Intro
When I started the kids’ and parents’ holiday gift guide series, my son was an infant, and I was a brand-new parent. The guide was a way to highlight products that I thought would (1) help you get outside with your child and (2) that would entice and excite your child to enjoy the outdoors.
Now, as the parent of a six-year-old, gifts look a little different these days. My son has opinions, he makes requests, and not surprisingly, a nice snowsuit isn’t as exciting as a new toy. So, the guide has evolved slightly. Some of the products listed here will be more appreciated by parents than children, but every single thing on this list is something the Blister team enjoys using or that has been beneficial in helping us explore and play outside.
I still stand by my recommendations from past years (2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023), and I’ve included some of my new favorite kid / family-related gifts in this year’s guide. I’ve also asked fellow parents on the Blister team to weigh in. Some are new parents, and some are seasoned pros, but each has the same idea — to help families and kids spend more time outdoors.
Also, please check your local shops before ordering these online. I’ve found a number of them in local gear and toy stores.
And, as always, we’d love to hear from you. What are your favorite outdoor activities and/or products that you’ve enjoyed using with your children? Leave a comment below to let us know.
(Are you looking for gift ideas for outdoor-oriented folks but don’t need something targeted at kids / families? Check out our other Holiday Gift Guides.)
Watercolor Bookmarks
MSRP: $4.99
Great for: anyone with 4+ year olds
Kristin Sinnott: My son goes everywhere with us, from epic road trips to fancy dinners. When we bring him places where other kids won’t be, we try to bring a quiet activity to keep him happy. He doesn’t always go along with the activity; sometimes, he prefers to join the conversation, play I-Spy, or come up with his own thing. But we have had good luck with a few items over the years.
This watercolor kit has been a big hit over the past few years. This easy-to-pack kit includes multiple pages, each with a watercolor palette on the side, and a paintbrush nestled into the back cover. The only thing you need is a little bit of water, which is generally easy to come by. My son has painted these in nice restaurants, on the plane, at our friends’ houses, and at home. He often gifts the freshly painted bookmark to the server or saves it to give to a friend later.
TableTopics
MSRP: $6.75 and up
Great for: anyone with 4+ year olds
Kristin Sinnott: TableTopics is a Q&A game my son frequently requests during dinner. We introduced my son to TableTopics at the age of 4 and have been playing it ever since. There are several versions; we have only ever played the family version, although I have the travel version ready for an upcoming road trip.
The questions on the cards help start conversations, and we learn about our child with every answer. Honestly, kids have the biggest hearts and TableTopics helped us diffuse a difficult situation simply by asking my son a question I never would have thought to ask. In the family version, some of the questions are geared more toward kids in grade school (what’s your favorite subject, etc.), but we pick and choose which questions to ask and haven’t yet run out of options.
TACH Luggage
MSRP: $148 and up
Great For: travel with kids
Kristin Sinnott: I have too many bags, but I still can’t resist trying a new, well-designed option — especially if it will make my life easier. The TACH Luggage has already made travel more manageable for me and it does so via a seemingly simple design feature – velcro.
I am not known for being a minimalist traveler to begin with, and when you throw in a kid, well, you’ve probably seen people like me at the airport — those struggling to wheel around multiple bags while also trying to keep track of my child. When traveling, I typically have one hand on each roller bag and sometimes I even strap my son’s Jetpack to the wheelie bag to get us through the airport. I love my wheeled duffels, but this setup creates a rather long baggage train and my forearms feel like they are about to fall off at the end of the trip.
TACH bags use a patented quick-connecting velcro system to connect bags, creating a short train that can easily be maneuvered through the airport. The velcro connectors are strong and compatible regardless of the bag size. My son and I recently traveled with the Medium and Carry-On size bags and things couldn’t have been easier. The velcro is strong, and while it takes a little time to disconnect the bags during the first few uses, the velcro eventually loosens up a little, allowing for a quick transition from luggage train to single bags to load on a shuttle, in a car, etc.
We have the three-piece set and I appreciate that the bags nestle inside one another for storage, and the hardshell case keeps the contents safer than my typical soft-sided duffel bags. TACH added several other helpful features to make travel easier, including a powerbank port, TSA-approved locks, double wheels, and inner mesh compartments. The design is streamlined for easy and efficient use.
If you know someone who often travels with multiple pieces of luggage or anyone with children, take a look at the TACH set. It comes in a variety of colors with three different size options.
No Reception Club Hideaway Carry-On Duffel
MSRP: $295
Best For: travel with kids
Kristin Sinnott: Parents of young children started No Reception Club to “create the best possible products to empower parents to go on more adventures with their little ones.” The Hideaway is a recent addition to their collection and it is my go-to travel bag for my son. When packing for my son, I used to put his clothes in my duffel. I’d either use a bunch of packing cubes to keep things organized or separate our stuff into different sides. No matter how I organized it, at some point, I’d end up frustratingly rummaging through my bag to find his clothes. Not ideal.
The Hideaway includes an optional insert – “the cubby” – that creates separate compartments in the large main area. I use the cubby to divide my son’s clothes into tops, bottoms, etc. The first time I used the Hideaway on a trip, I had no idea how much easier my life would be when trying to pick out clothes. Also, I no longer need to unpack when I get to a hotel. Just unzip the top of the duffel and everything will be beautifully organized.
I can fit a week’s worth of clothes for my son (6 y/o) in it, and I never need to dig around to find anything. I’ve used it for weekend trips, month-long vacations, camping trips, and more — I have nothing but praise for it.
Several features set the Hideaway apart from other packs and make it especially user-friendly for parents of small children. The cubby is my favorite feature, but it is removable, so you can go without it, or you can remove it fully packed and hang it somewhere when you get to your destination. When the cubby isn’t being used (e.g., at the end of the trip), you can flip the duffel over and store all the dirty clothes on the other side of the pack. The Hideaway also comes with a laundry bag that fits nicely into this compartment.
Another thing that The Hideaway does well is offering a variety of carrying options. There are shoulder straps that can be tucked away or converted to a single shoulder strap, multiple grab handles, and a luggage pass-through.
The Hideaway also has a large, insulated exterior pocket for food, drinks, and snacks. There’s also an essentials compartment where you can store their Sidekick hip pack, diaper-changing essentials, or other small items like a change of clothes. A third external pocket can hold toiletries or medication; they also have a small pack for these items that fits perfectly in the pocket.
The Hideaway Carry-On Duffel is a soft-sided, padded, convertible bag created specifically with kids in mind. From infant to teen, the pack grows with your child with its removable insert. I wish I had the Hideaway when my son was a baby, but I’m happy to have it now (as I type this, the Hideaway is packed and loaded in my car for an upcoming trip). The Hideaway would make an excellent gift for new parents or any parent who travels with a little (or big) one.
Specialized Turbo Levo SL Kids
MSRP: $3000
Best For: kids 49” – 57” tall (125 cm – 145 cm)
Simon Stewart: There’s no doubt that kids’ e-bikes are a bit of a polarizing topic, and I’ve heard all the arguments; they’re too expensive, it will make them lazy, they’ll never want to ride a regular bike, the list goes on and on. Still, there are so many benefits — including one particularly compelling reason that I’ll get into later. But first, let’s talk about this particular bike.
The Specialized Turbo Levo SL Kids profits from some of the best design and engineering in the industry, not to mention class-leading integration and a well-thought-out build spec. Everything about the Turbo Levo SL Kids is reminiscent of Specialized’s full-size eMTBs, and for the most part, it looks every bit like a shrunken version of those bikes. It features the Specialized 1.2 Motor, which delivers 50 Nm of torque and 320 watts of power. Those are numbers right in line with what we see in some adult light-assist eMTBs, so there’s plenty of power. But that power is also user-adjustable, and the max speed is limited to either 15.5 mph or 10 mph (parent’s choice).
It also has the same 320 Wh battery that’s in the adult Turbo Levo SL, and given that the rider is most likely pretty lightweight, the range is massive (especially given the motor’s modest power consumption).
The Turbo Levo SL Kids features a very low standover height that immediately fosters confidence (it even has a dropper post). It also has modern geometry, so it can handle varied terrain while encouraging the rider to progress their skillset.
There’s no doubt the Turbo Levo SL Kids will help kids progress quickly, while also allowing them to experience longer rides with their older siblings or parents. That said, I think it really shines when it’s ridden by kids that, as we say in our house, have “special muscles” or other disabilities. For many young ones, their first true feelings of independence and freedom happen on a bike, and the Turbo Levo SL Kids has given that experience to our super rad little dude. That’s priceless.
Ergobaby Omni 360
MSRP: $179
Best For: parents with babies / toddlers
David Golay: I’m now the new parent on the Blister team (my guy’s about to turn one), and by far the most invaluable kid gear in my world has been various carriers for getting out and about with him.
Being a new parent is pretty isolating. You’re exhausted and sleep-deprived all the time; you’re figuring out how to take care of the new tiny human in your life, which feels like a full-time job unto itself; and summing up the energy and motivation to get out of the house can be a struggle.
But I also think that figuring out how to do so regularly is much more about the parents than the kid. You need to keep them happy and comfortable, of course, but babies are pretty adaptable and can happily do a lot if you get them used to it and make it part of their routine. And especially in the first few months, which fell in the depths of winter for us, just getting out and walking around the neighborhood felt like a real lifeline.
Once he got used to it a little bit, my kid came to absolutely love the Omni 360 — and still does. He loves getting carried around and just looking at stuff; he’ll happily nap in it, and these days, he gets actively excited when he sees me start to put the carrier on.
We tried a few different variants on this general style of carrier, and you can take a look at our baby / child carrier roundup here for more options, but the Omni 360 is the clear favorite. It’s very quick and easy to toggle between having your baby facing outward to see the world or turned in with their head covered to nap. It adjusts well to accommodate your kid as they grow; we’re definitely not there yet, but Ergobaby says it’ll work for kids up to about 45 lb. It’s also comfortable to wear for extended periods for both me and my partner; I’m much, much larger, but the carrier requires only minimal adjustments to toggle back and forth between the two of us.
Deuter Kid Comfort Active SL
MSRP: $390
Best For: parents hiking with young children
David Golay: As great as the Omni 360 is, bigger adventures require a more fully-featured backpack. Wearing your baby on your chest can be quite comfortable so long as you’re not doing anything too strenuous. However, it starts to get fatiguing if you’re on steep hills (up or down), or if you’re doing it for more than a few hours at a time.
So we’ve also got a Deuter Kid Comfort Active SL, and it’s been perfect for unlocking bigger family hikes. In fact, we just hiked (most of) the Tour du Mont Blanc with our kid (who turned 10 months old on trail), and he rode in the Kid Comfort basically the whole way — and had a blast.
He needed to be a bit bigger / stronger / older to really like the backpack carrier vs. the Omni 360 — which was great pretty much from the jump. The backpack started to click at around seven months, but now he’s super into it, too.
There are a lot of backpack-style carriers out there (Deuter alone makes four different variants on the Kid Comfort line, and we rounded up a few of our favorites here). While I don’t have much experience with other options, the Kid Comfort SL has been great. It’s quite light but still carries really well, and it’s got some useful and well-laid-out storage underneath the kid seat, in a panel on the back of the seat, and built into the hip belt. The rain / sun cover (sold separately) also works really well, and — maybe most critically for us — it’s super quick and easy to adjust the shoulder harness to accommodate different torso lengths, which is invaluable since I’m about 10 inches taller than my partner.
The Kid Comfort Active SL is officially the “women’s fit” option in Deuter’s line, but it still fits me well (I’m 6’0” / 183 cm), and we’ve gotten a ton of mileage out of it beyond just that Tour du Mont Blanc trip. It’s excellent.
