Keeping the kids entertained throughout the summer can be challenging. Hearing ‘I’m bored’ for the hundredth time can send a momma over the edge. With four kids in the house, including two under 10, I am always looking for affordable toys and games to keep the kids entertained and off their screens. Over the years, I have discovered some great finds on Amazon, and this year’s Amazon Prime Day was no exception, as I was able to score a few more at great prices.
Here is the list of summer toys I’ve found on Amazon that are kid-tested and parent-approved! Every item on this list is approved by my children, including my two youngest, who have found great joy in all of these selections.
Aqua Hockey By Refresh Sports
My son received this Aqua Hockey set for his summer birthday this year. This set, which includes two floating soft sticks and two inflatable balls, is available for $24.99. The sticks have holes in the blade, allowing players to scoop the ball out of the water and shoot. Similar to a pickleball paddle, the sticks have short handles that are easy for kids to handle.
My eight-year-old son and his friends also enjoyed this game out of the water. Durable, easy-to-inflate balls come with a plastic straw, allowing them to be inflated in just a couple of breaths. I also like that any small plastic ball would work with this set, as one has already gone missing into the hedges. Great little set to gift someone with a pool.
Reusable Water Balloons By Soppycid
What kids don’t love a water balloon fight in the summer? Reusable balloons are environmentally friendly and way kinder on the lower back than picking up hundreds of pieces of latex balloons. These self-sealing balloons are easy to use and can be refilled multiple times. Other types of reusable balloons we have found are too hard when they hit the kids or leak before you get a chance to throw.
There are many different brands of this type of self-sealing balloon on Amazon; however, Soppycid claims to be ‘The World’s First’. Fifteen balloons with a mesh bag are around $20. We are on our second summer with our set, and they are still holding up perfectly.
Sunny Patch Bag Of Bugs By Melissa & Doug
Beloved American brand Melissa & Doug consistently hits a home run with their line of children’s toys for imaginative play. Bright and colourful, the ‘Bag of Bugs‘ is based on the characters of the Treehouse television show, Miss Spider’s Sunny Patch. The set comes with ten decent-sized creepy crawlers… ladybugs, beetles, ants, and grasshoppers. Aimed at preschoolers, this set can be used in the sandbox, in the pool, or just for imaginative play with a Melissa and Doug bug carrier and magnifying glass.
I purchased these years ago with my first child, along with several other Melissa and Doug outdoor play sets; they were always a favorite. They are currently available on Amazon for around $10. This sweet bag of bugs will make any child a lover of insects.
Hoverboard Go Kart Seat Attachment By Yabbay
If your child has a hoverboard or struggles with using it, our family loves this Go-Kart attachment. It makes maneuvering the hoverboard so much easier and safer. There are many brands on Amazon. We purchased one in Canada from a vendor named Yabbay, but I believe most are similar and attach universally to a standard children’s hoverboard.
My eight and 10-year-olds take their Go Karts to the park and tennis courts to race and have a blast. They are easy to control and quick on the pavement…put their bike helmets on. We found it super easy to put together and attach to our hoverboard. It also came with extra attachment straps, as they will wear out at some point. For driving on roads or sidewalks, you will want to attach the flag that is included to make the low go-kart visible to drivers. We choose just to keep them on the driveway or at the park…As I mentioned, they do zip! Prices range, but we purchased our second one this spring for $110.
Diving Gems by Sloosh
Large, multi-colored gems that sink to the bottom of the pool, allowing kids to practice their diving skills. There are so many different kinds of diving toys. I chose these because they also invite the spirit of imaginative play. The set comes with a pirate treasure chest to collect the gems in. Kids can pretend they are pirates or mermaids at sea as they collect their treasure, ultimately in or out of the pool. Diving competitions, scavenger hunts, hide and seek games, there are so many uses for this set.
This set by Sloosh comes with 16 gemstones and currently costs around $25.99. Other brands do offer the diving gems for cheaper, but may not include the treasure chest… which I think makes the set more adaptable for a range of games.
Adjust And Jam Basketball Net By Little Tikes
I think we’ve had one of these Little Tikes nets for each of our four children. The basketball hoop adjusts to six heights, ranging from 2 to 4 feet, and is recommended for children aged 2-5. This one, in particular, features an oversized rim and a junior-size basketball, and the base requires weighting with sand or water. You can’t go wrong with Little Tikes as a brand.
I have seen other makes of these types of nets, but none are as sturdy or durable. Basketball is an excellent sport for developing motor skills, coordination, and team sportsmanship. My kids have spent countless hours on the driveway shooting hoops over the years. Even as they get older, they love using this smaller net to slam dunk! These nets run around $40.
Paw Patrol Zoom-A-Rays By SwimWays
Marshall and Chase are on the case in their sleek racing boats. Preschoolers will love them in both the tub and the pool, and parents will love that they don’t require batteries. These boats self-propel upwards when they are pulled down into the water. On release, they soar up to the surface. I love that they not only don’t have batteries, but also don’t have a pull string that only works the first few days.
Working in the library with small kids, I see the Paw Patrol craze is still in full effect. The Paw Patrol Zoom-A-Rays by Swimway would make a super summer gift for a Paw Patrol fan. For the set of two, the price on Amazon was $15.
Ice Cream Treats Playset By Kinetic Sand
My kids love to play with Kinetic Sand…like slime, they say, ‘it’s so satisfying’. I admit it is very satisfying, but only when it stays off the kitchen floor. I chose this activity for my summer list of favorite toys because it can be taken outside! Let them make as much of a mess as they want. This ice cream playset comes with three colours of scented sand: chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. It includes a total of one pound of kinetic sand.
This playset has everything you need to create ice cream treats – a tray, a scoop, a sundae cup, a spoon, an ice cream cone, a waffle press, and six toppings. There is also a second kinetic sand ice cream play set, called ‘Soft Serve Station’. If you have a couple of kids, it may be nice to get the whole ice cream shop going. The Ice Cream Treats Playset is $15.
Stepping Stones Painting Kit By Dan & Darci
For the artsy kids, we have a Paint Your Own Stepping Stones Craft Kit by Dan & Darci. Geared for ages 6-10, this set comes with five different premade stepping stones. Kids have their choice between an emoji face, a turtle, a unicorn, a heart, and a traditional circle. The art kit is ready to go, complete with seven colors of non-toxic paints and paintbrushes.
Another great and simple activity for the cottage or a rainy day. We have made these stepping stones before, and the kids loved that it was a craft we could keep and even add to the garden decor (adding a weatherproof varnish on top is also a great idea if that’s your plan too!). Dan & Darci’s stepping stone kit on Amazon was listed at $30.
Collapsible Beach Pails By Joyin
Beach visits planned this summer? Trips to the beach are always at the top of my kids’ bucket list, pun intended. Joyin’s seven-piece sand pail set is convenient for packing, thanks to its collapsible design. The flexible plastic doesn’t crack like traditional plastic buckets. And after a day of castle building, rinse and collapse them to remove the access sand before bringing them back into the car.
Again, there are numerous brands on Amazon offering similar products. The Joyin set includes three 2.5-litre buckets, three shovels, and a mesh bag for carrying. It is priced at around $20.
Air Rocket Launcher By National Geographic
My 8-year-old received this Stomp Rocket by National Geographic for his birthday this year. Super easy to use and comes assembled and ready to go. It comes with two rockets that also light up or glow in the dark, depending on which set you choose. Perfect for late summer night play. Kids can easily use this toy on their own, load the rocket, and jump on the air pump to watch the rocket soar up to one hundred feet! The launcher can also be angled to shoot in various directions.
This set is a super fun STEM gift to give, promoting ‘collaboration, active play and education’. Also included in the box is an information booklet on rockets. The Stomp Rocket brand was deemed an award winner by the Toy Association. It retails on Amazon for $20.
Seek and Splash By Skillamatics
Educational and engaging, Seek and Splash by Skillamatics combines math and swimming skills. The game comes with 50 numbered gems and a deck of 35 waterproof cards on a ring. Players spread the gems around the pool and choose a number from the card ring. Swimmers must then find the sunken numbers that match the number on the ring, or see the numbers that add up to or multiply to achieve that number.
These different play options make this game suitable for all ages. I love when physical activity is combined with education! Seek and Splash is a great way to work on math skills over the summer without the kids even realizing they are learning. The game is currently available on Amazon for $18.
Stackable Garden By Cenove
My girls were gifted this sweet toy for a birthday when they were around 6 years old. They loved to build different gardens and practice their stacking skills, combining it with their fairies and princesses to make homes for their figures. The Stackable Garden by Cenove includes 130 pieces, making it possible to build numerous. The different components include the garden base, stems, leaves, flower petals, and pistils. Parents can jump on this opportunity to also teach kids the parts of a flower as they build and create.
Whimsical and durable, my kids played with this toy over and over again, stacking as high as they could, creating different color combinations, and building fairy hideaways.
Inflatable Receiver Touchdown Toss Game By GoSports
This was a lot of fun for the kids to use at a recent family gathering. It is a life-size inflatable football player with a mesh pocket. Kids can throw the lightweight footballs, aiming for the receiver’s target. The GoSports football inflatable is four feet tall. It needs both air in the upper chamber and water in the lower to weigh it down. The game is geared towards kids aged seven and up, but adults also enjoyed it. This would be a hit at a football-themed birthday party or Super Bowl party.
This set includes two footballs and a pump for inflating the footballs. I found they were the perfect size and weight for kids to handle. We have brought this game out several times for the kids, and it remains a hit. It is currently listed for $30 on Amazon.
Magnetic Fishing Pole By Cozybomb
As a child, I always loved playing the fish pond game at the local fair. My kids all had some version of a play fishing rod growing up, and they are still kicking around in the pool toy bin. This large fishing set by Cozybomb comes with 30 different sea creatures (squid, shark, starfish, eel, and coral) to catch or scoop. Each fish has a magnetic tip so kids can catch with the fishing pole tip. It comes with two poles that extend and collapse when stored.
The set also includes a mesh bag for drying and storage, as well as two fishing nets for catching those hard-to-catch fish. I think this fishing set is great for the bathtub, pool, or beach. It inspires imaginative play for preschoolers and school-aged kids alike. The Cozybomb set of 35 items retails on Amazon for $17.
Toss Across Game By Mattel
An oldie but a goodie, the ‘original tic tac toe game’, Toss Across is a classic. Using bean bags, kids take turns tossing at the large game board to try to complete a line of X’s or O’s. The weight of the bean bags causes the Xs and Os on the board to spin when they land. Cornhole meets your basic tic-tac-toe strategy. Mattel markets this game for ages five and up. It can be played with 2-4 players, making it a fun family game that can be enjoyed both indoors and outdoors. You can’t go wrong with Mattel toys and games when it comes to quality and durability.
I picked up Toss Across years ago, second-hand. I was happy to find it on Amazon this summer when I was compiling my list of favorite summer toys. It is currently on sale for $22.
There is still a lot of summer left, and the ‘dog days’ are just around the corner. Beat the ‘I’m bored’s by surfing Amazon for some of our favorite summer toys and games while many vendors are still offering their July Prime Day specials. If you have any summer birthday parties to attend, many of these items from our list are priced affordably for gift-giving.
If you’re looking for a kids’ water table this summer, consider our list of the 5 Best Water Tables for Kids. Keep cool and have a happy, fun summer.
