Nature Toys
Got a bug enthusiast? Bird lover? Gardening fiend? Below, the 11 best toys for discovering the great outdoors.
By Casey Lewis
- Flower Power
Nurture a young green thumb with this eco-friendly indoor gardening set. This cute kit includes organic sunflower, zinnia, and basil seeds.
Indoor gardening kit, $30, Green Toys, Oompa.
- Rock On
At first glance, these geodes appear to be ordinary rocks. Crack them open to reveal shiny crystal formations that are hard to find in nature.
Break Your Own Geodes kit, GeoCentral $5, Kid O.
- Songbird
These birdcalls (handmade in the south of France) will have your neighborhood robins, woodpeckers, and blackbirds singing along in no time.
Wooden birdcalls, from $40, Uncommon Goods.
- Bugs' Life
Let your kids follow the actions of an ant colony without getting their hands dirty.
Giant ant farm, $22, Uncle Milton, Nifty Cool Toys.
- Night Light
This lantern takes catching fireflies to a whole new level. Filled with the bright bugs, the glow will mesmerize after sunset.
Firefly lantern, $15, Coleman, Amazon.com.
- Social Butterfly
With a just a few caterpillars and a handful of food, you can cultivate beautiful butterflies in this pop-up garden.
Butterfly garden, $20, Insect Lore, Growing Tree Toys.
- Good Seed
The germination of the seeds marigold and sunflower, among others is completely viewable thanks to the colorful transparent gel.
Plantarium Single Vial, Garden Lab, $10, Genius Jones.
- Into the Wild
A far cry from science class, this kit guides kids as they search for science lessons in nature. Make your own compass, bug house, fossils and fun.
Science on a Nature Walk kit, $21, The Young Scientist Club, Amazon.com.
- Love Bug
Get a big-screen look at bugs with this magnifying box that enlarges the creepy crawlers by four times.
Acrylic magnifier box, $2, Electro-Optix Inc, BugMagnifier.com.
- Hop to It
Watch the fascinating transformation from tadpole to frog in this compact pond environment.
Frog habitat, $18, Uncle Milton, HobbyLinc.com.
- Catch and Release
Let the kids use this sturdy net to capture more than just monarchs.
Butterfly net, $7, Coghlan's for Kids, REI.
- Keywords:
- nature crafts for kids,
- nature crafts,
- crafts,
- diy,
- kids activities
