Nature and Science Gifts For Kids and Teens

Science has always been one of my families interests. Even from a very early age, my children loved listening to me read science related books to them, exploring nature, and doing a variety of hands on science experiments and activities.

On this site, you'll find a selection of science or nature gifts for kids and teens. These include live animal habitats, robot kits, nature journals, flower and leaf presses, lego mindstorms, and more.

I've included information about my family's personal experiences with most of these nature and science gifts.

What better way to learn about nature?

Raising live animals teaches children so much more about the animals, their habits and various stages, than reading books alone. It's a fabulous experience!

My son and I were there, watching, as our painted lady butterflies came out of their chrysalises and began to dry their wings. We observed tiny frog eggs become swimming tadpoles and then slowly grow legs. We watched as our little frogs began one by one to leave the water and crawl up on land. We sat spellbound waiting for our praying mantis to reach out for it's prey. Neither of us will ever look at a frog, a praying mantis, or a butterfly in the same way again, as now, well, every one we see feels like a part of our family.

By the way, we took lots of photos and kept records of the changes our tadpoles were going through. To see some of these frog metamorphosis photos and find out about our personal experiences with raising tree frogs (as well as quite a few tips on feeding and caring for tadpoles and frogs), please visit: Tadpoles To Frogs.

My son and I had a WONDERFUL time raising two Painted Lady Butterflies from the caterpillar stage to adulthood! It's a memory we'll both treasure for a lifetime! In the photo above, you can see one of our butterflies on the day we let them fly free.

There is a lot of information, as well as photos of our butterflies, including ones taken moments before and after they came out of their chrysalises, at: Our Experiences With Raising Painted Lady Butterflies.

So far, my son and I have raised butterflies, frogs, and a praying mantis. My daughter and I have raised ants. We've not yet raised ladybugs, but I'd like to!

This ladybug habitat allows you to watch the activities of ladybugs up close. Ladybug Land comes with the observation habitat with a magnifying lid and watering pad, a pipette, an activity guide, full instructions, and a mail-in coupon for 15 to 20 ladybug larvae. Note: You will need to pay an additional amount to receive your ladybug larvae in the mail. At the time of this writing, it's $5.

My son and I did a homeschool unit on birds one year, and had so much fun watching the birds and identifying them! We had both regular bird feeders (on the window and in the yard) and hummingbird feeders. The kits are lots of fun to make, although you can buy premade feeders and houses if you prefer. Make sure to get a bird identification book so you can learn about the birds that come to your yard!

There are quite a few natural journals on the market. The activity of nature journaling combines science, art, and writing (usually at least to some degree) all into one nature study activity. Many of the books available give art lessons or at least some techniques, along with tips on how to set up your own journal. Some provide a variety of specific project suggestions using various art mediums. A nature journal makes a wonderful gift for a parent or grandparent to share with their child or grandchild.

These Take-Along Guides have lots of colorful photos, information, and hands-on activities. The topics are of high interest to many kids and include tracks, birds, caterpillars and butterflies, planets, moons and stars, snakes, salamanders and lizards, and more. They make wonderful gifts for curious, nature loving kids!

If your child loves legos, and he's 10 or older, I bet he'll REALLY LOVE Lego Mindstorm kits and books! (Of course these kits aren't just for boys! If you read the reviews on Amazon you'll see that girls love them too!)

The kit comes with a 32-bit microprocessor, a large matrix display, an ultrasonic sensor, 2 touch sensors, a color sensor, three interactive servo motors. directions for building 4 robots (buy a book or use your creativity for additional robots), and 612 pieces!

We've really enjoyed the Science Wiz kits at our house! Each one is like a unit study on a particular topic, but don't let that give you the idea that these kits are boring! They are tons of fun! In the Energy kit, for example, you build a solar racer, a supercapacitor car, and an electric car! In addition, you also get to make your own battery!

Each kit contains a full color, illustrated manual, complete with interesting information about the topic and hands-on activities. All of the materials are included for the hands-on-activities, experiments, and models as well, with the occasional exception of household things like tape, salt, paper towel tubes, and vinegar. For the most part, the directions are well written and clear.

Webpage created on 11/11/10.

Page last updated 1/15/14.