Outdoor Toddler Essentials: What We Actually Use for Getting Outside

Getting outside with a toddler is a very different experience to getting outside with a baby.

When Daisy was tiny, most of our outdoor adventures involved putting her in the carrier or pram and heading off. Now she’s increasingly determined to explore for herself, getting outside involves a lot more stopping, touching, climbing, falling over and, inevitably, finding the muddiest patch within a 50-metre radius.

And honestly, I love this stage.

I’ve always enjoyed walking and being outdoors, and watching her become curious about everything around her has made even our ordinary trips to the park feel a little bit different. There are also so many benefits of outdoor play for kids, without every trip outside needing to become a carefully planned “activity”.

What has helped is having a few outdoor toddler essentials ready to grab. Not an enormous amount of specialist kit, but clothes that can get muddy, layers that work with unpredictable British weather and a few things that make it easier to stay out for longer.

These are the things we’re actually finding useful.

1. A proper waterproof jacket

A waterproof coat is probably one of the most-used things in Daisy’s outdoor wardrobe, particularly heading into autumn.

The JoJo Maman Bébé Pink Waterproof Jersey Lined Fisherman’s Jacket is exactly the sort of coat I like for everyday outdoor adventures because it doesn’t feel like technical outdoor gear. It’s cute enough for normal days out but properly waterproof when the weather turns.

It has a waterproof PU-coated outer, bonded seams and a fixed hood, with a soft jersey lining inside. It’s also machine washable, which becomes considerably more important once your toddler discovers puddles.

This is the one I’d reach for when we’re going to the park, out for a walk or somewhere Daisy will be dipping in and out of the pram or carrier rather than getting completely covered in mud.

2. A fleece layer for colder days

I’ve become a big fan of layers rather than putting Daisy into one enormous coat, particularly when we’re walking.

The Polarn O. Pyret fleece overall is a really useful middle layer because it covers her whole body without having separate jumpers and trousers riding up as she’s being picked up, carried or crawling around.

On a dry autumn day it can work as an outer layer, and when it gets colder it can sit underneath waterproofs.

It’s also the sort of thing that works beyond proper “outdoor days”. I want toddler clothes that can earn their keep on nursery runs, trips to the park and cold mornings as well as family walks.

3. A puddle suit for serious mud

There is waterproof-coat weather.

And then there is I’ve accepted that this child is going to sit directly in that puddle weather.

That’s where a puddle suit earns its place.

We have a Mountain Warehouse puddle suit, and having one piece covering almost everything makes muddy outdoor play considerably less stressful. Their current baby rainsuit and toddler puddle suit range includes waterproof options as well as fleece-lined styles for colder weather.

I particularly like a puddle suit for woodland walks, wet playgrounds and those days when the ground is still soaked even though it isn’t actually raining.

It isn’t about keeping Daisy pristine — quite the opposite. If she’s already dressed for the mess, I don’t need to spend the entire time following her around saying, “Don’t sit there.”

And that makes being outside nicer for both of us.

4. Wellies – but only once they’re actually walking confidently in them

Wellies feel like an obvious toddler outdoor essential, but I’ve realised there’s a difference between something being waterproof and something actually being easy for a new walker to move in.

For younger toddlers, I’d look for lightweight wellies with a flexible-enough sole and plenty of grip rather than buying the chunkiest pair available.

For muddy garden days and puddle jumping they’re brilliant. For longer walks, though, I’d choose footwear based on how confidently Daisy can actually move in it rather than automatically reaching for wellies.

As she gets steadier on her feet, I can already see these becoming one of the most-used things by the back door.

5. A child carrier for when little legs have had enough

Being able to walk doesn’t necessarily mean being able to walk very far. For longer family walks, our Thule Sapling is still one of the most useful pieces of outdoor kit we own.

It means Daisy can get down and explore when we stop somewhere suitable, but we’re not relying on toddler legs to cover an entire route.

The Sapling has a supportive child seat, adjustable torso and hip belt for the person carrying it, an integrated UPF 50 sunshade and a 22-litre gear compartment. The child seat and drool pad are removable and machine washable too, which I can confirm becomes a very relevant feature once food, mud and toddlers are involved.

It’s certainly an investment rather than an everyday essential, so I wouldn’t suggest every family needs a hiking carrier. But if you regularly walk somewhere a pushchair can’t comfortably go, it can open up far more options.

We used carriers constantly when Daisy was younger too, and they’re one of the things I included in my baby travel essentials that genuinely helped. The way we use one is changing now, rather than disappearing completely.

6. A spare set of clothes

This might be the least exciting outdoor toddler essential on the list, but it might also be the most useful.

I keep a complete spare outfit handy when we’re going somewhere Daisy can properly explore: leggings or joggers, a top, socks and something warm.

The socks are important.

You can have the best waterproof clothing in the world and somehow a toddler will still find a way to end up with a wet sock.

I don’t necessarily carry the whole lot around with me either. If we’re staying relatively close to the car, a small backup bag in the boot is enough.

7. A wet bag for everything that comes back filthy

This follows naturally from the spare clothes.

A reusable wet bag means soaked socks, muddy trousers and anything else that has suffered along the way can be contained until we get home.

It’s one of those things we already had from the baby stage that has unexpectedly become even more useful with a toddler.

I’d choose something washable with a zip and keep it permanently in the changing bag or car.

8. Snacks. More snacks than seems reasonable.

I don’t think I’ve ever regretted packing too many snacks.

Outdoor adventures seem to create a very specific toddler hunger that can appear approximately four minutes after you’ve walked far enough from the car to make turning around inconvenient.

I usually want something easy to hand over without creating too much mess, plus water for Daisy and something for us if we’re heading out for longer.

For a bigger day out, an insulated lunch bag is useful. For an hour at the park, a snack pot thrown into the bag is plenty.

Not every walk needs expedition-level catering.

9. A hat that suits the weather

This changes throughout the year, but I always want some form of hat available.

In summer that’s a sun hat with decent coverage. Once autumn and winter arrive, it’s something soft and warm that covers her ears without immediately annoying her enough to pull it off.

Whether she actually agrees to wear said hat for the duration of the walk is another matter entirely.

10. A small outdoor bag that’s permanently half-packed

This has probably made the biggest practical difference.

Rather than finding every single thing from scratch whenever we decide to go somewhere, I keep a few outdoor basics together.

Usually that means:

• wet bag
• spare socks and clothes
• wipes
• snacks
• water
• sun cream when needed
• a small first-aid pouch

The clothing changes depending on the weather, but having the boring basics already there makes spontaneous walks much easier.

There is significantly less motivation to go for a quick woodland walk when it takes 45 minutes just to leave the house.

The outdoor toddler essentials that matter most to us

I’m trying not to turn getting outdoors with Daisy into something that requires loads of expensive kit.

Toddlers don’t care whether something qualifies as an adventure. A walk around the park collecting leaves, ten minutes jumping in puddles or pottering around the garden can be just as exciting to them as the family day out we’ve meticulously planned.

For us, the useful outdoor toddler essentials are simply the things that remove some of the barriers.

Waterproofs mean the weather matters less. A fleece gives us another layer when it’s cold. The carrier means we can still attempt longer walks. Spare clothes mean getting soaked isn’t the end of the world.

And a puddle suit means I can occasionally resist the urge to shout “NO, NOT THERE” as Daisy enthusiastically lowers herself into the biggest patch of mud she can find.

Which, at this stage of toddlerhood, feels like a win.