Britt Raborn

Ever since we bought our house almost a year ago, we have been trying to make it the perfect escape for our kids to play in. Of course the park is great to change things up, but we are home bodies and enjoying eating dinner outside, spending mornings jumping on the trampoline before school, chalk writing, swinging, and much more. Since we love playing outdoors so much, whenever grandparents ask what “big” presents we want for them, we always give outdoor play options first. We are so lucky that they have gifted us with so many nice things for them. I wanted to share our favorite backyard toys and activities that make our backyard so fun and enjoyable! We accumulated some really fun toys over the years that I think would make any backyard extra special this summer! I’ve had this post in my drafts for so long, so I am really excited to finally be sharing it today!

Tree House and Swing Set: This was Scarlett and Sully’s big Christmas present this past year, and I cannot even tell how amazing it has been so far to have this tree house and swing set. Scarlett has so much fun playing on it and our neighbors kids love to come play too. I know it will be something that the kids will get great use of for many many years. We debated for a long time which one we wanted, and narrowed it down to this one since it had so many different things offered. A tree house at the top, play house at the bottom, great slide, rock wall, swings, and little picnic table. There are so many with more or less, but we felt like this one was a happy medium! It has been incredible for us so far! Ps- my dad, mom, and husband put this together over a 3 day time span (1 full day and 2 half days) so it’s not terrible to put together on your own.

Trampoline: This was Scarlett’s third birthday present (for mom and dad too hah)! We debated on this or a sandbox for the longest time and I even polled other moms. It was about 60/40 and the sandbox won that poll. But, a lot of the moms who were physician wives were saying they chose the sandbox because it was a ‘safer’ option and I totally respect that. My husband and I feel like a kid can get injured doing just about anything these days. Even a sandbox could be unsafe if sand gets in the eyes, etc. I know it’s a risk we took, but Joel and I both grew up with trampolines (that were NOT as safe as the ones they make today) and felt like our children should too. We will practice safe jumping habits and do the best we can in ensuring there is lots of safe fun going on! Scarlett has LOVED jumping so far! She wants to jump every single day which is great for getting her to wear off some energy! I think a trampoline is perfect for this age just for that, ha!

Picnic Table: We are outdoor people! We just re finished our patio furniture and had to have something for Scarlett to sit at too. This adorable picnic table is so durable and very easy to fold and unfold. The plastic is really thick and I was so surprised at how good it looks! You’d think it were solid wood if you didn’t look close! For $61 this is a great addition to any backyard. We eat, play, paint, and do play doh all on this table.

Bounce House: This was Scarlett’s 2nd birthday gift and it has been one of the best gifts she has received! We inflate it for block parties, birthday parties, barbecues, play dates, and on random days. She and her friends absolutely love it! We made sure to get the one with the top on it because it could get pretty hot during summer! Little Tikes makes a really great one, and we have been so pleased with it.

Water Table: This was Scarlett’s 1st birthday present that she still to this day loves to play with. This one has a water side and a sand side so that she can do both. I loved that about this one because we purchased it when we were still renting and didn’t want to get something that wasn’t portable. We move this thing all over. Front yard, back yard, you name it! It provides so much opportunity for imagination too! I know this toy will be so perfect for Sully too so it will get lots of love through the years!

Bike: We purchased a Strider bike for Scarlett last Christmas since she has shown so much interest in them. Balance bikes are so great for teaching kids how to ride a bike without fear. It is meant to skip the training wheels stage (training wheels can instill fear) so that they go to a big bike more quickly. She has so much fun riding it up and down our driveway.

Scooter: I found this at a garage sale for a steal and it has been such a fun little addition for backyard play. She loves riding her scooter in the driveway!

T Ball Set : Okay, I played softball for years as a kid/teenager and it was “my sport” that I was really good at (hello All Stars every year- I kept my parents busy)! So, I really would love for Scarlett to have the same interest in it! I am really excited because she is hitting the ball really well so far, and I am impressed! One more year til she can play T ball, yay!

Bubble Table : This was a birthday gift from our dear friends that Scarlett absolutely loves and goes crazy over when we fill it up with bubbles! She is back and forth trying to pump the bubbles up and gets so excited when they are really coming out! I know this toy will be so perfect for Sully too so it will get lots of love through the years!

Sprinkler: This is new for this summer and we tried ours out for the first time last weekend! Scarlett had so much fun with this sprinkler! It is so fun how she can watch the balls go around the spiral and then how the water floats them in the air for a few seconds! She loves that part! We will be pulling this out so often this summer I just know it!

Wagon: This is perfect for any child and they grow with it for years! We love doing backyard strolls, neighborhood strolls, and much more! You can’t grow up without a wagon 🙂

Baby Swing : Another great