52 Adventure Gifts for Outdoor Kids

19 Bigger Ideas for Bigger Adventurers

Classic Books of Inspiration. Bigger kids can take on bigger ideas so if you’re looking to give a book why not feed them some inspiration with stories of what’s possible. How about Classic Quest for Adventure Stories . Or if they’re more 21st century what about The Man Who Cycled The World or Full Circle: My Life and Journeyby Ellen MacArthur, the woman who sailed around it.

Magazine Subscriptions. These can make an excellent gift, providing regular injections of inspiration. What about a subscription to National Geographic? The main magazine is a great education for older teens or there’s National Geographic Kids for younger ones (6-14) and even National Geographic Little Kids for tots (3-6). Never to young to learn about geography.

Slacklining Kit. Slacklining is a simple and addictive outdoor pastime. A Slackline Kit contains everything you need to set up a simple low level tightrope. The kits include strong but soft webbing that can be slung between trees and kits include trunk protectors. Small and light, they are a great addition to a day or rucksack and provide everything needed to get started with this simple, safe and addictive outdoor pastime. Once set up young and old can have a go at walking the line, also know as staying on-line.  Which means you’ll soon be shouting encouragement at your kids to stay online!

Pop Up Tent. Now you don’t need to go camping to go camping. But you do need a tent. These Instant Popup Tents are not just in fashion, they’re practical too and often not too big for indoor use! Why not turn your living room into a campsite for a night, have your own mini festival, throw in some duvets and pillows and have all the comforts of home and the excitement of sleeping in a tent. No need for pegs or guy ropes. Or pop it up in the yard and camp in the garden. Or stick it in the car or on your bike and go camp ‘for real’. Kids love camping, and it’s especially exciting if they can do it in their own tent. And these ones really are a cinch to put up.

Day Sack or Rucksack. If they are going camping it’s probably about time they shouldered some of the load don’t you think? Older kids can carry their own gear – waterproofs, clothes, drinks and food – while little ones should at least be able to carry their own toys or snacks. A Small Day Sack is a great multi-purpose gift, useful for everyday activities like going swimming or to play sport as well as carrying gear on an outdoor adventure. If you want to encourage journeys a little further afield, then why not go big and get a Full Size Rucksack.

Survival Bag. More than just a giant plastic bag (although that’s what it is), a Single Survival Bag is big enough to get inside in an emergency to help keep you dry and warm until help arrives. They’re also pretty good for keeping your bum or your gear dry on a very wet day. Bigger kids could even use them for a night sleeping out under the stars, with an appropriate sleeping bag. If you want something to help survive more extreme conditions (and are willing to spend a little more) what about a Blizzard Emergency Survival Blanket. Or if you want something to help shelter the family if conditions get bad, or just for a more exciting lunch stop, what about a Group Storm Shelter?

Bivi Bag or Sleeping Bag. If you want to go one better than a survival bag, then what about a proper Waterproof Breathable Bivvy Bag, designed for sleeping out without need for a tent. With one of these in your rucksack and an appropriate Sleeping Bag, rated for the conditions, you’re all equipped for a night of luxury under a million stars. Add in a copy of the Book of the Bivvy or Al Humphrey’s great book on Microadventures: Local Discoveries for Great Escapes and it’s probably all the nudge you need to give older kids to get them out roughing it for a night or two.

An Adventure Kit. If your kids are a bit reluctant to get outside you might find an adventure kit gives them the equipment and incentive to get a few mates together and organise something themselves. Battlebox put together some great Adventure Kits containing everything you need to get out for a particular type of adventure. You can pick from their range of ready made kits (den building, campfire, ambush or survival kits and more) or you can build your own custom kit, selecting just the ingredients you think you need for that perfect adventure. We tried out one of their Extreme Ambush kits and disappeared in the woods wearing Ghillie Suits . Brilliant fun.

Bushcraft and Survival Skills. If you’re going to take or send your kids off camping then you may want to help them develop skills that will help them be safe, survive and live off their wits. After all they’re going to need such skills when they leave home.  Most kids get a real kick from learning bushcraft and survival skills and many of the skills are easy to learn and fun to practice. A good Fieldbook on Bushcraft Skills can be a good way to inspire kids to try and learn some bushcraft. Masters like Ray Mears and Ben McNutt have written comprehensive Essential Bushcraft that illustrate skills from around the world.

If you want to take it further people like Ben and Ray run survival and bushcraft workshops that run for a day, a weekend or more. Ben once showed us how to make fire without matches and believe me it’s inspiring and empowering stuff. Some courses cater specifically for families enabling you to learn together. Some run special Teens Bushcraft or Survival skills courses helping teenagers learn to fend for themselves. A course is a great gift for the family for Christmas or a birthday. While you are browsing experiences, maybe check out some of the bigger wilderness adventures you can do with your kids. Before you know it, a simple gift of adventure might end up being a holiday of a lifetime. 

More Adventure Gift Ideas

For more adventure gift ideas, check this post on our Top 10 Essentials for Outdoor Survival. Little things we like to keep in our rucksacks or panniers just in case things should go wrong.

Over to you

Have you any favourite ideas for adventure gifts or outdoor presents? We’d love to hear them. Leave a comment and let us know.