Summer Fun Favorites
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Summer is when I feel like our family THRIVES! We work on plowing through our goal of 1000 hours outside and I just feel such a peace not constantly creating messes and clutter indoors but instead enjoying sunshine, the birds chirping, and lots of nature exploration! My kiddos are 3 and 5 and these are items we come back to time and time again every year!
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There are an endless number of fun summer toys, but as a Mama who is easily overwhelmed by the number of toys overtaking my home + a development-minded Pediatric Physical Therapist, I've tried to curate a list of the BEST toys that promote your little one's development, while also encouraging outdoor exploration and fun :)
Here's how each one promotes your babe's development:
Platform swing: this is hands-down our most-used gift. Whether you’re doing tummy time or practicing sitting up, this awesome swing provides vestibular input + core strengthening while feeling the cool breeze
Grow with me swing: (Use code MOVEMENTMAMA for 10% off) We have the original swing (great from the time they can sit independently) from Sweet Swinging but will be upgrading to this one for Baby #3 as I know my kiddos will want to push babe early on in the swing before they’re ready to sit up + it’s a great option that allows more freedom of movement than a traditional infant swing and it grows into a toddler swing. This early vestibular input is incredibly calming for babies and since we are having a September baby, I know I will want somewhere to put babe while I chase my bigs around the yard. My bigs also love this swing.
Tummy Float: Tummy down in the water is amazing purposeful play for tummy time muscles that are crucial beyond just the baby years + is a functional swimming position. I also love this less expensive one that also has a little built-in shade to keep their soft skin safe :)
Slide: Perfect for practicing step climbing, motor planning getting themselves into a seated position, and core strength necessary for remaining upright while sliding down.
Water table: Endless hours of fun. Scooping/pouring, sensory, pretend play, squatting, tiptoe reaching, you name it--a water table has it. I love to bring this inside in the winter for a sensory bin, as well!
Window markers: Even in the summer, rainy days are bound to happen. Coloring with these chunky markers on a vertical surface like a window or storm door is great for fine motor skills related to handwriting and overall postural strength and control
Oversized ball: Practice taking those first steps in the grass with this bigger-than-them ball. Oversized balls are also great for making it easy for little hands and feet to learn how to roll, kick, and catch. Balls are a great crawling motivator, too :) There' are endless benefits of a ball in both the gross motor and social realms. I love using a lighter-weight ball or balloon when first teaching catching so they don’t end up with a black eye :) This one can also be used in the pool to chase while learning to swim.
Bubble machine: As a Pediatric PT, I know firsthand that adding bubbles to literally anything makes it fun :) This keeps babe from dumping the entire container of bubbles out on the ground + Mama's hands free! Practice reaching onto tiptoes or isolating the pointer finger to pop the bubbles for a little motor work! Plus, I just recently learned that bubbles keep mosquitos away so it’s a win-win!
Bubble tubes: We bought a big pack of these a few years ago and just keep refilling them! Plus, they make a great party favor! Pro tip: add some hot glue to the inside of the wand where it inserts in the lid to prevent it from falling out. Also, be sure to check out this post for how I prevent spills :)
Gardening Shovel + Tools: another pretend play prize! Your little one will love to follow you around the yard pretending to help :) and in the meantime they're building valuable motor planning skills and core strength
Play Sink: Another great pretend play toy! So fun for a makeshift mud kitchen to work on following a multi-step project of scrub, rinse, dry!
Climbing structure: Risky play is tremendously beneficial for building balance and confidence in your little one! We love to do these barefoot to get all those foot muscles really strong and stable :)
Splash Pad: The best unstable surface to practice balance and stability for a new walker. Bonus points is it keeps Mama cool + if you've got a little one and a toddler, it's shallow enough to be safe for both!
Water Spray Bottles: Next week is our annual "Car wash" where we bring out the Cozy Coupes , use gardening tools to get them dirty, and then spend an entire hot-coffee's worth of time scrubbing them clean. You can also do so many amazing squirt-bottle outdoor crafts and projects, or just have a water bottle fight :) These triggers are perfect for building strength in the small muscles of those tiny hands
Mud Kitchen: my FIL custom made ours, but this one is so adorable too! This is our get-messy station and my kids could spend hours here making nature-inspired creations.
Window markers: I don’t know about you but I LOVE to open up our main door and keep the screen door open on cooler mornings. These milder days allow us to utilize our storm door for fun window painting (and washing —remember those spray bottles?). Great fine motor work is happening here that will lend itself to eventual handwriting and drawing :)
Sensory Picnic Table: this thing has it all: sun shade, double sensory bins, plus functions as a space for picnics! Sensory play is a great way to promote healthy sensory processing and outdoor snacking is always less cleanup for Mama
Bubble mower: I love to use this to encourage walking over the uneven surface of the grass. The bubbles coming out are so fun and motivating to "chase"
Reusable water balloons: After 4 years now of picking up tiny pieces of the OG water balloons, I was ecstatic to find these! They’re so easy to fill and great for fine and gross motor throwing skills
Silicone Bento boxes: we take these things EVERYWHERE in the warmer months for picnic lunches or zoo days and beyond! I love that once we’re done eating, I can stack them within one another to save space. Use code movement15 for a discount on this Mama-owned small biz
XL Tempera paints: We paint allllll of the things in the summer. This is my time to be a “messy mom” and not worry about it ruining my house. We love to paint our riding toys, play house, windows, and beyond. Then we enjoy using the hose or buckets + sponges to wash them off :)
Chalk: chalk drawing on the ground is perfect for encouraging deep squatting play, which is a strength-building motor milestone, as well as one that helps with babes who are toe walkers! The chunky shape is perfect for little hands just learning how to hold a writing utensil
Picnic/messy play/tummy time mat: We are obsessed with this mat but sadly it looks like they no longer make ours! Big enough for a family of four to eat on, perfect for messy play indoors or out, and it folds up so small! We keep this in our picnic basket or wagon for on-the-go waterproofing of any surface we need to sit on.
Links to even more of our favorite summer products can be found at my
Summer Baby + Toddler Essentials List HERE.
I'd love to hear your family favorites, too! I'm always looking for new and fun ways to play in the sun!
What are some of your favorite summer fun essentials?!
