San Diego Moms: Summer Gift Guide to Keep Kids, Families Active
Moms #Moms
Summer Break might be a fun time for children who go to school but it can also be stressful for parents who need to figure out how to keep their kids busy and active. In preparation for the summer, here’s what I’m adding to our household.
Outdoor Fun 
Woom: Invest in a quality bike to keep your children active this summer. I’ve gone through the route of buying whatever is affordable on the web, but that meant repeated problems with the bikes. The Woom bike is sleek, reliable and ultralight. It also comes in various sizes to cater to children of all ages. Once you snag a Woom, you won’t have to worry about buying any other bikes!
Droyd: Is your child ready for an eBike? Try a retro-style eBike from Droyd where all safety features are included. The company offers a Weeler, for ages 6 and up, or the Blipper, for ages 13 and up. For younger riders, the slow-start throttle on Weeler ensures kids don’t take off too quickly while built-in parental speed controls help adults ease children into riding. Bigger kids riding Blipper can enjoy a more thrilling experience while still using the accelerator lever (not a throttle) to increase and decrease their speed at a safe rate. For added safety, a LED light is mounted on the front of both models so riders are always visible.
PaddleSmash: Pickleball and Roundnet got an upgrade thanks to Paddlesmash where players strike a ball down a netted court. This easy-to-carry game means you can keep it in the backyard or take it to the beach to find more competition.
Gel Blasters: Forget paintball — Gel Blasters isn’t just fun, but it’s clean fun! (Music to a mother’s ears). Allow your kids to get competitive with Gel Blaster shooters that shoot out little gel balls. The gels dissolve, which means no clean-up!
Bolder Play: Look for plenty of unique options to get your kids active with Bolder Play, which has everything from ninja courses to water games to yard games. The BeanBag TossUp Game is my pick for one purchase with several different games to keep littles busy. The company also offers swings, ladders, a giant Chess game and more.
Zing Avatar RC Deluxe Banshee: Based on the iconic flying Banshee from the hit blockbuster film Avatar comes the new Avatar RC Deluxe Banshee from Zing! The flying Avatar can reach as high as 200 feet, has sound effects and 25 remote-control voice notifications and two different flying modes.
Quick-Switch Power Bow: Introduce your kids to a cool, power bow and arrow. Two different strength bungees cords easily pop in and out for a variety of power for your soft foam-tipped arrows. Pick the lighter gauge bungee and launch the arrows at a rapid speed or opt for the heavier gauge bungee and watch your arrow soar up to 250 feet.
RUKUSfx Motion-Controlled Music Mixer: Is your kid a music fan? Introduce him or her to music production with the RUKUSfx, which is a hand-held motion-controlled music mixer. With four simple moves, – creators can loop, mix, and remix customized music tracks. Includes 120 music tracks, 80 crazy sound effects, built-in microphone, and LEDs that pulse and change colors with every move!
Sky Viper Drones: Take your summer to new heights with a Sky Viper drone. The company has an assortment of drones to choose from, including a Nano Drone, Stunt Drone, Video Drone and more. Kids will enjoy flying their drones into the sky and possibly grabbing cool footage of the neighborhood at the same time!
SwimWays: Take the fun to the water with Swimways. Parents can find floaties for all age groups, floating figures and a shark rocket. Babies are also included in the fun with baby spring floats and trainer life jackets to keep kids safe all summer.
Aerobie’s Sonic Bounce Ball and Super Sonic Fin Catch – Try these cool products to see how high you can bounce or redefine gravity. Even better, these toys are small enough to travel with you to keep your children busy no matter where they are.
A few of the items above, such as drones or Sonic Bounce Balls can be brought into the house — however, here are a few more options for indoor play.
Stomp Rocket: This brand continues to be a favorite among families allowing kids to be active whether they are inside or outside! You can get the original Stomp Rocket or try the new Stomp Racers or fun, travel-friendly Squeeze Planes.
Connetix: Here’s a toy that will last through the ages. Introduce your kids to shapes and magnets with Connetix where kids can build everything from castles to houses to more! Connetix offers its quality magnetic toy in different sizes to cater to all children.
Playfoam Naturals Hide & Seek Sensory Set: Squishable and shapeable, Playfoam Naturals is the sensory-satisfying, plant-based learning compound that’s perfect for preschool learning! It includes three packs of Playfoam Naturals (Indigo, Amber, Berry, and Moss), 3 ladybugs, 3 snails, 3 caterpillars, and a tweezer. Be sure to look for other fun, educational products from Educational Insights.
Tactile Turtles Math Activity Set: This engaging math activity set provides a sensory experience as children explore counting, sorting, patterning, and more. Turtles vary by type, size, color, texture, and shape. Set made with 100% recycled plastic.
BIZYBOO Hide ‘n Seek Busy Bags: Here’s a great one for the littles — especially if you are traveling. BIZYBOO’s busy bags, which are character-themed, keep kids busy while they search for objects inside a bag.
If you don’t have a quality stroller or stroller wagon to help you during the summer, here are my picks. In fact, they’ll make you ask yourself why you didn’t buy them sooner!
Wonderfold: A wagon that can, not only hold your restless kids, but also all your summer gear? Yes, please! Wonderfold offers a variety of sturdy (and beautiful) wagons. My pick is the WonderFold W2 Luxe, which is easy to fold and unfold. There are also seatbelts, plenty of legroom for growing children, and a basket to store other necessities. The all-terrain wheels means you can push this around the park or take it to the beach!
Thule Urban Glide 2: Parents can stay active this summer with the children by using a quality jogging stroller. The Thule Urban Glide 2 was voted the best jogging stroller of 2023 by “Women’s Health.” Not only does it ride smoothly, but it has a reclining seat and ergonomic handlebar — keeping parents and their kids in mind.
What else are you buying to prepare for the summer? Tell us in the comments.
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San Diego Moms is published every Saturday. Have a story idea? Email hoaq@timesofsandiego.com and follow her on Instagram at @hoawritessd.