours? Oh, how we loved it, and our kids will love this updated model. Great for physical activity and agility, too!

An oldie but a goodie, we can still remember the joy we felt after hours spent mastering and bouncing on the Pogo stick. Great for burning off excess energy!

It flattens like a pancake and pops back up into a ball a few moments later. Originally intended to be thrown flat, we like to kick it around until someone flattens it mid game—and the players have to wait for the 'pop'.

It's like Katniss meets a super soaker—with three streams of water coming from the bow to keep little brothers on their toes.

We speak from experience—a junior golf set has definite staying power. Little ones can whack the ball as hard as they like outside, and practice their putting finesse indoors. Tip: the golf clubs are excellent for retrieving small toys from under couches.

Don't let the simple appearance fool you—the rip cord power flyer has been delighting kids for generations! Inexpensive and simple, there is something addictive about this high-flying toy.

When your kids are toddlers, there is no better investment than a bouncy castle (our own Little Tykes castles have been going strong for years). It keeps them contained and safe, and actually allows parents to sit down for a second and enjoy summer with a glass of something cold.

Swingball is loads of fun for little and big kids alike, and allows them to practice hitting a ball even in small spaces. Fewer runaway balls, fewer tears. Sold.

We thought that these ride-on toys were pretty cool in the basement—but when we let the kids loose outside with them, we suddenly had sprints, races for distance and some good old-fashioned bumper cars—plus a new favourite toy.

Frisbees can be hard for little hands to throw and catch, but the Aerobie Sprint ring is smaller, easy to throw and the ring shape makes it a cinch to catch! Pretty fly…

Remember these? Kids still love grabbing hold of the handle and hopping down the yard, walk or deck. It's a deceptively great workout and high on fun. It also makes for extra play date seating in a pinch.

We often get asked for a recommendation for a first scooter for kiddos, and we always turn to the Micro Mini. Smooth steering and easy braking make this a very positive and safe experience for your little wheeler.

Everyone who tries these stomp rockets becomes smitten. Easy to assemble, they really do travel, so word to the wise, buy a replacement set of rockets until you learn to gauge the force. And then have fun sending these rockets skyward.

Maybe your little one has seen Brave a hundred times, or tried and loved archery at camp. With adult supervision and a suitable target, this set is a great way to spend an hour or so trying to master the art of archery. Good for motor skills and focus building.

So maybe they didn't have this awesome BBQ set when we were kids—but if they had, we'd have been playing with it for hours. As popular as kitchen sets, it's perfect to bring outside so the kids can practice making dinner.

They're bound to want to try skateboarding one day, so start them off with a well-made, easy-to-learn on skate board and they'll be carving in no time.

It looks pretty basic, but kids can spend a really long time going up and down the slide. When they're done with that, they'll likely graduate to racing Hot Wheels cars down the most epic ramp ever!