The short answer: you don't need a pool for a toddler to have a proper summer. A hose, a bucket, a patch of grass and a bit of shade cover it. Below are ten backyard water play ideas for toddlers — five that cost nothing and five that cost under $50 — with the age each one works for, and the sun and water-safety rules we'd actually follow.
We're in New Zealand. Labour Weekend is when the outdoor season starts here and in most of Australia it's already underway, so this is the list we send to customers who ask what to do with a hot, bored two-year-old at three in the afternoon.
The free ones
1. The pouring station
A bucket of water, three or four cups of different sizes, a funnel if you have one, and a low table or a step. That's it. A one-year-old will pour for twenty minutes; a three-year-old will start measuring. It's the single best value activity in this list. Ages 1+.
2. Painting the fence
A bucket of water and a real paintbrush. They "paint" the fence, the deck, the path, and it dries and they paint it again. Zero mess, weirdly absorbing, and good for the arm and shoulder muscles that later hold a pencil. Ages 2+.
3. Washing the toys
Every plastic animal, car and block into a tub of soapy water with an old dish brush. They're cleaning; you're getting the toys cleaned. Everyone wins. Ages 2+.
4. Ice-cube treasure
Freeze small toys or leaves in a tub of water overnight. Give them a cup of warm water and a spoon to get the treasure out. Slow, quiet, oddly scientific. Ages 3+.
5. The hose, on its own
Set it to a gentle spray, hand it over, stand back. A three-year-old with a hose and permission is a happy child. Ages 3+ (with a parent on the tap).
The under-$50 ones
6. A pop-up pool tent — shade and a puddle in one
$35.99
6 months to about 5Sold as a beach tent, but most of ours get used on the lawn: pop it open, scoop a shallow dip under the pool or prop the base, fill from the hose. UPF 50+ overhead, a few centimetres of water underneath, two toddlers inside.
See the pool tent"I got this for my twin toddlers and they love playing in it in our backyard! Perfect for hot summer days!"
7. A splash pad
from $39.99
Ages 1–8A mat that connects to the hose; water arcs up in a ring around the edge and the middle fills with a puddle. No pump, no inflating the base, folds to lunchbox size. Thick enough for the dog.
See the splash pad8. A sprinkler they're scared of, slightly
Inflatable T-Rex Sprinkler — $49.99. A 1.2 m dinosaur that sprays from the mouth. Three-year-olds find it thrilling; under-threes mostly watch from the tent. Ages 3+.
9. A rocket that runs on the hose
$34.99
Ages 4+Screws onto the hose; water pressure launches the rocket about 1.6 metres and it comes back down to be reloaded. Turn the tap down for a four-year-old, up for an eight-year-old.
See the rocket sprinkler10. Bubbles, industrially
Rocket Bubble Blaster — $34.99. Not water play exactly, but it's the thing that goes next to the splash pad and turns a backyard into a party. Sixty-nine holes, rechargeable. Ages 3+.
The rules we'd follow
- Arm's reach, always. A toddler can drown in a few centimetres of water. Whoever's supervising is within arm's reach the whole time, phone in pocket.
- Empty everything after. Buckets, the pool section of the tent, the tub. Tip it out the moment play is over.
- Shade first, then sunscreen. Cancer Council Australia's SunSmart advice is that "sun protection is recommended whenever UV levels reach 3 or higher" — which is all summer, all day, in most of Australia and New Zealand. Put the play in shade — the tent, a tree, a sail — and add the hat and sunscreen on top, not instead.
- Grass, not concrete. Wet concrete is a slip; wet grass is a soft landing.
- Check the water from the hose. A hose that's been lying in the sun delivers scalding water for the first ten seconds. Run it onto the lawn first.
Questions parents ask
What age can a baby do water play?
Sitting babies, from about six months, in a few centimetres of water with an adult holding on. The pool tent is built for exactly that stage: the pool is shallow by design, the shade is overhead, and the child sits rather than stands. Before six months, a warm bucket of water and a cup at bath time is water play enough. From about one, the pouring station and the splash pad take over, and by three most children want the hose.
How do I do water play in a small backyard or on a balcony?
The pouring station and painting-the-fence need about a square metre and a bucket — both work on a balcony or a courtyard, and the fence one works on any wall or door. The pool tent needs roughly the footprint of a single bed and a hose or a couple of buckets to fill it. The splash pad is the one that needs a real lawn, because the spray ring is a couple of metres across and the water has to go somewhere.
What's the best water toy for a 2-year-old?
A splash pad or the pool tent. Both work off the hose, both fold away, and both are still used at four. The tent wins for under-threes because the pool is shallow and the shade is built in; the splash pad wins if there are older siblings or a dog. The T-Rex and the rocket sprinkler are better from three and four respectively — a two-year-old finds them a bit much.
See everything on our Outdoor & Water Toys collection.
Source: Cancer Council Australia, Be SunSmart. Customer review reproduced from our product page with the customer's first name and initial. Prices in USD, correct at time of writing.
Little Cubs is a small family toy company based in New Zealand, shipping to Australia, New Zealand and the US.