Best Kids Garden Tools (Budget-Friendly, Durable)

Help the kids work and play in the garden with the best kids garden tools including durable and easy-to-use gloves, spades, rakes, wagons, watering cans, and more.

Kids Garden Tools

My husband is a huge gardener, so the kids are out with him for so many hours of the spring, summer, and fall. We’ve gone through a lot of gardening tools over the years—and some have held up better than others. And while you definitely don’t need anything fancy to get the kids into the garden to help you plant and harvest and play, there are some tools that are helpful for the kids to have.

These garden tools are kid-size, durable, and low cost.

They are also effective, actually work, and are not likely to break—it’s really frustrating for little kids who want to help to have tools that are more toys than tools.

We’ve put these tools through multiple seasons of real-life testing to help narrow your options to the ones that are worth buying.

Find picks for toddler gardening tools, kids digging tools, our favorite gardening tools for preschoolers, tot-size shovels, wooden garden tools, and more.

Kids Gardening Set with Rake, Spade, Hoe, and Leaf Rake

We’ve had this set of tools for over two years and they’re still in good shape—which is impressive for a set that costs under $20. We store them in the garage with our “real” tools and the kids love that they look just like ours. We used these with a range of ages and used them starting at age 2 and up until age 8.

My kids love to dig with the shovel and I love that the kids tools are solid and sturdy. (You may need to remind the kids not to swing them around…they hurt if you get hit with one!)

Set of 3 Mini Garden Tools

If you’re looking for a simple place to start with gardening, this little tool set is a great option. We made a pile of dirt for our kids and they happily dig and rake in it for hours—though these tools work for gardening too.

These are best for younger toddlers who are new to gardening and who are still building up strength for larger tools. We got the most use out of this gardening set with our 1 and 2-year-olds.

This set is usually priced at about $10, which makes it a budget-friendly pick for the garden.

Kids Gardening Set with Gloves, Mini Tools, and Bag

Set the kids up with everything they need to help in the garden with this set that includes kids gardening gloves, a little watering can, gardening tools, and a bag to carry and store it all in. I love that this will help keep track of everything since there’s a clear place to store it all. (And it’s priced at about $20.)

The watering can is easy to carry, too, since it’s not too large.

TIP: If that one is out of stock, this gardening set is similar!

Coated Kids Garden Gloves

These kid-size gardening gloves are easy to put on and take off and help the kids grip their tools while they work. (They may be too big for one year olds, but are a great size for kids 2-5.) They also come in a fun and bright yellow color and cost about $6.

The coating on them helps them to be more waterproof than plain canvas gloves, and it also helps them to last through more than one season.

Green Toys Outdoor Wagon

A few years ago, my 1-year-old got this wagon for his birthday and he pulled it around everywhere he went. It’s lightweight, yet would be handy for a child who wanted to help move materials around a small garden area as they helped a parent.

Green Toys also tends to be incredibly durable in their construction, so your money will be well-spent. (This wagon is usually about $20.)

HABA Kids Watering Can

This bright red kid-size watering can is easy to carry and pour from and is recommended for ages 18 months and up. It’s just the right size and won’t be too heavy for a toddler to comfortably carry.

Watering plants (and just plain dirt) is a forever favorite toddler gardening activity and we’ve found it very helpful to have watering cans sized just for the kids. This is usually about $15 and has been super durable in our real-world testing.

(If that one is out of stock, you can find more of my favorite watering cans here.)

Kids Garden Ideas

Find my best tips for gardening with kids in this post—which includes best kid-friendly and easy-to-grow plants, set up tips, and more. And find all of my favorite kids watering cans here.