Toys for 3 yr old to play outside

[ExcitedMamma]

My poor DS has never been able to play outside until now because our yard was very unsafe but its now renovated and ready for him. But poor guy doesn't know how to play outside! He asks to go in right away. He plays very independently inside though so what toys do I need for outside play?

[brittone2]

Do you have space for a sandbox? We've had our sandbox for 7+ years, and all 3 kids have used it. My 8.5 yo only uses it to play with DS2 sometimes, but up until 1-2 years ago he was still using it fairly often.

Do you have a yard big enough for stomp rockets?

IS your kid into collecting or artwork? Leaf identification books, a nature sketchbook and pencils, etc. could be fun to work on together. You might have to model it. Bird feeder with ID book for your area is fun too. DS1 really enjoyed this at that age.

Put masking tape around his wrist like a bracelet, sticky side out, and encourage him to make a nature bracelet by sticking stuff to it.

Press leaves together this fall.

Make a fairy garden together

Wiffle ball set and a tee if you have space

Sidewalk chalk, bubbles, etc.

eta: looking outside at my kids right now: child sized wheelbarrow and rakes, small shovel/garden tools, watering can (when it is warmer), etc. My kids have really enjoyed using those "kid sized tools" through the years. Montessori catalogs have good ideas for those items, but I think we purchased ours at a small local hardware store at the time.

Is there room for a small swing set or a single freestanding swing anywhere?

[LMPC]

tball set
balance bike (yeah, DD rides hers in the back yard at times)
chalk
stomp rockets

[Smillow]

My DS loves sand and rocks. Trucks to move the sand, scoops, sieves. We just keep a big pile of play sand on our porch. Hours of fun!

[AlbrightRC]

Rocks, sticks and dirt

[joonbug]

Agree totally! We have a sand/water table, playhouse, slide. The stuff she plays with is pinecones, leaves, grass and sticks. It is too cute, she takes two sticks and role play LOL.

[Jai]

My son loves to play with his sand and water table (we use it only for water in the warmer months), sidewalk chalk, toy lawn mower and t-ball set. Currently, he loves pushing around his large Tonka dump truck. He also plays with a large crane and some other type of truck, but pushing the dump truck is his current favorite outside activity.

[mik8]

My DD absolutely loved the sandbox (with shovels and buckets) and sand/water table at that age.

[KrisM]

Agree with the sandbox. Mine is still in use often by DS1, who is 8.5. He was 3 when we built it and it has been great.

And,
Stomp Rockets
swings
Cozy Coupe
soccer ball
t-ball

[WatchingThemGrow]

Ok, wait, he's 2.5, not yet 3, right? I kept trying to compute his b'day since my 3 year old was born the previous year... Things that have kept him busy outside have been a cozy coupe, a playset with a slide, a John Deere tractor, balls, a shovel and rubber mulch, a wheel barrow, trucks, and a sand/water table.