The short answer: a Christmas present for a toddler in Australia or New Zealand has one job — keep them busy until February. That means backyard, beach and water first, then something for the car, then something for the long hot afternoons inside. Below is what we'd buy for a 1-, 2- or 3-year-old this summer, with prices and the reason each one earns its place.
Every Christmas gift guide on the internet is written for snow. Ours isn't. We're in New Zealand, most of our customers are in Australia and NZ, and the pool tent that's our best seller gets used on grass far more than on sand. This is the summer list.
For the backyard and the beach
$35.99
6 months to about 5A UPF 50+ pop-up tent with a shallow paddling pool built into the floor. Fill it from the hose on the lawn or dig a hollow at the beach. Fits two toddlers up to about three. The most-bought thing we sell.
See the pool tent"I got this pool tent for my grandson and he absolutely loves it! The quality is great and it came within a week. He uses it so much we had to get another one to keep at our place for when he comes over!"
from $39.99
Ages 1–8Hose-fed sprinkler mat in three sizes, thick enough that the dog can use it too. No pump, no inflating the base, folds to the size of a lunchbox.
See the splash pad
$34.99
Ages 3+Sixty-nine holes, rechargeable, lights. The Christmas-morning one for a three-year-old: switch it on and the whole backyard fills. Toddlers chase; the older cousins operate it.
See the bubble blasterAnd for the three-year-old who wants to be slightly scared: the Inflatable T-Rex Sprinkler ($49.99) — a 1.2 m dinosaur that sprays from the mouth. Younger ones mostly watch from the tent, which is exactly why the three-year-olds love it.
For the car and the bach
Summer means driving. These are the ones that live in the back seat.
$22.99
About 18 months to 4Slide a card in, it says the word, then makes the sound. Quiet enough for the car, self-contained enough that a two-year-old runs it alone. Our pick for the drive up north.
See the flash cards- Soft Play Barn — $29.99. A fabric farm that folds flat. Goes anywhere, survives being sat on. Ages 1–4.
- Wooden Tic Tac Toe — $24.99. Chunky pieces, a board you can play on a picnic blanket. From three.
For the hot afternoon indoors
There's always a stretch between two and four o'clock when it's too hot to be out. These are for that.
- Happy Puzzles 6-Pack — $29.99. Six chunky first jigsaws for a 2-year-old. They'll master one a week.
- Geometric Eggs — $24.99. Shape-matching eggs. Open, check, close, again — the loop a one- or two-year-old wants.
- Dinosaur Puzzles — $34.99. Six wooden dinosaurs for the three-year-old who says "roar".
- Baby Soft Crinkle Book — $14.99. For the one who's not a toddler yet. Chewable, washable, and the first book they'll handle themselves.
The keepsake
$39.99
Ages 1+Their name in chunky lift-out wooden letters with gears and a shape sorter around it, and a free message engraved on the back. The present that's still on the shelf at eighteen.
Personalise oneThe name puzzle is cut to order. Order by mid-November for Christmas; the pool tent sells out most Decembers, so early December at the latest for that.
By age, at a glance
| Age | Outdoor | Car | Inside |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pool Tent | Crinkle Book | Geometric Eggs |
| 2 | Splash Pad | Talking Flash Cards | Happy Puzzles |
| 3 | Bubble Blaster | Tic Tac Toe | Dinosaur Puzzles |
The sun, honestly
Cancer Council Australia's SunSmart guidance is that "sun protection is recommended whenever UV levels reach 3 or higher" — which, across most of Australia and New Zealand, is every daylight hour of summer. A UPF 50+ tent is shade you can carry; it is not a reason to skip the hat and the sunscreen, and it's not supervision. Whoever's watching stays within arm's reach whenever there's water in the pool.
Questions parents ask
What's the best Christmas present for a toddler in summer?
Something for water. A pool tent or a splash pad gets used every hot day from Boxing Day to the end of February, which no indoor toy can claim. Between the two, the tent suits the under-threes because the pool is shallow and the shade is built in; the splash pad suits families with a mix of ages, and the dog. If the child is already three, the bubble blaster is the one they'll want to operate themselves. Whatever you choose, the thing that makes a summer present work is that it comes out every day rather than once — so pick the one that suits your yard, not the one with the biggest box.
Is a pop-up tent safe on the beach?
The fabric is UPF 50+ and it comes with pegs that hold in a sea breeze; face the open side away from the sun so the shade covers the pool. It gives shade, not supervision — a toddler can get into trouble in a few centimetres of water, so an adult stays within arm's reach the whole time there's water in it, and the pool section gets tipped out the moment play is over. On sand, dig a shallow hollow under the pool for depth; on grass, prop the base. Rinse the sand off the fabric before folding and it lasts seasons.
What do you get a toddler who's going to be at the bach all January?
The car list above, plus the bubble blaster. The test is: does it pack flat, and does it need a power point? The flash cards, the soft barn and the tic-tac-toe pass both. The pool tent folds into its own bag and needs a hose or a bucket; the bubble blaster charges over USB before you leave and runs for the afternoon. What you don't want is the big-box present that lives in the boot because it doesn't fit through the bach door.
When do I need to order?
By mid-November for the name puzzle, because it's cut to your child's name and takes about a fortnight longer than a stock item. By early December for everything else. The pool tent and the splash pad sell through most Decembers once the first hot weekend hits, and there's no restock before Christmas.
See everything on our Outdoor & Water Toys collection, or shop by age: 1 year olds, 2 year olds, 3 year olds.
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.