The best gifts are the ones that children outside. If a few years of lockdowns, home learning and wet weather have dampened their desire to get out there, these are the gifts to coax them back out...
GoPro HERO8 (£279.98,GoPro)
A great sports camera for teens to capture professional quality videos of all their outdoor adventures. Waterproof up to 33ft and impact resistant, this model should stand up to all the action they can throw at it.
Kid’s Adventure Vest Set (£39.95, Little Adventure Shop)
Packed with wearable gadgets and tools, this assault vest with nine pockets is a real find for budding adventurers. Includes camo cap, torch, waterproof notebook, bottle, carabiner and a super-cool 7 in 1 Whistle (with whistle, compass, storage compartment, magnifier, thermometer and LED light).
Hape Nature Fun Pocket Swing (£21, Eden Project)
What family doesn’t love stumbling upon a rope swing in the middle of a woodland walk? With this portable version (easily hung between two trees) you’re guaranteed a swing stop on your next nature ramble.
National Geographic Starter Rock Tumbler Kit (£99.99, Amazon)
If you’re a parent whose pocket is always full of stones handed to you for safekeeping by a young rock hunter, this stone polisher’s a winner. A great gift for any child interested in geology, the smooth result will elevate their nature finds to treasure status.
Treasure Trail map (£9.99, Treasure Trails)
Is a weekend walk sounding like more of a threat than a joy to a stubborn six-year-old or a tech-obsessed teen? Transform a walk into a murder mystery, spy quest or treasure trail with these brilliant maps that are genuinely fun for the whole family.
Sunprint paper (£10.95, Baker Ross)
Creative children will love creating gorgeous artworks with this photosensitive paper. Collect natural objects with interesting shapes and silhouettes like ferns and leaves, leave in the sun and watch your masterpiece take shape.
Adventurous Ink subscription (from £25, Adventurous Ink)
The perfect gift for older (or grown-up) kids in need of outdoor inspiration. Each month subscribers receive an outdoor-themed book or journal with a letter telling the back story of the month’s choice.
Odoland Slackline Ninja set (£33.99, Amazon)
Slacklines provide a full body and core workout and are great fun for the garden or taking on camping trips. This one ups the ante with an overhead guide line that can be used to aid balance when starting out but converts to an obstacle course ninja line of hanging monkey bars, ropes and rings.
Moment Tele Lens (Moment)
Pimp your child’s phone by gifting them a high-quality lens to make nature photography even more powerful. For astronomy enthusiasts, try attaching a phone to a pair of binoculars with the Solomark Universal Phone Adapter Mount (£15.99, Amazon). Great for photos of the moon.
Gunther Sky Move stunt kite (£23.99,Kiteworld)
Make a windy day more appealing with one of the coolest kites around that pulls some seriously stylish stunts. Ideal for beginner pilots from about 10 upwards – just pull left and it goes left, pull right it goes right.
LED skateboard (£39.99, Mello Skateboards)
A classic cruiser skateboard, guaranteed to turn heads as you leave a trail of neon light. By harnessing the kinetic energy and returning it to the wheels, this board powers the bright LEDs housed within the wheel and lights up your board. Already got a deck you like? Update it with a set of LED wheels for £20.
Nightmatch football (£38.80, Amazon)
Have the kids lost their footie mojo after a month of lockdown and no matches? Fire it up by letting them hone their skills after dark with this football that lights up brightly when kicked. Also available as a rugby ball.
Inflatable stand-up paddleboard (£249.99, Decathlon)
Back in stock after a sell-out pandemic, this light, stable and easy-to-use inflatable Stand-Up Paddle board (SUP) is ideal for beginners weighing less than 60kg.
Spikeball (£57.99, Amazon)
A fast and furious, play-anywhere game for teens (and adults) that’s like a cross between volleyball and tennis. Teams of two compete by keeping the ball in the air between them before spiking the ball off the net to pass play to the other team. Brilliant fun.
Crazy Forts (£41.99, Amazon)
Equally brilliant inside and out, this simple system of interlocking sticks and balls makes creating dens, domes and rockets easy. Just grab some old sheets to cover your creation with and enjoy hours of playing in your tented fort. Little kids may need some help with building but anyone over seven should manage to build by themselves.
Go Find It (£8.50, Sensory Trust)
An instant scavenger hunt that’s really handy to stuff in a pocket and bring on walks and nature rambles to keep kids entertained. Adapt the hunt to any age group to get kids thinking and exploring surroundings.
Dryrobe (from £140, Dryrobe)
A complete game-changer for outdoor sport enthusiasts, a Dryrobe is basically a warm, waterproof and windproof wearable tent. Brilliant for warming up and changing inside after a winter run or wild swim or surf. If you’re buying for a child under 13, consider the much cheaper and equally snuggly kids’ Charlie McLeod sports cloak (£64.95, www.charliemcleod.co.uk).
UKick (£9.54, Amazon)
A cross between street football and badminton, the aim is to keep this kickball shuttlecock off the ground for as long as you can using your hands and feet. Add or remove the weighted trick discs to suit your skill level by adjusting the required reaction time. Too dark to play outside after school come winter? Try Waboba’s light-up LED version (£10.36, Amazon)
Main image: Caught on camera - Go Pro athlete Victoria Vergara on Hawaii's North Shore
