Remember when you used to play outside with neighborhood friends until the sun set? For Christmas this year, give your child the gift of just being a kid! There are so many fun outdoor toys that make great Christmas gifts and can be enjoyed all year long, thanks to our warm Alabama climate. Below you’ll find some of the most popular outdoor toys for Christmas gifts and where you can buy them in Birmingham!
1. Backyard Forts, Play Sets, Ninja Climbers, and Zip Lines
Whether your kids love to swing, slide, hang from the monkey bars, or pretend their fort is an ancient castle, there is a play set for them. We found three local businesses on a mission to make your backyard THE place to be for your kids and their friends!
Where to find it locally: Family Backyard Design, Backyard Solutions, and Willy Goat Toys and Playground.
2. Trampolines
Bouncing on a trampoline can be great fun and exercise for the whole family! Trampolines come in many shapes and sizes, with safety nets, with basketball goals- the options are endless.
Where to find it locally: Dick’s Sporting Goods, Academy Sports and Outdoors, Backyard Solutions, and Facebook Marketplace.
3. Swings
Even if you don’t have the space for a full play set, swings are fun at any age and easy to hang from a tree in your yard.
Where to find it locally: Learning Express Toys, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Academy Sports and Outdoors
4. Playhouses
Whether you are looking for plastic or a log cabin feel, you can find a large range of playhouses that will all create hours of fun outdoor play.
To really make your little one’s dreams come true, Nicholas Portable Solutions can customize a playhouse for you that can include a loft and porch and be painted a lovely shade of pink or purple!
Where to find it locally: Nicholas Portable Solutions, KidKraft, Lowe’s, Home Depot, and Facebook Marketplace.
5. Things with Wheels: Bikes, Scooters, Rollerblades, and Electric Jeeps
Nothing gives a child a taste of freedom like a set of wheels. Whether your child is ready to ditch the training wheels or try a new set of rollerblades, these classic Christmas presents are always a hit. Don’t forget to add a helmet to the Christmas list!
Where to find it locally: Cahaba Cycles, Redemptive Cycles, Bob’s Bikes, and Bike Link of Hoover offer a wide assortment of traditional and electric bicycle options.
Cahaba Cycles has electric scooters your teens will love.
Faith Skate Supply in downtown Birmingham is the perfect place to grab a skate board and gear before heading to the City Walk Skate Park over Christmas break.
Dick’s Sporting Goods and Academy Sports and Outdoors have a good selection of bikes, scooters, rollerblades and tot-sized electric jeeps and cars.
6. Nature Exploration & Nature Craft Kits
Local toy stores often have a variety of fun toys that will bring your kids back to nature. Butterfly Houses, Ant Farms, Geode Kits, and Build-A-Birdhouse Kits help your kids learn and explore their world while having fun.
Where to find it locally: Hattie’s Toyland in Trussville, Homewood Toy and Hobby in Homewood, Learning Express Toys in Cahaba Heights, Snoozy’s in Mountain Brook
7. Miniature Golf Courses
Miniature Golf is a fun way for the whole family to spend time outdoors. If you are one to go all out, SynLawn is a local company that can transform your backyard into a real miniature golf course! For something less permanent and more affordable, Bucketgolf is a fun game that is gaining popularity for all ages.
Where to find it locally: SynLawn and Bucketgolf
Sports Gear
8. Basketball Goals
Our kids received a basketball goal last Christmas, and the whole family has spent plenty of time shooting hoops. Whether my kids are just burning energy trying to shoot three-pointers, or we are playing a parents versus kids game, basketball has been a nice way for us to spend time together outside.
Where to find it locally: Backyard Solutions, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Academy Sports and Outdoors, and Facebook Marketplace. Find other basketball gear at Over the Mountain Sporting Goods in Mountain Brook and Irondale.
9. Baseball Rebounder
If your kids could throw a baseball or softball for hours, a baseball rebounder is the perfect gift! It allows them to play catch, even when you don’t have time to play as long as they would like.
Where to find it locally: Academy Sports and Outdoors and Dick’s Sporting Goods. Baseball fans will also find something they love at Romeo’s Sporting Goods, Vestavia Hills’ baseball supercenter, or Over the Mountain Sporting Goods.
10. Soccer Goal
Backyard soccer goals come in many sizes and are great for serious athletes, as well as families just wanting to play a friendly game of soccer.
Where to find it locally: Academy Sports and Outdoors and Dick’s Sporting Goods. Soccer fanatics will also love the great soccer gear at Soccer Nation or Soccer Post in Hoover.
11. Football Training Net
Football nets allow your budding athlete to practice throwing without worrying about the ball soaring into the neighbor’s yard.
Where to find it locally: Academy Sports and Outdoors and Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Find other football gear at Over the Mountain Sporting Goods
12. Pickleball Net or Outdoor Ping Pong Table
Pickleball is a popular and easy-to-learn sport that the whole family can enjoy. Turn your driveway into a pickleball court with a portable net.
Where to find it locally: Academy Sports and Outdoors or Dick’s Sporting Goods
Outdoor ping pong tables are perfect for the families looking for entertainment outside all year long!
Where to find it locally: Bumpernets
Tennis and Pickleball enthusiasts will love equipment from Player’s Choice or Picklr, both in the heart of Vestavia Hills.
13. Gear for your Hunter or Angler
What new gear is your hunter or fishing buddy dreaming of for Christmas? You can find everything they need locally.
Where to find it locally: Field and Stream in Hoover, Mark’s Outdoors in Vestavia Hills, or Bass Pro Shop in Leeds
14. Gear for Your Little Campers
If your family loves camping, a new set of hiking books or warm sleeping bag makes a great gift. For families who just want to make their backyard more fun, consider a tent for sleepovers under the stars or a hammock to spend a lazy afternoon in.
Where to find it locally: Alabama Outdoors, Mountain High Outfitters, or REI
15. The Little Things at Local Toy Stores
You don’t have to put in big bucks to have big fun! The Birmingham area has great toy stores that sell backyard games, Nerf guns, sidewalk chalk, glow in the dark footballs and soccer balls, and so much more!
Where to find it locally: Hattie’s Toyland in Trussville, Homewood Toy and Hobby in Homewood, Learning Express Toys in Cahaba Heights, Snoozy’s in Mountain Brook
And More…
Dick’s Sporting Goods and Academy Sports and Outdoors have many outdoor games to choose from. They have everything you need to set up backyard volleyball, corn hole, jumbo Connect 4, bocce, and more!
Looking for foosball tables, arcade games, or pool tables? Check out Bumpernets! They have a great selection of lots of games, experts that will help you find the right game/table for your family, and they also will set up at your house for you.
Gymnastics equipment is also great for kids! You can find gymnastics mats at local stores like Target, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Academy Sports and Outdoors. Gymnastics bars, beams, and tumble mats can be found online at TumbleTrak and used on Facebook Marketplace.
