10 great gift ideas for outdoorsy kids (and families)

With Easter around the corner, you might wonder what to get your outdoor-loving kids as a gift. We have compiled a list of 10 great gift ideas for outdoorsy kids which will make adventuring into nature even easier and more enjoyable.

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1. A great book

A great book is always an amazing gift for kids, no matter the age. If they cannot read yet, it gives the opportunity for bonding time while adults read to them or they look at the pictures and get inspired to make up their own stories. Once they can read, this is such a great way to discover new worlds and become lost in their fantasy.

There are plenty of great books about the outdoors for kids – here are just a couple that we really like.

Backpack Explorer: On the Nature Trail: What Will You Find?

The Hike (for preschoolers)

The Keeper of Wild Words

National Geographic Kids – Bird Guide North America

2. A pocket knife

For so many kids, having their first pocket knife is a super important step in their development towards independence – maybe you also remember your first knife still. This feeling of finally being old enough to be trusted with such a device is very unique, and I still remember it. I also remember my own fear though, when it was time for me to give my daughter one – so I was glad these kid-prove versions of pocket knives exist. Chose carefully what might be age-appropriate, if you want to gift your outdoorsy kid a pocket knife.

Here is what I got for my daughter when she was 6 – and she mastered it pretty quickly.

3. A journal to document the adventures

Writing down or documenting in some form or shape the adventures they have had is super important for kids. This way, they will always remember how they felt on their excursions and will have a place to collect souvenirs and memories. Getting them a nice nature-journal to write things down or to draw them is an amazing gift for outdoor-loving kids to create their own books of adventures.

By the way, very soon we will be launching an online course for travel and adventure journaling for kids – make sure to sign up for our newsletter so you don’t miss the launch!

4. Bug Bingo

Even outdoor-loving kids cannot always be out and about – and there also needs to be something to do for rainy days and evenings around the kitchen table. There are plenty of nature-themed games out there that you can play as a family. One of our favorites is Bug Bingo – a fun game where you have fun while also learning something about fascinating insects.

5. Binoculars

We never leave the house for a hike without binoculars anymore – it’s way too much fun for my daughter to take them out during our time in nature to see what she can find in our surroundings that I have missed… We have discovered mountain goats, rare birds, groundhogs, and countless rock formations, which turned out to be just that. Binoculars are amazing to keep kids busy and entertained on hikes and to teach them more about nature, so they also make for a great gift for outdoor kids and families.

We really like this model, as it also has some protection from falls and splash water. And by the way, they are also available in green and blue.

6. A Compass

I am a geographer, so giving my daughter her first compass was kind of a big deal for me. Even though she does not understand every single measurement you can make with it, she is comfortable using it to get a general understanding of where we are when we are out and about – and she has great fun finding our way when we use a map. This turned out to be a very educational gift as well because she learned about the North Pole, the magnetic North Pole, and maps while learning to use it. And of course, she is super proud of knowing how to handle it.

There are simpler models out there, but we really like this one, as it can be used for a long time and with a map as well.

7. Magnifying Glasses

Magnifying glasses are amazing to make a true learning experience out of a hike. What is that small thing on this rock, what do the small creatures in this river look like up close, and what does this flower really resemble? My daughter loves to get up-close with nature and takes out her magnifying glass often throughout a hike to inspect something she can’t see with her bare eyes.

8. A Nature-themed Memory Game

If you are not scared to get beaten by your kids, we recommend a nature-themed memory game. Memory games are devastating for me – my daughter started consistently beating me at them from a very young age. But nevertheless, we really enjoy playing them, and even better if we can learn something about the flora and fauna at the same time.

Here is an example of a bird-themed memory – this is even more challenging, as the pairs are male and female.

9. Find and Seek Scavenger Hunt

A scavenger hunt is an amazing way to motivate kids to get outside – who does not enjoy finding clues and figuring out riddles. But sometimes designing one from scratch is a lot of work and not feasible. So, we use pre-written scavenger hunts which are great fun and don’t require so much preparation on my side. A great gift for outdoor-loving families!

10. A gift certificate for an online course

During this last year, we have probably all become way too familiar with online education, as we had to deal with some form of it. So, while it does not seem like the most intuitive thing to gift outdoor-loving kids even more of this – hear me out. My daughter has taken many additional online courses over the course of the last year about topics related to nature, and she just loved them. She takes them in the evenings and has learned about wolves, horses, maps, and aurora borealis, all while learning to draw and put her knowledge into an artistic form. So I really recommend this as an additional learning experience for your kids.

My daughter has been taking courses from the Arizona artist Devon Meyer and she simply loves them and her work. For Christmas, she got a custom-made picture of her favorite animal, a wolve – something she cherishes so much.

If you are interested in taking lessons with Devon, please get in touch with us and we can facilitate the contact. We are also working on an online course about travel and adventure journaling, so make sure to sign up for our newsletter to not miss the launch.

For other courses, we have been using Outschool, which also has amazing resources.