The backyard has never looked so good!
Time and time again research tells us that the development and health benefits of outdoor play for kids is so important. If we’re real, the kids heading outside to play also benefits mum and dad too, right?!
Do your kids need a little more motivation to head outside? The fun and colourful outdoor toys in the gallery below are sure to have the old backdoor swinging on its hinges as the kids dash outside for fun and adventure.
2024’s top outdoor toys for kids
- Hape Outdoor Kitchen Playset, $311.99 (usually $389.99), Myer (here’s why)
- Costway 100cm Kids Flying Saucer Tree Swing Seat $69.95, Big W (here’s why)
- Freeplay Kids Skyray Kite, $39.99, The Iconic (here’s why)
The best outdoor toys in 2024
1. Hape Outdoor Kitchen Playset
from $311.99 (was $389.99) at Myer
Best for preschoolers and beyond
Kids can fill the water tank and turn the tap to fill the sink. They can use what they find in the garden to make mudpies, grass pizza, and more. This great interactive toy allows little ones to imitate grown up behaviour in a fun, safe way and is wonderful for encouraging active, outdoor play. The kitchen is also perfect for helping develop imagination, language skills and social skills.
Key features:
- Made using sustainable Green PE plastic and FSC wood
- Outdoor kitchen playset with accessories
- Includes one pot, one ladle, two bowls, two flowerpots, one sieve, one water tank, one sink with faucet and one oven plate
- Advertise your menu on the blackboard
Available at:
2. Costway 100cm Kids Flying Saucer Tree Swing Seat
from $69.95 at Big W
Best for the whole family
Rated up to 150kg, you can probably get all the kids swinging at once on this colourful fun swing! Kids can grip the handles to ensure safety while swinging away on the comfortable seat. Hang it on a tree in your backyard to enjoy endless fun of swinging with your children!
Key features:
- 100cm/40″ large size is big enough to hold 2-3 kids or one adult
- Side handles increase the safety during swinging
- The pillow provides extra comfort
- Thicken PE ropes are durable to support up to 150 kg
- The seat is made from durable PP and oxford cloth
- Suitable for backyard, playground and park, garden
Available at:
3. Freeplay Kids Skyray Kite
from $39.99 at The Iconic
Best for kids aged 3+
What defines outdoor play more than flying a kite?! Freeplay Kids makes durable outdoor toys that play for as long as they do! Help your kids explore, experiment, and expand their horizons with vibrant designs that encourage creativity, play and discovery.
Key features:
- 100cm x 140cm
- Spinnaker Nylon
- Fiberglass Struts
- 1 Handle- 1 Line (50m/12k)
- Bf 2-4 ( light-moderate breeze)
- For ages 3 years
Available at:
- $39.99 from The Iconic
- $39.99 from Kidstuff
4. Lifespan Kids Teddy V2 With Floor Cubby House
$590.00 (was $681.00) at Myer
Best for preschoolers
Home is where the heart is, particularly if you’re a preschooler with your very own cubbyhouse! Your little one will adore their own little home to lay down roots. They’ll take such pride in their very own white picket fence and mailbox. This cubby is ideal for entertaining their little guests too, with a snack table veranda! How good.
Key features:
- General Structure – premium timber
- Treated timber for long term protection against rot, fungal decay and insect attack
- Dimensions and Weight House: 95cm x 106cm x 140.5cm (L x W x H)
- Comes with Snack Bench
- 2x Mini Planter Box
- Timber Floor Included
- Pre-painted white picket fence with Mail-box
- Pre-painted window frame
- Pre-painted white on cubby house walls and roof
Available at:
- $590.00 (usually $681.00) from Myer
5. John Deere Grass Push Lawn Mower
from $57.00 at Myer
Best for kids aged 3+
A mowed lawn is a good lawn! Your kids can have fun walking/pushing with their very own John Deere Grass Lawn Mower Toy! This authentic, interactive lawn mower even has voice prompts to check oil and fuel.
Key features:
- Mower, gas and oil sounds
- Rotating grass clippings
- Fold-down handle for storage
- Uses three AA batteries, included
Available at:
- $57.00 from Myer
- $49.95 at Amazon AU
- $59.99 at The Iconic
6. Everfit 12FT Trampoline for Kids
from $399.95 was $767.99 at Catch
Best for ages 3+
Featuring 72-piece triple rate springs, this 12-foot trampoline enables safe and durable bouncing with no worries. The heavy-gauge steel framework is designed to handle all robust play and is UV-tested for quality and reliability. Other great features include 8 posts for strong support, 20mm thick padding, anti-graze mat, safety netting and a double-lock zip-and-clip entry! Get bouncing.
Key features:
- 12ft spacious trampoline
- Heavy-gauge steel framework
- Superior bounce and water resistance
- Rust-proof marine-grade galvanisation
- Anti-graze mat with 5000h UV test
- 20mm thick UV-stabilised padding
- Wide UV-stabilised spring skirt
- Triple-rate springs
- Enclosed safety netting
- Safe double-lock zip-and-clip entry
Available at:
7. Bluey Foot to Floor Ride On Car
from $59.00 (was $79.00) at Big W
Best for preschoolers
Your driveway has never been so fun! Your little one can ride, walk and play with the Heeler family on their very own foot-to-floor ride-on vehicle. Designed to improve focus, motor skills and finger dexterity they’ll be learning while they are wheeling!
Key features:
- Liquid Balloon Chamber Game & SFX
- Balloon Spinner & Slider
- Walker Handle Bar and Spinning Blocks
- Reflective & Adjustable Mirrors
- Anti-slip Foot Rest for Added Safety, Toy Storage Under Seat
Available at:
- $59.00 (was $79.00) at Big W
- $59.00 (was $79.00) at Woolworths
Why is outdoor play so important for kids?
Research is revealing kids do better when they spend more time outside, for example developing greater physical and social skills, reducing the chance of being health issues and having better learning experiences and more creative play.
So, what are some ways we can get kids to spend more time outdoors?
Best outdoor activities with kids
Justin Walker, editor of Australian Geographic Outdoor has been hiking, climbing, paddling and cycling for more than 30 years, but still rates his biggest adventure as being the parent of a very active toddler. He shares his ideas for enjoying the great outdoors with your little one.
Bushwalking
Having a baby or toddler doesn’t mean an end to bushwalking. Load your child (and supplies) into a child-carrier/backpack. The up-high view of their surrounds will keep toddlers occupied for hours as you point out animals and interesting plants along the way.
Camping
Nothing beats camping as an introduction to the great outdoors. You might not get much sleep those first few nights, but seeing your kids’ excited faces when you shine the torch on that bandicoot scratching around the tent will be a moment to remember!
Cycling
Every adult remembers the fun they had riding a bicycle outdoors as a child, so relive those memories with your kids. Fit your bike with a child seat or child trailer, buy well-fitting bike helmets for you and your child, then try a few practice rides around the neighbourhood before exploring cycleways further afield.
Independent
Some toddlers prefer toexplore on their own two legs.This just means distances covered will be smaller; a short 1km walk to a park will be transformed into a two-hour adventure as they stop and investigate plants, animals or people they find interesting along the way – and ask many, many questions!
Outdoor education
The more time toddlers are able to spend outdoors, the more they will want to know about it. Plan an ‘explorer’s day’. This could be an outdoor treasure hunt, in which yourtoddlerhas to find a flower, spot a bird, look for fish in a river or count how many times waves flow up the beach.
Five more reasons to head outside
- A US study concluded that children who have plenty of nature near their home have reduced levels of stress.
- In the UK, research by Britain’s Forestry Commission discovered kids from forest schools had better physical and motor skills, language and communication, concentration and social interaction, as well as knowledge and understanding of the environment.
- Nature-based activities have been shown to improve the symptoms of ADHD.
- Children playing in areas with trees and vegetation show more creative social play than those in built-up environments.
- A Norwegian study found that children who played in woods near their school performed better in terms of coordination than those who played in a playground.
Related articles:
- The best outdoor toyboxes in 2024
- The best ways to take childhood learning outside
- Play on! The best toys for your one-year-old in 2024
