With families spending more time at home than ever this summer, it helps to have toys to keep them entertained.
When the sun comes out kids love nothing more than playing in the garden, especially when it's warm enough to get the water guns out too.
So after taking a look at the best trampolines and playhouses available, we've been having a gander at garden toys for kids of all ages - and there are plenty of them to choose from.
Here's our pick of some of the best garden toys around this summer, with something for every budget.
The Entertainer
No summer is complete without time spent in - and in and out - of a paddling pool.
If you want a decent sized pool you can all take a dip in, but one which won't take too many gallons to fill, then it's worth splashing out on The Entertainer's Early Learning Centre Tropical Family Pool, £39.99.
It's 1.83m by just over 3m, so plenty of room for adults and older kids to stretch their legs and littles ones will love the seaside creatures adorning the sides.
And for even more water fun then kids will be whizzing through the garden on the H2OGO! 18-Foot Water Slide. At £13 it's cheaper than similar products on the market and does the same job.
A speed ramp at one end creates a soft landing and the garden hose attaches to it to keep the water sprinkling out of the side.
Kids are always looking for something new to play with and the Wubble Bubble is a hit with families this summer.
It comes with its own pump and inflates to 90cm. Squishy, soft yet super strong, it's like a bubble that can't be popped.
It comes in pink and blue and there are two sizes, with the larger one reduced to £19.20 and the smaller one down to £10.40.
Little Tikes
Having celebrated its 50th birthday last year, Little Tikes toys have entertained generations of children.
It sells everything from swings and slides, to sand and water tables and ride-ons like its Cozy Coupe Classic, from £45.
Aimed at little ones from 18 months to five years, it's got a removable floor, a working horn and even its own ignition switch. And its front wheels spin 360 degrees for easy steering.
It's available on the Little Tikes website and also from Amazon, Argos, Smyths and Asda.
One of the newest products from Little Tikes is its Magic Flower Water Table, £69.99.
Little ones can use the watering can to pour water into the tree and watch the 'flowers' bloom.
The water table comes with lots of creatures and accessories, including turtles, frogs and a swimming fish.
It's available from Little Tikes, as well as Argos, Very and Asda.
Wicked Mania
There's even more mega balls to bounce with from Wicked Mania.
The retailer has upped the ante of bouncy balls with its Mega Bounce XL Giant Inflatable Ball, £20.
Stretching to a whopping 2.5m you'll be amazed by its size and it can bounce on almost any terrain - even grass and sand.
It comes in blue or red and despite its mammoth size, it's easy to throw and catch.
If you want something a bit smaller, you can get the Mega Bounce Junior for £10.
For something a bit more energetic, they've got jump ropes too - the Mega Jump Single Jump Rope for £8, or the Mega Jump Double Dutch Jump Rope, £10, ideal for multiple skippers and double dutch play.
Thanks to the specially designed rope release mechanism, it's easy to adjust the length to suit each person too. Just take of the cap, remove the clip and cut the rope to size, it's that simple.
And for indoor or outdoor play, the Booma Boomerang, £6, is a proving a big hit.
Made of soft, safe foam, so it won't cause any damage, when thrown as instructed, it will fly 4-6 metres and return to the spot.
WickedMania offers free next working day delivery on orders over £20.
Mookie Toys
You might not have heard of Mookie Toys but you'll certainly be aware of some of their brands and products - like the old favourite Swingball, which has been entertaining famiies for generations.
Mookie's outdoor toy brand TP Toys sells everything from trampolines and climbing frames, to playhouses, trikes, swings, mud kitchens and more.
The Classic All Surface Swingball, £29.99, is one of its most popular items and comes with a real tennis ball, two championship bats, a base and a height adjustable pole.
Thanks to the all surface base, which can be filled with sand or water, you can play anywhere on any surface and it converts to become a handy carry case to pack everything away making it easy to take wherever you go.
For the ultimate in outdoor play, you can't beat a mud kitchen.
The two-station wooden TP Junior Chef Wooden Mud Kitchen, £99.99, is packed with activity play for little ones.
There are four hobs, an oven with a door, a splash tub and storage shelves. There’s also a big blackboard space to record their favourite recipes and it comes with a stainless-steel utensil set to help create those mud pies.
Wilko
We all know kids bounce off each other and they can do exactly that with these fun Inflatable Body Bumpers from Wilko.
From the Sun Club range and costing £15 for the pair, they're made from a durable PVC construction and are easy to set up and quick to inflate.
Kids can challenge each other to a belly-to-belly match and see who can stay standing, or race from one end of the garden to the other way to see who's the fastest.
There are loads more garden toys at Wilko too, including the Sun Club Large Water Gun for just £4.
The JML Funslinger, £8, is a throw and catch games that allows you to throw the specially designed soft foam covered ‘Whissile’ over long distances, much further than you could achieve by just throwing a ball by hand.
And while indoor bowling might still be off the cards, you can set up your own game with this Ten Pin Bowling Set, £5.
The colourful set, which comes in a carry box with handle, includes 10 bowling skittles, two bowling balls, plus fun stickers to decorate.
Zuru
When it's hot outside the kids wants to get wet and what better way of doing that than with a good old water fight.
It can take an age to fill balloons individually, but you can void that hassle with Zuru's Bunch O Balloons.
Fill 100 water balloons in less than 60 seconds and you don't even need to tie them, they just drop off the ends and are sealed and ready to be thrown.
At Argos the packs cost £10 each or you can get two packs for £15. Amazon sells a mega pack of 420 balloons for £30.59.
Or if you want to take your garden warfare to the next level then the X-SHOT Fast-Fill allows you to refill your blaster in one second and get back to the water blasting action. It shoots up to 10m and you can fill it anywhere. It's for sale at Argos for £20.
Decathlon
It might not be your most obvious choice for garden toys but sports retailer Decathlon has lots to choose from for kids of all ages.
As well as your larger sports equipment for the outdoors, like bikes and kayaks, there are lots of options for the garden too.
Every garden needs a decent ball and this hybrid Fifter Society 500 five-a-side ball, reduced from £14.99 to £12.99, is ideal.
And if your little one wants to practise their shooting skills then the Kipsta Inflatable football goal Air Kage, £24.99, is perfect for young players.
It's only small, 95cm x 70cm, so it's not for your older kids, but it's ideal for taking out and about too and can easily be inflated with just your mouth.
Weighted pockets increase its sturdiness but it also comes with three stakes to hold it down.
Garden games, John Adams
While not specifically outdoor toys, there are some great board games that are ideal for playing around the garden table.
Shake Off, from John Adams, is a great option for playing outdoors as it's an active game which benefits from having the space around you.
The aim of the game is simple, the more you shake, the more you score. Players wear the shake-o-meter - either on their wrist, ankle, bottom or waist - and have to move around however the board tells them. It can be running, jumping or freestyle.
The shake-o-meter counts each move and the person with the most when the timer stops gets a point. Costing around £19.99, you can get the game from retailers including Smyths and Amazon.
While not quite as active, Flip Facts Shoot is a good one for playing at the garden table - it's a footballing trivia game of higher or lower, so you don't need to know loads about the sport to be able to play, or indeed win!
You can get it from Amazon for £19.26, or Argos for £20.
There are plenty more places offering garden toys for the summer.
Top sellers at eBay include Giant Connect 4, £16.99, a 23" giant water gun, £10.75 and the Kids inflatable gladiator game set, £14.95.
See more ranges at Smyths, The Range and B&M Stores too.
Do you have a garden toy or game that you'd recommend. Let us know in the comments, on our Manchester Family Facebook page, or email emma.gill@trinitymirror.com.
