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Gift Guide

Nature Gifts for Kids

By Hilary Pullen

Published on October 9, 2024

4 min read

Nature Gifts for Kids from Ordnance Survey

Are you searching for ideas for gifts for children who love to explore the outdoors and enjoy nature? At Ordnance Survey, we love helping to motivate kids to get outside and have fun in the fresh air. We have a range of practical and fun nature inspired gifts for kids and in this guide we’ve picked out our top 10 ideas.

Personalised Maps – A Unique Gift for Kids who love the outdoors!

Our smaller personalised maps (Explorer and Landranger maps) make brilliant gifts for kids who love nature and exploring. Get them excited about the area they live in by creating them their own hiking map, it will have their name on and a picture of them on the front. A great way to learn about navigation and hiking for the first time – maybe you can let them plan a little adventure?

Ideal Stocking Filler!

Why not team this gift up with a mini compass and introduce your kids to their first experience of map reading and navigation, we also think these maps are fun for your ‘big’ kids, it’s very handy to have a map of your local area on your wall at Uni!

Make a personalised map for your kids

Kids Compass

Exploring is a part of growing up and a compass is a great way to learn basic navigation skills. We have some great kid friendly articles to help kids learn about basic map reading and beginner navigation. This compass is fully functioning and not a toy so they can learn to use it properly, especially if you team the gift with one of our kid friendly sized Custom Made maps.

Navigation Skills

A compass is a great way to start teaching your kids or grandchildren about simple navigation principles.

Beginners guide to using a compass

Kids Den Building Kit

Kits from The Den Kit Company are always a best seller at the OS Shop. Kids will never grow out of the joy of creating a den, whether it’s under the dining room table or a little more adventurous.

The ideal gift for adventurous kids!

Kids who love to nature watch could set this up as a little hide in the park or back garden, a great gift teamed with a pair of kids binoculars.

Kids Adventure & Activity Books

The media will tell you that all kids are interested in these days is playing on their electronic devices. We have a great selection of kids nature and adventure books for all ages. Our kids activity books will inspire them to go hunting for nature and adventures outdoors. We also have some great Map Themed Puzzle Books designed for outdoor lovers of all ages which kids and adults can enjoy together.

Shop Kids Nature & Adventure Books

Short Walks

Our Short Walks Made Easy guidebooks are perfect for inspiring little adventurers. Let them help with the navigation as you explore a short walk in your area.

Short Walks Made Easy

Kids Microscope

Bugs, minibeasts and the tiny little things you might find in your own back garden or at the park are way more fascinating when you zoom in 40x. This microscope comes with a lanyard and a built in light so they can even take it out on adventures in the dark. It also means they don’t need to bring those creepy crawlies back home with them to get a good look! You may also want to check out this kids telescope.

Did You Know?

There are over 25000 types of invertabrate living in the UK, they like to live in different places – under logs and stones, in leaf piles, in ponds, in trees, bushes and grass, or in the soil… how many different types will you find on one walk?

Kids Pen Knife

Kids Swiss Army Knife

Do you remember your first Swiss Army Knife? This Pocket Knife has all the features of a standard Victorinox Knife but with a rounded blade. Kids who love nature need tools for snipping and chopping and a pen knife is a lovely tactile object and also a mini rite of passage for most adventurers. Every young hiker should carry a penknife. We bet Steve Backshall, Kate Humble and Ben Fogle can remember their first Swiss Army Knife!

Kids Magnifying Glass

Kids Magnifying Glass

Your child will love taking their new magnifying glass out on adventures. They will be able to closely observe lots of flowers and minibeasts. This would be a great gift for a younger child not quite ready for a microscope. It’s ideal for stockings and makes the perfect companion gift for one of our best selling kids adventure books like 101 Things to do on a Walk

DIY Gift Idea for Older Kids to Make

Perfect for older kids to make for friends and family. This DIY bag tutorial you could make together with your kids or grandchildren is great way of spending time thinking about adventures outside while crafting indoors when the weather is not great.

My crafty friend Lou Collins created the tutorial for this amazing bag. All the instructions are clearly described and with a little bit of free time, a map and a few crafty bits and bobs, you could create this beautiful gift with your kids.

GET INSTRUCTIONS & FREE TEMPLATE

Let us know what you think makes the perfect gift for a hiker over on our Get Outside Facebook Community.

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We are with you every step of the way. Shop our trusted walking and hiking maps and guidebooks so you can explore the outdoors with confidence.

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By Hilary Pullen

Meet Hilary, Editor of Get Outside – the Ordnance Survey Blog. Hilary is based in North Wales and loves hiking with her dogs in the mountains of Eryri and Bryniau Clwyd, you can find her on Instagram @nearlyuphill and read her guides to walking in North Wales on her blog. Drop her an email hilary.pullen@os.uk if you are interested in posting an article on Get Outside.