What outdoor toys do your kids like?

January 13, 2010 3:45 PM

Scooters, skateboards, tricycles... what else could we be playing with?

My kids and I spend a lot of time playing in our driveway, rain or shine. Any suggestions for good active toys?

Already covered:
scooters
skateboard
bike
tricycle
pogo stick
can stilts
mini-trampoline
bouncy ball
Rody horse

What else could we be riding, pushing, wheeling, peddling? One kid is almost four years old, the other is seven.

posted by The corpse in the library to sports, hobbies, & recreation (18 answers total)

Spring board?
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 3:50 PM on January 13, 2010

Rollerskates and/or inline skates? I used to rollerskate around in circles and do basic turns for hours when I was little.
posted by sueinnyc at 3:52 PM on January 13, 2010

Roller blades or roller skates, for the older one at least. Also wheelbarrow rides (takes two people and a wheelbarrow). I spent many a childhood afternoon playing with those in my driveway.
posted by shelleycat at 3:53 PM on January 13, 2010

Plasma Car. My kids LOVE them. And adults can even ride them!
posted by Sassyfras at 3:55 PM on January 13, 2010 [2 favorites]

What about an old school red wagon ?
posted by lobstah at 4:10 PM on January 13, 2010 [2 favorites]

A Soap Box Derby Car? Relive the magic!
posted by Nanukthedog at 4:17 PM on January 13, 2010 [1 favorite]

Another thing I used for hours on end as a child: a Tennis Trainer. It sounds and looks a bit ridiculous, but I really enjoyed it. Your seven-year-old might too.
posted by sueinnyc at 4:23 PM on January 13, 2010

Instead of getting more stuff to ride/bounce/roll, why don't you get some things to use with that other stuff. Build some very small ramps ( I'm thinking 3-4 inches off the ground), get some little traffic cones and make your own obstacle courses. Sidewalk chalk also helps with drawing lanes.
posted by TooFewShoes at 4:26 PM on January 13, 2010 [2 favorites]

When I said ramps, I mean the kind that go up one side and down the other, more like a speed bump. Not the kind that would allow the kids to actually 'get air'.
posted by TooFewShoes at 4:38 PM on January 13, 2010

It seems like you could be playing with active toys that aren't centered around locomotion. Basketball hoop, this type of scoop ball game, wiffle ball and bat, plain old playground ball, etc.
posted by drlith at 5:12 PM on January 13, 2010

Fun roller. Hop ball. Exercise ball. Also, a scooter like this + a rope to pull each other.
posted by oceano at 5:17 PM on January 13, 2010

Not exactly what you asked for, but what about reasons to jump around not requiring locomotion? Hopscotch, jump rope?
posted by desuetude at 5:23 PM on January 13, 2010

must... get... plasma....car. BEST TOY EVER
posted by Redhush at 6:05 PM on January 13, 2010

When I was a kid, it was all about the skipping ropes and the street hockey.
posted by emeiji at 6:22 PM on January 13, 2010

Yes to roller skates. Also hula-hoops, hoppity-hops, and jump ropes. We also had a Wiggle Wagon, which is no longer manufactured but is very similar to a Flying Turtle. When we got too old and impatient to do the wiggling part, we would kneel on it with one knee and push with the other leg like a scooter.
posted by oneirodynia at 6:59 PM on January 13, 2010

Unicycle!

Builds balance skills, confidence, and yearning to run off and join the circus.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 7:26 PM on January 13, 2010

Most kids I know age 6 and over either have or want a Ripstik. I'm quite tempted myself.
posted by tracicle at 10:22 PM on January 13, 2010

When I was a kid I had a Kettcar similar to this one (PDF). Your four-year-old might be old enough to ride it around (the seat adjusts easily) and the seven-year-old would be racing down the street and popping wheelies with the handbrake like I did at that age. It was a ton of fun.
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 9:36 AM on January 14, 2010