A Camping Kid's Christmas Wishlist
When you have a burgeoning dendrophile on your hands, you might want to consider sending Santa our list this holiday season. We’ve got a few things here that will put a smile on your little camper’s face Christmas morning. And, there’s the added bonus of being practical when it comes to packing up – after all, you don’t need to be overloading your RV with stuff!
Plus-Plus: These are interlocking pieces that look like 2 plus signs. If you’ve got a creative kid who doesn’t have time to go sorting through LEGO pieces, this is the gift that keeps on giving. You’ll never have to worry about missing a piece because they’re all the same! And they don’t wear down easily so they keep fitting together over time.
LEGO: The classic, the standard, the (sometimes pricey) arch nemesis of bare feet everywhere. Grab a basic set of these guys and let your kids go wild, or get one with lots of instructions for those who like order (not saying I was this kid, but it kept my hyperactive butt quiet for hours).
Magformers: Everyone who has ever set foot in an elementary school has witnessed a bucket of these spread out, with every manner of geometric builds taking form. 2D shapes with magnets in the edges snap together easily and are great for little hands still learning fine motor skills!
Scooter: Bikes are a family staple, but if you’re traveling light a scooter can still get the kids around the campground. But the roads are usually gravel and a standard Razor isn’t going to vibe. Thankfully, there are plenty of air-filled tire models on the market including the Mongoose (pictured).
Play-doh: You either love it or hate it, but either way you know how this smells just from looking at it. Fun for molding, squishing, and inspiring future sculpture artists. Don’t want to buy it? You can find easy recipes online that can last for months! Typical recipes include: flour, water, cream of tartar (or vinegar), oil, food coloring, and salt.
Binoculars: Is your child actually an 80-year-old bird watcher? Grab them a pair of binoculars and a field journal and let them go wild! One caveat, they might start walking around with them constantly pressed to their face, so keep an eye on them so they don’t walk into a tree! They even sell kid-friendly ‘shock proof’ pairs!
Nature Guides: Complete the set. If kiddo is getting binoculars help them know what they’re looking at with a pocket nature guide. Kids’ versions will often have full color photos on everything from flowers to birds. And you can get them for your specific region.
Sketchbooks and Journals: Whether artist or scientist, kids love to commemorate their adventures in pictures. A good spiral-bound notebook and a set of colored pencils are great additions to your kid’s kit. Plus, it can double as a road-trip activity. We recommend spiral-bound because they lie flat.
Coloring Books: Coloring books are an awesome way to relax and decompress no matter what your age. They’re great gifts not just for kids, but adults too and nowadays you can find a coloring book for every hobby and interest.
Books: I challenge anyone to say they don’t have a favorite book of some kind. Perfect for winding down a long day, or keeping occupied during murky weather. We’ve started listing great books for younger campers here, but I think it goes without saying that there is a book for everyone out there.
Kindle or other E-Reader: If you don’t want to raise an iPad kid, but still want to cut down on packing an entire library, an e-reader is the way to go! All books, no app games or internet browsing. Plenty of models and brands are on the market including the Amazon Kindle and Kobo.
Hydration backpacks: The family that hikes together sleeps well that night. Help your kids stay active and hydrated with a water-bladder backpack of their own!
Camp blanket: Giving your kids a camp-designated blanket can be a great way to stay cozy around a fire or even just a mid-day, after-hike nap on the couch. Bonus points for a fun pattern!
Fold-out chairs: Gather round the fire with personal camp chairs, you can grab them a small one or an adult one they can grow into. Either way, they’re a practical gift for any camper.
Will you be putting any of these under the tree?