Gifts for Outdoorsy Kids | Califf Life Creations

Do you have a nature loving, outdoorsy kid in your life? Wondering what they might like as a holiday gift this year? 2020 has been the year of the outdoors and many people have rediscovered how wonderful it is to have kids experience nature. With the holidays approaching, what kind of gifts do you give to encourage this love of the outdoors? I’ve compiled my favorite gifts for outdoorsy kids for the holiday season.

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Getting gifts for outdoorsy kids doesn’t have to be hard. There are so many options out there to encourage their love for nature and adventure. The best part? They are mostly functional and non-toy gift ideas! That means less clutter for mom and more fun for kids!

A quick preview of what gifts for outdoorsy kids you will find in this guide:

Subscription Box
What to put in an explorer kit
Gifting experiences
Educational gifts for outdoorsy kids
Games
Books
and more…

Wild Child Box

A quarterly subscription box for outdoorsy kids! With over $65 of gear to inspire outdoor activities and brands like Nalgene this is a box that is sure to delight and be useful for any outdoorsy kid. This is a great option to inspire an appreciation for nature and cultivate confidence through the promise of adventure. We were gifted the fall Wild Child Box and it was a huge hit. My boys loved it!

Explorer Kit

The ultimate gift for any outdoorsy kid is a good explorer kit. You can piece one together on your own by getting all the pieces you want and putting it all in a fun backpack (or maybe a hydration pack for hikers) and watch the smiles! Each item on it’s own makes great gifts for outdoorsy kids as well.

Binoculars

For everything from bird watching to searching landscapes, binoculars are an essential part of any explorer pack. These shock resistant binoculars are perfect for kids and include extra eye protection while providing 8x magnification. It is available in multiple colors.

Magnifying Glass

Kids love to look at things closely which is why having a magnifying glass handy is a great gift for an outdoorsy kid. It give them the power to observe anything they want closer. A pocket microscope is also a great option.

Compass

I know my son plays with his compass for hours! A compass is a must for any explorer kit and I love the vintage look of this one.

Flashlight or Headlamp

We can’t see in the dark! Include a fun flashlight or headlamp for looking into crack and caves to make new discoveries. Coleman also makes this fun 3 piece lighting set for kids that includes a lantern. We have a fun dinosaur headlamp for our son that roars when you turn it on!

Basic Safety Gear

All outdoorsy kids need to learn safety and having some basic gear is essential. A survival guide is a great companion to this gear so that kids can learn everything they need to be safe on all their adventures. This paracord safety bracelet includes 21 survival tools, making it great for older adventure kids. For younger kids that aren’t going out on their own yet, a basic safety whistle is a great stocking stuffer.

Field Guide(s)

Identify everything from trees to flowers, insects to birds, and even rocks during nature walks by using your own field guides. I recommend getting one that is local to your area so that kids can actually use the guides. While they aren’t written specifically for kids, getting the National Audubon Society field guides are beautiful and can be used by younger and older kids throughout their life. If you want one that is specifically for kids, I recommend the Backpack Explorer Series.

Scavenger Hunts

Maybe you just want to print my outdoor color hunt or you can purchase a premade card game.

Nature Journal

There are so many different nature journals for kids. These are my favorite ones and each one provides a different format that encourages kids to observe the world around them. Click on the pictures for more information.

You can also get a premade explorer kit like this one.

Gift Experiences

One of my favorite gifts for outdoorsy kids is an experience. I find that adventure loving kids are more receptive to these types of gifts and will love the idea of making memories together outside.

Book a Camping Trip

Wrap some new camping gear for them to unwrap along with the surprise of a family adventure. This is a great way to get away as a family while staying socially distant and safe. A fun way to present this gift is to get a pretend camp set to practice with and possibly even bring along! Anything from the explorer kit above would be great as well!

Go for a Family Hike

Plan a day that includes all your favorites. Maybe it’s a hike up a mountain or to a waterfall. Wrap a picture of the destination and a map of the trail along with one of the nature journals, new boots, or other hiking swag.

Hiking Backpack for Kids

Every half pint hiker needs their own pack!

Enroll them in an Outdoorsy Class

Whether it is horseback riding, fishing, skiing, or whatever you have in your area a new outdoor skill makes a great gift for an outdoorsy kid. Try and evaluate their interest and once you decide on a new skill, enroll them in the class and wrap something that represents the class.

National or Regional Park Passes

It’s the gift that keeps on giving! Having park passes means that your outdoorsy kid can get all the time in nature that they want. That is how experiences can be the best gifts for outdoorsy kids.

Educational Gifts for Outdoorsy Kids

Nature Series: Science on Tracking Expedition

Learn about animal tracking with hands-on experiments and activities. Includes 8 realistic animal footprint molds and 80 animal game cards.

Beginning Map Skills (Follow that Map!)

Learn basic mapping concepts and skills with this book that helps kids learn to understand and explore the world around them.

Bug Hunting Kit

Loaded with a little net, container magnifier and more. This is a great kit that is simple and has all you need for a successful bug hunt.

Butterfly Hatching Kit

Learn about a butterflies life cycle as you watch caterpillars transform before releasing the butterflies into the wild. Similar gifts for outdoorsy kids include ant farms, worms farms, ladybug growing kit.

Terrarium Kit

Bring nature inside by creating your own mini ecosystem with this terrarium kit.

Geology Kits

Nurture your young geologist with this awesome geode kit or grow some crystals and turn a child’s fascination with rocks into a love for science!

Games as Gifts for Outdoorsy Kids

Match a Track

Learn about animals and the footprints they leave in this fun matching game for all ages.

Also available: Match a Leaf (trees), Ocean Bingo, Match a Pair of Birds, and Bug Bingo

Trekking The National Parks

Experience the national parks in this unique game designed for ages 10 and up.

Wildcraft

A board game for the whole family to learn about medicinal plants for ages 4 and up.

Giant Yard Games

Oversized yard games like these are fun for the whole family, making them perfect gifts for outdoorsy kids.

4 in a Row, Dice, Tumbling Towers

Bonus Game Mentions:

Puppy Trek Adventure Board game (ages 5 and up)

Camp Board Game (ages 4 and up)

Into the Forest: Natures Food Chain Game (ages 7 and up)

Nature Books

Kate Messner Books

I absolutely love Kate Messner. Specifically her history and nature books. While there are many that I like, her Over and Under series is what earns a spot in my gifts for outdoorsy kids guide. There are 4 books in this series that each discuss a different location in nature (snow, gardens, ponds, and the rainforest). Each one explores the ecology and a playful prose that engages kids and sparks wonder in the natural world.

The Julia Rothman Collection: Farm Anatomy, Nature Anatomy, and Food Anatomy

While you could get each of these books separately, when it comes to the holidays it’s go big or go home right? Why not get the whole set for your outdoorsy kid? These are great educational books to teach kids about nature with beautiful illustrations. The set also comes with frameable prints. If you really want to go all out, add in Julia Rothman’s Ocean Anatomy and Nature Anatomy Notebook.

Nature Coloring Books

There are so many themes that you could go with from animals to flowers to National Parks. Here are just a few nature coloring books that make great gifts for outdoorsy kids. Click on the picture for more.

Nature Picture Book Gifts for Outdoorsy Kids

I could write an entire post here. There are so many different picture books for kids about nature. Pick a topic and you will find countless options. Some of my favorites are no longer sold like Voices of the Wild by Jonathan London but there are plenty out there! Find beautiful images and engaging stories that relate to your child’s interests.

For idea about fall-themed nature books, check here.

More Gifts for Outdoorsy Kids

Outdoor Ninja Slackline

Set one of these up in the yard for some great outdoor fun! Perfect way to get out some energy, improve balance, and provide an outdoorsy kid with hours of fun.

Mud Kitchen

These are so much fun. If you are handy, go ahead and build one! We repurposed an old sink and counter to make ours. If this isn’t one of your skills, there are many you can purchase premade.

Huggle Pod Hanging Tent

These are so much fun for kids and easy to set up. It even has lights for some after dark fun.

Stick-lets Fort Kit

Easily build a stick fort with these silicone stick connectors!

Sustainable and Nature Based Art Supplies

This is a fun way to show kids more about green living and bring nature inside through art. Check out some of my favorite sustainable and nature based art supplies to gift to outdoorsy kids. Click on the pictures for more information.

Stick Coloring Pencils

Eco-Friendly Molding Dough

Making Paint from Nature Book

Earth Paints

Nature Craft Kits

From flower pressing to sun prints, crafting with nature is a lot of fun. These kits make great creative gifts for outdoorsy kids.

Get inspiration for over 50 Nature Projects with this great book

One Last Tip

Make the gifts extra eco-friendly by using newspaper or other recycled paper to wrap gifts. Another fun idea is to use play silks to wrap and then kids can use them in their imaginative play!

Again, I could go on and on and on and on and on about gifts for outdoorsy kids. The list is never ending and I’m always coming up with more ideas since I am raising two outdoorsy kids of my own!