As I stood and watched the switching on of the Christmas lights in our local town, I soon realised that – dare I say it… Christmas is just around the corner. I am yet to start my Christmas shopping – I am well and truly a last-minute shopper. I guess that you could say that planning is not really my style, but maybe this year I will be different? We are usually the family rushing around on Christmas Eve buying last minute essentials, and always trying to get last-minute tickets to our local Christmas events. With three little ones in tow…. I guess I really could try to be organised. As a family, we love to ‘collect memories and not things’, but equally I love to see their little faces when they open the door and realise that the big man in black boots and a red suit has stopped by our house. Our kids love to spend time outside, so this year I have come up with 10 Christmas gift ideas for free spirited kids who love the great outdoors.
*Please be aware that some of the items mentioned in this gift guide have been gifted, all opinions and thoughts are my own*
Mud kitchen
I am so excited about this gift. It is such a wonderful concept, and you can really let your imagination run wild. A mud kitchen! A child’s dream! My kids spend hours making potions and lotions and mud soup in our garden. I know it’s messy, but I also love kids to have mud on their clothes, sand in their hair and smiles on their faces. Mud kitchens are available from a number of retailers. This beautiful mud kitchen has been made for our little boy by the dad of one of my best friends. Its just beautiful.
Gardening tools
The girls both love to help out in the garden. A couple of months ago I designed a small corner of our garden for the messy play, with the mud kitchen, tyres for digging and planting, and a little tree stump stool and table. Needless to say this gorgeous pink gardening kit is a must have for Christmas for my girls. This set includes a metal bucket, fork, trowel, gardening gloves, and wooden markers, and comes in a gorgeous gardening bag and is available from www.findmeagift.co.uk.
RRP £13.99
Wellies
This leads me on to Wellington boots. Definitely a must have for any outdoor loving child. These wellies are from Kidunk and I absolutely love them. We have tested them over the Autumn and they get a huge thumbs up from our little girl. They come in three colour options – red, yellow and blue. They are fleece lined to keep little feet warm, and have a drawstring toggle to keep sand, water and mud out……genius.
RRP £18.99 available online
Hape teepee
I love this beautiful Teepee tent – red. It is great for both indoor and outdoor play and encourages role play and the use of imagination. It folds for easy storage and has accompanied us on many a camping trip over the Summer months.
RRP £54.99 available from Argos.
Ages 3+
Hape trail rider
This four-wheeled Hape trail rider will be perfect for our little man. It is designed for children who can not yet cycle, but are raring to go off on a little adventure! It is small enough to take away on our campervan travels to allow our youngest to gain confidence, have fun and explore on a smooth, flat and open space.
Pedal Racer
I spotted this pedal racer recently, and I cannot wait for our eldest to give it a try. It is described as a cross between a classic bicycle and a modern skateboard. The idea is to perfect footwork, balance and arm movements to gain momentum. I’m thinking it may take a few hours of practice, patience, determination and balancing but once the skill is mastered it could lead to hours of fun……
RRP £24.00 Available from www.findmeagift.co.uk
Dressing up outfits
Anyone who knows my family will know that you can often find our girls climbing a tree or jumping in the mud in their wellies and tutu combo. Kids love fancy dress, don’t they? It is all about a sprinkling of magic, a huge amount of imagination and an abundance of fresh air. We have been a longstanding fan of Toadstools and tippytoes, a beautiful online shop where you will find delightful tutus, fairy wings and beautiful magical craft kits.
Water play
We are big fans of water play toys in our house. They are great outdoors on those warm and sunny afternoons, great to use in a mud kitchen 🙂 and much loved indoors in the bath or sink. We often take a little bag full of toys away with us in our campervan for the kids to play on the beach or in the pool.
We love the Hape happy bucket set. Available online from Argos, and retails at £12.99
Hape Rainy Day Catching Set. A lovely colourful bath set featuring a fun umbrella theme. The idea is to drain water through the holes, and to throw the ball into it to score points. Available online from Argos. RRP £17.99
Midi Flyte Betty
When we spotted the Midi Flyte Betty I knew it would be popular with our little ones. This gorgeous case is a great size for travel, has rock ‘n’ roll steering and the scooter folds away and locks in place making it easy to store. It is a fab concept when travelling with little ones… literally a case of scoot and go – what a genius idea to keep kids active and carry their luggage at the same time. Our eldest is going to love this, and will be fab for our weekends away that we have planned over the winter months.
Flyte is currently available in two different sizes (mini and midi) online and from other good retailers including Argos.
RRP £69.99
Ages 4-8 years
National Trust family pass
As you have probably gathered we are a family who love to spend time outdoors. We have asked for a National Trust family membership for Christmas. It is such a lovely idea for those who love the great outdoors. You get free entry to over 500 beautiful places, and free car parking at most National Trust car parks. We love to spend time together as a family away from the screens, and this is a great gift to encourage quality time outdoors and to collect those wonderful memories. Head to the National Trust online for prices and more information.
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