Gift ideas · Animals
Gifts for kids who love animals
Kids who love animals want to know everything about them, and they'd like a pet by Friday. Good gifts help them watch real animals up close and learn more about them.
Skip: A live pet as a surprise. That's a family decision, not a gift. Start with a bird feeder or a butterfly kit and see who does the work.
Not sure how they play? Take the quiz.
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Ages 4 to 6
- 1A set of animal figuresOur pick: Schleich Farm World Assorted AnimalsDetailed enough to learn real animals from, and tough enough for the sandbox. Find it
- 2A butterfly gardenOur pick: Insect Lore Butterfly Garden with caterpillar voucherCaterpillars come by mail and turn into butterflies on your counter. Then you let them go. Find it
- 3A window bird feederOur pick: Nature Anywhere Birds-I-View window feederIt sticks to the glass, so birds land a few feet from the breakfast table. Find it
- 4A first big book of animalsOur pick: National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of AnimalsBig photos and short facts they'll ask you to read again. Find it
One we made ourselves
Ages 7 to 9
- 1Kid binoculars and a bird guideOur pick: Celestron Outland X 8x25 binocularsReal binoculars, small enough for their hands. Every walk turns into a list. Find it
- 2A book of animal recordsOur pick: The Animal Book (Steve Jenkins)The fastest, the fiercest and the strangest, in cut-paper art they'll stare at. Find it
- 3A tracks and signs guideOur pick: Tracks, Scats and Signs (Take-Along Guide)Footprints, nests and yes, scat. Every walk becomes a search. Find it
- 4A birdhouse they build and hangOur pick: Stanley Jr. Build Your Own BirdhouseThey build it, hang it and wait to see who moves in. Find it
Ages 10 to 12
- 1WingspanOur pick: Wingspan (Stonemaier Games)A real strategy game where every card is a real bird. Grown-ups like it as much as kids do. Find it
- 2A field guide made for kidsOur pick: National Geographic Kids Bird Guide of North AmericaThe birds they'll actually see near home, and how to tell them apart. Find it
- 3A drawing book for animalsOur pick: Draw 50 Animals (Lee J. Ames)Step by step, so their sketches start to look like the animal. Find it
- 4A field notebook for what they spotOur pick: Field Notes Original Kraft, 3 packPocket-sized, so it goes on every walk. The lists add up fast. Find it
Things to do near you
Gifts are one way in. Camps, classes and weekend events for kids who love animals are another. Tell us where you are and we'll email when there's a good one close by. About once a month.
How kids who love animals tend to play
A lot of kids who love animals are Explorers, and some are Collectors. Most kids are a mix of two Play Types, so the quiz is the quickest way to know which lists to use.
Gifts for other things kids love
Gift ideas by Play Type
Holiday gift lists
Buying for the grown-ups too? Gifts they'll still own, scored on warranty and repair: for dad, for mom, under $100.
