There are so many reasons I love living in South Florida; being able to be outdoors with my toddler is among the top of the list! We are blessed to have a plethora of nature trails, parks, beaches, and environmental educational centers all within a short distance from our home.
This list of contains what I consider to be the best nature gifts for toddlers that are sure to get your kids off their screens and outside exploring the world around them! These items are best suited for 18 months up to 5 year olds +/- depending on your little one's interests and previous exposure. My favorite type of gifts / toys for kids are ones that grow with them through many seasons of their life, and these educational toys do just that!
*I make a small commission from links that I share. If you find any of these toddler gift recommendations beneficial I appreciate you supporting me by shopping my links below. Your trust in my recommendations and support means so much to me! Thank you for helping me continue to explore items and share with you products I love*
Best screen free gifts for toddlers who love nature!
Flower Press: This is a great gift to preserve flowers and plants that you and your little one gather during nature walks, in your own backyard, or to create a keepsake from a family vacation.
DIY Kaleidoscope: Another fun way to explore items gathered from your adventures. This is a fun twist on a classic toy that becomes even more special since your child can take pride in creating something special with items they found!
Nature Scavenger Hunt Board: This personalized gift is a great checklist to keep your little explorer on track and engaged during nature walks or even exploring your own yard. You can keep it new and exciting by specifying colors, size, or even species depending on your child's knowledge. Patton always loves when his toys say his name so the fact this can be personalized is a bonus!
Scavenger Hunt Game: This set of three dice is not only a great way to keep your child engaged in your nature walks by encouraging them to pay attention to small details, but also an effective way to teach adjectives for older kids. This is an interactive game that can easily grow with your child as you can increase difficulty and add rules as your child's skillset progresses.
Personalized Binoculars or these Kidnoculars: Binoculars are one of those items that as adults we think to have a singular use, seeing things that are far away up close. To children their little minds will run wild as they pretend to be explorers, pirates, or time travelers closely examining an unknown world. Either of these options are great to bring along to the beach to look at boats out at sea or to a nature preserve to see wild animals up close while still keeping a safe distance.
Kids Explorer Vest and Hat: This explorer vest and hat has so many pockets, perfect for storing all your little explorers' gear! I appreciate that the wide brim hat keeps the strong South Florida sun off Patton's face, and he thinks he is just the coolest guy around when he is dressed for the ultimate adventure. Patton also likes to wear this when we visit the zoo or nature trails!
Walkie Talkies: There are countless ways to use these walkie talkies, especially since they have a 3 mile connection radius! I grew up playing with all the neighborhood kids exploring the woods and playing with out walkie talkies, I feel like they are a right of passage toy that all kids should get to experience!
Color Changing Flashlight: Patton loves running around with a flashlight, even in the middle of the day. I have found that giving him activities that have purpose prevents him from tormenting our poor dog or shining the light in everyone's eyes. I like this flashlight because the light isn't dangerously bright and he can explore 5 different colors, songs, and other interactive features. This is also a great toy for fine motor development and cause and effect.
Kids Telescope or this more advanced Telescope: Both of these telescopes are great for exploring wild life and the stars and planets. I love that they help kids pay attention to detail and improve their attention span.
Microscope: This STEAM toy is another great option to explore details up close and personal. The lessons are endless with a microscope from texture exploration, color combinations, and talking about how everything is made up from many small cells. I love that this child friendly microscope comes with 6 blank slides as well as multiple prepared slides for little ones to investigate. The knobs are also larger than a typical microscope allowing for easier adjustment with little hands.
Butterfly Garden: This is a great gift idea and STEAM activity all in one that your child is sure to talk about for years to come. The lifecycle of a butterfly opens the conversation up for so many beautiful life lessons that you can approach at whatever level of understanding your little one has. I also love this Lifecycle Figurine Set of different animals and plants.
Ant Farm: I love this one because it doesn't contain sand. Rather ants create this tunnels in a gel that is made up of seaweed and corn extract that the ants like to eat. This prevents sand from spilling everywhere if someone accidentally knocks into the ant farm. I also really like that there are little tubes you can watch the ants climb through or connect more ant farms together to make a city! Don't forget to add the ants!
Kid Friendly Digital Camera: This 32 GB toddler friendly digital camera takes both still images and video, perfect for capturing images as they explore. The shockproof shell keeps the camera safe if it is dropped and comes with a handy lanyard for easy carrying. Kids can also add fun frames and sticker heads to their photos.
Personalized Wooden Bow and Arrow: This is great for gross motor skill development and target training. As your little one's skillset develops you can continue to challenge them by increasing the difficulty of the targets. I always appreciate toys that can grow with your child and last more than just a single season, this toy does exactly that!
Bug Catcher Vacuum or this Bug Catcher and Viewer: Patton is really into looking at bugs, but not so much touching them (at least yet). These two bug catching options are perfect for getting up close and personal with little critters while allowing your child to still feel safe. Bonus points from the bugs point of view, these also reduce the risk of squashing the bugs.
Star Projector: I am pretty biased on this gift because the Northern Lights are a bucket list item for me, and this projector is as close as I've gotten so far. I love how you can use an app on your phone to control the different settings, there is even one that makes you feel like you are under water. We use this projector during bath time, while watching Star Wars of course, while looking at books, or even while playing in the sensory table. Its amazing how much of the room this little thing covers!
Screen Free Toddler Nature Explorer Gifts!
If you purchase any of these items I would love to see you and your little one using them as you explore! Tag me on Instagram @AnnalieseFranklin
You can also follow me on the LTK.it app to shop more of my favorites from home decor, fashion, beauty, and more! Follow me here!
Comments