29 Kid-Friendly Backyard Ideas on a Budget
Last Updated on Wednesday, January 3, 2024
If you feel like you’re going to lose your mind trying to keep your kids entertained and happy this summer, you’ve come to the right place. These kid-friendly backyard ideas on a budget will help you turn your own backyard into a place your kids will love to play in, without breaking the bank!
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Whether your kids get bored in the summer, or they like to play outside after school, these kid friendly backyard ideas on a budget will easily help you transform your backyard into a fun and inviting space your kids will love.
This collection features all kinds of kid-friendly yard ideas, from water play to sand play to games the whole family can play together, and more! You’ll find fun backyard ideas here for kids of all ages, from babies to teenagers.
Kid-Friendly Backyard Ideas on a Budget
Gone are the days of having to fish water balloon fragments out of the grass! These self-sealing reusable water balloons are made of silicone and can be refilled time and time again, making them an eco-friendly & sustainable choice for water balloon fun!
They’re super easy to use. You don’t even need to use a faucet or struggle to tie it shut like traditional water balloons.To fill them, simply submerge them in water and let go and they will seal themselves shut magnetically with water inside. Then, just pinch or throw them against something to pop them open and release the water. Each silicone water balloon is about 6 cm in diameter
The littlest ones don’t need to be left out of the backyard fun! This inflatable baby splash mat is recommended for babies age 6-18 months old.
This splash mat easily inflates and deflates and it is lightweight, making it super easy to transport so you can take it with you to the neighborhood barbecue or even the beach! The backrest is 9.8 inches tall and the mat has a diameter of 30 inches.
6. Little Tikes Spiralin’ Seas Waterpark Play Table
Pouring water into the funnel powers the water wheels and the spinner powers the lazy river. The character balls can also be used to squirt water. This table can hold 7 gallons of water.
An easy way to keep your kids cool and entertained in the backyard is with this spinning turtle sprinkler. Just attach it to your hose and the kids will have a blast while the lawn gets watered too (additional hose connector included).
It has an extra wide spraying range and can spray up to 8 feet high! The spinning back of the turtle and wiggle tubes create a playful effect and make it more fun than a traditional sprinkler. It’s great for children ages 3 and up.
This water rocket launcher is an exciting way for kids to have fun in the backyard. It does not require any tools or batteries. You just connect your garden hose to the water outlet and attach the rocket.
The water pressure determines the height of the rocket and water sprays from the rocket head as it soars and hangs through the air. It even comes with cartoon stickers so kids can personalize the rocket.
Believe it or not, the classic game of Twister was invented way back in 1966. Now there’s an outdoor water version of Twister as well, making it perfect for the backyard.
Just connect the game mat to a hose and it’ll fill up within a minute. Each spot on the Twister splash mat sprays water. Cover the spots with your hands and feet and water will shoot out of the others.
This game is great for people 6 years old and above and makes a fun and hilarious family activity as each player tries to remain standing while getting wet.
Bring the fun of the beach to your own backyard with this wooden sandbox with bench seats and canopy!
It has 2 benches that can accommodate up to 4 children or 2 adults. The benches fold flat to cover the sand and protect it from cats and other critters when not in use.
The retractable canopy is adjustable and water-resistant, helping to block harmful sun rays and rain and providing cool shade. The bottomless construction helps with drainage and allows for adjustment of sand depth (sand not included). OVERALL DIMENSIONS: 47.2″(L) x 47.2″(W) x 51.9″(H)
If you don’t have space for a large sandbox in the backyard, this portable indoor/outdoor sensory table with 2 compartments is perfect. It’s great for sand and water play and also has a dual-sided lid that can be used for building with Mega Blocks.
It comes with fun accessories for play, including a shovel, bucket, rake, boat, and sand mold that can be stored inside neatly after use. Table dimensions: 17.5” x 12.5” x 11”
Backyard Games and Sports
With a super easy setup and takedown, this is the perfect backyard game. Just lay out the jumbo 3ft x 3ft grid and toss the beanbag X’s and O’s for a game of tic tac toe that tests both skill and strategy. It comes with a heavy-duty bag for easy storage. You can also feel good about this purchase because SWOOC Games will plant a tree for every order placed!
Keep your kids entertained in the backyard for hours with this 3-in-1 pop-up game. It comes with a dinosaur-themed foldable cornhole board, a pop-up basketball game, a dartboard, 6 bean bags, 6 ocean balls & 6 sticky balls.
You can attach the dartboard to the cornhole board to play or hang it on the wall with the included hook. Have a blast competing in teams or playing alone to practice and develop skills. Perfect for birthday parties and neighborhood hangouts. It stores neatly in a small bag when you’re done.
You can attach the dartboard to the cornhole board to play or hang it on the wall with the included hook. Have a blast competing in teams or playing alone to practice and develop skills. Perfect for birthday parties and neighborhood hangouts. It stores neatly in a small bag when you’re done.
This kids’ golf set is designed for 3-6 years old children, and can be used in the backyard or indoors. It comes with a kid-friendly golf cart, 8 golf balls, 4 colorful golf clubs, 2 holes & bases, and a golf mat(120 x 33 x 0.2cm). This set is great for working on hand-eye coordination and skill while having fun.
If your child likes to play sports, this tee-ball and pitching machine set provides a great way to practice while having fun. It comes with an adjustable height tee-ball batting tee, an adjustable bat, 6 balls, and a pop-up pitching machine.
You can play with this set 2 ways: use the tee or the pitching machine to practice your swing. To use the machine, just load the balls into the feeder and step on the pedal to pop the ball into the air. Pop height can be adjusted
The adjustable tee-ball stand (17.3″ to 26.8″) and adjustable bat (13.2″ to 22.8″) make this set ideal for ages 3-5, 5-8 and 8-12.
This folding soccer goal and ball set is great for kids to practice and develop their soccer skills. It comes with 1 goal, 1 soccer ball, and 1 pump. The goal has quick fold joints that allow you to easily assemble and take it down in seconds and store it compactly. DIMENSIONS: 24″ X 16″ X 16″
17. Kid’s Flying Rings [2 Pack]
These flying rings are great for kids because they fly straight & don’t hurt! They’re 80% lighter than standard frisbees, making them easy for small children to handle. The design makes it possible to catch the rings with a wrist or even a foot. Great for the entire family to play! And they’re made in the USA. Not suitable for pets.
This is a great launch-n-catch game for the whole family to play together. It comes with 4 launchers and 6 balls. One player presses the trigger to launch the ball from their basket, and other players try to catch it in their baskets. This game is sure to get your kids active while they’re having fun.
Bring family game night to the backyard with this yard game set. It includes everything you need to play, including a collapsable bucket, 6 oversized wooden dice, 5 laminated scorecards, & a dry-erase marker.
Don’t worry about getting bored because this set includes over 20 games, including Yardzee, Farkle, Pig, and more. It’s weather and water-resistant so it’s perfect for the backyard. And as with the tic tac toe set above, SWOOC Games will plant a tree for every order placed, making this one of the kid friendly backyard ideas on a budget that you can feel great about!
Don’t worry about getting bored because this set includes over 20 games, including Yardzee, Farkle, Pig, and more. It’s weather and water-resistant so it’s perfect for the backyard. And as with the tic tac toe set above, SWOOC Games will plant a tree for every order placed, making this one of the kid friendly backyard ideas on a budget that you can feel great about!
It includes 50 game cards and a carrying case for easy transport. Perfect for ages 4 to 7. The key learning outcomes include the following: numbers and counting, color recognition and mixing, measurements & opposites, rhyming words, comparative adjectives, shapes & spatial relationships, and more!
What kid wouldn’t want to pretend to grill alongside Mom or Dad? This kids’ grill toy is a great way for kids to practice pretend play in the backyard. It makes sounds, has lights, and even makes “smoke” with a water vaporizer, which is not hot.
This toy grill also comes with toy food and cooking tools to make play even more realistic A great feature is that all of the contents can be stored neatly inside. It uses 3 AA batteries (not included)
This toy grill also comes with toy food and cooking tools to make play even more realistic A great feature is that all of the contents can be stored neatly inside. It uses 3 AA batteries (not included)
This awesome kids’ toy camping set comes with 30 camping accessories, including a play pop-up tent, magnifier, campfire with extendable stand, binoculars, sun hat, oil lamp, 2-in-1 pretend hatchet with knife, water bottle, cooking pan with pretend foods, pretend camping utensils, lunch box, and 3-in-1 emergency whistle with functions of flashlights and compass.
The tent can accommodate 1-2 toddlers while sitting. The campfire with an extendable stand and oil lantern can light up with 3 AAA batteries (not included). It also comes with a drawstring bag to store everything nicely
The tent can accommodate 1-2 toddlers while sitting. The campfire with an extendable stand and oil lantern can light up with 3 AAA batteries (not included). It also comes with a drawstring bag to store everything nicely
Another great way to keep kids engaged and help them learn in a fun way is through experiments. This outdoor science experiments book was written by a science teacher and includes more than 50 fun experiments that kids can do outside with basic items that you may already have around the house.
Every experiment in the book focuses on at least one aspect of STEAM, which stands for science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. The great part is that kids will interact with nature and also learn the real science behind every result with simple explanations. There are also tips for further exploration and interesting questions to think about.
These experiments are designed for kids to do all by themselves and are great for ages 5 to 10 (little ones may need a little help for some steps). This is a great way to help keep your children interested in learning over the summer!
Every experiment in the book focuses on at least one aspect of STEAM, which stands for science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. The great part is that kids will interact with nature and also learn the real science behind every result with simple explanations. There are also tips for further exploration and interesting questions to think about.
These experiments are designed for kids to do all by themselves and are great for ages 5 to 10 (little ones may need a little help for some steps). This is a great way to help keep your children interested in learning over the summer!
Kids’ Backyard Seating and Storage
When looking for kid-friendly backyard ideas on a budget, a backyard picnic table is a great option. It provides the perfect spot for kids to enjoy a snack, meal, or popsicle outdoors and under some shade. It also provides a great spot for outdoor crafts, coloring or even doing homework outside.
I love this kids’ picnic table because it folds up for compact storage and it wipes clean easily. It includes the umbrella, and it can accommodate multiple children (the maximum weight limit is 200 pounds per bench). Product Size: 42.00L x 38.00W x 19.75H-Inches.
I love this kids’ picnic table because it folds up for compact storage and it wipes clean easily. It includes the umbrella, and it can accommodate multiple children (the maximum weight limit is 200 pounds per bench). Product Size: 42.00L x 38.00W x 19.75H-Inches.
I hope you enjoyed this post all about kid-friendly backyard ideas on a budget!
