Celebrating the start of summer with Little Tikes outdoor toys

Before we left London for the school holiday I remember checking the forecast for snow, feeling worried about a potential new day of wintery temperatures affecting air traffic. And what I hadn’t expected was returning to a London in bloom with temperature in the high 20s.

Last week, every day seemed to be a perfect day for water play and cycling, and the invitation to a Little Tikes press event in Hyde Park couldn’t have come at a better time. We turned up in summer clothes at the Hyde Park Lookout Saturday morning with change in the bag and ready to get wet.

For those who wanted to try out the new Fun Zone toys by Little Tikes there were plenty of opportunities to do just that. The Fun Zone Drop Zone (£119.99) seemed like a mini version of a water park attraction. It had a little inflatable pool and a splash bucket overhead. For an even bigger garden water play installation, there’s a new Fun Zone Tumblin’ Tower (£279.99) with a little slide, a splash cannon, an interactive climber and more.

The best part, however, is probably that these toys are not only to be used in the garden on hot days. Younger children might also enjoy using the Fun Zone toys indoors with the plastic balls that come with the sets.

On Saturday we also tried out a range of other Little Tikes outdoor toys, such as the several types of water tables, and I adore the Anchors Away Pirate Ship (£79.99) water play set. The pirate-themed table comes with two little characters to move around in the water and a shark that can squirt water. I like that the table was easy to play with for several children at the time, and it has fun features like a spinner to make currents and cannons to squirt water.

In addition to the excitement of playing with water on a warm day, driving around in the sturdy Little Tikes Cozy Coupes never seems to fail keeping us entertained outdoors. We’ve previously reviewed a classic Little Tikes Cozy Coupe (£59.99), which I think is a great toy for both boys and girls and one that can easily be used inside and outside. At the event, we also loved seeing and trying the Princess Horse & Carriage (£109.99), which I think is incredibly sweet.

Another favourite was the pretend barbecue set Sizzle & Serve Grill (£24.99) for grilling hot dogs and hamburgers, and Daddy T fancied having a Little Tikes picnic table in the garden after seeing how well it worked for anything from arts and crafts activities to lunch breaks for kids.

We also tried several Little Tikes slides on Saturday, including the Little Tikes First Slide (£29.99) which I decided to buy for our own garden a few years back.

I’m always looking for ways to get us outdoors and make the most of the garden with toys that the children enjoy. Bring on summer!

Tags: Barbecue, Event, Hyde Park, Little Tikes, Pretend play, Ride-on toys, Slide, Summer, Water play