Gift Guides

Best Toys for Summer Fun

By GToys Published

Best Toys for Summer Fun

Summer play looks fundamentally different from school-year play. Days are longer, outdoor access is unlimited, and kids need toys that match the energy and freedom of warm-weather months. The best summer toys get kids outside, encourage physical activity, and create the kind of memories that adults still talk about decades later.

Water Toys

Super Soaker XP100

Nerf’s Super Soaker line has dominated water warfare since Lonnie Johnson, a NASA engineer, invented the first pressurized water gun in 1989 while working on a heat pump prototype. The XP100 replicates the classic air-pressurized design: pump the handle to build pressure, squeeze the trigger for a powerful stream reaching 34 feet. It holds 26 ounces of water and costs about $15. For large-scale battles, equip every kid with one.

Bunch O Balloons

This system fills and ties 100 water balloons in 60 seconds using a garden hose adapter. Traditional water balloons take hours to fill and tie individually. Bunch O Balloons transformed water balloon fights from a tedious preparation chore into an instant activity. Three packs of 100 ($12) provide enough ammunition for an epic backyard battle. The self-sealing technology means no more frustrating tying.

Slip N Slide

The original Slip N Slide, marketed by Wham-O since 1961, is a 16-foot vinyl sheet with a water sprayer along one side. Kids run, dive, and slide across the wet surface. Modern versions include double lanes for racing and bumper walls. Set it up on a gentle downhill slope on soft grass for maximum slide distance. Always check for rocks and debris underneath the vinyl before first use to prevent injuries.

Backyard Games

Spikeball ($35)

Four players, two teams, one small trampoline net on the ground. Serve the ball onto the net, and the opposing team has three touches to return it. No boundaries — play moves 360 degrees around the net. Games are fast, physical, and genuinely addictive. Spikeball appeared on Shark Tank in 2015 when Daymond John invested $500,000, and has since become a staple at parks, beaches, and backyards nationwide.

KanJam ($40)

Two teams of two throw a frisbee at a garbage-can-sized goal. Teammates can deflect the disc into or onto the goal for points. An instant-win shot goes through the small slot in the front. The rules are simple enough for 8-year-olds but the gameplay is competitive enough for adult leagues. The set stores flat and sets up in 30 seconds.

Cornhole ($80-150)

The classic bean bag toss game is the most popular backyard game in America. Regulation boards are 2x4 feet with a 6-inch hole, placed 27 feet apart. Landing a bag on the board scores 1 point; sinking it through the hole scores 3. Games play to 21 using cancellation scoring. Quality wooden board sets last decades and become fixtures at family gatherings.

Beach and Pool Toys

Waboba Ball ($8-12)

This ball bounces on water. Throw it at a lake or pool surface and it skips and bounces like a stone. The Waboba Pro model bounces highest and farthest. It makes pool time interactive for older kids who have outgrown floating toys. Multiple colors available.

Create A Castle Sand Mold Kit ($30)

This split-mold system produces perfectly shaped towers and walls from damp sand. The two-piece molds separate cleanly, leaving detailed architecture that traditional pail-and-shovel methods cannot achieve. A complete set includes turrets, walls, stairs, and a drawbridge mold.

Active Yard Toys

Stomp Rocket Ultra ($22)

Air-powered foam rockets launched by stomping a bladder. The Ultra rockets reach 200 feet in open fields. No batteries, no fuel, just physics and leg power. Summer evenings with Stomp Rockets in the backyard are the kind of simple joy that defines childhood summers.

Razor A5 Lux Kick Scooter ($45)

Extra-large 200mm wheels handle sidewalk cracks and rough pavement that smaller wheels cannot navigate. The aluminum frame folds flat for car trunk transport. It supports riders up to 220 pounds, so parents can ride too. The adjustable handlebar height grows with the child.