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Nature Gifts to encourage children to Explore Outside!

backpacks for kids

Although, the weather is getting chillier – now is the time we think about all the lovely outdoorsy things we can do with the kids in the warmer months that could be given Christmas presents this year. I thought I’d compile a little list of all the nature gift ideas for kids that encourage kids to get outside or enjoy their gardens, just in case you should be after some outdoor present ideas for kids or Nature Gifts that encourage kids to explore outside in any weather! We’ve got lots of outdoor gift ideas for kids of all ages and catering for all budgets! There’s also some unique gift ideas that support small businesses and are different from your usual run-of-the-mill ideas. I’m sure you’ll find some lovely gifts here for kids to nurture their spirit of adventure! If it’s a family who loves adventures and the outdoors life that you’re buying for than you’ll love our gift list for families that like to adventure, travel and explore outside here. There are lots of fun ideas for travel loving adults in that list.

Nature Gift Ideas for Kids

Den Making Kit

This Den Making Kit been an absolute hit with the kids! It’s a gift that promotes real independence, as soon as it arrived my 7 and 9 year-olds got dressed in five minutes flat at 8 o’clock on a Saturday morning and went outside to try and build their den. They managed to assemble it all by themselves with a little ‘knot help’ but for younger children this would also be a really nice family activity idea. From playing with their den kit, my kids have learnt how to tie knots, how to bash tent pegs in and team work to decide where the den should go. The kit comes with a wooden carved mallet which my kids loved – it made them feel like a proper grown up! This is a brilliant present idea for all year long escapades!

creative gifts to help kids explore nature kids

National Geographic Dig Kits

National Geographic have come up with these amazing Dig Kits for Kids. You can choose from a Dino Dig Kit where you can dig up Dino Poo or Dinosaur fossils or choose a shark tooth excavation kit. Each kit includes full-colour learning guide which allows children to identify and learn all about each specimen they uncover! This is a great gift for Dinosaur or Shark lovers this Christmas but there’s also Bug Digging Kits and Volcanoe exploration too! Perfect for History and Science fans.

This science kits include: One digging brick containing 3 ancient fossils, archeological digging tools, full-colour learning guide, and magnifying glass. You can buy them from Amazon here.

National Geographic toys
Gifts for Outdoorsy Kids

Best Gifts for Outdoorsy Kids

Woodland Hunt by Creative Scavenger

If you’re looking for.a nature gift for a child to encourage them to be outdoors or get them outside – this is a lovely set to give. It comes with stickers, a beautiful scavenger hunt book with ideas for exploring and adventuring outside, crayons, nature craft cards with lots of nature crafts. We took this away camping with us for some creative ideas for the kids to do – the kids loved it! The tote bag to colour in was the first thing they did when we arrived!! The book and the stickers are so beautifully illustrated and the instructions and text are perfectly written for taking out and about. Highly recommend for camping/glamping holidays and days out!! You can buy a copy here.

Woodland Nature Gifts for Kids

Seekers Magnetic Scavenger Hunt Kit

This is a lovely nature gift idea for kids that makes scavenger hunts accessible to all children. We love going on Woodland Walks and this makes Scavenger Hunts even more fun! Children spot the items on the grid and then turn over the magnet to show they’ve found them. It’s a great gift for younger children as well as older ones- toddlers might not have the ability to hold a pen and tick boxes on a sheet but they can use Seekers. There are extension kits covering ‘Things to find on a beach or camping trip’ making it a perfect gift that you can build upon in time. SEEKERS magnetic scavenger hunt is available to buy directly from their website here or you can purchase through Amazon if you prefer. If you need more ideas for garden toys for kids – check out our post on the best garden toys for kids here.

outdoor gifts for kids
outdoor gifts for kids

Kidnoculars Extreme

These Kidnoculars from Learning Resources are a great nature gift idea for kids aged 5-9 years old. They’re like binoculars but as well as bringing nature closer they also amplify the sounds around them too. They promote STEM-based scientific observation of nature, animals and anything your kids would like to study up close. They come in child-friendly colours and are super strong too. You can buy them on Amazon here.

Gifts for Kids that Like the Outdoors

Willow and Wild Subscription Boxes

These monthly nature subscription boxes from Willow and Wild are a perfect nature gift idea that lasts all year round! They contain craft ideas and gardening activities which help your children engage and connect with nature – helping them learn about and interact with plants, insects and the seasons. They offer 4 subscription terms, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months, as well as a month by month box. Every 3/6/12 month subscription customer also receives a free gift with their first box. Willow & Wild Box also offer a one-off large box, ideal as a birthday gift, or for the avid little gardener, along with a selection of children’s gardening products. We loved our Willow and Wild box – particularly planting our seeds and we already have a little sprout growing which caused great excitement. I love that our box had recipe cards in with ideas for recipes that we can try with the vegetables that we grow – Finlay is checking our peas daily! I love that these boxes teach children about nature in a really fun way and the boxes are letterbox size which is very handy.

 
creative gifts to help kids explore nature kids

Wooden Nature Scavenger Hunt

nature gifts for outdoorsy kids

A perfect gift idea for nature lovers is this beautifully handpainted birch wood scavenger hunt. Head outside and go on a scavenger hunt with this cute nature kit and help your little one get closer to nature and develop good observational skills. Comes in a handy cotton drawstring bag for taking out and about on adventures! Buy them here and check out their other nature gifts!

nature gifts for kids

Mud Kitchen

A Mud Kitchen is lots of fun for kids. You don’t have to buy a mud kitchen, you can make one out of pallets or you can simply use a digging area and pots and pans. You can see how to make a DIY Mud Kitchen in this post here. But if you did want to buy a Mud Kitchen – there’s a really wide variety available. I love the look of this mud kitchen from Amazon. Here’s a whole post on all things MUD Kitchen – potions for kids to make, mud parties for kids to have and ideas for mud kitchen activities for kids. Lots of Mud fun!

And how about these lovely accessories for your mud kitchen too! They would make perfect gifts.

Mud Kitchen gift ideas (1)
Mud Kitchen gift ideas (1)
  1. Mud Kitchen Stone Food from Peggy Rocks Crafts
  2. Personalised Mud Kitchen Sign from Woodland Tokens
  3. Oilcloth Outdoor Play Aprons by Kiddie Pinnie
  4. Mud Kitchen Potion Kit from Wild Boutique by Forest
  5. Nature Mud Kitchen Set from Made by Maible

Nature Inspired Gifts Kids will love!

Paint your Own Grufflo Birdhouse

A craft and nature gift in one! This gift is perfect for outdoorsy kids and those who love the Gruffalo and it will give hours of enjoyment. First kids choose how to paint their birdhouse, then they find the perfect spot to add their birdhouse and see who comes to pay a visit! Buy your Gruffalo Birdhouse here.

Gifts for Outdoorsy Kids
Gifts for Outdoorsy Kids

Backpacks

An essential item for a kid that loves the great outdoors is a sturdy but fun backpack that holds all their gear ready for any adventures they go on! These backpacks from Frugi are the perfect nature gift for kids – they come in a variety of sizes and there are a multitude of gorgeous nature fabric designs from dinosaurs to hedgehogs to whales! They’re great bags for hikes or the walk to school as they have an adjustable chest strap, shoulder straps and a padded back for extra comfort and two stretchy side pockets for water bottles. And the best thing – they’re environmentally friendly as the outer fabric is made from recycled plastic bottles, how clever is that!? See the whole range here. 

backpacks for kids

Water Bottles

Kids Waterbottles

Stay hydrated on your many adventures with these Frugi reusable water bottles that are rust, corrosion and stain resistant. They come in a wide range of designs to match the Frugi adventurer backpacks and make a great gift for outdoor lovers and kids who love nature as they come in a wide range of beautiful colours and patterns.

If you like camping – then this list of camping gifts for kids will give you loads more ideas!

Dinosaur Bingo

 

If you have a little dino-mad child to buy for this Christmas – try The ‘Dinosaur Game’ which is easy to play and full of weird and wonderful creatures, Dinosaur Bingo is a great game to engage and delight children for hours. It can be played with three to eight people, making it the perfect game for children and their families. The little people in our house  loved the bingo game and even played memory with it too!

outdoorsy gifts for kids

Outdoor Adventure Lottie Dolls

If you’ve never come across a Lottie Doll – you are in for a treat! These dolls are the cutest and come with completely adorable accessories but at 7 inches, they are also small enough to pop in your bag and take travelling. They are the perfect dolls to inspire outdoor adventures as all the Lottie Dolls come with a backstory and they love using their imaginations and playing outdside. There are a whole host of outdoor related Lottie Dolls and so they encourage kids to embrace their own individuality and try new things at the same time. From Stargazing Lottie Doll to Fossil Hunter Lottie – there are dolls for all sorts of adventures and they empower girls to get outside and explore – they reflect lovely aspirational job roles too like astronauts or engineers! You can even buy accessories for the dolls to have their own canoeing adventure or camping trip and promote creative play for kids. We love the Muddy Puddles Lottie Dolls named Mia and Olivia. Mia is a Wildlife Photographer and comes with a mini bag and camera and a copy of her newspaper – both come with the loveliest wellies and their story’s mention them being ‘dressed for all weathers’ and ‘not worried about the elements’ and ready to ‘make the biggest splash in their wellies’ which I think encourages kids off screens and outdoors! There’s even a boy version ‘Kite Flyer Finn’ and I love that he’s a doll for boys that doesn’t promote violence but outdoor play. All the clothes fit the girls and boy dolls and I love the close attention paid to tiny details like little buttons and clasps etc….The best thing about Lottie Dolls is the doll’s bodies are based on kids’ proportions not (unrealistic) adult ones and when wearing shoes, they can stand and be posed easily for creative play. There’s even a whole section over on lottie.com dedicated to children’s activities including free printables, competitions, resources for parents and educational stuff like biographies of great women from around the word. We think you’ll love them – check out the whole range on their website here or on Amazon.

nature dolls for kids

Nature dolls for Kids
Nature dolls for kids



Green Science Kit

Become a Green Scientist and learn about the environment and sustainability with this great Science kit that’s all about being green! Products in the Eco-Science range are made with 80% less single use plastic and use recycled materials making it more environmentally friendly then most kid’s science kits. It includes over 15 experiments with 49 pieces of content and a 36-page educational book. A perfect nature gift for those interested in the environment and wanting to become an eco-warrior!

science kit
 
If your little ones like collecting snails  in the garden and then try to keep them as pets (my daughter’s favourite past time) then they’ll love this ‘About Bugs Kit.’ This is a perfect present for kids who want to get closer to creepy crawlies. Includes an notepad and pencil, a small net, a capture jar, plus 24 cards with information about over 160 bugs.
 
About Bugs Kit

 Gardening Tool Set

This is perfect for children who are showing an interest in gardening and love digging and exploring. This beautiful set includes a hand trowel, hand fork and gloves. These items are all kept neatly together in a perfect tool bag. This has ample room inside, in addition to the pockets arranged around the outside, to carry other items they find in the garden! They can also be personalised, making them great presents. You can find this and more garden related kid’s items at Born Gifted.

Nature Gifts for kids, creative gifts to help kids explore nature kids

Go Ape Experience

How about an experience for giving great family memories as an amazing Christmas present this year? Why not try a ‘Go Ape’ gift voucher which gives your loved ones an unforgettable memory and whole new experience to plan in for 2019, they are also suitable for anyone of any age so it would be the perfect present for the kids, parents, friends and grandparents! Go Ape digital vouchers are also delivered instantly, making it the perfect option for the last-minute shopper who thought their only option was socks! Vouchers from just £10 so if you’re looking for a unique secret Santa present to impress employees or a thrill-seeker package for all the family, Go Ape has got it covered. Go on. They’ll love you for it! See here for our Adventure with Go Ape! 

Go Ape Review

Hello Nature Activity Cards

These are a lovely set of pocket-sized cards, perfect for little adventurers to take along for a walk in the woods, holidays on the beach, or just whilst pottering in their own back garden. They feature thirty fun activities to try, from stone skimming and pond dipping, to making feather quill pens. There are lots of activities the whole family will be able to do together so it’s a great present idea for the Summer Holidays too. Chakrabarti’s illustrations in the Hello Nature Activity Cards show how `to identify a tree from its seed, how a frog is different from a toad, where to find the Big Dipper, and much more. We’ve only tried a handful of these ideas but I love that this is a present that will last a long while!

Nature Gifts for kids, creative gifts to help kids explore nature kids

Outdoor Play Prompts

These little cards are a very handy and clever idea from Play Hooray! which I’ve found have a lovely selection of gift ideas that would be great for new mums or birthdays too – they have everything from ‘First Year Play Prompts’ to ‘Letter and Number Play Prompts’. These Outdoor Play prompts come in a little box so they would be good for taking on holiday. The ideas have been put together to make outdoors fun super simple, and contain a mix of sensory, exploratory, creative, messy and imaginative activities for all types of weather and outdoor spaces.

creative gifts to help kids explore nature kids

Muddy Puddles Kids Waterproofs

A perfect gift for kids that love to explore – is the clothing to help them be even more adventurous! Our kids love these waterproofs because they know they can have all season adventures and explore as much as they like without anyone moaning that they’re too messy! Muddy Puddles do a variety of suits, wellies, snow boots and everything you could possibly need to keep on enjoying the Great Outdoors whatever the weather! Find more Outdoor Clothing on our  Shop of Outdoor kids Products we love here….

Muddy Puddles waterproof clothing

present ideas for kids who love the outdoors

Families of the Enchanted Forest

This makes a lovely nature gift for kids that’s educational as well as build’s creativity. It consists of a big 3D tree that you build where lots of animal families live! Based on the Montessori method the game consists of putting each animal in its house in the tree. A sweet playset that helps preschoolers learn about and identify forest animals, each family has its home so it ncourages sorting and matching. Perfect for kids aged 3-6.There are whole range of other Montessori inspired kits and nature toys at Toys and Bears.

enchanted woodland toy

My Nature Sticker Books….

Butterflies of the World, Dinosaurs of the World and more! These are beautiful sticker books with vivid imagery and a variety of stickers in different sizes. Children can colour in the animals and their homes, apply stickers of their food and footprints, and learn all about what the animals eat and how they bring up their young. And at the end, there’s a fun quiz to test their knowledge! These beautifully illustrated sticker books will keep kids entertained for hours!

Nature books for kids

My nature sticker books

Nature Journal for Kids

Nature Journalling is a great way for kids to explore the big outdoors but it can be hard for kids to know where to start. So, I’ve designed this Kid’s (21 page) Printable Nature Adventure Journal which is inspired by all the things my own 4 kids love to do outside from hunting under rocks to drawing butterflies – it’s a simple and easy to use kid’s nature journal, designed with children ages 5-12 in mind (but my three year old also loves it and it can be used by children of any age!).

It’s a lovely nature workbook with beautiful watercolour drawings encourages kids to look a little closer at nature and gently develop the lifelong habit of nature observation. Buy it on Etsy here.

Hope you enjoyed these ideas to help kids get outside and exploring. What are your kids favourite things to do outside?

We have a nature journal that kids will love – its an easy way to get kids outside and exploring! Buy your nature journal here.

 

 

Nature Inspired Gifts for kids. Creative gifts to inspire kids to get outside! Great list of finds that will encourage kids to explore nature. Kids can use them on nature walks or their own backyard to observe animals, insects & plants

Best Gift Ideas for kids who love outdoors

*We were gifted these items in exchange for a review but I do genuinely love them and have bought duplicates for friends and relatives as birthday gifts because we enjoyed them so much! All thoughts, words and photos are my own. This post contains affiliate links.*

the best gift ideas for outdoorsy kids

 

 

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