Best Nerf Gun For Toddler: Top 10 Safest

Best Nerf Gun For Toddler

Some parents who are not familiar with the various types of Nerf Guns on the market may not be aware that not all of them are safe for children. Our guide will show you which is the best nerf gun for toddler age children.

The best Nerf Gun For Toddlers is the Nerf Fortnite SP-L because it is lightweight and easy to carry weighing  just under 16 ounces, has no small parts that can detach which could be a choking hazard, has no sharp edges for potential danger, and only a moderate shooting velocity to make it the safest Nerf Gun for a toddler.

CategoryNerf Gun For Toddler
Best Overall Safest Nerf Gun For A ToddlerNerf Fortnite Sp-L
Best Budget Nerf Gun For A ToddlerNerf Strongarm Blaster
Runner Up Nerf Gun For A ToddlerWeb Shots Spiderbolt Elite

With all the different models out there, it can be tough to know which is the best. We’ve reviewed the Best Nerf Gun for Toddler age kids and included the 10 most highly recommended. 

We highlight the outstanding features that make each Nerf Gun fun for toddlers, and why we have included them in our top picks. You’ll also learn about what makes a Nerf Gun safe for younger children.

Nerf Gun Safety Tips

Nerf Guns come in a range of models and age ranges. Most are marked with the age group that they are designed for just for the purpose of safety. 

It’s difficult to find a Nerf Gun that is intended for toddlers as most are labeled for kids that are age 4 and up with the majority for ages 8 to adult. This means you must examine them carefully to find the safest.

How Safe Are Nerf Guns

Nerf Guns shoot soft foam darts that may hurt a little when they hit you, but most are not strong enough to cause injury. If they hit you in the eye, this could be a different story. Nerf darts are only dangerous if they are shot in the eye or chewed up and swallowed by younger children.

Are Nerf Guns Safe For Toddlers

Toddlers tend to put everything in their mouths. If they chew the rubber/plastic end off a dart it could become a choking hazard. 

Nerf Guns are safe for toddlers to use if they are the models that have the least number of hazards for toddlers and they are supervised by parents during play.

Are Nerf Guns Safe Indoors

Nerf Guns are safe indoors to a point. While the foam darts are soft and safer than other projectiles, they can knock items over and cause breakage.

Can Nerf Guns Damage Eyes

Yes, Nerf Guns can cause damage to the eyes if the darts are shot directly into the eye. Some models hurl the darts out with tremendous force. 

The guns made for toddlers, however, don’t have quite as much force behind them so they are safer. Still, they should never be aimed towards the eyes or face.

Nerf Gun Safety Gear

The Nerf brand makes safety goggles especially for use with Nerf Guns. This helps to lessen the chance of eye injury when playing with them. You can purchase them in single packs or in four-packs. 

It’s always a good idea to make sure that toddlers wear safety goggles when playing with Nerf Guns.

Best Nerf Gun For Toddler Buyers Guide

There are several things to consider when you’re looking for the best Nerf Gun for toddler age children. 

Your child’s safety is the top priority, but you also want to choose a model that will be fun and will be appealing so he or she will want to play with it. 

Here are some important considerations to make before you make your purchase

Weight

The weight of the Nerf gun is important because toddlers need to have a toy that is light enough for them to handle easily. You don’t want a larger version that your child can’t even lift up.

Theme

Nerf guns are made in a variety of themes. Kids are thrilled when they see familiar characters on their dart guns. Nerf has collaborated with several different brands including Marvel, Star Wars, Overwatch, Fortnite, and more.

Ease of Loading

It’s best to go with a type of Nerf gun that is easy for your child to load. If you get one that’s difficult to load, then you’re going to be the one refilling it for them.

Dart Quantity

You’re going to want to make sure that you have plenty of Nerf darts to go with the gun. This cuts down on the amount of time that you are going to spend chasing after the darts so your child can load up for another round.

Beware of Aftermarket Darts

It’s always best to use genuine Nerf darts with your Nerf gun. While there are many other brands that will work with most Nerf guns, some of the aftermarket brands have harder plastic ends and not all of them are as safe to use.

Age Appropriateness

Make sure that the Nerf gun you buy is intended for the youngest possible age group. The gun should not be overpowered not shoot with a high velocity. Some Nerf guns for older kids are high intensity.

Top 10 Safest Nerf Guns For A Toddler

We’ve chosen 10 best Nerf Gun for Toddler age kids by ranking them in accordance with their safety, fun features that make them appealing to kids, and those with the most outstanding features. 

In our review, we describe what made us choose each as the best in its category, why it’s good for toddlers, and what makes it a good choice.

We discuss the benefits of each Nerf Gun along with the downsides for each if any. This provides you with all the information that you need to make an informed choice and find the best Nerf gun for toddler age kids the first time you try.

1. NERF Fortnite Sp-L Elite Dart Blaster – Best Overall

The best overall Nerf gun for toddler age kids is the Nerf Fortnite Sp-L Elite Dart Blaster on Amazon which is a special edition. We love the theme that most kids are familiar with. 

The most outstanding feature of this gun is that it comes with a silencer that makes pretend play even more fun for your younger kids. It inspires the use of imagination.

This is ideal for toddlers because it is lightweight and easy to hold. The darts load easily, and it fires 3 darts. There are no small parts that little ones can choke on when properly supervised.

What I like:

  • The Fortnite theme is premium
  • The silencer included is a bonus feature
  • It fires up to 3 darts for extended play time
  • This gun is easy for little hands to load

What I don’t like:

  • The accuracy is only average because of the low velocity of the shots

This is ideal for toddlers because the darts fire with just enough force to make them safer. It’s small enough for little hands and light enough for kids ages 1 to 3 to hold easily and carry around.

2. Nerf N Strike Elite Strongarm Toy Blaster – Best Budget

The Nerf Strongarm Blaster on Amazon is our top pick for the best budget Nerf Gun for a toddler because it is among the most reasonably priced. 

This gun is on the bestseller list because it is affordable, and it can hold up to 6 elite darts at once. This gives young kids longer intervals of fun and its less work for parents. 

There are few parts other than the darts that can be removed so there is less chance of choking on small parts

What I like:

  • It’s easy for small children or parents to load
  • It comes in 4 color options that are bright and interesting for young kids
  • It holds a maximum of 6 darts
  • It shoots with rapid-fire

What I don’t like:

  • This Nerf gun occasionally jams and needs to be adjusted

This is the best nerf gun for toddler age kids because of its safe design. It’s fast and easy to load and it holds several darts at one time for less downtime during play. It’s one of the most affordable models in the Nerf high-quality brand.

3. Spider-Man Web Shots Spiderbolt Nerf Powered Blaster – Runner Up

We chose the Web Shots Spiderbolt Elite Nerf Gun on Amazon as the best runner up because of its unique and fun crossbow design. The Spiderman theme is something that kids age 1-3 can easily relate to and enjoy.

This is a safe toy for toddlers when used with adult supervision. It’s easy for small kids to use and it is not powerful enough to cause harm.

What I like:

  • Cool Spiderman theme
  • Fires 3 darts for less running around to pick up darts
  • The gun is easy for small hands to hold
  • It loads easily

What I don’t like:

  • It only fires one bullet at a time

This is a great choice for toddlers because it’s easy for them to hold and to fire. The design is bright and colorful and exciting for younger kids. We love the fact that it is not a powerful gun which makes it safer for little ones.

4. Nerf Rebelle Red Blaster

The Rebelle Red Blaster on Amazon is made in exciting bright colors that toddlers love. It’s easy for little ones to hold and to shoot because of the motorized action.

We love the 12-dart clip that comes with this set for extended playtime in between gathering up the darts for another round.

There are no small hazardous parts and it’s safe for toddlers with adult supervision.

What I like:

  • Vibrant color
  • A generous number of darts can be held in the clip
  • Hidden messages are allowed for creativity and more excitement

What I don’t like:

  • This gun requires batteries to operate

We love the Nerf Rebelle Red Blaster for toddlers because of its great colors that draw kids’ eyes. Kids can fire more darts because of the clip that holds a dozen. While some view the motorized feature as a drawback, we think it makes this toy more exciting.

5. Nerf Rival Apollo XV-700

The Rival Apollo XV-700 on Amazon is smaller for small hands to hold. Instead of using darts, it comes with foam balls that are soft and safe for use. 

There are no hard ends to worry about. This makes it the ideal Nerf gun for small children with adult supervision.

The gun is easy to load and light enough for small children to carry around. It’s easy to fire as well.

What I like:

  • Foam balls are safe
  • The magazine holds 7 balls for more convenience
  • This gun is easy to load

What I don’t like:

  • The balls are more expensive for refills

Aside from the fact that the balls are more expensive than darts, this Nerf gun is an exciting toy for toddlers because it holds so many balls for extended fun. 

The balls are soft and safer than darts because they don’t have plastic ends, but kids must be supervised so they don’t put the balls in their mouths.

6. Nerf Modulus Tri-Strike

The Modulus Tri-Strike on Amazon is great for toddlers because it can be made into 3 different kinds of Nerf guns to keep things interesting. 

It’s ideal for toddlers because of their short attention span and when they get bored with one style it can be converted into two others.

What I like:

  • This is three guns in one
  • It doesn’t need batteries
  • It comes with 10 Elite darts and 4 mega darts

What I don’t like:

  • Adult help is needed to assemble different configurations

7. Nerf Fortnite AR-L Dart Blaster

The Nerf Fortnite AR-L Dart Blaster on Amazon is a larger gun, but it is still light enough for a 2 to 3-year-old to carry around. This makes it great for older toddlers. Another thing that makes it good for little ones is that it is easy to load.

The Nerf Fortnite AR-L fires 10 darts and this makes less work and longer playtime. It’s a high-quality branded gun that doesn’t have small pieces that could be a choking hazard. It’s easy for small hands to load.

What I like:

  • Motorized blastic creates great sound effects
  • It fires multiple darts
  • The gun is easy to load
  • The quality is excellent

What I don’t like:

  • This gun requires batteries

What we like most about this gun is that it has a motorized action that toddlers love. It must be used with adult supervision because of the darts. 

The batteries are in a compartment that little ones cannot open, which is an additional safety feature. It is a branded toy made of high quality in the plastic and the design.

8. Neft N-Strike Elite Rapidstrike CS-18 Blaster

The Rapidstrike CS-18 on Amazon is a great gun for toddlers when aided by an adult. This toy is vibrant blue and orange which are exciting colors for young kids. It can be mounted which makes it even more fun.

Toddlers will enjoy the multiple darts that it holds because they can shoot the foam darts for longer at a setting without stopping to reload

What I like:

  • This gun holds 18 darts in the clip which makes it more fun
  • The colors are great and exciting visuals for little ones
  • It’s easier to shoot when mounted

What I don’t like:

  • It takes 4 size C batteries

Although this gun requires batteries to operate, it’s a lot of fun for toddlers. When it’s mounted, it’s easy for them to shoot and target practice. The blue and orange colors are a plus.

9. Nerf Zombie Strike FlipFury Blaster

The Zombie Strike FlipFury Blaster on Amazon is good for toddlers because it comes with 2 flipping dart drums that each holds 6 darts. That’s a total of 12 darts to fire before it needs to be reloaded. The gun is easy to load, but it takes a little more time because it holds so many.

This gun comes with the FlipFury Blaster, two 6-dart drums, and 12 Zombie Strike darts. Instructions are also included for adults to assemble it easily.

What I like:

  • It’s more fun because it holds more darts
  • The gun comes with 2 drums that hold multiple darts which makes it more convenient
  • You can simply flip the empty drum over and have another one to keep playing longer

What I don’t like:

  • This gun is heavier and may be too heavy for one-year-olds. It’s better for toddlers age 2-3.

We like this Nerf gun for older toddlers because it comes with so many darts. Kids can play for longer before the drums need to be reloaded. Toddlers tend to become impatient and this gun will hold their attention for longer.

10. Thunderhawk Nerf AccuStrike Mega Toy Blaster

We love the bipod that Thunderhawk Nerf AccuStrike Mega Toy Blaster on Amazon comes with. It’s a unique accessory and this is a great gun for adults to use to play with toddlers. It’s light enough for little ones to hold when the blaster is set up on the folding bipod.

The length of the blaster can be easily adjusted with a simple slide of the barrel for making it the ideal size for toddlers. It uses Nerf Mega darts which are larger and softer.

What I like:

  • This is a high-quality branded Nerf toy gun
  • The barrel is adjustable so toddlers and older kids can use it comfortably
  • The bipod makes it easier for little ones to use it.

What I don’t like:

  • This gun can be heavy for younger toddlers if it’s not on the bipod

We love this gun because it can be adjusted to a variety of different lengths. The Mega darts are tested and approved for quality and performance and they have foam tips that are flexible and hollow for greater safety.

Helpful Tips To Choose The Best Nerf Gun For A Toddler

  • Look for safety features such as foam darts or balls, no sharp edges
  • Find lightweight Nerf guns that are easy for toddlers to hold and to carry
  • Choose Nerf guns that are easy to load
  • Compare prices to get the best value for the cost

Final Thoughts

The best Nerf Gun for toddler age kids is the one that is the safest and most fun to use. There are many models to choose from. Although most are recommended for older children, toddlers can have fun with them as well if adults supervise their play. 

Our reviews include the Nerf guns that are easy for toddlers to hold, as well as offering the most fun with bright colors and novel features that are exciting. 

We’ve provided 10 different models that fit these requirements as well as offering the safest options, to give you more choices in one convenient place.

Drew Thomas

My name is Drew Thomas and I’m the creator of Fun In the Yard, your one stop site for all your outdoor games, sports, party activities, outdoor gear, and lawn & gardening tips.

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