This is my third year doing a Gift Guide for Adventurous Kids (See my previous years posts here!). I love sharing products, gear, and toys that are going to help get you out with your kids. Whether that be something to make road trips a little easier, a great travel toy for the airplane, some new winter boots for the snow. My goal is for these items to get used over and over and not just get donated or tossed a couple months after the holidays are over.
Most of these items we already own and love, but a few are ones that caught my eye, have been recommended to me, have good reviews, and I’m considering getting for my own kids!
Material things are not what’s important, but when you can find something that will help enhance childhood and add to your family’s adventures and memories, it’s always worth the sometimes small investment.
So here are 52 well thought out gift ideas for your adventurous kids! And if you want to check out my other gift guides for the whole family, I have those here.
*This post is not sponsored. Some of the links shared in this post may be affiliate links meaning I make a small commission off of your purchase (with no extra cost to you). This allows me to continue to create free content for my readers. Thank you for your continued support!
Gifts under $10
The Mitten Book
The Mitten: Books are always a great gift. The Mitten one of my favorite winter books as a kid and it’s great to give at Christmas because you can read it for months after. It’s by the popular author Jan Brett and is about different forest animals fitting inside a single mitten that was left on the snow.
Welly Bandages
Welly Bandages: Bandaids are always a hit for my kids and these bandaids are so cute! With all the scrapes kids get from hikes and playing outside, you can never have enough bandaids.
Baby Animals Book
Baby Animals Book: This is an indestructible book that’s really hard to tear or ruin. It’s marketed towards babies but I think it would be fun to have as a dedicated camping/backpacking book for your kids who love to read or look at pictures. You don’t have to worry about it getting ripped up and destroyed when you’re outside!
4 Piece Kid’s Knife Set
4 Piece Kid’s Knife Set: I don’t know about you but my kids love helping in the kitchen. These kid knives are not sharp but they are still able to cut through things like potatoes, cucumbers, peppers, strawberries, things like that.
Hape Blues Harmonica
Hape Blues Harmonica: A harmonica is such a fun way to introduce your kids to musical instruments. It could be fun for them to bring on a camping trip and play around the fire or just at home!
Spot it Game
Spot it Game: This is a simple but fun game that even adults enjoy. It says ages 6 and older but my 4 year old can play it just fine and gets faster every time. It comes in a round tin that is super portable and won’t get destroyed when you toss it in your bag.
Safety Scissors
Safety Scissors: My kids are always wanting to use our scissors so I picked up this set of safety scissors so they could use them without me having to worry about hurting themselves or cutting things other than paper. They have a straight edge, a zigzag, and a wavy pair. They cut great and we have 0 accidents to report.
Seek and Find Sticker Pad
Seek and Find Sticker Pad: This is another sticker pad that my kids love. The pages are white with black outlined animals and they can use the correlating sticker pages to fill them in to create a colorful scene.
Sensory Seek and Find Bear
Sensory Seek and Find Bear: This Sensory Seek and Find Bear stays in our car and is so fun on longer road trips. There’s a ton of beads and little figurines hidden inside. It comes with cards (they’re attached so you won’t lose them) with items for kids to find. It keeps my kids entertained for a good amount of time!
Utility Spork
Utility Spork: This is such a simple, yet fun gift. My kids love having their own camping sporks but they could also use them for their school lunches or just eating at home! Sometimes changing up one thing (like utensils) at meal time can make your kids even more interested in eating their food.
Gifts under $25
Dr. Meter Ear Muffs
Dr. Meter Ear Muffs: We use these earmuffs often and our kids love to wear them! Monster truck rallies, around fireworks, air shows, or any large gatherings where it could get noisy. There are so many colors, you’ll definitely find one your kiddo will love.
Magnetic drawing boards
Magnetic Drawing Boards: These magnetic boards are another fun travel toy. You can practice letter writing on one or use the freestyle board to draw whatever comes to their minds.
Animal Sticker Book
Animal Sticker Book: This sticker book has multiple blank scenes and kids can just place the animals wherever they wish. We love to throw it in our church bag, travel backpack for the airplane, or anywhere we just want to keep the kids entertained!
Zingo Game
Travel Paint Set
Travel Paint Set: My friend brought this on a recent camping trip and it was a hit. The kids loved painting and it was such a fun way to change up our normal camping and outdoor activities. It would make a great outing to bring the water colors and draw something you see in nature with your kids.
Walkie Talkies
Walkie Talkies: We got these for our oldest 2 years ago and he loves them. Usually I will take him outside and then we will hide and have Logan come find us and give him clues on the walkie talkie. They’re also fun to use when we’re out camping.
LEGO Suitcase
LEGO Suitcase: This Lego Suitcase is a hit in our house. It comes with a good amount of Legos and a little booklet with instructions to build simple things like different animals, a castle, camera and other fun things. The suitcase that they come it make it super transportable which we love.
Kinetic Sand
Kinetic Sand: Kinetic sand is sensory heaven. It is so fun to hold and mold into shapes, and doesn’t make a huge mess. We love this sand castle set because it comes with different molds and it all fits and stores in it’s own bin. We’ve had it for about a year and the sand still has not dried out.
Kid’s Travel Neck Pillow
Kid’s Travel Neck Pillow: We finally got our oldest his own neck pillow for our last flight and he loved it! He used it on the airplane as well as in his car seat when we drove at our destination. Anything to help my kids sleep better when we’re traveling is a win in my book.
Beginner Snap Circuit
Beginner Snap Circuits: We got this for my son’s 4.5th birthday this year (we celebrate his birthday early since he is a Christmas baby). You snap the pieces together to create electricity and make pieces move, light up, make noise, or whatever they’re intended to do. It’s totally safe and a great intro to electrical engineering. He needed a little help figuring it out at first, but now he can do it on his own and creates his own designs.
Guess in 10 Junior
Guess in 10 Junior Animals – This is one of my kids’ favorite games to play at home. It’s simple enough for my kids to play but I enjoy it too. All the cards have pictures and it doesn’t require any reading which is great for younger kids.
Minnie Mouse Dress Up Puzzle
Minnie Mouse Dress Up Puzzle: If you have a Minnie loving kid, this is such a hit. My daughter loves to mix and match the different expressions and clothes. It’s a small size so easy to bring on the go as well.
Matching Game
Matching Game: My kids love playing matching game and I love this because I don’t have to shuffle and reset up a bunch of cards. There’s no mess/clean up and it’s great for the car as well.
PAW Patrol Magnets
PAW Patrol Magnets: This tin comes with mini magnetic characters that you can place inside of the tin they come in to make your own play scene. My kids love these and have had multiple over the years.
Building Blocks
Building Discs: These are an open ended toy where the pieces all interlock together to make lots of different creations. You can make simple things like flowers or get more complex and build bikes and houses! Lots of options here are great for a wide range of ages.
Children’s Winter Wool Socks
Children’s Winter Wool Socks: I know socks aren’t the most fun for kids to get but I think practical gifts are always a good idea. These warm, wool socks are perfect for winter and your kids will get so much use out of them.
LED Flashlight 6-pack
LED Flashlight 6-pack: Flashlights are not only fun for kids, but also useful! My kids will keep one by their beds at night if they need to get up in the middle of night. They also love to bring them camping or for an evening hike. Lots of fun uses!
Gifts Under $50
Fishing Pole and Tackle Box
Fishing Pole and Tackle Box: Our 4 year old started showing interest in fishing this year after he tried it at a friends house so we got him his own fishing pole with tackle box and it’s been so fun! We love to just take this up to the mountains and let him toss lines in the rivers. It has a button to cast so it’s easy for him to control. It telescopes down and comes with it’s own carrying case making it super easy to store and keep in the car.
Magnetic Building Blocks
Magnetic Building Blocks: These open-ended mini magnetic blocks are a staple in our travel bag. Not only are they perfect for the airplane but also the airport and Airbnb or hotel. They are very lightweight and easy to keep track of since they are magnetic.
Clixo Itsy Magnetic Toy
Clixo Itsy Magnetic Toy: These are the most portable magnetic toy we have. I keep ours in these reusable zippered pouches and just throw them in my bag. I’m amazed by what my 4 year old creates with these.
Kid Camp Chair
Kid Camp Chair: I love our REI Co-op Camp Chair-Kids. This pint-sized chair offers a comfortable and sturdy seating option for kids at the campsite or around the fire. It’s lightweight and collapsible making it easy to transport and set up. The chair has a durable steel frame and a supportive seat, ensuring stability and comfort for your kiddo. It also includes a cup holder for their favorite drink and a handy storage pocket for snacks or small toys.
Super Slide Game
Super Slide Game: This is a fun on the go game for your older kids to solve. There are lots of different puzzles for them to do so they won’t get bored quickly.
Outside-Friendly Remote Control Car
Remote Control Car: One thing we discovered this year was how much fun it is to bring a remote control car camping. This one is sturdy and can be driven indoors but is also made for rocks, dirt, grass, sand and can even handle puddles.
Fleece Jacket
Columbia Fleece Jacket: I love to bring a fleece jacket for the kids when the temperatures are mild. Or we use it as a mid layer when it’s really cold. Fleece is great because it’s durable, doesn’t get saturated quickly in the rain, and still a soft, warm material.
Kid’s Camera
Kid’s Camera: My kids loves taking pictures on this little camera and I love it because they don’t ask to take them on my phone. It’s a simple design and my oldest mastered it when he was just 2.5. And bonus! the pictures they take are actually extremely fun to look back at.
Balance Stepping Stones
Balance Stepping Stones: These are a hit in our house. We play the ground is hot lava mostly but my kids also use them to store things, hide things underneath, and they stack them to stand up higher. They have a rubber lining on the bottom so they don’t slip.
Bike Helmet
Bike Helmet: If you’re kid is getting a new bike for Christmas or maybe you already have one but no helmet yet, this is a great option! Both my kids have used it. It’s safe and I like that the back is flat so my kids can comfortably ride in our bike trailer when I pull them on my bike.
Scoop and Serve Ice Cream Counter
Scoop and Serve Ice Cream Counter: I’ll be honest, I was shocked about how much my kids liked this. They played with it at my sister’s house when we visited and they were constantly asking everyone what their order was. I posted about it on my Instagram and got dozens of messages from parent saying how much their kids have loved it as well.
Cardboard Construction Set
Cardboard Construction Set: I know we personally have a lot of cardboard boxes around our house that just end up getting recycled, but this construction tool kit can turn that trash into a whole new project for kids. They can just screw in the wooden screws randomly or build something really unique and fun.
*Inflatable Fort
Inflatable Fort: I love how easy this fort is to set up but also store. It does require a basic box fan which you need to purchase seperately.
Rubber Racecar Track
Rubber Racecar Track: This 15 foot race car track is great for inside or outside. My kids love to race cars and it’s great for bringing out on adventures with friends. Just suction it to your car window, the door, anywhere and watch them race.
*Winter Boots: These are the best winter boots for kids and my favorite I have ever used. The smallest size is size toddler 4.5. They are waterproof and insulated with a wool/fleece blend. The sole is thicker and the kids feet have been plenty warm every time I take them off. They are very easy to get on and my 4 year old is even able to get these on himself which I love.
*Discount Code: Hailey20 for 20% off
Kid’s Excavator
Kids’ Excavator: This brings me back to my childhood. This is great if you have limited space in your backyard and some open dirt. It’s also great for the winter because they can just shovel the snow!
Rock Tumbler
Rock Tumbler: If you have a kid that loves to collect rocks, grab a rock tumbler. This brings out eh shine and color of different rocks and really is a fun time watching how they change.
Gifts under $100
Lego/Toy Storage Organizer
SlideAway Storage Organizer: This is how we store our kids’ Legos and it is absolutely the best. It keeps them out of the way and then when they are ready to use them they just dump them onto the nylon sheet that keeps them all totally contained, but they are still able to look at and sort through all the legos. Then when it’s time to clean up, you just lift up the sheet and they funnel back into the bin. It’s genius!
This would also be great for toy cars, magnets, or whatever small toys you want contained.
Yoto Mini
Yoto Mini: The Yoto Player screen free audio player is a great way to help kids settle down in the evening or give their brains something else to focus on while they play in the dirt. I also love it for the drive to our campsite. The mini size makes it perfect for traveling. There are hundreds of story and music card options for all ages. You can check out my entire Yoto Player Review and Everything You Need to Know post here.
Discount Code: HaileyOutside10
Merrell Chameleon 7 Hiking Boot
Merrell Chameleon 7 Hiking Boot: Hiking shoes are always a good gift idea especially with kids’ constantly growing feet. I like a higher boot for the cooler weather and these Merrell boots are very popular!
gifts $100+
Woom Bike
Woom Bikes: As my oldest has transitioned from a balance bike to a pedal bike, I found Woom bikes to be amazing bikes for kids. They are designed to ergonomically fit them and they are light enough for kids to comfortably handle. I love their balance bikes because they have a hand brake which helps make the transition to a pedal bike even smoother. They have multiple size bikes to fit all kids!
Kids Kindle
Kids’ Kindle: If you have a kid that is reading, a Kindle might be right up their ally. They can have multiple books right at their finger tips and it’s so much eaiser to bring on the go. The Kids’ Kindle comes with a cover, a 6-month Amazon Kids+ subscription, and a 2-year warranty.
Reima Winter Snowsuit
Reima Winter Snowsuit: This is the snowsuit I have picked out for my toddler this winter. I have multiple friends who have it for their kids and it is the best! So cute, extremely warm, and waterproof. If you live in a snowy location and want to spend time outside with your toddler this winter, a snowsuit is a must.
*Discount Code: Hailey20 for 20% off
Iksplor Merino Wool Base Layers
Iksplor Merino Wool Base Layers: I will rave about merino wool until the end of time. There are so many incredible benefits: it’s temperature regulating meaning even when it’s warm it will help keep you cool, it is odor resistant, it keeps you warm even when it’s wet, and it’s moisture wicking. This is the only material I dress my kids in when we are out on winter hikes. If they have an accident (pee/poop/spit up), get sweaty, snow gets down their snow suit, they spill on themselves, I want to make sure they have a good material against their skin to help prevent hypothermia. (If you’d like to know more about how I dress my kids for winter hiking, check out this post)
I also use these as pajamas when we camp (and even at home) for the reasons I listed above. I’ve already passed down multiple sets to my baby which goes to show that they are high quality.
*Discount Code: HaileyOutside for 10% off
Lovevery Play Kit Subscription
Lovevery Play Kit Subscription: While this is last on my list, it is definitely not something to be overlooked. You could just order one of these and your shopping is done. We love our Lovevery play kits and I get them for both my kids. They come every few months and have multiple, high quality toys perfect for your child’s age. They are Montessori inspired toys that are open-ended and inspire free play.
If you liked my 2024 Gift Guide for Adventurous Kids, check out some of my other gift guides:
