Outdoor toys - a guide for parents and their children

Marrying, building a family and buying a house together – many people wish for that. But as soon as the children are born and you have a house and a garden, you need a possibility to occupy your children when you are not able to go to the playground. Your children are always talking about the playing equipment from kindergarten or school? Just get it for your home! DeubaXXL has listed the best tips for you:

• What kinds of outdoor toys are there?
• What do you have to take heed of when buying garden play equipment?
• Which play equipment is suitable for outside?
• Which outdoor toys are suitable for a small garden?
• What material should garden toys be made of?
• Who can build the play equipment up?

What kinds of outdoor toys are there?

Not every playing equipment is convenient for children and suitable for the outside. These are the best toys for children, that are also suitable for your garden:

• Swings
• Slides
• Trampolines
• Play houses
• Play towers 
• Climbing walls
• Sand boxes
• Basketball hoops
• Skateboards & longboards
• Scooters & children´s wheels

What do you have to take heed of when buying garden play equipment?

When buying an outdoor toy you should take heed of the factors:

• Your children’s age: Are your children old enough for the toy you are planning on buying? Young children prefer sandboxes, while schoolchildren think this is boring – they prefer climbing towers or trampolines.
• What are your expectations on the play equipment? Is it reasonable to buy this exact toy? What could the child expect?
• Reaction of the child: If you are planning to invest in bigger play equipment, such as a trampoline or a swing, you should firstly let your child try this play out on the playground or at a friend’s and take heed of the wish of your child when buying it.
• Regard your circumstances: Is there enough space for the planned outdoor toy? Is the area safe and suitable for building the equipment up?
• Plan your budget: Determine a budget that sets your maximum investment.
• Safety & quality: Of course, it is important to consider the quality when buying your play equipment. To guarantee a sufficient safety, you should pay attention that the play equipment is TÜV-checked after EN-standards 1176-1 to 7. These standards regulate the technical safety requirements on play equipment, as well as their checks, inspection and maintenance.

Therefore to sum up, you should take heed of the wishes of your child, the quality of the toys, as well as the given circumstances. Let your child decide too. Even the greatest play equipment does not bring joy, if your child does not like it.

Our tip: Firstly buy an expandable basic model. With that you can save money and time when building it up. If your children like it, you can always extent it to your wish.

Did you know? Swinging is a tradition that has been existing for centuries. Artists already discovered swings for themselves in the 18th century. There are also pictures from the 1960s that show couples on Hollywood swings. And in India even their god Krishna swung.

Which play equipment is suitable for outside?

The following toys are suitable for your garden:

• Swing frames
• Climbing frames
• Trampolines
• Garden seesaws
• Water slides
• Sand boxes

Outdoor play equipment is not suitable for every place. There are various aspects of safety, which determine the location of the playing equipment. Very important is the soil condition. On one hand, the location of the toy should not be too sandy, so that the stability will not be risked. On the other hand, the soil should not be too stony, because then there is a higher risk of injury for the playing children. The ideal soil should be slightly soft and even.

If you live in a rented accommodation, you should talk to your lessor before buying and setting up the play equipment in your garden. If you are the owner, you still should consider aspects like keeping the needed distances from your neighbours.

Did you know? Outdoor toys like sandboxes can be provided with sun protectors to offer the optimal UV protection to your children.

Which outdoor toys are suitable for a small garden?

There are also suitable kinds of playing equipment for garden owners with only little space. Therefore you have smaller swing frames with only one swing, rockers with only one seat or trampolines with a little diameter, so that you can still offer play and fun to your children, even with a small garden.

What material should garden toys be made of?

When buying play equipment, take heed of the material. Especially recommended is wood. Wood types, such as pine or spruce, have an excellent load capacity and relatively low prices. When using these outside, you should take care of them by adding wood oil or glaze. In addition to that, steel constructions are pretty suitable as a massive frame for outdoor toys. Combinations of metal, plastic and steel springs can be good options when buying a trampoline.

Who can build the play equipment up?

In general, all parents that have slight manual skills can build the toys in just a few steps.

Step 1: Check, that the scope of delivery is complete and that you are having the needed screws and nuts ready.

Step 2: Get the needed tools.

Step 3: As already described above, you should take heed of your soil conditions. Therefore take the needed information from the manual of the manufacturer. A lot of play equipment has to be anchored into a concrete foundation. The surface must not be too hard or too soft.

Step 4: Follow the instructions by the manufacturer.

Step 5: Check the stability outside before letting your children use the playing equipment.

Buying outdoor toys

If you stick to our tips, there should not be a problem with getting new outdoor toys. Choose the ideal variant with your child and bring joy to young and old. Order now online from a great variety of high-quality products at DeubaXXL.