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Every outdoor play session with preschoolers is an opportunity to spark their creativity, imagination, and curiosity. Not only that, but the more your kids enjoy spending time outdoors when they’re young, the easier it is to get them outside when they’re older.
As blissful as it would be to be able to just send your kids outside and tell them to play, things usually don’t work out that easily. To make outdoor time even more fun for your kids, you’ll want to have some outdoor toys on hand. Here are 13 outdoor toys that every preschooler would absolutely LOVE!
Make sure to also read our top gift ideas for older kids and teens if you have older kids!
Guardian Bike with SureStop Braking
This is the number one best outdoor toy for any kid. A bike gives kids freedom and absolutely opens up the world to them. This bike from Guardian Bikes is the one that your child will love and will not only help them to ride more easily, but make biking safer for them. The SureStop Bike features a patented braking system that activates both brakes with one hand brake and ensures that both tires stay on the ground, so kids never flip over. Our youngest has a Guardian bike and we are absolutely impressed. His Guardian bike is significantly lighter than his other bike and the braking system has given him the confidence that he needs to let his skills really take off! This is the most affordable lightweight bike that we’ve seen and we highly recommend it as the best outdoor toy for preschoolers.
Don’t forget to also get them a helmet to go along with their bike! Check out our full review of the safest bike helmets for kids!
Stomp Rocket
With 5 kids in our house, we have owned SO MANY Stomp Rockets over the years. We love them because they’re easy enough that a toddler can use them, but still completely entertaining for teens and adults. There are so many outdoor toys in the market place, but we think this is one of the best outdoor toys for preschoolers.
Kids Bug Catcher Kit
Do you have a kid who loves to collect and watch insects? This bug catcher is the perfect preschooler outdoor toy for them. A few of my kids have been absolutely CRAZY about bugs, and they would easily spend hours in the backyard turning over rocks and collecting all the critters underneath to watch in their little jar. With this bug catcher kit, you can let them safely catch all sorts of bugs and they’ll have a great time doing it.
The best outdoor toys are the outdoor toys that get used most often! This is one toy that your kids will actually use almost daily. This is the best budget outdoor toy for preschoolers.
Giant Saucer Swing
If you want to get a kids swing that they can play on all by themselves without you constantly having to push them, this is the one. We installed this under our treehouse this year and absolutely love how versatile it is. It’s be enough that you can fit 2-3 preschoolers on it at a time (which they’ll love), and kids can easily sit or lay down on it. We also love that with the big size, it’s the perfect place for kids to just hang out and relax. Our kids regularly can be found on our giant saucer swing curled up with a book, or with a pile of toys playing on the swing. I should also note that while we’ve only had it about 8 months, it’s held up incredibly well to daily use, and even lots of older kids and teens playing on it!
Sandbox Digger and Excavator
Have a sandbox, or maybe just a great pile of dirt? This is the perfect outdoor toy for your preschooler. They’ll happily spend hours outside digging in the dirt and building towns, roadways, and all sorts of imaginative lands. We especially love that this digger can be easily moved to different locations so kids can always play with something new outside.
Plasma Wiggle Car
If you don’t have one of these in your home, get one NOW! Far superior to any other ride on toy we’ve tried (other than a great bike), these PlasmaCars are the perfect outdoor toy for preschoolers. We love that they’re easy to drive (most of our kids could figure them out at about a year old), and the tight turning radius is fantastic for maneuverability. When the weather’s bad, we often bring ours into the garage or an unfinished basement and make obstacle courses for the kids. While this isn’t a budget outdoor toy, it’s one that’s really well built!
Scavenger Hunt Game
This is a great outdoor toy for preschoolers or toddlers who are really detail oriented, or for families to use together. These fun scavenger hunt cards are great for the backyard, a hike trip, or even just a walk around the neighborhood. This is the perfect calming outdoor toy for kids and a great way to help little kids be more observant in nature!
Foam Pogo Jumper for Preschoolers
First off, my apologies to mom and dad – this toy squeaks. BUT, your kid is going to love it and it’s a great toy to let them play outside with while you’re inside cooking dinner (and don’t have to hear the noise). Preschoolers will feel so accomplished as they head the squeak of this pogo jumper and it’s the perfect way to let loose TONS of energy.
Rope Swing
We put one of these in our front tree just after we moved into the house, and I didn’t think much of it. Well, I was completely wrong for underestimating it, since it’s become one of our kids favorite outdoor toys in the tree. We love this one with the little saucer swing because it lets kids use the rope as a traditional swing, or to climb the rope with the hand holds.
Butterfly Kit
While this isn’t exactly an outdoor toy, it’s one of the most amazing outdoor products for preschoolers. You’ll get a container, some catipillars, and food and you get to watch the process of metamorphasis happen with your kids over a period of a couple weeks. We give these to each of our kids for their 4th birthday and it’s the best outdoor themed gift for preschoolers.
Metal Dump Truck
We’ve had a few of these through the years and they’re always such a hit with the toddlers and preschoolers. They love to cart all their toys around in them, and I love that they’re super durable and can just be left outside all the time. This is one of the best classic toys for toddlers and preschoolers.
Springfree Trampoline
Want to get your toddler or preschooler an outdoor toy that they won’t outgrow EVER?? Invest in a Springfree Trampoline. We’ve had ours for nearly 3 years and it’s in constant use from the youngest up to the oldest (and basically every kid in the neighborhood in between). Springfree Trampolines are extra bouncy, much safer than traditional trampolines, and are ridiculously durable (my teenage son and his friends regularly put it to the test). They’re not cheap, but they’re the perfect place to spend your money if you want your kids to love playing outside for LIFE. Read our full review of Springfree Trampolines HERE.
We love where the weather is beautiful this time of year. We try our best to wear our kids out on Christmas Eve with bike riding!
My boys would love this. I love your ideas!
We love going out to the tree farm and cutting down our own Christmas tree. It’s a hefty hike out and lots of work pulling it out to the car and so much fun every year!
We also love heading out to the tree farm and cutting our own tree. Our kids pride themselves on being the perfect tree pickers and that invariably leads to long walks on the farm.
We love to go ice skating when we can.
I’d like to start the tradition of snowshoeing on Christmas Day in the future.
Glad you finally got one of your kids on them! 😉 he he
Going to get our Christmas Tree and getting pictures for our Christmas cards while were there.
We love going out to cut our own Christmas tree! It’s been a favorite tradition of mine since I was a kid and I love sharing it with my son now!
Members of our mountain bike club dress up as Santa’s helpers and we bring bikes to kids who aren’t able to afford new bikes!
We love to drive around at look at the Christmas lights in our town
We always walk around the neighborhood near my parents and look at Christmas lights!
demureprincess7(at)gmail(dot)com
We live in a ski town where the road that goes up and over the notch is closed every winter. It is too narrow with large boulders on either side for the plow trucks to make it throug. So every Christmas we walk to the top of the notch. It is a magical place filled with snow & ice.
I am a firm believer in balance bikes, my son is only 5 months old but I’m dreaming about the day he gets his first bike!! And his first tonka toy!!
We love to go on walks to look at Christmas lights. Thanks.
Pj gifts on X-mas ever…
Our family does a make, refurbish or thrift gift exchange. So much fun!
And we tromp through the bush to cut our own tree 🙂
My parents used to recreate the scene at Bethlehem in our barn. We started with a house full of people and when Mary and Joseph would come to the door, we would send them to the barn. The guests would follow them down there and we would have a Catholic Mass surrounded by farm animals. It was awesome..
Christmas morning we get up extra early and go for a hike. Then we read Luke 2 while we watch the sunrise.
I remember it taking forever to be ready to get my training wheels off. With my daughter I definitely want to try the balance bike method.
I want one of these for grandkids!
As a pediatric physical therapist – I can’t say enough good things about balance bikes! Can’t wait to try one with my little munchkin next spring. She will be 17 months old by the time the snow has melted in our neck of the woods – so it is good to know that the Strider would fit her! Thanks for the post
We like to pull the kids around in the wagon to see the lights around the neighborhood
My husband is a city firefighter and is always scheduled to work on Christmas. Last year, I took my kids (2.5yr and 3 months) nordic skiing with our chariot trailer. We had a picnic of hot cocoa and fresh oatmeal cookies and talked about everything we saw along the way. We brought nutbutter pinecones to hang on trees as Christmas presents for the birds. This year, I don’t know if I’m going to be able to pull them alone!!!! I’m hoping my 3.5yr old will be able to ski on her own for a bit because my 15 month old son is now 30lbs!!!!! That adds up to 90lbs of kids and gear.
Besides looking at Christmas lights no….it’s too cold!
We love to look at Christmas lights and go sledding. Snow angels are also very popular.
We go to Assateague Island on Christmas Day and look at horses and walk the beach.
In AZ we would spend the whole day outside! Now in Utah we will hopefully play in the snow! 🙂
Got a balance bike but a cheaper one and I wish it was a little lower.
Our local zoo would open on Christmas Day. Because most people at are home it was like a ghost town, but we looked forward to it every year.
Anything outdoors… Esp skating at our lake, zoo lights, walking around the neighborhood to look at lights, and trying out whatever fun outdoor equipment we got for Christmas (this yr the kids get snowshoes)
My family planted a Christmas tree outside. We never have to by a tree that’s been cut down. We keep the presents inside though.
We go and cut our own Christmas tree at a tree farm, drink hot cocoa & spend some family time together doing it!
Christmas tree lighting
We always like to go for a walk at some point during Christmas Day. It feels good to get out in the fresh air and walk off some of the food we’ve indulged in…
We don’t have an outdoor tradition yet but I’d like to go for a hike/snowshoe/ski Christmas morning after opening presents. Maybe we’ll start it this year 🙂
We like to build a snowman in the snow each year! Thanks for the giveaway!
The only outdoor Christmas tradition I can think of is that we go over to a house and sit and watch their lights for 20-30 mins! They have one of those awesome ones where you can tune into a station and watch all the lights go along with it!
Love camping the day after Christmas – settles everyone down!
we go and look at christmas lights
H-O-C-K-E-Y!! We always play hockey after we open gifts. It is a set in stone tradition.
We live in SoCal so I love going to a walk or run on Christmas. Last year we had a beach bonfire on Thanksgiving. I’d love to make that a Christmas tradition too.
Well…growing up my parents always had us put carrots out in the yard for Rudolph each year. When my little brother was about 5…decided he wanted to put them on the roof so Rudolph didnt have to come down to get them! My dad said no…but when he wasnt looking….my brother threw them up on the roof! In the morning….the carrots where gone…and dad was not at the hospital…so guess it went okay during the night and Rudolph ate his carrots! 🙂 LOL
When I was a kid we did all of the S’s for Christmas vacation: skiing, sledding, snowmobiling, ice skating, snowball fights and shopping. 🙂
when we visit my grandma we go christmas caroling
cutting a fresh tree!
Building snowmen, decorating, and getting a real tree!
picking out our tree and opening 1 present (new pjs) christmas eve
As a kid it was tradition that Mom and I set up the very large ceramic nativity set out in the yard. It is such a great memory of mine!
We play outside on Christmas. On the rare occasion that it snows, it is extra fun.
We like to build snowmen and play games in the snow!
My husband and I love to walk after dinner with the kids.
We love playing outside at Christmas! We live in the south, so nicer weather sure helps! 🙂
caroling door to door!
I like making luminaries and putting them out. If the whole street did this on a certain night, it would be so pretty to take a walk and see them.
We decorate our yard!
We go to Assateague Island.
We love to go to Zoo Lights at our local zoo!
we go out to the train park in our town and walk around to see all the lights!
We celebrate Christmas during Thanksgiving with my extended family. And ALWAYS play several games of football!
We go for a walk to the lake, throw snow balls and make snow angels!!
My family enjoys spending time traveling to the nearby state park and tubing down the tubing/sledding hill there.
We always chop down our tree after thanksgiving!
We go caroling.
We love looking at Christmas Lights, especially at Temple Square.
On the topic oof gift giving, steer clear of just presenting them money.
Offering cash definitely gives out the view, “I couldn’t be irritated to think much about you, there you go, that’s in reality what you are worth to me.”
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