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We have gone on a few vacations the last few years – Grand Canyon, Glacier, Michigan – and as soon as we are home, the kids are asking where we are going next. They love adventuring in the outdoors and we’ve had so much fun! I switched the way I thought about Christmas because we are all just craving the adventure now. That made me entirely rethink Christmas and sitting around the campfire, I asked my sisters if they want to ditch the gifts this year and go on an extended weekend adventure instead. It was a very fast yes from them. Brainstorming, we came up with a great idea – dogsledding. Living in Minnesota, we spend time outdoors in the cold, so the weather isn’t a major factor for us. That did make me think though, what are some great outdoor gifts for kids that love the outdoors. I know, I said no gifts, but I did end up getting one thing.

Hammocks. You guys – I wish I had thought of this years ago! All of us are getting travel hammocks for Christmas. We would have used them a ton of our trips across the country – they will likely use them during the horse shows, out at the island in the summer to hang out on the trees for lunch. I’m crazy excited for us to have these.  I started looking over Black Friday – but there are tons of them for great prices with great reviews.

Trekking Poles. We do have one or two that we’ve bought on vacation and the kids fought over them. There were plenty of times when we were out in Glacier that I wished we all had some. I like the ones that adjust to a small size and fit on our water backpacks.

Water Backpacks. Yeah, I bought these for our trip to Glacier and what a great decision that was! The backpacks have room for a few snacks and they can tuck a sweatshirt inside also. Plus – we add ice to ours and it makes a huge difference in how cold the water gets. Mine is bigger and holds our first aid kit, benadryl, water filter system just in case and whatever else I need.  You  can  read  more  about  the  differences  in  the  ones  I  bought  for  us  all  here.

Snowshoes. I probably wouldn’t have thought of these but my eight-year-old asked for some today and I realized they really are fun. I have a few pairs but they are too big for him and we are planning to take them with us on our dogsledding adventure. {We are also going to Canada for a day to explore, so we will use them I’m sure}.

Skis. My kids all enjoy skiing and my crew will ski all around the yard every day. We’ve found some for a good price at garage sales.

Snow tubes or sleds or snowboards. Yeah, living in Minnesota, these are a must and we’ve gotten a bunch of fresh snow lately. The kids have lived outside!  It’s almost dark out and they just keep playing night after night.

I was going to stop at mostly winter things but then I remembered a few of our favorites.

Paddle Boards.  Our cabin is in a bay and we spend a ton of time there.  The kids love that they can paddle around by themselves.

Kayaks.  We use these a ton at the cabin as well.  Maybe my sisters and I kayaked out one day and ended up at the bar…it could happen.

I realize I could go on and on with this list, but I’m skipping the things like good hiking shoes or winter boots, great outdoor wear, and lots more. However, I’m adding just a few things that came to mind when I think of gifts we would enjoy to use on our outings. What would you add to this list? You know…so I can start shopping for next year.