15 Outdoor Water Toys Under $30 to Keep Kids Cool

Unlike us, our children demand a little more than a garden hose and a few popsicles for hydration and entertainment. Whether you’re at home trying to work while watching a bunch of kids this summer (like me!) or just want to provide them with some fun memories amid the latest heat wave, picking up some good water toys can make all the difference. 

Even better? If they’re easy on the budget. Here are my family’s favorite outdoor water toys under $30 each, from a $12 floating basketball hoop for the pool and reusable water balloons to a backyard splash pad. These options can help keep the kids cool and far from bored, even on those dog days before school starts. (Meanwhile, if you want to make a bigger investment, I can’t say enough about backyard inflatable water slides.)

Little Tikes First Sink

You can find a lot of play sinks on Amazon, but the continuous-running electric “faucets” stop working almost immediately on many of them. This Little Tikes option seems to be the better bet because it has a push pump, meaning the water will flow only when your child operates the pump. This might take a little more work, but it also means the toy will last longer, and they’ll get more enjoyment out of it. 

Joyin Unicorn Float

Moving on to the world of pool entertainment, if you have any unicorn lovers in the house, this sparkly and glittery unicorn float will definitely be a hit. We own this very float for our pool, and I can confirm that all five of my kids—my son included—have enjoyed using it. At 69 inches long by x 29.5 inches wide, it’s a decent size for only $19, and I love that it has handles on each side of the unicorn’s head so my preschooler can feel more comfortable using it. 

Banzai Triple Racer Slide

This triple-lane slip-and-slide is one of my favorite summer birthday gifts to give because it’s pretty affordable and can fit up to three kids sliding side-by-side. We have owned this version, among many others. I recommend setting it up on a slight hill and keeping in mind the fun will get a bit chaotic and very, very grassy. 

Growsland Splash Pad

This splash pad is on sale for $23 (marked down from $40) and is shopper-preferred primarily because it’s so easy to set up. All you need to do is hook up the splash pad directly to a garden hose. The water flows through the edges of the splash pad to “inflate” it and sprays water out through the sides. You can also control the height and intensity of the water sprayers by turning your water pressure up or down, which is nice if you have younger kids playing on the splash pad. 

SplashEZ 3-in-1 Splash Pad

Another Amazon favorite, the SplashEZ is currently 50% off and has an impressive 18,000 five-star ratings on the site. “I don’t think I can recommend this enough!!” gushed one shopper. “I thought I was just buying a sprinkler pad, but it’s also a little pool!” The splash pad is circular with a 60-inch diameter, with the fountain sprays coming from the sides toward the middle. Like the other splash pad, you just hook it up to the hose with no need for separate inflation to get the sides to their 4-inch height.

Chuchik Water Sprinkler

It’s not summer without playing in a sprinkler, and this little turtle-shaped device would make the cutest addition to your kid’s outdoor playtime. The reviews mention it’s best for kids ages 2 and up because the colorful sprayers can create a lot of water pressure and will blast randomly across the yard, and that unpredictability is part of what keeps kids entertained. “[My son] ran around the yard for over an hour the first time we hooked it up. Used all summer with no issues, [even with] him moving it around,” wrote one Amazon shopper. 

Intex Sunset Glow Baby Pool

If you have a baby or toddler and want a simple, small pool to keep them occupied, the Intex comes highly rated and has toddler-friendly features like high walls (better to keep them from climbing), a comfy bottom, and even a repair kit. Some parents also mention how helpful it is to cart this pool to the beach on family trips, so big kids can splash in the waves while little ones can stick to the beach. 

CozyBomb Magnetic Fishing Pool Toys

No need to hook a slimy worm on a rod with this fishing set, thank goodness. Add this pack of 30 floating fishes, complete with magnetic fishing rods and nets, to your kids’ water table, pool, bathtub, or even a bucket of water for easy summer fun. All of my kids have always loved any toy that lets them fish, and as someone who doesn’t love worms, I love that this is a way to make it easier for me too. 

Billeeit Water Skipping Balls

We have owned a pool at our house for over seven years now, and while I have purchased a lot of different toys to go with it, the one my children have played with the most has always been a simple water ball. They’re cheap, they last, and they’re the star of endless games, like monkey in the middle, toss-and-jump, and even solo play. You can also take this option to the beach or lake and “skip” the balls like you would rocks. 

Zuru Robo Alive Robo Fish

My son had a shark version of the Robo Alive pets, and terrorizing us all with it made him downright gleeful. This robotic fish is a much friendlier version. Having attempted to own several real fish with my kids, I can attest the battery-powered version is much easier to take care of. Reviews say the batteries may need to be replaced after a few weeks, but the good news is the fish will still float, even with batteries. 

Matty’s Toy Stop Sand Sifter Sieves

By far, sand sieves are my kids’ favorite toy to take to the beach. They will spend hours looking for shells and sifting the sand underwater. So I picked up more sieves to keep in our sandboxes, encouraged my kids to use swimsuits and the garden hose in the sand, and may have suggested there could be hidden treasure in there too. (Plastic gems are also super cheap on Amazon.) As to whether I’m a genius or a mean mom, I’ll let you be the judge of that. 

DilaBee Spray Bottles

Last week, I had my kids’ cousins over for a playdate, which meant I had a total of nine kids playing outside. The trio of three youngest girls got in their swimsuits, and I filled up some cheap, empty spray bottles with water for them. They had an absolute blast spraying each other—and me, of course—all afternoon. I was amazed at how easy it was, and the bottles seemed to work a lot better for little hands than larger water blasters. 

Max Liquidator Water Blaster Set

While those spray bottles worked for the littles, older kids ages 6 and up may prefer these best-selling water blasters that spray up to 30 feet. Rather than guns, the blasters resemble pool noodles. They can float in the water and can be used in or out of the pool. “Surprisingly good quality,” said one Amazon shopper. “They all work and shoot water very far. Easy to pull water into them; all of my kids have no trouble doing it on their own. Would definitely buy again!”

Intex Floating Inflatable Pool Hoop & Basketball

I’ve been pleasantly surprised by this inexpensive floating basket hoop. We have had some trouble with it on windy days, but it’s been durable even after flying out of the pool a few times. My only recommendation is to use other balls, not what’s included, because the inflatable ones don’t stay put and are hard to shoot into the hoop accurately since they’re so light. 

15-Pack Soppycid Reusable Water Balloons

All kids love a good water balloon fight, but no one loves the waste or clean-up of traditional water balloons. Reusable water balloons are a nice alternative, since they use magnetic closure to seal, allowing them to be reused over and over. This batch offered the most affordable, highest-rated, and largest number of balloons (15) I could find—because the key to a good water balloon fight is equipping yourself with plenty of balloons right off the bat. Just a warning: Because these use small magnets, and they can break, we do not recommend using them with small children around.

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