Gift Guide
of our favorite outdoor nature-based toys: a list of open-ended toys to help feed children’s imagination and allow for years of play
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Mud Kitchen
You can definitely build a mud kitchen with scraps of wood, which is a fun project for those handy! But for the rest of us, this is a great alternative since it comes with everything you need - including directions!
Plus it comes with accessories to “cook” with!
Pressed Plant Art
This art kit never gets old! Create beautiful and easy art to cherish for years or make cards for others!
Metal Detector
Best metal detector for young kids interested in treasure hunting out in nature. Adds a focus to any hike or outdoor exploration. Perfect for pirate lovers without a boat!
Walkie Talkies
A classic fun toy for family or friends to play a variety of games with - hide and seek, scavenger hunts, and endless imaginative play.
Handheld Microscope
Super easy and fun way to observe small items out in nature. Throw it in your backpack and enlarge your child’s world!
Try this standing microscope is wonderful for a child who has space for discovery at home.
Rock Painting Kit
Collect rocks and decorate with the perfect paints and tools (that glow in the dark!)
Scavenger Hunt Potions
There is nothing more fun for children than making potions of items they collect. Use the reusable potion bottles with the included magical recipes or for their own concoctions.
Bug Catcher Kit
Perfect bug catching kit for children to safely catch and observe the bugs they find in nature. Children can observe the bugs in the habitat provided and then safely return bugs to their natural home.
Kids Binoculars
These are the perfect first of binoculars because there is no adjustments needed for young hands and eyes.
Check out these binoculars for older kids with enough dexterity to use them.
Wings for Imaginative Play
Great for pretend play outside, bird wings are fun to add to the ‘dress up’ nature play too!
Animal Masks
Easy to pack all of these different animal masks into a hiking backpack and pull out for pretend play with a whole class or group of friends!
Root viewer
Kids can watch plants grow in a garden, but they only see the top leaves as it progresses - this is a unique way to view the whole plant!
Giant Bubble Wand
Simply the best.
Open-ended nature play!
Super easy to throw this in a hiking bag for a fun nature manipulative that can continuously transform into different animals, transportation, robots, or really anything!
Perfect Chalk
The most fun chalk EVER. No dusty hands and the most vibrant beautiful art is created.
Butterfly Garden
There’s nothing more magical than a child watching the lifecycle of a butterfly unfold in front of their eyes.
Big Gardening Tools Kit
Young kids love helping, tools, and nature - combine all three with this gardening kit for them to work alongside you in the yard! This tool kit would help encourage gross motor skills.
Hand Tools for Garden
If your child is more into planting than yard work, this tool kit would be better fit! This tool kit can help encourage fine motor skill development.
Camera
To see the world through your child’s lens is priceless! This featured camera is good for young children enjoying snapping a million photos - whereas this camera prints their photos instantly, so whatever is best for your child’s artistic adventure!
Kid’s Hammock
Kids love playing, reading, and napping in the perfect kid-sized hammock out in their yard, on a hike, or camping!
*But truthfully our favorite part of nature play is how you don’t need ‘things’ to enjoy the great outdoors! (but this list can enhance nature play, so enjoy!)
