Backyard toys for kids for summer fun under $50

Turning a backyard into an appealing play spot  doesn't have to cost a lot.

“Everyone is feeling the money pinch these days but keeping your kids happy does not need to be expensive," says Laurie Schacht of Westbury, the Chief Toy Officer for The Toy Insider, a consumer guide for parents.

Many backyard toys involve water play — which has the added bonus of keeping kids cool on long, hot days. "Kids will spend hours at a water table," Schacht says. "What's better than water in the summertime?"

Here are suggestions for  outdoor fun that are all less than $50:

If your family loves to play Pie Face, Twister and Hungry, Hungry Hippos, you might want to try these new SPLASH outdoor versions of the classic Hasbro games. For Pie Face SPLASH, players connect the hose and turn on the water, spin the spinner, pump the handle and see if your turn ends with a soaking. For Hungry, Hungry Hippos SPLASH, race to feed your hippo the fastest. And for Twister SPLASH, fill the Twister pad with water and the colorful dots will spew. For ages 6 and older, $19.99 or $24.99 each from WowWee and Hasbro.

Föm Mania’s Quickshot Foam Blaster lets kids battle it out in the backyard with soapy, sudsy spray. It comes with foam concentrate and is powered by a pump and blast mechanism that doesn’t require batteries. Just aim and send foam over 10 feet. Föm Mania also offers a Fömalanche machine to generate piles of foam in minutes for an outdoor bubble-bath like world. Requires six “D” batteries. Both are for ages 5 and older. Foam Blasters are $12.99 each and the foam machine is $49.99 from Little Kids.

Water balloons are always a win, and the Bunch O Balloons Tropical Party lets kids fill and tie 100 balloons in a tropical range of colors. It includes three stems totaling 100 balloons; each stem fills its balloons simultaneously by connecting to a tap or hose. For ages 5 and older. $8.99 from Zuru.

The Crayola Paint Your Own Bean Bag Toss gives kids an art project and a game in one. Kids first paint the cornhole set with Crayola Tempera Paints and then play with the eight included bean bags. The washable paints can be wiped off with a wet towel or cloth and be painted again. Includes three 2-ounce bottles of paint and two paintbrushes. For age 5 and older. $29.99 from East Point Sports.

Balloobles are 15-inch inflatable combination balloon and bubble machines that blow continuous streams of bubbles. Choose from Bluey, Minnie, favorites from Paw Patrol or Spider-Man. The machine can be held by its handle or set on a tabletop. Requires 3 AA batteries. For ages 3 and older, $29.99 from Little Kids.

Send the kids out to explore the miniature world that exists in their backyards with the Geosafari Jr. Kidnoculars. These kid-sized binoculars are already focused and offer eyepieces three times the size of normal eyepieces to make them easy to use. The neck strap is a breakaway strap for safety. For ages 3 and older. $14.99 from Educational Insights.  

By Beth Whitehouse

beth.whitehouse@newsday.comBethWhitehouse1

Beth Whitehouse writes about families, parenting and great things to do with the kids on Long Island. She’s been a Newsday editor and shared a 1997 Newsday staff Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the crash of TWA Flight 800.