The best garden and outdoor toys for babies and toddlers

The Little Tikes Fountain Factory Water Table provides hours of fun. It's easy to assemble, and even has a convenient plug that helps to empty the water after use. It has loads of features that little ones can keep discovering, including adjustable plumbing pipes, different water filter spray settings and even a pump water fountain that splashes!

Our Product & Lifestyle writer and mum of two, Samantha said: "This water table was really easy to build, my six year old pretty much took over the whole assembly of it! The only tricky part was adding in the plug, but using plyers (as mentioned in the instructions) made it easier. I thought this was a great feature too, as I didn't have to tip the table over to empty the water! It literally provided hours of fun and kept discovering new features, such as the tap filter positions."

The Plum My First Play Centre provides hours of fun! Made from high quality materials, it's perfect for helping little ones to develop skills, such as gross and fine motor, and they are encouraged to use their imaginations. With a climbing frame, ladder, climbing rock wall and hidden den, the fun is endless.

One reviewer said: "Love this climbing frame. The natural wood looks lovely in the garden, it’s hard wearing and good quality. The kids love it, the right amount of challenge for my 3 year old, and still fun for my 6 year old!
They especially love the den underneath."

This giant wooden 4 in a row puzzle is not only great for children to play with, but the whole family can get involved with playing too. It's easy to use and helps children develop their critical thinking skills as they play the game.

Our writer said: "This four in a row game provided a lot of fun for my son. It helped us to encourage him on how to think tactfully and not rush. It's a lovely design and is not too big either, so it's easy to store away. You can also sit it on the floor or on a table to play."

This My Living Ant World is a great garden activity for younger children! Not only will it provide hours of fun, it's also an educational toy. Once the ant home is set up, all you need to do is find and add in the ants and you can watch them build their little homes and embrace nature.

One reviewer said: "This product is definitely child friendly. It’s easy to assemble and comes with a little booklet to tell you exactly what to do and how to do it. The book has basic instructions and then instructions in more detail which really helped. My ants and my tiny human love it, the other half who is 28 years old loves it too. It’s a nice kit for a beginner!"

This Little Tikes Splash Beach Water Table lays flat on the ground and is even big enough for a child to sit in, so you don't need to worry about a paddling pool! It has lots of features that can be moved, and has a hose attachment so that you can make a water fountain.

Our writer said: "My kids love anything to do with water. This water play table is absolutely brilliant because it lays completely flat on the floor, meaning they can sit or stand on the tray as well as play next to it! My daughter absolutely loved standing and splashing in the tray, and my son loved using all the accessories, and rolling the boat down the slide."

With the adorable Smoby Nature Playhouse, with Kitchen, little ones will love using their imagination to play house and kitchens. They can also stay sheltered from the sun when they're playing and it's made from sturdy plastic, so it won't blow over in the wind, and will last summer after summer.

One reviewer said: "We bought this playhouse for our grandchildren to play with when they visit. The design is excellent, and they play with it happily. The assembly instructions are a little tricky to understand, but with a little patience and resolve, they can be followed. Overall, very happy with this purchase."

This lovely Chad Valley Numbers and Letters Foam Mats jigsaw is ideal for you to lay outside with your little ones as they enjoy tummy time or as a fun activity for toddlers. Help teach them the alphabet and numbers by fitting the letters in the correct position, then join the squares up.

One reviewer said: "Bought as we have a yard and wanted my daughter to be able to play outside. Doubled up, it's perfect and protects her from banging her head or cutting herself."

Another reviewer said: "I bought this for my granddaughter. She loved helping me to put it up and also used individual tiles to play run & stand still. lovely product for small ones."

Bring soft play home with this national treasure that has been enjoyed by children for generations. The Little Tikes Cozy Coupe will provide hours of fun and they'll get many years of use out of it - they’ll still be trying to squeeze into it aged seven! We are loving the nostalgia that this toy gives us. One reviewer said: "Great range of quality toys for children of all ages. Our grandson loves his little Tykes car but after being driven by many other children the time came for changing for a newer model once the door fell off. We ordered one from Smyths Friday afternoon and it was very promptly delivered the following morning! Our grandson is absolutely thrilled with his new car, he loves it!"

Who doesn't love bubbles? This battery-operated Kids Automatic Bubble Making Machine will save your arms from constantly blowing bubbles and provides a fun sensory experience for little ones. Your babies will be glued to the bubbles floating around and toddlers will love chasing the bubbles trying to pop them. Just remember to keep stocked up on the bubble mix.

One reviewer said: "This is a fabulous bubble machine. I can’t fault it. It’s very slimline, lightweight, making it extremely portable and less bulky than some you find in the shops. I bought it for my niece's birthday and we were all impressed with the speed and how many bubbles were produced when we turned on the machine. I would highly recommend."

Encouraging sensory outdoor play and hours of natural creativity, the Plum Store-it Wooden Sand Pit comes with a handy storage box for toys and a protective cover. It's ideal for building, digging and playing while enjoying an afternoon outdoors. We really like the design here.

One reviewer said: "Got this really discounted and it’s great. Son loves it and it looks nicer than the plastic ones in the garden. Seems sturdy and the little seats and storage are great for allowing him to sit and play and also store sandy toys neatly once playtime is over."

Babies will love crawling through the play tunnel or laying in the play tent to keep cool. The Kids Play Tent and Tunnel The set is easy to assemble and pop away - you can even use it in your house for indoor fun on those rainy days. Each component can be used together or separately, making it a great option if your little one gets bored and there's a section you can add balls to for extra play.

One reviewer said: "What a lovely and huge toy for our baby. He loves it. He is so excited when sitting inside. Also, my dogs like to play in the tent. Very big. When it's summer, I will put the tent in our garden. Lovely colours. Perfect for small adventures."

This fun Little Tikes Spiralin' Seas Water Table is like a mini water park for your garden. With a scooping Ferris Wheel, water wheels and squirting character balls, your toddler will have so much fun keeping cool and developing their motor skills. When the temperatures rise, this will be lovely for your little one.

One reviewer said: "Bought for baby’s first birthday. The main water tray part was the perfect height for little ones and our almost seven-year-old loves slinging balls in the spiral and helping her with all the activity parts. Haven’t put water in yet due to the weather and they are still managing to have loads of fun with it! Really pleased with it and feel like it’s a toy with longevity!"

If your little one loves mud and some messy fun, then this TP Toys Junior Chef Wooden Mud Kitchen might just be the perfect thing to keep them entertained. It has a removable splash tub which is ideal for mixing mud, and also a dry area where little ones can cook up a (muddy) storm.

One reviewer said: "We recently purchased this for our children (aged 5 and 2) and they both love it! It has had a lot of use already. Great quality."

Another reviewer said: "This was a great build. Could feel the good quality as it was being built. Took around a hour to complete. Lovely smart looking kitchen. Bigger than we thought."

These Reusable Water Balloons really change the game! All you need is a bucket of water, drop your water ball in and close with the magnetic closure. No more picking up little plastic balloons off of your garden! Plus, they're better for the environment and are suitable and easier for smaller children to use.

One review said: "These have been great fun and have held up to daily use the last few weeks. No tap needed, just a bucket of water. They are even fun to play with in a bath tub to trap/ catch toys. Would definitely buy again. So much better than water balloons!"

This amazing 4-in-1 Toddler Climber and Swing Set features a widened slide, safe swing, basketball hoop and easy-to-climb ladder. The set is interesting and fun for little ones and also helps with her development. We like that it's also a non-slip design to help support little ones.

One reviewer said: "East to assemble and quite sturdy for up to 24 months I would say. Haven’t tried to take it down but can’t imagine an issue. Would be better if it came with a cover for outside - would pay extra"

While this can't be left outside, it's a great toy to let your child play with in the garden! They can use it as a bridge, a mini slide and can even practise their balancing skills. They can even relax on it with their teddies. The Size M Balance and Motor Skills Board is such a simple toy, but the play possibilities are endless.

One review said: "I bought this for our 3-year-old and both he and our 5-year-old love it. Endless play with lots of different ways it can be used."

The Wooden Hoop Ring Toss provides hours of fun for children, and is great at helping them to learn to aim. It meets the need of being able to throw, but gives them a target to work towards. It comes with a combination of rope and plastic rings to toss, and it can be played independently or with other family members to make it extra fun.

One reviewer, Craig, said: "We got this as a garden game for visiting children to play - it's really sturdy and easy to put together, and quickly and easily goes away again in the plastic carry bag. The bag itself is waterproof so it should be fine to leave in the garden shed over winter when we won't use it."

If your little one loves climbing, they will love this traditional climbing rope ladder with 6 wooden rungs. It is 2.1m long with weight limit of 60kg and ideal for climbing frames, tree houses, dens & play houses. It can be used indoors and outdoors and will help improve climbing skills and balance.

One trusted reviewer said: "Hours for fun, builds core strength, my boys are not allowed to sit watching TV often so I have to constantly find new activities to keep them interested in being physically active. This ladder has been great for my 4 and 9 year old who were 2 and 7 when I bought it. This ladder has been everything and on every tree in the garden. It's been used in role plays and laid on the floor for them to walk over and has been strung from tree to tree to use as monkey bars. If you want healthy children buy this. It encourages natural play."