Learn Spanish (Latin America): Mi hijo anda jugando con su balde y su rastrillo. - My son goes around playing with his bucket and his rake.

Using está jugando just states the ongoing action: "he is playing." Using the verb andar + the gerund (jugando) adds a sense of wandering, moving around, or doing the action without a fixed location. It translates perfectly to "he is going around playing."

Does the andar + gerund structure only apply to physical movement like a child playing?

Not necessarily! While the child here is likely physically moving around, this structure is also used for intermittent or diffuse actions without literal walking. For example, anda diciendo mentiras means "he's going around telling lies" (spreading rumors over a period of time).

Why repeat su in su balde y su rastrillo instead of just saying su balde y rastrillo?

In Spanish, it is standard and sounds much more natural to repeat possessive adjectives (like su, mi, tu) before each individual item in a series. In English, we usually group them ("his bucket and rake"), but Spanish prefers the repetition to clearly mark each noun.

Is balde the standard word for "bucket" in Latin America?

Yes! If you previously learned cubo for bucket, you'll find that balde is generally the preferred word across Latin America, whether you're talking about a child's beach toy or a mop bucket.