The best backyard toys for summer all do one simple thing: they get kids outside and moving. Around Charlottesville, where the evenings stretch long and warm and every yard, driveway, and neighborhood park is fair game, a little outdoor gear goes a long way. We’ve rounded up 11 of our favorite backyard toys for summer — from whirling sprinklers and lawn games to sidewalk art and a go-anywhere first bike — to help your family swap screen time for sunshine. And once you’ve stocked the yard, our family events calendar is packed with even more ways to fill those long summer days.
Backyard Toys Built for Active Play
Giant Outdoor Spirograph
Turn the patio or sidewalk into one big chalk art studio. The oversized wheel-and-gear set lets kids crank out swirling, hypnotic spiral patterns with almost no effort, making it an easy way to keep young artists happily busy outside on a sunny afternoon. $24.99, ages 5+, amazon.com
Swimways Monster Jam Wild Whippin’ Sprinkler
Backyard water play gets a monster-truck makeover. This sprinkler spins a full 360 degrees, whipping water in every direction and drenching anyone brave enough to dash through it. When the splashing winds down, the truck lifts off the base and rolls around on its own working wheels for a second round of fun. $21.99, ages 4+, target.com
Candy Scented Swirl Hoop
Each hoop is scented with bubblegum and cotton candy, adding a delicious twist to classic hoop play. Fun for kids and parents. Comes in three sizes. $5, ages 3+, kess.com
Ice Cream Truck with Surf Shop
Bring sweet treats and splashy beach adventures to life. Featuring a retro design, this colorful truck is full of fun details. Kids can serve ice cream, then switch gears and rent surfboards or snorkels for seaside play. $59.99, ages 4+, playmobil.com
Cone Toss
A portablelawn gamedesigned for easy, social play. Perfect for casual hangs for kids and adults. Teams toss cones into the net to score points but stack a cone on an opponent’s cone and you steal their points. Everything packs into a compact carry case, making it perfect for the backyard, park or beach. $59.99, ages 8+, vangotoys.com
Giant Color Stack Challenge
Add to your backyard fun with this oversized, fast-paced puzzle. With 50 challenge cards, players race to buildcolor-coded towers against the clock, mixing active play with smart, STEM-style problem solving. $59.99, ages 8+, amazon.com
Koosh Bow Launcher
The lightweight bow is easy to hold and launch and the soft Koosh arrows are perfect for indoor or outdoor play. Simply loop, pull and launch to hit the included pop-out targets and rack up points. $19.99, ages 5+, target.com
On the Move
Priority Start 20”Bike
For kids who are ready to go farther and explore varied terrain. Designed with parents in mind, it features a smooth, low-maintenance ride. A lightweight aluminum frame, puncture-resistant tires, and kid-specific geometry ensure durability, safety and confidence. Designed to grow with your child. $399, ages 6+, prioritybicycles.com
If your child catches the riding bug, they’re in good company — plenty of local kids have made biking their thing. Read how Cville’s junior mountain bikers are building community on two wheels.
Imaginative and Sensory Play
Spring Play Kit Montessori Box
Designed to build imagination through exploration. Each activity supports key developmental skills, helping children build confidence, curiosity and independence through play. $75, ages 3+, goodevas.com
Puzzle and Play Set: My Little Plants
Get your planter pots ready with this adorable multi-sensory puzzleexperience for young toddlers. Based on Montessori’s peg puzzle principles, the 14-piece set includes planter pots, dirt fillers and plants. $39.99, ages 1.5 years+, ravensburger.us
Gabb Music
Enjoy summer tunes in the backyard or on a road trip safely withthismusic streaming library specifically designed for kids. Delivers millions of curated songs from every era and genre, without inappropriate lyrics, content, imagery, videos or mature themes, through preset channels or customizable playlists. $4.99-$10.99 / month, gabb.com
NAPPA Awards has been celebrating the best in family products for 36 years.
For more product reviews and gift ideas visit nappaawards.com
Elena is L.A. Parent’s Creative Director, overseeing content and design for our digital and print publications. She believes in the power of stories to inspire, to connect and to build community. She has her BA in Journalism from Cal State University, Northridge and her MBA from Pepperdine University. She’s a former soccer and softball mom, spent many years as a room mom and loves exploring LA with her family.
More Ways to Get Outside This Summer
Backyard toys are the perfect warm-up, but Charlottesville has a whole season of family fun waiting. When you’re ready to venture past the yard, we’ve got you covered:
- Check the Family Events Calendar → for festivals, free concerts, and things to do all summer long
- Find your new favorite spot in our guide to Charlottesville parks and playgrounds
- Hit the trail with our roundup of kid-friendly hikes near Charlottesville
Several of these picks are NAPPA Award winners — a program that has spent more than three decades highlighting the best products for kids and families.