18 Great Gifts for Kids Who Love to Play Outside

Immediately after reading The Hunger Games, my now 12-year-old asked for a bow and arrow set. We got them this one, and it was a great choice. With lightweight foam-tipped arrows, this was easy enough for my 6-year-old child to enjoy while still being fun for my tween.

Your baby might not know they love the great outdoors yet, but this set of adorable board books will help them realize they do, with vivid illustrations of water, plants, animals, and places from America’s National Park System.

If the kiddo on your list loves to get their hands dirty, let them! Encourage a love of nature and gardening from an early age with this functional garden tool set. The four-piece set includes long-handled tools like a shovel, hoe, and two different types of rakes — ideal for digging, tilling, and convincing your kiddos that raking leaves is actually a fun game they should play.

Are they stepping stones? Stacking blocks? Colorful hats? This open-ended play set from Stapelstein is all three and more. Made from eco-friendly, recyclable materials, these brightly colored disks can be enjoyed by kids of all ages indoors and outdoors. Available in primary or pastel colors, the set also includes something Stapelstein calls a ‘Super Cool,’ which can be used like a balance board (It may look familiar to millennial parents who grew up with Pogo Bals).

There’s no thrill quite like reeling in a live fish. It awakens a primal instinct in us all, and this kid-size rod and reel will help kids learn the joys of fishing, whether they’re actually reeling in the big one or just enjoying an unbothered day on the water.

A kid can go far on a pair of roller skates, and these are a durable, well-made starter pair that will set up young skaters for success. Designed to grow with your kiddo, these skates have an EZ-Twist knob to adjust the sizing inside the high-top style boot. They feature a high-impact chassis with metal trucks for fluid movement so your kid can get rolling in no time. (But you might also want a helmet and kneepads!)

A sled is essential for outdoor winter play, and this simple model gets the job done quite well. Available in seven different colors, the sled has a rope that can be used to steer it (I mean, sort of) as your kiddo zooms down a snow-covered hill.

Whether they’re just learning to play or refining their skills, this 3-in-1 soccer goal will help kids reach their, er, goals. The 6x3x4-foot goal includes stakes for securing it in place and features three different training modes: a standard goal, a rebounder net, and a target shot trainer. The goal is perfect for playing with friends or solo.

As a former chef and avid home cook, I love to see kids enjoying play kitchens, and my favorite kind of play kitchen is the muddy one. No plastic food necessary, just all the toys that nature can provide by way of sticks, leaves, pine cones, and of course, mud. With its simple design, cool water tank, and chalkboard menu, this backyard kitchen will become a hub of outdoor fun.

There’s so much to treasure about the great outdoors that it can be intimidating trying to figure out where to begin. These three jumbo 12-sided dice feature outdoor elements to gamify the natural world and get kids excited about the wide world beyond their screens.

My family of four are all daily bike riders, riding to and from school every day, and we all absolutely love Woom bikes. Lightweight, smooth-handling, and available in 7 vivid colors, a Woom bike is a core memory of a gift that will help kids learn independence and resilience while gaining confidence. This one is built for kids 6 and up, but Woom makes options for kids of all ages. (And would I really be a mom if I didn’t say, don’t forget your helmet?)

Perfect for sandboxes, the beach, or even indoors with kinetic sand, this dinosaur head sand glove will fire up your future paleontologist’s imagination as they snap its jaws open and shut while grabbing a big scoop of sand. And unlike the dinosaurs of prehistoric times, it also works in the snow!

It’s kind of tough to play outside in the evening during the dark winter months, but this LED frisbee shines a whole new light on backyard play in a stunning array of colors (16 million of them, though I didn’t count them myself). Equally appropriate for a kiddo just learning to play catch or an older teen who’s into Ultimate.

Who wouldn’t want to send a rocket soaring into space with the stomp of their foot? No kid I’ve ever met, that’s for sure. This is an objectively fun backyard toy that has the bonus feature of lighting up, making it a bit easier to find your rocket when it comes screaming back down to earth. And another bonus: Kids just happen to get a little physics lesson through play — the best way to learn.

Camping is a fabulous adventure for kids who love the outdoors, and they need their own gear while they’re out in the wild. This compact light can be hung from inside a tent or taken into the woods for exploring, and when you’re not camping, it makes the perfect nighttime reading light.

We’ve had a dome like this in our backyard for the past six years, and it is still well-loved by my kids. It’s the perfect structure for open-ended play — climbing, hanging, and pretending. The freestanding structure moves easily for mowing the yard or a game of backyard soccer.

All kids love walkie-talkies. It’s just a fact. With four long-range walkie-talkies, the kids on your list can connect with siblings, friends, and/or parents as they explore the great outdoors.

Teaching children the art of slowing down and observing the world around them is a true gift, and these binoculars are the perfect tool for the task. These are tailor-made for kiddos, with a placement guide that helps them see from afar without getting frustrated.