I’m so excited to share my very first gift guide with all of you! If you’re like me, you probably find Christmas shopping for the kids stressful. They already have absolutely everything they need, they really don’t need any more toys, but you still want them to have the magic of opening their gifts on Christmas morning.
I’m big on practical gifts. What are my kids hobbies and what can I get them to make that hobby a little more fun and exciting? Things like bike helmets, bike gloves, life jackets, and art supplies all fall into this category. Things like pjs and school supplies are practical.
I’m also big on experience gifts. Tickets to a show or theatre production, train rides, events, etc, all score pretty high in my books. We’ve made a habit of gifting the kids with a winter trip to an indoor waterpark, which is always a highlight.
But what are some other ideas? I’ve put this list together to give some ideas of non-toy gifts that would still be pretty exciting (and useful) to all of our adventurous and outdoorsy kids.
Holiday Gift Guide for Adventurous Kids
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Scratchable World Map
If you have a traveler on your hands, or just a kid that loves geography and maps, this is something to get them this Christmas. Every time you visit a new place, you scratch it off (just like a lottery ticket!). I love this one because it lists the Canadian provinces and US states separately, making it a little more relatable for our kids.
Letters From Afar
Check out Letters From Afar Instagram account and you will see exactly what makes this mail subscription amazing. Every month a new letter is sent out with beautiful art and adventures from around the world. If your kids are like mine, they will absolutely love seeing their letters arrive in the mailbox each month.
Adventure Journal
There are tons of “fill in the blank” journals available for adventure, travel, nature – but I’ve always been a big fan of the blank notebook and I find that’s what my kids gravitate towards as well. This one is beautiful because the inside pages are coloured and interesting. I love journals as a gift, because a kid can never have too many of them.
Walkie Talkies
Not only something fun to play with, but walkie talkies can be a useful tool for those outdoor adventures. It’s a great way for parents to stay in touch when they kids are exploring out of sight. Our kids can spend hours lost in their imagination with a patch of woods and a couple of walkie talkies.
Hydration Pack
This Camelbak Scout Hydration pack is the perfect size for your little adventurers. It has enough space for more than just the bladder, which is great for longer trips. If you want something a little smaller, try the Osprey Kid’s Moki.
Ninjaline
A perfect active gift, the NinjaLine will get kids climbing and moving. Set this up in the backyard between two trees and they can pretend to be ninja warriors! A great challenge and hours of fun.
A Tree
How perfect is this? Give your child the gift of their very own tree. Plant it together and watch it grow year after year. It will become a lifetime memory. Don’t forget to take a picture each year of your child next to the tree to measure growth!
Tip: If you live somewhere cold, consider getting a tree in a pot and waiting for warmer weather to plant it.
Puzzle
Sometimes it’s nice to have a quiet activity to work on, and a beautiful puzzle will capture kids imagination and give them a challenge at the same time. The kids and I loved working on this hot air balloon puzzle together.
A Kite
I can’t remember the last time I saw anyone fly a kite, but it’s something we did frequently as kids. This would make an awesome outdoorsy gift for those windy days.
Mountain Shelf
Perfect for your little adventurer, this wooden mountain shelf will bring just the right amount of the outdoors in. We have one and it looks fantastic on our wall. It’s a great gift for your child’s bedroom wall!
Thanks so much for stopping by! I often post about my 101 challenge and my outdoor adventure with the kids with the hashtags #101in1001 #101adventures or #asimplesomething. You can join me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. Or, you can follow me on Bloglovin or subscribe via e-mail to be alerted to each new post!