The 13 best sprinklers you can buy for kids in 2023

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Vinsani Trampoline Sprinkler

• Vinsani Trampoline Sprinkler, £7.99 from Amazon – buy here

A trampoline is a great investment for families, entertaining children well into their teen years. And a sprinkler for the trampoline turns this active piece of equipment into a backyard water play zone.

It works by attaching the sprinkler hose around the trampoline's netting and then attaching it to the garden hose. Set it up on a hot day and enjoy feeling like the parent of the year.

This set includes a hose (there are four lengths to choose from depending on the size of your trampoline), a connector, an adapter and fixing straps.

It's flexible and can also be used off the trampoline for watering your garden.

Type: Sprinkler hose Dimensions: 8m/ 26ft long

Hozelock Multi Sprinkler 

• Hozelock Multi Sprinkler 79m², £17.50 from Amazon – buy here

If you're looking for an effective garden sprinkler to keep your lawn hydrated in the hot weather and to keep the kids entertained at the same time, check out this Hozelock multi sprinkler.

Simply attach your hose and select your preferred spray pattern by turning the cial in the centre of the sprinkler. Choose from eight different sprinkler patterns - small or large semi circles, small or large circles, mist, strip, square, and remote jet.

Plus, this nifty little gadget is compact and easy to store while covering a huge 79m² of garden.

Type: Garden sprinkler Area covered: 79m² Dimensions: 27.7 x 19 x 7 centimetres

Best kids sprinkler for smaller gardens: Summer Waves Inflatable Octopus Ring Sprinkler

• Summer Waves Inflatable Octopus Ring Sprinkler, £12 from Argos – buy here 

This squashy inflatable octopus squirts out water from the top of its head and contains multiple sprayers to keep the kids amused on the hottest of days. It also comes with three colourful rings so children can test their aim as they try to hook the rings around the tentacles of the octopus.

One happy customer wrote: “Water goes so high! We use it to water our grass too of an evening, it goes that far.”

Suitable for connection to standard garden hoses. It also comes with a repair patch in case of a puncture.

Suitable for children from three years old.

Type: Inflatable Dimensions: H58 x W84cm

Hydro Watermelon Sprinkler

• Hydro Watermelon Sprinkler, £14.99 from TP Toys – buy here

Who doesn’t love watermelon during the summer, it’s so refreshing – and this watermelon sprinkler will keep your kids refreshed even on the hottest of days.

It features four sprinkler jets that spray out water in all directions, soaking whoever is in their path – it’s sure to become one of your child’s favourite outdoor toys this year.

With a large diameter of 91cm, this bouncy spraying watermelon ball is the epitome of outdoor fun.

You can also use it as a beach ball to throw around the garden, swimming pool or beach.

Suitable for children from six years old.

Type: Inflatable Dimensions: 91cm x 91cm x 91cm

Bestway Hop Zone Sprinkler 

• Bestway Hop Zone Sprinkler, £16.95 from Outdoor Toys – buy here

Get active this summer with the Hop Zone Sprinkler, designed to put a (cool) spring in your step.

It is suitable for children aged three and above and is a great play obstacle for jumping over and crawling under in the garden. It will fit in well with other outdoor toys such as paddling pools and water slides, and will keep little ones cool and refreshed on warm days.

It is extremely easy to set up and inflates in minutes to create a perfect setting for your little ones to leap around in. We think it would even make a great addition for adults to cool off with too!

Type: Inflatable Dimensions: 53"x 31"x 21"/1.35m x 79cm x 53cm

Chad Valley Double Slide

Credit: Argos

• Chad Valley Double Slide, £24 from Argos – buy here

If you have the space in your garden then nothing beats a sprinkler slide and it’s sure to be a hit during the hot summer holidays.

This double slide works for kids sliding on their own, or for speedy races with siblings and friends – and it has a drench pool with sprinklers at one end.

One happy customer said: “I brought this a few weeks ago and so glad I did, it’s was so hot and the kids were melting! Got this and they played for hours on it just running and up down sliding up and down, added some liquid so they had bubbles too”.

Suitable for children aged three and older.

Type: Slide Dimensions: 549 x 138 x 5cm

Bestway Limber Limbo Sprinkler

• Bestway Limber Limbo Sprinkler, £25.49 from Amazon – buy here 

A sprinkler and fun game in one, this brilliant Limber Limbo Sprinkler by Bestway is guaranteed to provide hours of garden entertainment.

There are four different height levels, which kids can adjust themselves as they compete with each other to see who can limbo the lowest.

Every player will get drenched as they move under the inflatable bar, and of course this only adds to the fun! We bet even mum and dad will want to test their limbo-dancing skills.

One happy customer comments: “Well couldn't have chosen a better item due to the hot weather both children and adults had fun with this.”

Suitable for ages three and up.

Type: Inflatable Dimensions: 175 x 150 x 71cm

Sunnylife Monster Sprinkler

• Sunnylife Monster Sprinkler,£18.99 from All Mamas Children – buy here

If you've always yearned for a monster garden sprinkler – and why wouldn't you – meet Monty, the cutest monster you’ve ever seen.

Your little ones are sure to love this inflatable sprinkler who sprays water from the top of his head and will provide hours of outdoor play this summer.

Monty is the perfect centrepiece for birthday parties, pool parties and BBQs and kids will have a blast splashing around their new garden friend.

Connects to any standard garden hose and comes with a repair patch in case of puncture.

Suitable for children from three years old.

Type: Inflatable Dimensions: 60 x 50 x 40cm

Best kids sprinkler for big gardens: Wahu Splash N Snake 

• Wahu Splash N Snake, £15.86 from Amazon – buy here

Great for large gardens, this fun inflatable sprinkler is a massive 4m long!

The water shoots in all directions as little ones leap and jump over the snake through the cooling sprays. It looks so refreshing we’re sure mum and dad will be tempted to join in the fun – and it keeps your garden well-watered at the same time.

Brilliant for birthday parties or for keeping your kids and their friends amused during the long summer holidays from school.

Splash N Snake is easy to connect to your hose pipe with the fitting supplied.

Suitable for children over five years old.

Type: Inflatable Dimensions: 4m long

Splash Pad Outdoor Sprinkler 

• Splash Pad Sprinkler Pool, £12.74 from Amazon – buy here

Splash pads are a great way to add a sprinkler toy to your garden but at the same time, keep the water contained so you can keep an eye on how much you're using.

Simply turn the hose off whenever you like and the kids can still splash in and out as if the pad was a paddling pool.

Ideal for smaller gardens and a bright and fun way to keep the kids cool. This pad is perfect for little space fans with its colourful rockets and planets design.

Suitable for children from three years old.

Type: Splash mat Dimensions:170 x 170 x 15 centimetres

FOSUBOO water spray sprinkler for kids

• FOSUBOO water spray sprinkler, £10.99 from Amazon – buy here

Kids are sure to love cooling off with this fun purple octopus sprinkler, which spins 360° – and we bet parents and dogs will love it too.

Water sprays out in all directions as the top of the octopus whirls around, soaking everybody in its path.

It also makes a great garden sprinkler too as the rotating motion ensures your whole garden is well watered.

The sprinkler is made from polypropylene so is suitable for leaving outdoors, plus it comes with two hose adaptor options to connect to any hosepipe.

Suitable for little – and big – kids from three years and up.

Type: Rotating Dimensions:‎ 14.5 x 14.5 x 11cm

How to install a kids' sprinkler

It's generally very easy to set up a kids' sprinkler in the garden. You inflate your sprinkler with air, then connect it to your garden hosepipe. Many inflatables come with their own connectors or adapters that make them suitable for most hose types.

When in doubt, follow the manufacturer's instructions that come with your sprinkler.

Where to buy sprinklers for kids

We recommend the following retailers for finding the best sprinklers for kids online:

• Amazon
• Argos
• The Outdoor Toy Centre
• John Lewis
• TP Toys

How much do kids sprinklers cost?

Sprinklers can range hugely in price, depending on the size and intricacy of the design.

This depends hugely on what you're after in your garden – whether that's a small inflatable sprinkler for toddlers or a huge water-shooting garden toy. You could spend as little as £10 all the way up to £100.

Lisa Burn