The 5 Best Sprinklers To Keep Kids Cool

I am still mourning the demise of this toy!  RIP Mt. Tiki-Soki.

My kids are mad. We don't have a pool and, quite frankly, will not be getting one - ever - for a variety of reasons. So, unless someone drives them to the town pool this Summer, they'll be running their cute, little bodies through the lawn sprinklers after they get out of camp. 

A few years ago, I purchased a wonderful unit called Mount Tiki-Soki. It was a cute, volcano sprinkler with eyes that opened when the water pressure built up and the exploded, shooting water a good 6 feet up into the air. It was so much enjoyable that the neighbors made fun of me for going in it sans kids. We put beach balls onto that thing and watched them shoot into the air when the volcano exploded. Sadly, Mount Tiki-Soki died and Hasbro no longer makes it although you can get in on Ebay for $79 and up. Anyway, I've been looking for a fun, replacement ever since.

After asking around and doing my own research, here are my 5 picks for the best sprinklers for kids. Note that not all of them are toys, per se, but they, obviously, will get the wee folk wet. 

1.  Dramm 15076 ColorStorm Spinning Sprinkler – Found in the Patio section of Amazon, this unit works even with low water pressure and creates a fine mist which is perfect for kids. No, it's not a “wild” or “wacky” sprinkler, but it gets the kids saturated which is really all they care about anyway.

2.  Banzai Wiggling Water Sprinkler – This unit has 15 “water wiggles” or hoses which spray water all over. You control how wildly they wiggle based on the water pressure, so you can adjust it to be gentler with little kids. It attaches to any hose and is so easy, my 8-year old can set it up on her own. And the sprinkler extends about 8 feet, so it can get lots of kids wet at once.

Fire Hydrant Sprinkler

3.  Fire Hydrant Garden Hose Sprinkler – Almost as much fun as my sadly-missed Mount Tiki Soki, this little (8”) toy can shoot water as high as 15 feet, depending on your water pressure. Let the 

kids see if they can balance a beach ball on the spray (it actually can be done).

4.  Orbit 91594 Stainless Steel Ornamental Sprinkler – This unit comes in three lovely designs (butterfly, dragonfly or hummingbird) and is a wonderful sprinkler with coverage of up to 30 feet. It spins in a beautiful design with rings that rotate in opposite directions and even when it's not on, is attractive with its copper-plated finish. The fact that it's on a stand, means little kids will get rained on.

5.  SwimWays Hover Ball Sprinkler – This cool-looking sprinkler shoots water out of funnel-shaped fountain and spins a ball (there are several models using Disney and Marvel characters) in the air. It's an intriguing toy as long as your kids can share. The potential exists for one kid to run away with the ball which, obviously, would create fights. Otherwise, the Hover Ball Sprinkler is oodles of fun.

Orbit Sprinkler

There's much to be said for good, old-fashioned fun like kids running through the sprinklers set up on the family lawn. And let's face it, sprinklers are far less maintenance than swimming pools. As mad as my kids are now, I know that with any of the units above, they and their friends will have some wet fun this Summer!