Water table with a mud puddle nearby. Tons of use making a giant mess. Also stomp rockets.

Water guns
Water slide
Garden hose with sprayer attachment
Bubble guns/giant bubble wand
Remote control helicopters or drones
Kiddie pool (fill with either water or put in plastic balls and a small slide)
Tent
Bouncy house

Since you already have a play set maybe switch out a swing for the disk or tire swing PP mentioned, or one of the gliders just to keep it interesting?

The magic items in our yard that I can count on to keep my kids occupied for up to an hour are a sand and water table and the swing set. We had to remove trees and work through tight spaces to make our swing set work, but it's been worth all the hassle and every penny.

Whenever I make the time to take the kids into the woods with a creek they can entertain themselves for hours, so given the right setting I don't think you actually need any back yard toys, but most yards don't come equipped with a creek and forest.

Make a few huge sensory bins (the size of rubbermaid containers that slide under beds). Fill one with sand and little dump trucks, construction vehicles, or sand toys. Fill another with water and put in toy boats, submarines, sea creatures, etc. Fill another one with bulk rice and shovels, and let him dig.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like you have enough out there. How about just sitting back and let him use his imagination? You don’t have to manage his fun. It’s even okay if he’s a little bored.

OP here. This is the problem. We'll be outside for 20 minutes and unless I'm playing with him he will start whining that he's bored and want to come inside. I'd like him to stay outside longer and play, so I think we may need more toys and things out in the backyard.

He's 5. Play with him for more than 20 minutes.

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like you have enough out there. How about just sitting back and let him use his imagination? You don’t have to manage his fun. It’s even okay if he’s a little bored.

OP here. This is the problem. We'll be outside for 20 minutes and unless I'm playing with him he will start whining that he's bored and want to come inside. I'd like him to stay outside longer and play, so I think we may need more toys and things out in the backyard.

We have a swing set

Do you have a tree? I just got a round saucer type tree swing (net sort of like a trampoline) and it’s been a huge hit

A badger. Maybe a musk ox.

Do you know what your kid likes? Maybe start there.

swing ball!

Containers of dirt, sand, and/or water. He can scoop, plant, make pies, etc.

Sounds like you have enough out there. How about just sitting back and let him use his imagination? You don’t have to manage his fun. It’s even okay if he’s a little bored.

Our sand table and sand box still get used by our 7yo. The sand table is literally a large under bed storage box on a bench.

Water table. Sandbox?

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Step2-Naturally-Playful-Sand-And-Water-Activity-Table-With-Accessory/10983986?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222228000040395&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=m&wl3=40330021712&wl4=pla-78288213032&wl5=9008168&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=10983986&wl13=&veh=sem&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-LyNjpC84gIVgkSGCh11aQH3EAQYByABEgKsKPD_BwE

Trying to make our backyard more fun for our 5 year old. We have a soccer ball/nets, baseball and bat, outdoor playset, frisbee, and wiffle ball game set. What else can we put out there to make it fun?