It is safe to say that it is finally feeling like summer here! The sun is shining, the garden is blooming and the garden furniture it out ready to soak up some sun and barbeques with family and friends.  In this month’s summer guide, we are sharing five fun toys for children to play in the garden while the adults enjoy a glass of gin and try that new recipe on the barbi.

We start off by sharing Peppa Pig Growing Pot Assortment to encourage little ones to plant and grow their own vegetables.  Next, New Sprouts^® Garden Fresh Salad Set from Learning Resources is also a great way to get children to learn about vegetables while you enjoy a nice cuppa coffee and watch them play. Dantoy Green Garden Breakfast For 2 is a fabulous set to help them learn about roleplay and get involved in making their breakfast while you prepare theirs in the kitchen. Super Wubble and Wacky Wubble Bubble Ball is great for older kids and adults to destress and bounce about in the garden. Finally, we share about Giant Pass the Pig which is another fun toy to play with the whole family either indoor or outdoor.

Peppa Pig Growing Pot Assortment

There’s nothing better than planting seeds with children and seeing the wonder and excitement on their faces as tiny shoots begin to grow. Not only that but being able to enjoy an activity together in the great outdoors works wonders for them and gardening is the perfect activity to enjoy as a family. Planting is also a great way to get kids interested in trying new foods especially if it’s something they’ve grown from scratch so we loved trying out the new Peppa Pig Growing Pot Assortment and had lots of fun cultivating our green fingers.

Brightly coloured and featuring some of our favourite characters from the TV series, these adorable pots help young budding gardeners learn about plants whilst the small characters and accessories allow lots of role-playing fun. All the Peppa Pots attach to each other too by clipping the fence from one set to the house of another to make a colourful Peppa Pig street. In the sets we were luckily gifted we were able to grow basil with Rebecca Rabbit and cress with Peppa Pig but the range also includes red amaranth seeds with the Suzy Sheep pot or pea shoots with the George set. The instructions are really easy to follow, so children beginning to read will enjoy having a go at following them and the accompanying pictures make it easy to follow for even younger gardeners. We loved digging in the soil to fill up the pots before sprinkling the little seeds and attaching the protective dome on top which acts as a glasshouse to help the shoots grow and we were surprised to see them begin to sprout in just a few days which definitely helped keep our 4-year-old interested in the process.

Priced at £7.99, we would definitely recommend the Peppa Pig Growing Pot Assortment to any parents with children under 5 who are looking for a nice gentle activity to do as a family this summer.

New Sprouts^® Garden Fresh Salad Set

Thank goodness BBQ season is finally in full swing, just in time for families to reunite! We eat so much salad in this house, especially at this time of year we should honestly consider an allotment! The Sprouts Garden Fresh Salad Set is the perfect gift to entertain the little ones and get them involved without dipping their sticky fingers into our salad bowls – win-win!

This brightly coloured plastic salad bowl set not only entertains our smalls, but it also makes them feel involved whilst preparing their own healthy salads. It also encourages healthy eating and sharing with multiple bowls included. Roleplay is a key part of learning and there is nothing more gorgeous than watching their little minds run wild with imaginative play. The tongs also help to develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

They come beautifully packaged and are easy to wipe clean which means they are great for indoor or outdoor use. We have added these to our mud kitchen so have created healthy salads to dirty mud pies!

The New Sprouts^® Garden Fresh Salad Set from Learning Resources is priced at £25 and will make a great gift for any child ranging from 18 months to 4-years-old, although I think these would still be great for older children’s playhouse as well.

Dantoy Green Garden Breakfast For 2

Love breakfast alfresco? Whether it’s the real deal or a bit of child role-play, the Dantoy Breakfast Time Set has everything you need for a yummy breakfast albeit make-believe.

This is the perfect little gift for those with imaginative minds. It encourages social skills and helps to promote interaction whether it be with us, adults or other children. A brilliant set to entertain your children whilst you entertain or to bring along to picnic play dates which we have done a lot of in the sun. The large set creates hours of play with endless creative play ideas.

The 29-piece set includes a teapot, with two cups and saucers along with plastic glasses for juice. A frying pan for the perfect eggs, sunny side up of course, two large bright tomato slices to complement the cheese and toast food options. Plates, cutlery and a spatula!

Made in Denmark from strong durable plastic it is easily wiped clean. Its neutral colours make the breakfast set suitable for both little boys and girls. The age states from 3 and up but my very almost 2 years has thoroughly enjoyed this set and it doesn’t contain any small pieces.

You can buy this garden breakfast set for £20.03 but please be aware that Amazon prices do change.

Super Wubble & Wacky Wubble Bubble Ball

The Blue Wacky Wubble is priced at £13.24 while the Pink Super Wubble Bubble Ball is priced at £13.95 from Amazon. Do check their website as prices change.

Giant Pass The Pig

If you’ve ever spent a rainy afternoon in a seaside caravan or stopped for a much-needed leg stretch and change of scenery in the middle of a 6-hour drive you’ll probably be well aware of the classic family favourite travel game Pass the Pigs. The original handbag-sized edition has been a favourite of ours for years so we absolutely love this supersized version and found it was anything but boar-ing!

If you aren’t familiar with the rules, it’s very simple to learn and very easy to play. Once you’ve inflated your two big pigs, use the scorecard to write the names of the players and then find a space – preferably with lots of room – in which to play the game. You then place one pig in each hand, holding them by the ears and swing them up into the air at the same time before releasing them to see how they land. Depending on how they fall determines how many, if any, points you achieve. The winner is the first to reach a predetermined number of points or the person with the highest points after a set number of rounds.

With its uncomplicated rules and numerous piggy poses, even the youngest members of the family can join in. Whether in the garden, beach or even inside, you’ll soon find you’ll be snorting with laughter at how competitive dad gets in his quest for the elusive leaning jowler – and if you don’t know what that means you definitely need to get your hands on this family-fun game which costs £14.99 here.

You may also want to read this:

Review: Home Learning Games from Learning Resources

Children’s Toy Review: Smart Toss Early Skills Activity Set

Children’s Book Review: UEFA EURO 2020 Activity & Handbook

* We were sent these toys in return for a review. All opinions are our own.