We recently moved to a house, where Emme is free to run, jump and play in the yard (well, she's got the playing part down, but since she just started walking the running and jumping are still around the corner;)). So, with the addition of a yard, came the addition of a whole new venue to fill with fun, entertaining and totally obnoxious looking toys! If it's loud, colorful (preferably pink), large and Emme and I will LOVE it! When Nana helped us move, we made a trip to Target for "necessities" and, thanks to Nana, came home with some "necessities" for our new backyard!
The clear favorite is the Sand & Water Table. We are holding off on putting any actual sand in this thing until Emme is out of the pick-it-up-and-taste-it phase, but it's providing hours of enjoyment with a little water fresh from the hose (also courtesy of Nana:)). Emme toddlers over to the windows in our bedroom's french doors each morning to pear out at the vast expanse (from her perspective) that is her new playground and makes a bee-line for the Sand & Water Table as soon as I will consent to opening up those doors. She'll play in that water rain or shine no matter how cold the water turns and loves to get soaked. It affords me the luxury of sitting down and looking at magazines and catalogs....something I've longed for the chance to do again since Emme's birth. So, what baby doesn't love to play in the water, making a perfectly clean mess and what Mama doesn't love the excuse to sit on the porch or patio "supervising" the baby while she plays? For lots of selection in Sand & Water tables, click here. You'll see lots of cool options, like included toys, funnels and water wheels, covers and umbrellas!
I've learned quickly, that kids from about 12 months on, are often huge fans of tents and tunnels. Emme is no exception, so we've outfitted the backyard with a matching tent and tunnel from the This fabulous tent also functions as a "playhouse" and was a big hit last Friday, when Emme's friend, Anabelle came over to play. It comes in a pink nylon bag for storing and as soon as I pulled it out of the bag (dreading the assembly that might be required), it popped up and was ready for action! Can't complain about that...no baby tugging at your leg, climbing over the top of the tent and box and you while you break out into a sweat trying to read the directions in Swedish and search frantically for a Phillips screwdriver! Nope, my make-up staying tact and I didn't need to refrain from the use of foul language:) Just another reason to love this tent and love seeing my baby getting into the swing of summer! Target actually has quite the collection of play tents to choose from. The little farm house and cottage styles are so cute! Click here to view them all...
Now, when it comes time to pick up a baby pool these days there are endless options, too. If you've got a "real" pool or are going on vacation, you'll want to pick up one of the new styles of pool floaties for the little ones. Baby Pool Floaties have come a long way and are so darn cute with their little sunshades and these like frogs and flowers. I am a fan of the line of Inflatable Pools and waterslides for babies and big kids from Banzai. Our friends had this little Banzai Baby Pool at their daughter's 2nd birthday party last year and the kids had a ball!
The last thing that I think I might need before the summer really heats up is one of these Outdoor Infant to Toddler Swings. I've seen them hanging on patios and porches and even from trees, but, like many other moms and dads, I am a little concerned as to how sturdy it will be. They do look like tons of fun and as much as Emme likes to swing, I know she'd get a lot of use out of it. Not to mention that most of these types of swings are under $20, so with most "swing sets" looming well above the $400 mark, it's one a great summer bargain! I like this swing from Fisher-Price...
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