Friday, August 17, 2012

The Best Toddler Climber and Slides for Boys

The best toddler climber and slides for boys is one that will keep their attention and interest.  Toddler and preschool age young boys are very busy little guys with more energy than they know what to do with!  The best toys parents and grandparents can buy are those that allow active play.  Besides burning up some of that active energy, they build strong muscles and bones as they grow.

Consider purchasing at least one toddler climber with a slide for outdoor play.  The Step2 All Star Sports Climber is a young boy's favorite toddler slide.  This one comes with a basketball hoop, soccer net and rock climbing wall with balls to play with.  Combining the climber and slide with balls that your toddler boy can kick, toss and throw adds to the fun.
 

This climber is made of durable and bright plastic and this toddler slide is easy to assemble when it arrives at your door.  I recommend ordering online since you usually can get free shipping and it saves you time from having pick it up from the store.  When the weather is nice outside, your toddler boy will love playing on this slide in the backyard.  If you do choose to set it up inside, the balls are soft and will not hurt any furniture they may bounce off of. 

My young sons were very active and a slide with the variety that this Step2 climber offers would keep them busy for quite a while.  Boys are so active and busy that they need toys such as this one to keep their attention.  Plus they need the climbing, sliding, kicking and tossing activities to develop their skills.  Grandparents will love having this type of active play equipment at their house when the busy young grandsons visit.  This grandma of two active grandsons knows this is true!

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Play Parachutes are Fun for Preschoolers

Looking for afternoon fun?  Bring out a play parachute to use with a group of preschoolers.  During my years working in Child Development and with preschoolers, I would look for unique and engaging activities in the afternoon hours when all the other toys and games are tossed aside. 

A play parachute is wonderful for cooperative play with several preschool age youngsters.  It also gives them exercise that builds important growing muscles.  Plus youngsters can learn to follow directions when playing certain games with the parachute.

Play parachute designed for preschoolers are colorful, lightweight and ready to use at any given moment.  All I needed to do was pull out our parachute from its box and the youngsters would all come running.  Instinctly, they knew what to do with this item.  I would have them all hold onto the edge in a circle and then we would start with the up and down motion.

As our play time advance with the parachute, we would bounce stuffed toys on the parachute and take turns running under it to the other side while everyone held it high.  A play parachute can be used outside on the grass area or be brought inside if your open space is large enough for a big circle.  Try bringing out a play parachute at your next preschool or young child's birthday party. 

Saturday, August 4, 2012

My Top 5 Favorite Outdoor Toddler Toys

My top 5 favorite outdoor toddler toys include ones that allow active youngsters to use their large muscles, energy and active minds.  As a mother of 2 boys and now a grandmother of two grandsons, I have experienced many, many hours of endless energy and little ones constantly on the go.  I used to wonder "will they ever stop?"  until the end of the day when they did and fell right to sleep. 


Here are 5 of my favorite tyes of outdoor toys that I can recommend to you if you have an active toddler at home:

1. A toddler slide is my favorite outdoor toddler toy.  Toddlers and young children love to climb and this slide gives them plenty of opportunity to do that.  They love to slide down the other side and run around to do it all over again.  Brands such as Step2 and Little Tikes make sturdy and safe toddler slides that will last for a long time.


2. A toddler playhouse is another outdoor toy that my grandsons love. They have a large playhouse at home and another one at my house that they play in when they visit grandma.  Playhouses give a toddler imaginative playtime.  They usually come with lots of little gadgets and accessories that they can push, pull, turn and move around. 


3.  Toddlers love to go inside and under things, so a play tent is just the thing to keep handy too.  I have a castle that is easy to pop up when the grandsons come over.  It can be set up both outside when the weather is nice or even indoors when they cannot go outside.   The boys love to go inside and play with their favorite toys in the tent.  They will stay inside for hours playing.

4. Another fun outdoor toy is a sand and water table that comes with assorted pouring and digging toys.  My grandsons have one of these tables at home and can't wait to go out to play with it in the warm summer months.  The table is made of a sturdy plastic which is easy to tip over to empty and clean.


5. My children and now my grandchildren have a swing set to play on.  The youngest child needs a toddler swing to use until he gets big enough for the regular swing.  A toddler swing is designed like a bucket that the little one sits in while you push him back and forth.  It is safe and he cannot fall out while swinging.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

My Toddler's Favorite Power Wheels

My toddler's favorite Power Wheels is his Ford F-150 truck.  It is black and just like his daddy's truck.  He received this motorized toddler ride on toy for his third birthday.  Our backyard is wide enough for him to drive it to one end of the yard, turn around and drive back.  He goes out just about everyday to take a ride in this fun outdoor toy. 

We ordered this Ford F-150 online since it offered free shipping.  It was nice having arrive to our door.  All daddy had to do was take it out of the box and put it together.  It took him about an hour and a half to put together in the garage with basic tools.  He didn't want our son to see it until it was ready to go.  Our little guy was so excited on birthday morning when he saw his very own Ford truck.

The battery has been lasting a couple of days at least.  We just plug it into the charger at night when our son is sleeping.  That way it is ready for him in the morning.  He loves opening the door and climbing in behind the steering wheel.  Over time now that he has been driving this outdoor ride on toy, he has learned how to turn it on, put it in reverse and back it out of its "parking space" in the backyard patio.  I have to say he has gotten to be a very good little driver.  Just like daddy.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Toddler Lawn Mower Toys are Outdoor Fun

A fun outdoor toy for your toddler is a toy lawn mower.  A toddler lawn mower can be used outdoors or indoors.  There are several top notch toy lawn mowers by companies such as Fisher Price, Little Tikes, Melissa and Doug and Step2.  Some of the toddler lawn mowers make noise like a real lawn mower, some blow bubbles and all are great push toys for your active toddler.

Little Tikes Gas 'n Go Mower

This is a developmental stage in that toddlers are practicing using their gross motor skills or strengthening their large muscles.  Push toys such as toys like the lawn mower allow toddlers to push the toy around while having fun.  During the nice weather of spring, summer and fall, your toddler will love playing with the toy lawn mower outside.

Fisher Price Bubble Mower

Toddlers will love the toy lawn mowers since all of the different brands come with things like pull cords, popping beads, bubbles, and even a place to "pretend" they are adding gasoline like dad does with the real lawn mower.  Toddlers love to pretend they are doing things like their mom, dad or grandparents.


For the price, a toddler lawn mower is well worth the money.  This outdoor toy makes a great first birthday gift too.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

A Water Table is a Perfect Summer Outdoor Toy

A water table is a fun and perfect outdoor summer toy for your toddler.  My youngest grandchild is just over 2 years old now and loves her water table.  Her grandpa and I picked up the Step2 WaterWheel Activity Table to keep at our house.  When our little toddler comes to visit, she wants to go outside and play right away.  Now that the summer is warm, she loves playing in the water at the table and her little swim pool.


Grandpa sits with her and she loves it.  The Step2 water table comes with little floating toys and a water wheel.  We give her the little cup to pour water on the water wheel and she just squeals with joy.  What youngster doesn't like to play in the water?  I make sure grandpa has lots of beach towels available for both himself and her.


We are very happy with this water table.  I sent for it online and it arrived ready to assemble.  Grandpa had no trouble at all putting the table together with some basic tools.  It is a sturdy table and balanced real well that our toddler cannot knock it over.  Grandpa just takes it over to the flower garden, tips it over on its side and pours the water out when we are done playing with it.  It dries quickly in the summer sun, then we put it in the shaded patio so it doesn't fade.
Step2 WaterWheel Activity Table

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Outdoor Toddler Climber Slide Can Be Used Indoors

Sometimes the weather is either too cold or too hot for your toddler to play outdoors on their toddler slide.  That does not mean your little one stops being active since they have to stay inside.  A toddler from as soon as they can walk does not stop.  My mother warned me when I had my two sons, that "watch out" once they learn to walk.  There will be not rest for the weary!  Parents and even grandparents have  no fear, a toddler slide and climber can be placed inside too.

I really liked the parental ratings and reviews of the Step2 Step2 Naturally Playful Lookout Treehouse which includes a climbing steps up to the platform or "treehouse" and then a slide to go down from the top.  This is the toddler slide we purchased our young grandson when he turned one.  Even though Step2 recommends this climber slide for at least 18 months old, if your toddler is walking and has a pretty good sense of balance, then this slide will be safe.

I liked how it was easy to set up when it arrived at our door.  We took advantage of the free shipping online to save us the hassle of trying to fit this large toddler toy in our car.  We set it up in the family room with plenty of room to spare.  When we babysit our toddler grandson, he is playing on this toddler toy over and over again.  When spring comes and the weather turns warm, we reset this toy up in our backyard for him when he comes to visit. 

Hours of Fun on this Step2 Toddler Slide
The Step2 toddler slide is made of durable heavy plastic in natural and bright colors.  The little ones love it.

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Toddler Slides for Outdoor Fun

Step2 Natural Folding Slide
Toddler slides are the thing for active toddlers and outdoor fun. Babies are considered toddlers as soon as they can walk on their own. They quickly begin to run, climb and find a need to burn that extra energy. A toddler slide can be just the thing for your busy little one. There are toddler slides made by wonderful toy companies such as Little Tikes, Step2 and Fisher Price.

The folding slides are the way to go so you can move it or put it away when not being used. If you have a yard with grass, then sometimes you have to mow it and being able to fold up the slide and set it against the house or in the garage is a good feature. Plus if you have the room, a toddler slide can be brought inside for indoor play when the weather is too hot or cold for your toddler to play outdoors.

Other toddler slides come with extra features such as a castle, sports features, rock climbing walls, tunnels and swings. You can find a toddler slide for any budget. In fact, if you have more than one youngster, you many want to buy a folding slide and a toddler climber gym for all kinds of play. Toddlers will be busy for quite a while climbing up and sliding down their outdoor slide.

Toddler slides nowadays are made of bright durable heavy plastic which lasts for years and years. Even through wet weather, this type of toddler slide will not fade, rust or warp. A must have outdoor toy for all toddlers.