Go outside: Cool stuff to entice your kid to get out of the house.
Written by Kathleen F. Miller
Mar 01, 2007
We've found some great toys and ideas to help your family have fun
outside all summer long. Many of our picks come from our outdoor-play
gurus: Sarah Furstenberg, mother and owner of Clover Toys, and Jude
LaRene, father and owner of Izilla Toys, both in Seattle. Toddlers to kindergarten
For kids on the move
Kettler Trikes($75 and up). These are super-stable, efficient and come with push bars
to give little ones a helping hand. LaRene is also a fan of Berlin
Flyer wagons. "These are all wood and built in the USA," he says. "They
have a special'no tip' steering system that really works."
RC2
makes a great little metal wheelbarrow ($35) for ages 3 and older. "Add
a little shovel, some dirt and a 3-year old and you get fun," says
LaRene. Its wooden handles are sturdy, and the rubber wheel is even
sturdier.
Fling and catch
Beamos($25) and Ultra Sky-0s ($15) are easy to throw and catch, and soft as well, for those times when you get hit by them. The Super High Bounce Pinky
($1). "The best ball ever. Honest. No childhood is complete without The
Super High Bounce Pinky," raves LaRene about this classic ball.
Get bugged
Furstenberg wants kids to go hunting -- for bugs. "Bug houses are great
for taking out to the woods or backyard and finding some interesting
specimens to observe and set free later," she says. Backyard
Explorations makes a large wood-and-screen Critter Cabin ($16) and a smaller Bug Bungalow
($5). For this entomology journey you will also need a magnifying glass
to see things up close ($13), and a compass ($9). From HABA.
Dress up
Kids love to dress up and play pretend games outdoors. Entire fairy outfits are available at Hush Baby in Redmond Town Center. Nostalgic Cloaks,
locally owned by moms Shanyn Emerson and Diana Callaway, makes
incredible, magical cloaks from toddler size ($25) to extra large
($55). To order, call 425-736-6227 or email
. A great boredom buster --
Giant bubble wands!
Bothell-based Majic Bubble Wandsells giant bubble wands in a set with a pan ($20). Kids will play with these for hours outside. www.bubblewand.com or 425-486-4884.
Elementary to middle school
For space cadets
LaRene recommends the Marky Sparky Blast Pad ($21). "This is an air-powered rocket launcher that everyone will love. The rockets absolutely soar." Furstenberg likes the Ultimate Star Finder($20), "a great tool for studying the stars." Camp outside
Furstenberg recommends Pacific PlayTents
for a great tent that's easy to put up and take down ($33). The quality
of the tent is good enough that it can be taken outside in the rain for
real campouts, but it's also small and easily stowed.
And for camping in the backyard, the Nite Ize Flash-Flights light-up flying disks ($12) are great, too. A "junior" size is softer and easier for little hands to catch.
Kids can stuff their gear into Glyph Guy backpacks
($35). "These are real daypacks designed for little hikers. All the
features an adult would want in a pack, but fit to a child," LaRene
says.
For budding naturalists,Flights
of Fancy
makes a portable sundial kit ($9); a lovely birdwatching kit with
binoculars, a specimen guide and a field journal ($22); and a tree
guide kit ($22) with three different types of tree seeds to plant, a
field guide, and a tangent tool to measure the heights of trees from a
distance.
Get hopping and tossing!
LaRene's must-have toy to get your kid moving is the MotoStick ($50-$180). He says, "This is the best pogo stick I've seen. It's super-strong, repairable and insanely fun." And he loves the Discraft UltraStar Flying disc ($10). "This is the one toy I always have near me."
Great books for outdoor activities
Furstenberg highly recommends The Field and Forest Handy Book
by D.C. Beard ($14.95). "Originally published in 1906, this is an
incredible book with directions for almost every type of outdoor
project you can think of," Furstenberg says. Bainbridge Island mom and
author Nancy Blakey also has written a wonderful series of books
containing great projects that can be done outdoors, including her Go Outside! An Activity Book for Outdoor Adventures ($14.95).
Kathleen F. Miller is a Sammamish-based freelance writer and mother of two.
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