The Best Water Toys for Toddlers, According to a Mom Whose Kids Love Splishin’ and Splashin’

With more than 7,000 five star reviews and an average 4.6 out of 5-star rating on Amazon, one thing's for sure: Parents love the Little Tikes water table.

The table has multiple activities aimed at honing toddlers' "put-and-take" skills, like dropping balls down a spiral and turning a Ferris wheel to scoop and drop off balls. It also naturally provides toddlers with plenty of opportunities for pouring, scooping and squirting. Since it's designed for kids ages 2 and up, you'll likely get a few years of use out of it. During the colder months, parents can bring the water table inside and fill it with rice or kinetic sand to entend the fun. 

Parents complain that assembling the table from the box is a little annoying and that all of its nooks and crannies make it challenging to clean. But the consensus seems to be that the big-time entertainment factor is more than worth it.

Weight: 10 pounds

Dimensions: 29 x 29 x 31.5

Capacity: 7 gallons of water

Age range: 2 and up

With a slide, water sprayer, and ball-and-ring toss game, this fun inflatable pool is essentially an amusement park. The various activities ensure children will be entertained for hours, while the two sections provide more room for more children. The pool sections — one small pool for up to two children and a larger pool that can hold four children — can also be useful in trying to separate kids of different ages so as not to interfere with one another’s play. 

Parents praise the pool for the hours of fun it provides, as well as the extra padding that keeps kids from feeling the ground beneath them. 

What they don’t love: the assembly. Multiple parents noted that it was a time-consuming setup, as they needed to inflate over 10 different compartments. To add to the difficulty, the pool does not come with any type of pump, so you will have to purchase one separately. 

Weight: 17.17 pounds

Dimensions: 117 x 76 x 53 inches 

Wading pool capacity: 46 gallons

Main pool capacity: 54 gallons

Weight limit: 178 pounds

Age range: 2 and older

Running through the sprinkler on a hot day is never not fun, but it's even better with Melissa and Doug’s mini garden sprinkler attachment, which squirts water from pretty flower petals. 

The sprinkler attachment is easy to use — just hook it onto your hose and turn on the water. "It is lightweight but stayed in place with our heavy kink hose,” one parent said. “With the water barely turned on, it went very high.” 

Once your toddler gets tuckered out from running through the water, you can use it for other things. "I set it up on our cement patio and turn on the water so that the water pressure is fairly low. The kids love to fill containers with water and then pour them out on the ground or into other containers (or on each other!). They will do this for long periods of time," wrote another parent. Another mom turned it into a hummingbird birdbath for her kids to bird-watch.

Because of its size and ease of use, this is the perfect water toy to bring on vacation or to a friend’s house. 

Weight: 1.1 pounds

Dimensions: 7 x 6 x 8 inches

Keep your kids busy with the Intex Action Sports Play Center. A top pick for siblings (mine included), this toy is big enough for group play (cue the giggles and screams) and comes with every sport accessory imaginable to support different activities such as baseball, volleyball and soccer. 

It also boasts the capacity of holding up to 124 gallons of water, which means multiple kids can cool off while they simultaneously score goals or tee up for batting practice. Bonus: you can remove the accessories altogether and tap this as a shallow, inflatable pool. Or, when outdoor play is no longer an option, simply fill this with plastic balls and use it as a ball pit indoors. 

Constructed with a durable vinyl that shouldn’t tear easily, even when playtime (inevitably) gets a little rougher, you can count on this one lasting season after season. There is also an easy-to-use drain hole for quick cleanup, and the lightweight and foldable design makes for simple storage.

When the temperature spikes, your child will love playing in SplashEZ’s sprinkler-splash pad combo. The perimeter is peppered with water jets that aren’t too powerful for little ones, so toddlers and babies can get in on the fun, with adult supervision. It’s all powered by your garden hose — all you have to do is fasten the connecting piece. The cute design on this splash pad is a selling point, too. It’s educational, complete with ABCs and animals throughout. 

Just make sure to let the splash pad dry thoroughly before folding it up and stashing it — these kinds of toys can easily grow mold if stored in the wrong condition. 

Weight: 1.2 pounds

Dimensions: 60 x 60 x 4 inches

Age range: 1 year and up

Older toddlers will love watching water (or sand) move through Melissa and Doug’s sifting tower. Made of sturdy-yet-lightweight plastic, the tower’s colorful sea creature theme will capture and keep your toddler’s attention. What parents particularly love is that the tower is small enough to be packed in a beach bag, but also light enough that your toddler can carry it themselves. The latter is made even easier thanks to an attached handle, though some parents note it’s a little flimsy. 

"I wanted something my 3-year-old would love while at the beach. Well, this was it,” One enthusiastic parent wrote. “It is very durable. Plus, it has enough working parts to be entertaining for dirt, sand, water and mud!"

Weight: 1.3 pounds

Dimensions: 14.75 x 6.75 x 6.375 inches

Age range: 2 and up

The Monobeach Pop-Up Pool is perfect for beach days with toddlers who are still too young for the ocean (or perhaps a bit weary of the crashing waves). I’ve been relying on it as a safe spot for my girls to cool down for the past three years. 

Not only is it durable (it’s held up on windy days in addition to consistent use), but it’s also super lightweight (just a pound!) and packs up nice and small to fit in most tote bags. Setup is also a breeze — as you unfold it, it just pops open. I typically dig a hole in the sand, lay it on top, and then fill it with water; the flexible material creates a beachfront swimming pool for your little one that you can adjust the depth of simply by creating a shallower or deeper hole. It’s not hard to fill, but it can be time-consuming. You can use one of your child’s buckets or the blanket’s carrying case to fill and dump water in. 

But what I love most of all about this portable pool is the built-in UPF 50 shade that keeps your child sheltered from harmful UV rays while they splash around. 

Do note: this is specifically marketed for children up to the age of 3. That said, my oldest also likes using it as a little pool for her toys now that she can no longer fit inside it. And while I’ve exclusively used it in the sand, you could use it as a shaded mat in the grass.

These foam water soakers are perfect for the little ones who need to burn off some extra energy, and have the dexterity to use independently. They come in a pack of six, so the whole family can join in on the fun (including teens and adults!), but they’re also a great addition to a party or other get-together. 

These weigh less than a pound each and are very easy to fill up. They also float in the water, making them ideal for the pool as well. Needless to say, I have my eye on them for this summer. 

Perfect for the pool, beach and even the tub, KarberDark's fishing set is sure to keep your child entertained for hours. The set includes three squirt toys and two strain-and-scoop toys, both of which can help kids develop their fine motor skills. Children will also receive a net and fishing rod, the latter of which some parents note is a little flimsy. 

Parents add this this a great toy for the price, and one that is easy to clean. Part of that is due to the included mesh bag that allows you to organize toys when not in use. 

"What I love about this particular set is that it comes with a mesh bag so that you can pick up the toys once their bath is over and you can hang it on a hook or your shower caddy and they dry on their own," one parent wrote. 

Weight: 7 ounces

Dimensions: 10 x 7.99 x 2.6 inches

Age range: 2 and up

The Step2 Car Wash Splash Centerhas plenty of activities to keep kids busy. Little ones will have a pouring water through the top tray, packing toys into the "trunk" and "hood,” splashing around and, above all, mimicking a trip to the car wash. (FYI: The driver’s seat can hold up to 50 pounds). The multiple modes of play, as well as the size, make this a great choice for group play. 

And parents will appreciate that the durable plastic material is easy to clean (and the car itself is easy to assemble). I’ve owned multiple Step2 products and, despite daily outdoor use, none have faded or broken.

Nearly 9,000 five-star reviews reveal that toddlers love this simple water toy set. Your little one can scoop and pour water into five colorful plastic pipes, which suction right onto the bathtub wall and can be configured in endless different ways. Not to mention they’re BPA- and PVC-free. 

Tots as young as 1 will delight in learning about cause and effect as they watch the water swoosh through the pipes. As they get older, kids will get a kick out of rearranging the pipes in different combinations.

You, of course, will love that the pipe set is inexpensive and requires virtually zero assembly or setup. Some parents found that the pipes started to harbor mold after a few months but noted that they were easy to clean with a toothbrush.

Pipe Dimensions:  5 x 2.25 x 2.25 inches 

Age range: 1 and up

I recommend the Cute Stone Color Changing Sink to every parent whose toddler is obsessed with running water. Once you fill the sink with water and turn the faucet on, the water actually cycles through like a real sink. Not to mention it comes with cups, plates and utensils, so your kids can pretend they’re washing dishes. There’s even a drying rack!

Another fun element: The pieces change color under warm water!

I’ve used this with both of my daughters for years, and it is surprisingly durable for something so inexpensive. You do need to be sure to empty and wash it out often — it can harbor mold — but otherwise it’s easy to use. My kids play with it outside and inside, all year long.

These Skip Hop Stack & Pour Bucketsare proof that simple can be fun. The five buckets can be used in so many different ways; both of my kids have used them in the bath, at the beach and in the pool. They are stackable and lightweight, making them both portable and easy to store, with little handles that kids love to hold onto. 

The cute animal designs are extra fun and adorable as well. Another fun feature: each of these have a slightly different bottom, which allows kids to drain each in a different way. I’ve found these to be really durable as well — they were used by us for years, barely faded, and rarely felt slimy.

When looking for a pool float, you want something that’s fun, but also safe and comfortable. The Little Tikes Cozy Coupe float checks all those boxes: it has a seat to secure toddlers, a built-in shade to keep the sun off their faces, and fun features like a working horn to keep kids entertained. 

This raft is easy to inflate and deflate as needed. It’s made of a heavy-duty plastic material that should hold up to 250 pounds, with two handles for safety. While this does have a higher weight capacity, note that it’s best for toddlers up to 3 years old, and may be a little small for older kiddos. 

My kids love Glo Pals — and I’ve found each one we own has lasted for years and barely looks used. So when I came across this new, ocean-themed pack, I had to have it.  

This one in particular comes with three toddler-friendly tools — an expandable strainer, tongs and a three-in-one scooper, each designed to look like a different sea animal. Though we’ve mostly used them in the bath or with a sensory bin, I’m tempted to take them to the beach this summer.