The big gift dilemma… Go unique or buy the schoolyard favourite? Go for pure fun or educational? Maybe an experience? Something to share? Something sustainable and local…? Or….? (Mind Blown)
TOP TIP: So many families we talk to love buying gifts around a theme! For example, they might pair our Outdoor Adventure Guides with a new hat and sunglasses or invest in an outdoor explorer kit for their kids!
Note: This is not a product review blog but a helpful list of ideas (with some links) to get you thinking!
Four Minute Read
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Your Outdoor Ideas Gift List
ONE: Create A Magic Explorer Kit
Help your kids feel like REAL EXPLORERS with the tools of the trade!
- Give them eagle-eyes with kid-friendly binoculars,
- Help them discover tiny details with a quality magnifying glass,
- See how far they walk up the garden path with a drop-proof compass.
- Help them identify the world around them with local field guides.
- Encourage them to be 100% in the moment with a sketchbook or nature journal.
You can either buy a readymade explorer kit (of varying quality) or create your own.
Read our blog ‘Get the gear for Outdoor Adventures’ with links to products we love to use.
TWO: Give A Year’s Worth of Family Adventures Close to Home!
Choose a gift the whole family can enjoy all year round.
Our Melbourne Bundle is overflowing with adventure ideas, places to go and hours of fun that will last for years. It’s not just a gift for the curious kids in your life, but for the whole family!When the weekend rolls around your family will finally have A PLAN! No last-minute panic searching for ideas or paying for expensive days out to keep the kids happy.
The places, the details, the fun - it’s all laid out for you. Simply choose a trail, turn up and go!Our Guides will make your time outdoors magical - because when our kids are having fun, everyone is having fun!
THREE: Buy Beautiful Books
Inspire a love of reading, nature and adventure.
We caught up with 3 leading Melbourne bookstores about their top book recommendations that will inspire our kids to explore, appreciate nature and care for our planet.
Here are a few that caught our eye!
- Wind Riders - rescue on Turtle Beach by Jen Marlin and Izzy Burton
- Jetty Jumping by Andrea Rowe and Hannah Sommerville
- The Tree at Number 43 by Jess McGreachin
- The Tiny Explorers by Kat Maclead
Read the top 18 book recommendations here >
FOUR: Give Them Wheels!
Get your family active and exploring by bike (or scooter)!
Look Mum, no hands! There’s nothing quite like the thrill of getting on your bike and just RIDING! Here are some ideas by age:
- For when they’re little: Baby bike seat or bike trailers.
- For toddlers: Balance bikes
- For that next step: Bicycle to fit their size - talk to your local bike store.
- Alternatives: Scooters so they can zip around
Nearly every Gumnut Trail’s Adventure Guide includes at least one bike trail perfect for families.
FIVE: Picnic and Play
Pack your picnic days with fun and games.
Keep the kids entertained for hours with a classic collection of games you can use in the backyard or local park. Even better - have a pocket travel picnic rug that lets you picnic anywhere, anytime.
- Fly high with colourful kites, frisbees and glider planes.
- Play together with garden games like finska, quoits, croquet, cricket, badminton, kick balls and more.
- Get creative with sidewalk chalk, treasure hunts and scavenger hunts.
SIX: Choose experiences they’ll never forget
Help them build memories with unique experiences.
Why buy toys they will ignore tomorrow, when you can buy experiences they will never forget? I still remember the pure magic of seeing Wind in the Willows in the Botanic Gardens when I was six… What do you remember?
Here are a few ideas:
- Theatre plays in the Gardens. See a Melbourne list here.
- Saling adventure on a tall ship like the Enterprise
- Dolphin or wildlife cruises around Port Phillip Bay and beyond
- Excursion to a local farm and even horse-riding
- Historic train ride on Puffing Billy or on the Bellarine.
- For older kids - Treetop Adventures with zip lines, high ropes courses
- Encounters at the zoo and local wildlife sanctuaries
- Membership to the local toy library - a great sustainable option!
- Gumnut Trail’s Adventure Guides - for hours of fun and adventure.
SEVEN: Be Ready for Adventure Season.
Do you have a big adventure planned or just need to get the basics for an outing? You can always buy practical gifts and build the excitement for days out at the same time!
Here are some activity and gift ideas.
- Camping trips - Head torches, sleeping bags, tent, games…
- Beach days - Snorkels, bathers, boogie-boards, beach tents, buckets and spades, reef shoes
- Family hikes? - Hiking shoes, binoculars, backpacks and more!
- Snow trip? - Boots, boards, snow outfits…
- Wet & muddy days? - Raincoats, gumboots, muddy gear, kids umbrellas
- Sunny days? - Hat, sunglasses, sandals…
What would you add to the list?
