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Awesome Fun Water Toys for Toddlers They Will Love in Summer

As the sun starts shining brighter and hot summer days arrive, it's time to dive into the wonderful world of water play with your toddler! Whether it's splashing in the backyard pool, frolicking in the sprinklers, or exploring water tables, water toys for toddlers offer a refreshing and exciting way for your little one to engage in sensory-rich experiences. In this blog post, we'll explore the benefits of water-based play for toddlers and little kids, discuss safety considerations, and highlight some fantastic water toys to enhance your child's aquatic adventures.  These favorite water toys will bring hours of fun for younger kids.  

Awesome Fun Water Toys for Toddlers They Will Love in Summer

Benefits of Water-Based Play:

Water play isn't just about having fun; it's also incredibly beneficial for your toddler's development. Here are some key advantages and different ways that water games are important:

  1. Sensory Soothing: The sensation of water can be inherently calming for children. The gentle flow of water, the sound of it trickling, and the feel of it against the skin provide sensory stimulation that can help soothe and relax the nervous system.

  2. Regulation of Emotions: Water play offers children a safe outlet to release pent-up energy and emotions. Engaging in water activities allows children to express themselves freely, reducing feelings of frustration or anxiety.

  3. Mindfulness and Relaxation: Water play encourages children to focus on the present moment, fostering a sense of mindfulness and relaxation. As they immerse themselves in pouring, splashing, and exploring, they become absorbed in the activity, temporarily setting aside worries or stressors.

  4. Stress Reduction: Playing with water can lower cortisol levels, the hormone associated with stress, and promote the release of endorphins, the body's natural feel-good chemicals. This can lead to a sense of calm and well-being in children.

  5. Physical Comfort: Water play provides a refreshing and cooling sensation, especially on hot days. The sensation of water against the skin can be soothing and comfortable, helping children feel more relaxed and at ease.

  6. Social Connection: Water play often involves interaction with others, whether it's playing with siblings, friends, or caregivers. Positive social interactions and shared laughter can have a calming effect on children, promoting feelings of security and happiness.

  7. Creative Expression: Water play encourages creativity and imagination, allowing children to explore and experiment in a safe and supportive environment. Engaging in imaginative play can be a form of self-expression and a source of relaxation for children.

  8. Overall, water play offers a multi-sensory experience that promotes relaxation, emotional regulation, and social connection for children. Whether it's splashing in a pool, playing with water toys, or simply feeling the water run through their fingers, children can find solace and tranquility in the joyful world of water play.

Safety with Water-Based Play:

While water play offers numerous benefits, it's essential to prioritize safety to ensure a fun and worry-free experience for toddlers. Here are some key safety tips:

  1. Supervision: Never leave toddlers unattended near water, even if it's shallow. Designate a responsible adult to supervise water play at all times and be vigilant for any potential hazards.

  2. Water Depth: Ensure that the water depth is appropriate for your toddler's age and swimming ability. Use shallow pools or water tables for younger toddlers and provide flotation devices or swim aids as needed.

  3. Sun Protection: Protect your toddler's delicate skin from the sun's harmful rays by applying sunscreen with a high SPF, dressing them in UV-protective clothing, and providing shade with umbrellas or canopies.

  4. Water Quality: Regularly clean and maintain water toys, pools, and water tables to prevent the growth of bacteria and algae. Empty and refill pools with fresh water regularly, and use non-toxic cleaning products to sanitize toys and surfaces.

  5. Safe Toys: Choose water toys that are age-appropriate, durable, and free of small parts that could pose a choking hazard. Inspect toys regularly for signs of wear or damage and replace them as needed to ensure safe play.

Best Outdoor Water Toys for Toddlers and Young Children

  1. Water Wheel:

    • Description: This large tower allows sand and water to flow through, providing endless entertainment for toddlers. Recommended for ages 18 months and up and is great for fine motor skills and cognitive development.  This toddler water toy requires exploration of liquids, solids, and combinations thereof, fostering curiosity and experimentation. Children can observe how sand and water interact and make predictions about their behavior.

  2. Step2 Play Car Wash: 

    • This stationary car wash toy encourages social play with multiple stations for kids to take turns and practice sharing.  Kids will hear the glug of the water into the “gas tank”, squeak of the windshield wiper, and fall of rain as water pours down the maze, adding extensive sensory exploration to the water activity center play experience.  Pouring water into the top tray and watching it fall down into the basins below teaches cause and effect play.  Emulating cleaning is a fun, popular childhood play pattern. Now your little one can care for their very own car, just like their adult role models.  Non-leak drain plugs in both basins keep water in during playtime and make clean-up easy. Kids can even drain the water themselves as they “change the oil” in their car.  This is one of the best water toys that has hit the market and has plenty of room for multiple kids to work together.

  3. Water Maze:

    • Pour water into this maze-like toy, and watch it move through to form a waterfall wall, enhancing motor skills and providing hours of aquatic fun.  This is a perfect toy for toddlers that includes 32 water table toys and accessories such as a dolphin funnel, water mill, boat, and various tools, offering plenty of options for imaginative play and sensory exploration.

  4. Water Table:

    • An interactive water table designed for toddlers to splash, pour, and explore, featuring molded-in different colors and details to spark imaginative play.  This water toy is a great way to parallel play at different areas with friends or siblings.  Comes with a 13-piece accessory set including squish toys and interactive features like a waterfall that activates teeter-totter action, promoting cause-and-effect learning and social interaction.  This water table is great for a hard surface or a front yard / back yard.

  5. Water Guns:

    • Classic water toys for outdoor fun, perfect for water fights and summer activities. Easy to use with a pull-back handle to load and push forward to squirt water, promoting active play and coordination skills.

  6. Kiddie Pool / Wading Pool:

    • Colorful watermelon-print swimming and splash pool designed with safety and fun in mind for toddlers aged 2 and up.  Sturdy construction with 9-gauge rings and a 7-gauge floor, large capacity of 154 gallons, providing a cool and refreshing way to beat the heat during the summer months.

  7. Garden Hose & Sprinkler:

    • A rotating sprinkler that covers a large area, ensuring hours of fun for kids and efficient watering for your lawn and garden.  Adjustable nozzles for controlling water spray height and width, promoting interactive play and helping children stay cool on hot days.

  8. Reusable Water Balloons:

    • Environmentally friendly alternative to traditional water balloons, providing endless summer fun without the waste.  Reusable up to 1000 times, saving money and reducing environmental impact, ensuring guilt-free water balloon fight for the whole family.

  9. Water Sprinkler: 

    • Non-slip texture splash mat has such a cute design with adjustable sprinklers, providing safe and enjoyable water play for kids of all ages.  Designed to increase grip and safety, offering a fun alternative to pool days for older kids and promoting active outdoor play.

  10. Water Blasters:

    • Brightly colored water blasters perfect for little hands, encouraging active play and improving gross motor skills.  Easy to use with pull-back handle action, promoting hand-eye coordination and providing endless entertainment during water activities.

  11. Mini Water Park with Water Slide:

    • Transform your backyard into a paradise with this mini water park featuring a slide, wading pool, and interactive games. The vibrant colors make any pool day a great choice!  Dino-themed design with hoops and games, providing hours of imaginative play and cooling fun for little ones.

  12. Little Tykes 

    • This innovative new water table features a captivating blooming magic flower central feature, and four platforms so multiple kids can play together at once in one of the most fun water toys.  There are five unique activities built-into the Magic Flower Water Table.  As kids water the flower, it begins to bloom and grow, capturing all the fun of real gardening.  This water table has over 31 accessories and water toys for kids to play with in what will become one of your children's favorite outdoor activities.

  13. Kids' Bath Toys:

    • Floating Ferry Boat: This toy boat set comes with a floating ferry boat bath play set measures is such a unique design and best bath toys. Includes 4 mini car toys, Providing endless fun for toddlers during bath time.  Whether in the bathtub, bathroom, pool, or beach, these water toys are perfect for indoor and outdoor water play. With its bright colors and fun design, this toy boat set makes a great toy to gift for summer birthdays too!  Made from high-quality materials, these bath toys are non-toxic and safe for babies and toddlers to play with mold free bath toys. The boat toy and mini cars inspire creativity and imagination in young boys and girls, allowing them to create their own adventure stories.

  14. Water Ball Pit: 

    • Automatic Pop Up Beach Pool Tent and Kids Ball Pit Playhouse Functions in one. Our baby not only can play water in the mini swimming pool during beach trip, but also can be used as an indoor play tent ball pool for the babies. This is a versatile awesome water toys that comes with the basketball hoop, provides a fun place for your baby to play.   Portable, durable, foldable and easy to install.  The pool tent can be installed in seconds with instantly pop up function, no need to inflate with pump, and can be folded into a small pool bag easily.  

Water play offers a myriad of benefits for toddlers, from sensory stimulation and physical development to social interaction and emotional well-being. By providing safe and engaging water toys, parents can create enriching experiences that promote learning, creativity, and fun. So, embrace the sunshine, grab some water toys, and dive into a world of aquatic adventures with your little one!