The 10 Best Beach Toys For Kids
Special Honors
Pottery Barn Kids UFO Beach Ball This simple selection offers all the fun and versatility you'd expect from the classic inflatable sphere, but instead of featuring the traditional colored panels, this model is clear, and inside is an additional inflatable, one designed to look like an alien spacecraft. The result, if you get it aloft just right, is the appearance of a spaceship from another world hovering just above the waves. potterybarnkids.com
Magic Cabin Sand Digger For the serious castle builder in the family, there's this mechanical backhoe your kids can use to excavate large quantities of beachfront without putting forth too much effort. It's easy to assemble, and has a comfortable integrated seat that helps them use their body weight as a counterbalance as they develop gross hand-eye coordination. magiccabin.com
Editor's Notes
May 25, 2020:
Above all else, we want you and your kids to be as safe as possible when having fun on the beach, which is why we sent off the snorkeling set included on our previous list. Now, we're not averse to all aquatic activities here, but things like the Morey Mach 7 Bodyboard and the Churchill Makapuu Swimfins add buoyancy and control in the water, and are intended for activities that keep kids at the surface of the water where you can keep an eye on them. Snorkeling gear puts kids in a situation that's out of sight, unless you have gear of your own and can safely accompany them.
We wanted to add another physical option to the Discraft UltraStar already included, so we reached for the Nisha Paddle Smash Rackets. These can satisfy a competitive edge with just two players in a way that the frisbee can't, but they can also serve as a close-proximity friendly volley game over which you can converse and bond with your kids. And that bonding experience is extended in our selection of the Mint's Colorful Life Devil Fish, as kite flying can be one of the best ways to engage your children while they're still having fun.