25 Outdoor Activities and Games for Kids & Families

AmandaHill — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 23:00:00 GMT

If you don't live near the beach or a pool, sometimse finding outdoor activities that are fun for both kids and the family is difficult. I don't know about you, but our household gets a little cranky if we spend too much time indoors when the sun is shining. However, we don't have a pool and are hours away from the beach. So we improvise. This exciting list contains 25 different activities, products and games that can provide hours of outdoor fun for both kids and the family.

Click behind the fold to check it out!

This fun set is the Coleman Kids Explorer belt.It's a great item for your little explorer with a gloves, a water bottle, a safe shovel and much more. The handy belt also makes it easy to keep up with. This could keep your little explorer busy for quite sometime. Check it out at Amazon.

Even more fun is the Eezy Peezy Monkey Bars set. Back in my day, we called this a Jungle Gym. Having your own backyard Jungle Gym would be quite the outdoor activity. I'd probably climb on it myself if we had one. Click on over to Amazon to check it out.

Pictured above is an Alex Mini Golf set, yet another outdoor activity. Multiple children can play, and it helps with hand-eye coordination and movement. My daughter has a set and loves it. Check it out at Amazon.

The Backyard Soccer Set is fun for the family. Even the smallest of children could practice kicking or rolling the ball into the net, or it provide hours of family fun. Click here to find out more.

So the Rody Rocking Horses seen above mimic the rocking toys of the classic playground. Outdoor fun? I think so. Click here to find out more!

The Kettler Digger is a large ride on toy for kids to use to dig in the dirt or sand. If you're sensitive about your yard, it may not be the toy for your tot, but if not, I see endless outdoor hours spent digging around. Click over to Amazon to check it out.

This 8-handle Play Chute is great for both large and small numbers of children. They can take turns running under it and calling others to run to a certain color on the chute. Check it.

I'll be the first to admit that I've never played croquet, but I hear it's a blast. I mean, it was considered entertainment back before the television came out of the closet. Family croquet would be so fun during the warm weather. Check it on Amazon.

You say Teeter! I say Totter! Teeter! Totter! Teeter! Totter! Is this beauty not self-explanatory? I would have slayed dragons for a teeter-totter during outside play when I was a kid. Target has this one, which is awesome!

Ring Toss, the game seen above, is like a safe version of Horse Shoes for kids. You aim for the pole like in Horse Shoes, but with Ring Toss you don't have to worry about flying pieces of metal striking your kids in the head. That's a bonus, if you ask me. Click on over to Amazon to check it out.

Sack Racing is a fun outdoor activity for all ages. This cute Sack Racing set is available on Amazon. However, you could always hunt down a few Burlap sacks and try it the old fashioned way.

Moon Shoes are like wearing tiny trampolines on your feet. These are made for kids both small and large. They attach them to their shoes and start hopping away. They help develop balance and provide an anti-gravity effect. Check them out.

This might look like a tiny house, but it is actually the Backyard Cottage Playhouse from Toys'r'us. It would be a great addition to any backyard. I wouldn't mind having it for myself.

What is this, you ask? Why, it's Mookie Swingball; a fun game available from Toys'r'Us. It's a swingball set with a tethered tennis ball. It could be fun for one or more. Although I will admit that I would probably accidentally get hit in the face if I played with it.

What could be more outdoor fun than playing post office? It's a favorite game at our house and being able to take it outside makes the idea extra fun. The mailbox pictured above is the Step 2 Mailbox available at Wal-Mart.

The See Me Tee Pee would provide many an outdoor adventure. The bonus? You could also carry it inside when it gets chilly. Click on over to Amazon to further examine.

Blongo is all the rage these days. It could be great for a family game, a summer lawn party and you can even pack it up in the fall for tailgating entertainment. The set pictured above is from Toys'R'Us.

The Little Tikes Auto Pitch is a fun little machine to help your youngster have fun and start a little early on America's favorite past time. (No, I don't mean the internet). It's a batting trainer with all of the bells and whistles. A push of the foot switch gets the machine going. Check this one out at Toys'R'Us.

What's an outdoor activities list without a swing set? The one seen above is suitable for many children in any age range. However, it does pack the swank. It's available from Toys'R'Us. They also feature many affordable sets that are equally enticing.

My First Trampoline is a safe version of a trampoline for your tiny tot. It is sure to provide outdoor fun. The enclosure and foam padded poles are for extra protection. Check it out.

Tug-o-war can be a fun outdoor activity for both children and adults. The best part is that the ropes come in many sizes and styles according to the ages that will be playing. Amazon has a plethora of perfect ropes. Check out the one featured above. It's just right for younger children.

The Builder's Bay Sand & Water table is perfect for keeping younger ones content in the outdoors. It comes with semi trucks, bridges and ocean containers. Also, there is room for cars, digging and lots of play. This table is available from Amazon.

Relaxation outdoors is always great. This hammock is the Colorful Kids Hammock, which is perfect for the typical lazy afternoons that warm weather can bring. Check it out at Koo Koo Bear Kids.

The Jumbo Beach Ball by US Games, seen above, speaks for itself. It is 8' tall and wide. That's 8' of fun for the whole family. The ball weighs around 15 lbs and would be a great for a family push ball race and could even help with team building activities. Check it!

Last, but not least, on the list is the Banzai Sidewinder Inflatable Waterslide. The outdoor fun this could bring speaks for itself. It comes with an air blow motor to keep the slide active while it is being used. Click over to Amazon to check out more about it. If this slide isn't quite your fit, they have tons of others.

In the Nursery: Modern Crib Set at Walmart

elizabeth leach — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 14:00:00 GMT

Save money and live better! This pillow belongs to a very cool crib set (photo is below). With a simple, modern design that is both sweet and modern, the crib set is right up my alley! (Photos of the entire set and more accessories after the jump.)

The crib set photo (above) is too small to see the bumper so I'm showing you the valance (below photo) which has the same brown and white boxes that frame the bumper.

Purchase the four piece crib set for $56.88. The valance is $9, diaper stacker is $7, ceiling light is $10 (above photo), blanket is $8 and pillow (first photo) is $6. Find the Sumersault's Lollylane Modern 4-Piece Crib Bedding Set at Walmart.

Guide to Tonight's Star Wars Midnight-Madness Sales

Aaron Burgess — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:27:00 GMT

You won't need to travel to a galaxy far, far away (groan), but you may need to sacrifice some precious sleep tonight if you want to be among the first in line to snag Hasbro's spankin'-new toys from the upcoming animated flick and eventual Cartoon Network series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Heck, keep the kids awake and make a party of it -- you can sleep in while they play tomorrow.

If money's no object and collector fever has you in its death grip, you're in luck, because depending on which major retailer you hit tonight, there are multiple exclusive items to be claimed in addition to the action figures, vehicles, battle packs and other doo-dads, such as exclusive first-day-of-issue foil packages. (Oh, the nerdiness...)

Here we've got a complete roundup -- courtesy of the droolworthy Star Wars: The Clone Wars Official Hasbro Handbook (cover pictured above), available for download at starwars.hasbro.com:

Toys"R"Us: Select stores nationwide will open at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, July 26, with exclusive Star Wars: The Clone Wars products (including the STAP Attack Battle Pack and T.I.E. Fighter with T.I.E. Pilot Figure), giveaways, and special midnight-madness items. In Toys"R"Us' case, said item is an exclusive General Grievous figure that comes free with any action-figure or role-play purchase of $30 and above (one per customer while supplies last).

Wal-Mart: Head to your nearest 24-hour Super Center starting 12:01 a.m. on July 26 for exclusive items such as the Clone Trooper 501st Legion Join-Up Figure, the Lando Calrissian & Stormtrooper Comic 2-Pack, and the blue version of the Clone Trooper Voice Changer Helmet.

Target: Get your sleep and hit up Target stores the morning of July 26 for more exclusives, in this case the Yoda & Coruscant Guard Battle Pack, the Commander Fox Figure, and the red version of the Clone Trooper Voice Changer Helmet.

Hasbro notes that not all of these exclusives may be available on July 26, so if you get to the endcap and can't find that TIE Fighter you had your heart set on, keep checking back. The movie opens Aug. 15, and we're guessing these are just the beginning of the toy tie-ins.

droolicious : walmart

25 Outdoor Activities and Games for Kids & Families

In the Nursery: Modern Crib Set at Walmart

Guide to Tonight's Star Wars Midnight-Madness Sales