Summer is the perfect time of year to introduce cooperative play to your toddler. Offering great weather and extended day light for kids to explore the outdoors and experience new activities. However, since kids will be investigating and taking risks while they grow, safe environments like your own backyard is a great place to start teaching the basics.

A great way to start is by adding a Swing set or water table. These toys help expand play and items that you can use to teach sharing and taking turns for years. Or try adding a playhouse in the backyard for some pretend play with friends. Enticing them to get out of their own little world and introduce all kinds of fun and imaginative roles reinforced by storytime favorites. So the next time you think about purchasing something for your little one, remember, a toy from The Little Tikes Company, allows children to use their imagination while interacting with others, express their thoughts, and try out new ideas. Unlike apps or video games that limit and control how our kids think. You can check out all the fun outdoor items and get inspired at LittleTikes.com and be sure to connect with us on social media for great content and advice from other parents!

Need some more ideas or just want to learn cool ways to promote cooperative play? See what one of our favorite bloggers, Jenna from Momma Told Me, has to say about how she uses her Little Tikes Cape Cottage playhouse to entertain and practice these valuable life skills. And remember, cooperative play is all about working together to achieve a common goal. In cooperative play, everybody wins!

-The Little Tikes Co.