A Holiday Gift Guide for Active Kids

I'm back with another one of my annual holiday gift guides, and this year I've decided to keep the theme more general, focusing on fun gifts to keep our kids active all year long, outside (and even inside on those cold winter days.)

Get the kids outside year round to be active, happy, and healthy

I've organized gift ideas below by category/sport.

All links go to the product or company website. A few links go to the Amazon website (If you choose to purchase anything off Amazon I might make a few pennies off the purchase, but please feel free to shop wherever works for your family.

You'll also find many links for products off the All Out Kids Gear website and the Kids Bikes Canada website where I'm an affiliate partner.

Holiday Gift Guide for Active Kids

Kids on Bikes - Gift ideas for kids who love mountain biking and cycling

The BIG Gift: A New Bike

Prevelo Bikes ships their bikes for free (including to Canada,) and they make amazing bikes (engineered specifically for youth!)

You can read all about my son's Prevelo Zulu Four here: What to Look for in your Child's Next Bike (and what to skip!)  - note I previously partnered with Prevelo Bikes as an Ambassador

My son is currently as of 2020 riding a 26" Cleary Scout bike and it's been amazing for a combination of cross-country and downhill riding. You can buy Cleary bikes locally from Kids Bikes Canada.

We ordered my son's Cleary bike for Christmas 2019 and it was delivered to our door from Kids Bikes Canada. They provided amazing customer service and we felt good knowing that we were supporting a local family business.

A new bike makes for a fabulous Christmas gift!

Other recommended bikes for children and youth:

• Yedoo Balance Bikes, Kick bikes, and Scooters (Kids Bikes Canada)
  
  
• Cleary Bikes from 12" to 26" in size (Kids Bikes Canada)
  
  
• Early Rider Run Bikes (All Out Kids Gear)
  
  
• Early Rider Bikes from 16" to 20" in size (All Out Kids Gear)

And it's your choice if you want to put the bike together for the big "Christmas morning reveal" or if you want to wrap the box (which would make for one very large present to be opened.)

Invest in quality mountain bikes for active kids who love to ride

Other Gifts for Kids Who Love Biking

• Bike Gloves (we love the ZippyRooz half finger ones.) And for cold weather biking, we're a fan of the youth Outdoor  Research Gloves. - Check out the great collection of bike gloves at All Out Kids Gear. 
  
  
• A buff for cold weather riding and fat biking (we always wear buffs under our helmets to keep our ears warm when riding in cool temperatures.) Alternately, check out the Outdoor Research Ninjaclavas on the All Out Kids Gear website which look amazing.
  
  
• A new bike helmet, a bike bell as a stocking stuffer, mountain bike padding, or a bike jersey if you can find a youth sized one.
  
  
• A TowWhee system for towing kids on the trails (Link to Kids Bikes Canada)
  
  
• A "Kids Ride Shotgun" front mounted child bike seat (Link to Kids Bikes Canada
  
  
• Protection! (From full Face helmets to knee or elbow pads, you can find it all from Kids Bikes Canada.) 
  
  
• A bike jersey (See the full collection that Kids Bikes Canada sells)

And a few tips for getting the kids out on bikes year round:

First, consider renting fat bikes for a day (or a weekend) from Kananaskis Outfitters at Kananaskis Village. 

Biking can be a fun activity year round 

Or, visit B-Line, Calgary's indoor bike park where you can bike for the entire day for $30. (Much cheaper than a ski lift ticket.)

Conquering the beginner jump line at B-Line Indoor Bike Park

Kids on the Trails - Gift ideas to keep kids hiking year round 

The BIG Gift: A New Backpack 

All out Kids Gear has a great assortment of backpacks from kids' starter packs up to hydration packs and overnight packs for backpacking.

My son uses a small hydration pack for our day hikes but has a Deuter Fox 30 for overnight trips. We love this backpack and are pleased with the amount our son can carry with it.


See the full collection of backpacks at All out Kids Gear here

Backpacks make excellent Christmas gifts for active kids

Other Gifts for Kids who Like Hiking, Snowshoeing, and Backpacking

• A new pair of snowshoes so you can get out this winter (My 9 year old has the MSR Shift Kids Snowshoes.)
  
  
• Kahtoola microspikes for canyon hikes this winter (the Switching Gear store in Canmore sells XS spikes which should fit most children and youth.)
  
  
• Youth adjustable trekking poles (my son uses his for both cross-country skiing and downhill skiing as well so we only need one pair of poles)
  
  
• Youth hiking gaiters (very useful if scrambling, hiking down scree, or when hiking through muddy or snowy conditions)
  
  
• A new trucker hat, ball cap, or hiking hat
  
  
• A water bottle (we've been impressed with our Hydro Flask products.)
  
  
• Fun flavors of power bars, honey stinger energy chews, or chocolate bars (Seriously, check out the fun assortment of products at MEC.)

Get the kids some snowshoes and enjoy year round hiking!

And NEW for 2020, Check out Lori Beattie's new Guidebook: Calgary's Best Walks: 45 Urban Jaunts and Nature Strolls 

This is the second edition of this book and it has been fully updated and expanded.

My son loves the colorful maps in the first book and reads it regularly while eating breakfast as he plots out new routes we should walk around our city.

It's a great guide if you like geocaching too!

The book will be available in stores on November 27th, 2020.

Winter Kids - Gift ideas to keep kids happy and warm all winter long

I have lots of suggestions here for kids who want to play outside all winter long while staying warm

• New mittens or gloves (We personally love Stonz Mitts and my son still fits the largest size, 4-8 years at age 11!
  
  
• New ski socks (and you won't go wrong with the Icebreaker socks from All Out Kids Gear)
  
  
• New base layer sets (All Out Kids Gear has great sets.)
  
  
• A new toque or winter hat (this is fun every year purely for variety)
  
  
• A new snowsuit or ski pants/jacket combo (We are in love with the one-piece mono suits from TOBE outerwear
  
  Read my review for the TOBE Novus Mono Suit here.) - and yes, they are worth the price.
  
  TOBE also has great Novus Winter Jackets for youth along with Novus Bib Overalls (for kids who don't want to wear a one-piece snow suit.) - Read my review for the Novus Bibs and Jackets here. 

Dress the kids warm and get out to play! 

Crag Kids - Gift ideas for kids who love rock climbing (inside or out)

Here are a few of my top suggestions here:

Climbing shoes make great Christmas gifts

• Climbing shoes (We swear by the Mad Rock Mad Monkey shoes.)
  
  
• A climbing harness (great for kids who've been renting at the gym and would like their own)
  
  
• A climbing helmet (great for kids who've been using bike helmets for outdoor climbing) 
  
  
• A chalk bag for a stocking stuffer 

Shop all climbing gear for the whole family from All Out Kids Gear.

And for a BIG gift: Build the kids a basement climbing wall! (could be hard to keep as a surprise, but it would be an awesome gift!)

Climbing helmets are great for scrambling and hiking too!

Ski Kids - Gift ideas for kids who enjoy downhill and cross-country skiing

The BIG Gift: New Skis and Boots

This is the obvious choice, right? Seriously though, a pair of skis makes for a great Christmas gift if your family wants to get into cross-country skiing. Buy the skis, boots, and poles, and then you're set with free skiing the rest of the winter. 

Buy adjustable poles to cut down on one cost (one pair will last for years and can be used for both cross-country and downhill skiing along with hiking as well.)

And if you're buying downhill skis, consider Roces adjustable ski boots that expand to fit your child for several years.

You can shop ski boots and adjustable poles from All Out Kids Gear. 

And need to save a few pennies? Check out the local consignment stores. Your child likely won't care if their skis or boots aren't brand new. I bought my son's cross-country boots second hand from Trail Blazers in Cochrane this year.

Get the kids on the slopes with new ski gear for Christmas 

Other Gifts for Kids who Love Skiing

• Any of the clothing items above under the "winter kids" section
  
  
• A new ski helmet
  
  
• New ski goggles! (it's always a treat to have goggles without scratches!)
  
  
• A new thermos for the ski hill (hot lunches are the best!)
  
  
• Any of the ideas in this gift guide from last year: A Ski Family's Holiday Gift Guide

You can shop helmets, goggles, and ski clothing from All Out Kids Gear. 

Ski goggles make an excellent Christmas gift

Little Campers - Gift ideas for kids who love camping

I have lots of suggestions for you here:

• A new headlamp (we're always losing ours!)
  
  
• A new sleeping bag (kids grow, right?)
  
  
• A slackline for car camping trips next summer
  
  
• A hammock for next season's camping trips (kids LOVE playing around in hammocks!)

Shop all camping items above from All Out Kids Gear.

• Hut booties! (the best thing for winter hut trips) - my son has a pair of XS hut booties
  
  
• A fun camping themed water bottle 
  
  

• A fishing rod! (Something my son just discovered he enjoyed this summer while backpacking) - My son has the Junior Ugly Stik rod and we've been satisfied with it. 

A fishing rod is a great gift idea for active kids 

Active Kids - General gift ideas

Below are some random ideas I had for year round active play:

• A new sled! (sleds get cracked, broken, etc. Then there's just the "it's a new sled!!!" factor
  
  And, check out this cool GoFloats Winter Snow Unicorn! Also comes in penguin, ice dragon, flamingo, or polar bear design
  
  
• A Strider Ski Attachment for balance bikes (has to be Strider brand) - my son loved his!
  
  
• Snow Skates, Scooters, and Boards for the sledding hill (My son has the Shred snow skate and loves it!)
  
  We've had fun with a Kick Scooter with ski attachment as well. 
  
  And if your child needs more balance, check out these Tri Scooters with skis.
  
  
  
• Snow  toys (including snowball slingshots!) - See a giant assortment of fun toys here from Airhead Sports.
  
  
• A step counter to encourage walking and daily active living. My son has the Garmin Vivofit Jr. Activity Tracker. So far our only complaints are that the battery needs replacing frequently and we've gone through several straps. Otherwise, we've enjoyed it a lot.
  
  Another idea for an activity tracker, that can be charged without replacing batteries, is the Fitbit Ace which my son moved up to after the Garmin Vivofit. 
  
  
• Active toys for indoor or outdoor play. I personally love the ninja toys (rope ladders, zip lines, and slacklines) from the Slackers company.
  
  
• New ice skates for the winter, or inline skates for the summer (and add a hockey stick if buying ice skates)
  
  
• A One World Futbol, an unpoppable soccer ball that never needs a pump and never goes flat. Perfect for travel, vacations, camping, or just the backyard. And, when you buy one of these balls, the company donates a portion of the price to organizations helping to bring play to youth in disadvantaged communities.
  
  
• Fitivities, the board game that moves you - "Each individual or team competes against each other by completing the number of repetitions of a given exercise, which are determined by the spin of the arrow."
  
  "Fitivities is part board game, part workout, and all fun."
  
  
• And check out these ideas for active toys from the Active for Life Gift Guide. 

Activity trackers make great holiday gifts for active kids

The Gift of Experience and Fun - Gift cards, ski discount cards, and more!

Want something that's less about collecting "stuff" and more about family bonding and fun adventure?

Gift cards for local indoor playgrounds, indoor bike parks and climbing gyms

Below are some of my top picks for the Calgary area:

B-Line Indoor Bike Park - Calgary's Biking Playground! Enjoy bike park and BMX style riding year round. There are levels of progression for all riders and you can rent everything you'll need (including bikes.)

Read more: B-Line Indoor Bike Park Review

Give the kids a gift card for B-Line Indoor Bike Park in Calgary

Calgary Climbing Centre - Take the kids to one of the Calgary Climbing Centre's Climb Parks for an hour of fun on creatively-themed climbing walls. There are two locations in the city and no experience is necessary thanks to the auto belay system that's used on every wall in these parks. Learn to climb and have fun doing it!

Read more: Rocky Mountain Climb Park Review

Read more: Hanger Climb Park Review

Give the kids a gift card to use at a Calgary Climbing Centre climb park

Ski Discount Cards, Tube Park Passes, or lift tickets for your local ski hill 

Below are a few suggestions here:

• Ski discount cards make great Christmas gifts. Buy a Lake Louise Plus card for adult and teen members of your family and kids will get discounts every day they come with you.
  
  Read: 7 Days of Big Mountain Skiing for less than $400.00
  
  
• Tube park passes make another great stocking stuffer. And the Acura Tube Park at WinSport's Canada Olympic Park is a lot of fun!! (It's one of the fastest tube parks in the area.)
  
  
• Pick up some lift tickets and surprise the kids with a ski day at one of their favourite hills. Most hills have incentives for multi-day skiing or provide discounted pricing if you purchase lift passes online. 

Tube park passes make a great stocking stuffer gift

Check out my complete set of holiday gift guides

A Holiday Gift Guide for Happy Campers

A Holiday Gift Guide for Active Kids 

A Ski Family's Holiday Gift Guide 

A Holiday Gift Guide for Outdoor Families: Trips, Activities, and Tours 

A Holiday Gift Guide for Winter Hiking and Snowshoeing  

Top Ten Christmas Gifts for Snowy Winter Fun  

Big Thanks to all sponsors of this year's holiday gift guide!

- All Out Kids Gear

- Altitude Sports

- B-Line Indoor Bike Park

- The Calgary Climbing Centre

- Trail Blazers