Great fun in the garden
Published
It’s time to get outdoors and enjoy the sunshine. Our top garden toy picks will be equally popular in the garden, park or playground.
Smart Sizzling BBQ Grill
LeapFrog
£49.99
2+
From Argos, Amazon, Smyths
Watch your children become little masterchefs with this interactive BBQ Grill which includes cooking accessories and a ‘light-up’ grill. Children can set different grilling temperatures, hear fun cooking sounds or jam along to the music and sing-along songs. The grill even knows if the heat is too high and asks to have the dial turned to a lower number.
Press the fun ‘ignition’ button for grilling suggestions, melodies and sound effects – and listen carefully to the safety messages! Great for teaching two-to-five year olds food names, numbers and colours and encouraging social play, it comes with eight items of food, including BBQ favourites – aubergine, steak, prawns, corn on the cob, mushrooms and peppers.
Visit www.leapfrog.com
Party Camera and Ladybird Binoculars
Le Toy Van
£14.95 each
3+
Perfect for observing and exploring in the garden and beyond, these fun ladybird binoculars and party camera are perfect for aspiring young photographers and adventure-seekers to take a look at the world in a different way.
The toy camera features four camera settings, a rotating lens with moving kaleidoscope and a push down button to ' take’ imaginary photographs. Featuring bright water-based painted colours, it is made from natural rubber-wood. A useful carry strap for portable play adds to the fun.
Made from solid smooth rubber wood, finished in bright water based colours with a ladybird motif, the pretend play binoculars feature two spinning kaleidoscope lenses.
Visit letoyvan.com
Toy Picnic Set
Great Little Trading Co
£38
3+
This appealing wooden toy is perfect for pretend play. Some of the play food has Velcro pieces to 'cut' and share and the pretty basket is a handy storage solution for all those foody accessories. It works brilliantly with the tepee – see below.
Visit www.gltc.co.uk
Woodland Play Teepee
Great Little Trading Co
£80
3+
Make your own den, indoors or out, with this pretty play tent which has its own detachable, washable base. It’s made from sturdy 100 per cent cotton canvas, with tent poles in plastic coated metal. The four-sided, square shape sits neatly in bedrooms or play areas and it's simple to put up, move around or pack away. A window with a flap adds extra play fun.
Visit www.gltc.co.uk
The Pirate Den Kit
Muddy Puddles
£40
3+
Yo ho me hearties! Have some great adventures and learn new outdoor skills with this colourful and durable kit. It includes a yellow haversack bag with a useful shoulder strap for easy carrying, a shipshape cotton calico tarpaulin, a durable, waterproof groundsheet, a pirate bunting, an eye patch, a wooden mallet, a rope, six tent pegs, a 10 peg bag and instructions.
Beach Basics Backpack
Hape
£23.15
18 months+
This practical and hardwearing seven-piece set is just as much at home in the garden or playground as at the beach. It’s perfect for kids who love to dig deep and get creative with water and sand. It includes a bucket, a shovel and a sieve, along with a watering can, rake, fish mold and an eye-catching backpack with seaside landscape to hold it all, so nothing gets lost. All you need is sand and water, and it’s just the job for budding gardeners too.
